ok im looking in to buying a 2002 ls sport cavy its blue with the stock crome wheels i thank there 16's then it has the 2.2 eco i drove it today and i thanks its nice but i was looking for tips on thang to be sure to cheek when buying a cavy to make sure i dont get rip off

Check the speed on all the windows if it has power windows or a sunroof. Those are really bad. How many miles are on it, and what are they asking for it? The eco seems like a solid unit according to the people on here that have them, but I don't know a lot about it, I like the 2.4 LD9 in my '02 Z better. Either way, good luck!




Gotta keep on livin', L-I-V-I-N

Anytime you buy a used car, there is always the chance that things will turn out badly. If you want to minimize the possibility of unforseen problems, I would take the car to a good mechanic that you trust to give the car a thorough inspection. It may cost you a few bucks up front, but it could save you a whole lot of bucks in the long run.

We do used vehicle inspections at work. Ill look ofer the whole car for repaired damage from a crash first, upper Radiator support repairs are the most common. Look in the spare tire well for moisture/ water. Some shops dont know how to seal up a new quarter very well.
Look at the bottoms of the doors , front end of the hood, and trunk lit for rust bubbles or repairs. This will be on the backside of the panel where it is put together. I know you said it was an 02 but you would be suprised how many cavs and fires are rusting there.
Check for irregular wear patterns on the tires.
Any oil leaks.
Overall visual inspection of the paint surface , look for dirt in the paint, body work scratches, fuzzy spots, clear pealing around door handles,locks, mouldings or gaskets.

Im not saying that you shouldnt buy a repaired car, If you find out it was repaired at some point, do a carfax, and take it to a body shop to see if the repairs were of good quality or not.

You have to remember that the car is for sale for a reason, you just have to find out why. Dont take the salesman/ owners word for it, have a professional look at it.


01 cav w/01 3400 gam gt 4t45e

well the car lot that has the car has a thang were thay will get the car fax report for you im going to have them do that tomorro and go from there

another good trick is to remove some small piece, i.e. the power window switch, kick panel or steering column cover. and check for a fine white haze/powder there. its a good sign that the air bags have been deployed, most shops wont take things like that apart when they clean the car. thats also a good place to look for signs of water damage, if you suspect flood damage, peel up a corner of the carpet and check.


im with joe malechowski on the rebuilt cars, if they have been repaired correctly there good cars for a really good price. but i suggest avoiding flood cars like the plague. generally flooded cars have huge electrical problems, even if everything seems ok. and depending on how long they where submerged they could also be a health risk.











http://registry.gmenthusiast.com/images/my2005cav/my%20car%20the%20bash.jpg

Be there when they do the report see them go to the website and do it. Another good way to check for the repaired damage is the bolts holding the fenders on usually have the paint messed up on them. From the factory it's smooth paint just like the exterior. If the paint is scraped off or the paint is spot sprayed it's been repaired.

Another thing to look for is the body panel gaps. If it ain't straight it ain't right.




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'96 Cavalier Good ol' Pushrod 2.2
-24X,000 miles on factory build
-Some oil loss between changes, me thinks it be rings.