Cheap as Chips Diamonds in the rough: the 1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo

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This is the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo. Notice that slot on the grill that looks like a mail slot? It’s the opening that leads to the tiny intercooler.

Low on cash? Looking for something cheap that will return a few smiles? Why not look around for something a little different? Let TFLCar show you rides that might give hope to the hopeless feeling of vehicular inadequacy. Every once in a while, “Cheap as Chips Diamonds in the Rough” will titillate the nostalgic while spotlighting used cars under $2,500.

Read the previous Cheap as Chips Diamonds in the Rough (here).

Chevy sprint 2
When I was in high school, I had a friend let me drive his father’s 1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo. Now, this was just around the time I was learning about hot hatches thanks to the original Volkswagen Rabbit GTI and Dodge Omni GLH of the same period. I had no idea how much fun forced induction could be. The 1987 Chevrolet Sprint was a fun machine that was remarkably efficient too.

This little guy had a 1.0-liter, three cylinder engine (like the regular Chevy Sprint) producing 70 horsepower and 79 lbs-feet of torque (nearly 25% more than the regular Sprint). I know, that’s not much; however, think about the power to weight ratio on a vehicle that weighs less than 1,700-lbs. Sure, 0 to 60 mph came in somewhere in the high eight to nine-second zone (depending on what you ate before racing the clock) but passing power was excellent. Best of all, the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo squirted out of corners and through traffic like a rocket.

The five-speed manual transmission required fairly long throws and positive engagement was not as good as the Volkswagen GTI’s, but it was acceptable. Down-shifting was nice and the buzzy 1.0-liter would growl like a savage Chihuahua. The turbocharger was tiny, smaller than a softball, but that means less rotational mass which mitigates turbo-lag. Boost came on quickly and peak torque comes on at about 3,500 rpm.

Chevy sprint 4
The extra exterior cladding and color coded wheel covers were a tad garish, and GM only allowed for two colors, red and white, but at least it was sporty looking. The interior was upgraded too. Unlike the regular Sprint, the Turbo had a tachometer and a boost light that would flicker “TURBO” mirroring the intensity of the boost (which was only eight-lbs). The three spoke steering-wheel was very sporty and the front seats (which were two toned red and gray) were very solid… which was too solid for some. Only three-door Chevy Sprints were used, so room was tight. Still, you could hold lots of cargo with the rear seats down.

The Chevrolet Sprint Turbo’s brakes were excellent and, despite the tiny 12-inch wheel and tire package, handling was spirited. The suspension was beefed up too. If you added wider, grippy rubber and tweaked the suspension, the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo would spank much more powerful and expensive rides. Even today, I see these little buggers zipping around rally-cross circuits.

Built on a Suzuki Swift platform, the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo met with limited success for GM. The public didn’t get the appeal of a zoomy, little runabout – even if it did achieve 32 mpg city and 43 mpg highway. The base price of $7,690 was too steep (in 1987) for most and the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo fell off GM’s North American product line after a two-year run.

Chevy sprint 3
Problems? Torque-steer is a real issue, but there are LSD-kits available and wider tires helped a bit. These were fairly fragile cars and finding one in good shape (and unmolested) will be a chore. The ones I recently found ranged in price from $500, for a beat-up pizza delivery schlep to $3,000 for a heavily upgraded pocket rocket.

Some parts will be slightly difficult to source as many came from Suzuki, which no longer has service centers in North America, but most components should be pretty cheap and a breeze to install. These three-cylinder Sprints were pretty straightforward with mechanical components and take to modification well. They are fairly easy to restore too. Body parts are few, light-weight and cheap. Considering the reasonable prices, incredible gas mileage and fun performance, finding a Chevrolet Sprint Turbo in good condition could prove to be a lucky thing indeed.

If you have one of these cars, or if you’ve owned one, drop us a line and tell us about it!

Check out this fun video with the spiritual successor to the Chevrolet Sprint Turbo, the Chevrolet Sonic RS!

These little turbo hatches are a hoot to drive – I wish I had one to play with.

Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism - Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum.  His words, good humor and videos are enjoyed worldwide.
Easily amused by anything with four wheels, Nathan Adlen reviews vehicles from the cheapest to the most prestigious. Wrecking yards, dealer lots, garages, racetracks, professional automotive testing and automotive journalism – Nathan has experienced a wide range of the automotive spectrum. His words, good humor and videos are enjoyed worldwide.