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The 1996 Chevrolet Beretta Base Coupe is my present (and third) car and I have had it since September 26, 1997 when it had less than 30,000 miles. Now, it has 90,000 miles and the 3100 series V6 still runs relatively well, coupled with the four speed overdrive automatic transmission. (No five speed stick here!) No, this is not a race car, even though there are several Beretta Racing Teams, as I have found out in my research on the Internet.
For those of you who paid attention to the October 21, 2000 photograph of the Beretta with keen eyes, you might recognize the rims on the Beretta as Pontiac aluminum rims, which came from the 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. (Those rims weren't the original ones on the Grand Am, either, as the rims were bought from a junkyard in Raleigh and they were on a 1987 Pontiac Sunbird during the time the Grand Am was wrecked in May 1993. Go to the Grand Am page for more detail, please.)
I have another set of American Racing Rims (Series 33) which I bought and had installed on the Beretta in March 1998. When I bought the Beretta, it had the regular steel rims from General Motors with the plastic wheel covers. In my opinion, that made the Beretta look very cheap and I had my eyes set on aftermarket rims as soon as I bought the car. However, I didn't have any luck in getting any rims until six months after I bought the car.
The Beretta does have some nice factory options, which really aren't options on some of the nicer cars today. My Beretta might not be a BMW, Lexus, SUV, Olds Alero, or any real sports car, but it does have more creature comforts than the 1988 Pontiac Grand Am did. (But, I am not saying the Grand Am was stripped, by any means! That car itself was nicer than the 1000 by a landslide.)
Some of the features and options of the Beretta include cruise control, power locks/windows, four-way manual driver's seat, tilt wheel, A/C, driver's side air bag, a 120 MPH speedometer, the 3100 V6, four speed O/D auto tranny, windshield wiper delay, rear window defroster, AM/FM stereo cassette (with my portable CD player connected to it at times), and a few other amenities.
Also, I have done some minor modifications (in addition to the AR rims) to the Beretta since I have had it, even though most of the mods were done the first year or two when I had the Beretta.
Below is a sample list of some mods with the date completed:
Dual Outlet Exhaust Tips from a 1995 Grand Am (October 1997)
Blazer (Pilot-Style) Fog Lamps (February 1998)
American Racing Series 33 Rims with Rear Mud Flaps (March '98)
"96 RETTA" Vanity License Plate (September 1998)
Beretta GTZ/Z26 Block Grille (December 1998)
Sylvania Halogen "Cool Blue" Headlamps (August 1999)
Vinyl Chevrolet Racing Window Stickers (August 1999)
Any more mods in the future of the 96 RETTA? (Stay tuned!)
Some of you might remember that Raleigh, North Carolina had a record snowfall on January 25, 2000. Above the story are some pictures of the Beretta underneath some mounds of snow. I had stayed over at a friend's house the evening before (by accident) and was surprised to see all of the snow the next morning. I knew then I wouldn't be going to my workplace that day (and week). I think the snow surprised everyone in Wake County, especially the WRAL-TV weather forecasters. (Wow!)
A "frightening" (yet, memorable) time I had with the Beretta was on Sunday, September 13, 1998 when my parents and I went riding to Seven Springs, NC. It was a lovely ride and we decided to go by Goldsboro, about sixty or so miles away from home. Well, when we went to Goldsboro, the alternator decided to die out on us. (Whoa!) I knew I couldn't call my parents since they were in the car too! Luckily, we called my sister and her family. They came and rescued us and we had to try to drive the Beretta back home during the middle of the night before the battery was completely weakened. That was an experience!
There was also another time (August 14, 1999) when the battery had a dead cell in it after the worst rainstorm I think Raleigh ever had. I was at someone else's house and had these elaborate plans to go to see the Carolina Mudcats. (I didn't know until later the game was called off.) However, I was stranded and had to call a friend to come and get me. (I thought the starter had quit working like the one on the Grand Am did on me on Fathers' Day 1994 when I was working at the North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Fort Caswell.) Luckily, I got home and the next day, my dad (the wonderful father he is) went with me and after a few moments and actions, the Beretta cranked back up. (Relief!)
(If it weren't for my dad, all of my automotive troubles wouldn't be as corrected as they are now. He is very competent about many automotive skills and trades. I wish I were more like him in that respect.)
I could go on about the Beretta, but I think that is enough about it for now, except for a few historical facts of the Beretta.
The Beretta was produced from 1987 to 1996, so I have the last year model. However, my Retta was manufactured in October 1995, so I have one of the OLDER 1996 year model Berettas. The Beretta also was only offered as a two-door coupe. There wasn't a four-door sedan offered. Instead, the Chevy Corsica was the four-door "Beretta" sedan since the Beretta and Corsica shared many mechanical and electronic components. If you are a really die-hard Beretta fan or would like more information about the Chevrolet Beretta, check out BerettaNet. It is www.beretta.net This is a valuable internet resource for all Beretta owners and fans.
Well, I really must cut this short now about the Retta. So, use the links below to direct you to which page you would like to go to.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE MAIN INDEX HOME PAGE
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 1969 INTERNATIONAL SCOUT PAGE
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 1984 PONTIAC 1000 PAGE
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE 1988 PONTIAC GRAND AM PAGE
Thanks for visiting and have a blessed day!
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