We here at GM Authority love a good sleeper, and this 1978 Chevy Chevette appears to tick all right the boxes. From the outside, it looks like a standard two-door hatchback with a modest, unassuming design. However, under the hood lies a surprise, namely a rumbling Chevy 427 V8 engine that transforms this little hatchback into a tire-shredding monster.
A recent video captured this stealthy ’78 Chevette at a car meet, where it got some extra attention after revealing its performance secret.
When it rolled off the assembly line in the late 1970s, the Chevy Chevette was designed as an affordable, fuel-efficient subcompact car. It came equipped with a small, economical 1.6L four-cylinder engine, modest power output, and a lightweight frame, making it an ideal everyday commuter car for the era.
This particular Chevette, however, is something else entirely. Despite its transformation, the exterior remains understated, featuring a clean black paint job with polished accents, including the bumper, wheel well trim, and glass surrounds. The grille retains a simple crossbar design, maintaining the sleeper aesthetic.
Inside, the cabin stays true to its vintage roots with a red vinyl dash, red plaid seats, and a retro two-spoke steering wheel.
The whole build is impeccably clean, offering no visual clues to the car’s wild transformation. Even the stock 13-inch wheels provide no hint of the monster lurking beneath the hood.
Of course, that all changes when you hear the exhaust note. The heart of this Chevette is a Chevy 427 V8 engine, which is paired with a Turbo 400 automatic transmission and a 12-bolt rear end. With this setup, the Chevette is no longer a humble runabout – it’s a tire-melting machine capable of surprising even modern sports cars, provided the driver can keep it planted on the pavement. Indeed, we suspect traction could be something of an issue once the throttle hits the carpet.
Check it out for yourself right here:
Comments
This is not a ’78. It’s more likely a ’77. Chevrolet changed the grille design for ’78.
Grill was changed in 1979.
Definitely a ’77 hood/grill.
Believe it or not this is one of the older builds found on YouTube, this is just the latest video of this Chevrette.
Love it, ingenuity at it’s best.. because it’s something different..
I couldn’t agree more! This immediately put a smile on my face.
Chevette and Vega, two Chevy small cars that were failures. Terrible quality doomed them.
Really, why would you bother? A Chevette? Brain transplant, stat.
GM produced nearly 2.8 million Chevettes for the North American market in a 11 model year run. That’s also not including any of it’s sibling brand / international derivatives. I wouldn’t call that a failure by any metric… The Chevette was a cheap, basic economy car. They served that purpose well for millions of buyers. Just like their cheap japanese contemporary’s, they were promptly used up and driven into the ground. I still see many more Chevettes on the road compared to Corolla’s, 210’s & Civic’s from that era…
Exactly! Hardly a “failure”
Brought a big smile to my face.
I’ve seen this car, and it is way cool. This is what hot rodding is about.
Prolly corners like a pickup !
What struck me is that such a small car has a big engine and yet there is still all kinds of room under the hood to work on it. After spending 30 minutes trying to cram my hand in an insanely tight place just to change a turn signal light bulb over the weekend, I’d forgotten how easy it used to be to do simple maintenance.
Our daughter drove a Chevette during the 4 years she was in college. We never had a problem with it.
Now all we need to do is something similar to those EV’s. Ditch all the EV crap and convert to a real tire burning hot rod.
Cool sleeper, I drove a 78 4 door in high school it had a set of studded snow tires on it for winter, you get 4 guys in it and it would go anywhere. Had over 200,000 miles on it when my Dad sold it. Fun car and cheap to drive.
One of my first cars coming out of high school, was a 73 Chevette 2 door scooter cream in color, with a manual trans.. it was a fun car to drive although it only sported a 4 cylinder… I wish I still had it… I had a lot of cool cars back than.But life causes you to give up your toys, not knowing then what they’re worth today… The Chevette shown here is awesome… If the owner of this Chevette ever wants to sell it contact me at my email shown.. Great Memories…