1989 Yugo GVL Long-Term Road Test

1989 Yugo GVL: Post-Pebble Checkup

by Josh Sadlier, Senior Editor on October 16, 2015

Following its triumphant weekend in Monterey, our long-term 1989 Yugo GVL headed back to the Yugo Doctor for a few tweaks. The odometer had stopped working on the way home, for one thing, and we also wanted to get the gas tank cleaned and treated to solve our sludge problem once and for all.

While we were at it, we asked our man David to check the jumpy speedometer needle, clip the loose passenger door panel back into place and see if he could track down a replacement driver window crank.

Less than shockingly, everyone was fresh out of Yugo window cranks, which is why there's now a pair of vise-grips on the hub. But otherwise, we did pretty well. The gauge cluster was removed, lubricated and tested, and it seems to be back in working order. The gas tank got de-sludged and epoxied to guard against future corrosion. A cracked filler hose was replaced as well. And the passenger door panel is now clipped on factory-tight, a first in our ownership experience.

Total Days Out of Service: 10

Total Cost: $444.25.

Given that the mint-condition-Yugo guy at the Concours d'LeMons claimed a sticker in his engine bay was worth $5,000, I'd say our honeymoon phase is far from over.

Josh Sadlier, Senior Editor