'89 Celebrity Wagon

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
30,595
Reaction score
28,800
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
I haven't had much time for projects lately, so I'll go ahead and share the one project that I actually have worked a little bit on. I wouldn't have been able to purchase this car if it weren't for @RetroC10Sport as he is the one that made me aware of it. A little back story, my dad had bought a new '87 Eurosport wagon off the lot when I was a kid. By '93 it already had 250k on it and when it suddenly developed a loud lifter tick, my dad traded it in on a slightly used '92 Lumina APV. But anyway, I always liked that wagon and it is the reason for my love of the Chevy Celebrity. I've owned a handful of them and currently have several, but I've been missing the "just right" Eurosport station wagon.

And that's where this one comes in. It's an '89 Eurosport with a 2.8 v6 and overdrive automatic, along with several other options. It's kind of a rusty POS, but I have all the parts needed for repair, and it has a clean title. The car had been junked and processed, so there's quite a few repairs needed just to get it running again. But it's nice enough to be repaired and driven without concern, but not so nice that I don't drive it for fear of wear and tear. Like I said, just right.

Here it is, fresh off the trailer:
You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach


At this point, I had done nothing other than hose it off at the car wash while on the way home the evening before.
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
30,595
Reaction score
28,800
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
The car came without keys, so the first thing I had to do was replace the ignition lock.
You must be registered for see images attach


I also changed out the wheels/tires for a set of mags from an '84-'86 Eurosport.
You must be registered for see images attach


The jerry-rigged taillight got replaced too.
You must be registered for see images attach


Oh, and these are two of the donors that are helping this car live on:
You must be registered for see images attach
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
30,595
Reaction score
28,800
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
Changed the oil, installed a radiator, replaced hacked shroud and cooler lines, replaced the cut radiator hoses and rigged up a temp battery with the hacked cables. When I get the correct battery, I have nice factory cables to install, along with the proper core support brace.

You must be registered for see images attach


You must be registered for see images attach


Did a quick test run with the donor tank and a new fuel pump.
You must be registered for see images attach
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
30,595
Reaction score
28,800
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
And today I got the new donor tank installed, lines connected (adapted the '89 nylon lines to the '86 sender and steel lines) and back down on the ground. It runs, it drives and it even shifts too. The trans was my big concern but it seems to operate very well. But the test run was short, mostly because the thermostat seems to be stuck. It also has brakes that really don't have any stopping power at all and it still sports a sawed-off catalytic converter as well. So a few more repairs and I'll be able to actually take it for a real drive.
 

Goldie Driver

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2018
Posts
4,047
Reaction score
6,640
Location
Houston, Texas
First Name
Britt
Truck Year
1980
Truck Model
GMC K1500 Suburban
Engine Size
350
Kind of a cool little wagon !

Had an uncle with a Lumina Z34 many moons ago- seems like it was black with orange accents ala the tv Batmobile.

Never drove it, though.
 

idahovette

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2016
Posts
7,348
Reaction score
16,081
Location
Weiser Idaho
First Name
Perry
Truck Year
1975-1979
Truck Model
K20-K10
Engine Size
350
My Mom bought a new 88 Celebrity 4 Door, drove it for a couple of years and the paint started falling off. Took! it to the local Chevy dealer and they repainted the car for her. Good old gray color ,but at least they tried to make it right. Looked good for a few years and boy did that thing run. 2.8 really ran good!!
 

78C10BigTen

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2017
Posts
16,017
Reaction score
25,551
Location
pennsylvannia
First Name
Ted
Truck Year
1978
Truck Model
C10 BIG TEN
Engine Size
350
I haven't had much time for projects lately, so I'll go ahead and share the one project that I actually have worked a little bit on. I wouldn't have been able to purchase this car if it weren't for @RetroC10Sport as he is the one that made me aware of it. A little back story, my dad had bought a new '87 Eurosport wagon off the lot when I was a kid. By '93 it already had 250k on it and when it suddenly developed a loud lifter tick, my dad traded it in on a slightly used '92 Lumina APV. But anyway, I always liked that wagon and it is the reason for my love of the Chevy Celebrity. I've owned a handful of them and currently have several, but I've been missing the "just right" Eurosport station wagon.

And that's where this one comes in. It's an '89 Eurosport with a 2.8 v6 and overdrive automatic, along with several other options. It's kind of a rusty POS, but I have all the parts needed for repair, and it has a clean title. The car had been junked and processed, so there's quite a few repairs needed just to get it running again. But it's nice enough to be repaired and driven without concern, but not so nice that I don't drive it for fear of wear and tear. Like I said, just right.

Here it is, fresh off the trailer:
You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach


At this point, I had done nothing other than hose it off at the car wash while on the way home the evening before.
My firsr car was an 87 celebrity station wagon that i bought with my graduation money. Grew up riding in the rumble seat of my grandmas celebrity wagon. I love them! Right on!:headbang:
 

animal

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Jul 30, 2010
Posts
5,625
Reaction score
3,899
Location
Georgia
First Name
Lee
Truck Year
1986
Truck Model
c10 silverado
Engine Size
350ish
It's about time you got some kind of project to work on! Cool little ride :waytogo:
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
30,595
Reaction score
28,800
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
My Mom bought a new 88 Celebrity 4 Door, drove it for a couple of years and the paint started falling off. Took! it to the local Chevy dealer and they repainted the car for her. Good old gray color ,but at least they tried to make it right. Looked good for a few years and boy did that thing run. 2.8 really ran good!!

I've had 2 of the gray 4-doors in the past, both had been repainted at some point early in their life. I know for sure that one was done at the dealer, they even painted it the wrong shade of gray and then scribbled out the paint code on the SPID. They at least wrote down the new paint code, lol.
 

Craig 85

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Posts
3,918
Reaction score
4,125
Location
Nashville, TN
First Name
Craig
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
K30 SRW
Engine Size
454/TH-400/NP205
In 1989 our police department bought 7 or 8 sedans for our detectives and a blue wagon as a crime scene car. On weekends, some of us working patrol would take these out and an surprise a few people.
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

Automobile Hoarder
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Posts
5,848
Reaction score
2,389
Location
Mississippi
First Name
Jesse
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V1500 Jimmy
Engine Size
350
In 1989 our police department bought 7 or 8 sedans for our detectives and a blue wagon as a crime scene car. On weekends, some of us working patrol would take these out and an surprise a few people.

Were these 9C1 Celebrities?
 

1987 GMC Jimmy

Automobile Hoarder
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Posts
5,848
Reaction score
2,389
Location
Mississippi
First Name
Jesse
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
V1500 Jimmy
Engine Size
350
I like this. A woman who graduated with me said that while she was an undergrad (graduate now) at my school, about 1999 or 2000, her car was a poop brown Celebrity sedan, and someone stole it, drilled out the door cylinders, mutilated the column to get it started, trashed the inside, and left it in a really ****** part of town. She lived in a nice little area, actually about two blocks from where I lived my freshman year, and it was stolen. Crazy. Plus it was a Celebrity.

It’s hard for me to believe that these cars are as gone as they are, at least around here. I used to see one once in a blue moon but now nothing. I thought they were a consistently good seller for Chevy. I just looked for one, and I found one for sale in Little Rock, which is hell and gone from me. I’d keep it if it were me.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/358115055014816/
 

bucket

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Posts
30,595
Reaction score
28,800
Location
Usually not in Ohio
First Name
Andy
Truck Year
'77, '78, '79, '84, '88
Truck Model
K5 thru K30
Engine Size
350-454
I like this. A woman who graduated with me said that while she was an undergrad (graduate now) at my school, about 1999 or 2000, her car was a poop brown Celebrity sedan, and someone stole it, drilled out the door cylinders, mutilated the column to get it started, trashed the inside, and left it in a really ****** part of town. She lived in a nice little area, actually about two blocks from where I lived my freshman year, and it was stolen. Crazy. Plus it was a Celebrity.

It’s hard for me to believe that these cars are as gone as they are, at least around here. I used to see one once in a blue moon but now nothing. I thought they were a consistently good seller for Chevy. I just looked for one, and I found one for sale in Little Rock, which is hell and gone from me. I’d keep it if it were me.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/358115055014816/

They used to be all over the place when they were newer. Iirc, they were the top selling midsize car in the '85-'86 range. But within the last 10-15 years, the amount of them still around has dwindled down to almost nothing. I've stockpiled a lot of parts for these cars in the last 15+ years and it's coming in handy right now.
 

Frankenchevy

Proverbs 16:18
Joined
Jan 3, 2018
Posts
6,098
Reaction score
7,805
Location
USA
First Name
Jeremy
Truck Year
Square
Truck Model
CUCV
Engine Size
Small
Don’t know why I thought of this. Kinda, sorta, maybe...
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
 

Green79Scottsdale

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Posts
2,834
Reaction score
7,487
Location
G.R. - MI
First Name
Bob
Truck Year
1979
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
400
I bought an '84, complete with a carb'd 2.8, from my Uncle for $200, so I didn't have to drive my Monte through the winter. Drove it for three years until I sold it for $250! I beat the piss outta that thing and it took everything pretty good. Sold it to buy my grandpa's '88 Olds 98.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
44,401
Posts
956,725
Members
36,714
Latest member
MartinK5
Top