The Cavalier and Sunfire are too big too be called compact cars, Why the hell do u need a 2.2 -2.4litre engine for a compact? It's a waste of space. But then, they use pushrod engines, that's why. It's old that GM still uses the Quad 4 technology in these cars, this technology is old and outdated. The engine has too much vibration, this is just teh worst modern 4-valve engine in the world. I guess these are the reasons why these 2 cars are so cheap, not just its price, but its look, its quality, and reliability. And I guess North America is the only place where these 2 cars can survive. Before u say a Civic sucks, think about the Cavalier and Sunfire first.
is like most people who currently have a cavalier, it seems to be that most if not all of them, bought the car, because they didn't have another choice, in other words, at the time they bought it, they didn't have enough money to buy something better, or maybe they weren't aware on how bad the cavalier was built, or they didn't know any better, this was my case when i bought my cavalier at 20 years old
i seriously doubt that the cavalier would be anyone's dream cars, so no matter how much you try to rationalize that now you love the cavaliers, deep down, you and i know, that it was not your first choice, like really, who wants a cavalier as their first car? nobody, back then, there were many cars who outperformed the cavalier on every aspect (especially interior quality, everything on the cavalier is cheap and flimsy made) for similar price
it seems to me that most people on this site, bought the cavalier because they couldn't afford anything better, and then decided on making it "better" by adding mods, time went by, and as we all know the cavalier depreciates fairly fast for obvious reasons (quality sucks), so, then they realized that even selling the cavalier, wouldn't get them much money in return, so they kept it
and now they are modding, to make it less crappy
if you cannot admit, then you are hypocrite, you can say that you love the cavalier now, but i seriously doubt is anyone's dream car, you have this car now, because you didn't have a choice, and since selling will not give you enough to buy a better vehicle, you kept it and now are modding it
So you come to a cavalier/sunfire website to trash the car we choose to drive and modify, the. Welcome to the site we also have a ignore button it's VERY useful.
Modding my j since I found the org
sounds like someone tried to modify a "worthy car" which he failed miserably and now is just pissed at himself
I agree with pretty much everything u said....what's even more @!#$ty about a cavalier? 90% of the people that drive them.
Actually you are wrong.. A cavalier is one of my dream cars... (but not my only one) and I'm building mine to how I think a cavalier should be.. I really don't understand your logic.. Come to a forum dedicated to the jbody platform and yet you come here just to post useless threads like this one. Do us all a favor and just leave this forum and bitch somewhere else.. /rant.
I bought my Sunfire brand new in 2005 by choice. It was the car I wanted. I wasn't forced into the deal at all. You sir are a complete waste of time. We better these cars because its our hobby. Why chose a Civic, 240SX, Supra, or any other car? In the end it ends up being because that's what that particular person wants to mod. I chose my Sunfire because it IS different than the mainstream. When I go to a racing event there will always be faster cars, tons of Civics, ect. But my car always turns some heads because it is different.There arent that many other J's out there doing what myself and a few others do. After a while seeing a dozen or so 10 second Hondas gets boring. But a low 12 second Sunfire will grab some attention.
Currently #4 in Ecotec Forced Induction horsepower ratings. 505.8 WHP 414WTQ!!!
Currently 3rd quickest Ecotec on the .org - 10.949 @ 131.50 MPH!!!
I bought my cavy because all I needed at the time was a cheap daily driver and it fit the bill at that moment, Plus It looks good as well (which is rare for a 99 cavalier, at least in this state. Most have sunburned paint, etc..) At the time I was not aware of how poorly designed/built the LD9 Engine is or I may have bought something else instead, but I was surprised at the gusto it had on the test drive (even with the automatic transmission) It also handles decently being a Z24 and having the FE2 sport suspension, at least when compared to a base model cavalier. I'm not saying it's an all out performance machine by any means, but it's okay for what it is and does okay in daily driving.
The only thing i've had to do to this car since I bought it was replace the water pump and while I was in that deep I had the timing chain, chain tensioner, chain guides, cam sprockets, and thermostat replaced as well. I made the mistake of using an aftermarket timing kit (PCI)
and the tensioner doesn't hold good tension on the timing chain below 1000 rpm, however the rest of the kit (chain, guides, GMB water pump and cam sprockets) seem to be of good quality and have had no issues. I've been driving this car for the last year and few thousand miles with a semi failing chain tensioner and yet it still starts, runs and drives everyday with no problem. They say a chevy will run longer in bad condition than any other make, lol. Once in awhile I get looks when pulling away from a stop light (Guess people are surprised to see a cavy accelerate somewhat briskly !) If the 2.4 Twin Cam LD9 was better Designed/Built I would consider buying another Z24, but with a manual transmission
My "Dream" car however would be something along the lines of a lamborghini.
^Thats honest right there.
I bought my first cavalier because I wanted "something more modern" then my civic. As far as I'm concerned while the "quality" might be quite terrible, it was far superior then my 90 hatchback. I bought my second one because i just didnt want to switch platforms back to honda. Plus I began to feel "attached" to the feel of a cavalier.
And as far as the 2.2 and the 2.4 should not he classified as compact. I think everyone will admit it. But that's because North American vehicle production hasn't adapted to what is now "modern" vehicle specs. It was getting clear to them japanese motors were becoming a popular choice among north americans, they had to produce smaller/more efficient motors and such. Look at GMs line up today.
But hey. I am coming from both sides. My gf drives a 07 yaris that i drive on weekends that gets killer gas mileage and the motor is a bread basket. But I would choose the comfortability/design of a cavalier any day.
grgegre grgegr wrote:The Cavalier and Sunfire are too big too be called compact cars, Why the hell do u need a 2.2 -2.4litre engine for a compact? It's a waste of space. But then, they use pushrod engines, that's why. It's old that GM still uses the Quad 4 technology in these cars, this technology is old and outdated. The engine has too much vibration, this is just teh worst modern 4-valve engine in the world. I guess these are the reasons why these 2 cars are so cheap, not just its price, but its look, its quality, and reliability. And I guess North America is the only place where these 2 cars can survive. Before u say a Civic sucks, think about the Cavalier and Sunfire first.
is like most people who currently have a cavalier, it seems to be that most if not all of them, bought the car, because they didn't have another choice, in other words, at the time they bought it, they didn't have enough money to buy something better, or maybe they weren't aware on how bad the cavalier was built, or they didn't know any better, this was my case when i bought my cavalier at 20 years old
i seriously doubt that the cavalier would be anyone's dream cars, so no matter how much you try to rationalize that now you love the cavaliers, deep down, you and i know, that it was not your first choice, like really, who wants a cavalier as their first car? nobody, back then, there were many cars who outperformed the cavalier on every aspect (especially interior quality, everything on the cavalier is cheap and flimsy made) for similar price
it seems to me that most people on this site, bought the cavalier because they couldn't afford anything better, and then decided on making it "better" by adding mods, time went by, and as we all know the cavalier depreciates fairly fast for obvious reasons (quality sucks), so, then they realized that even selling the cavalier, wouldn't get them much money in return, so they kept it
and now they are modding, to make it less crappy
if you cannot admit, then you are hypocrite, you can say that you love the cavalier now, but i seriously doubt is anyone's dream car, you have this car now, because you didn't have a choice, and since selling will not give you enough to buy a better vehicle, you kept it and now are modding it
actually, one of my dream cars IS a cavalier, just a certain one. i am sorry you feel as though they are not worthy of your standards. but really, is that any reason to cry about it on an enthusiast sight to try and make yourself feel better? no.
i bought ALL of my cavaliers as well as put money into them because it was my choice. i had plenty of others to choose from but i chose them and have never regretted it.
my 2.4 liter's are not pushrod engines. i dont know where you got this from.... the quad 4 was ahead of its time in 1987 with DOHC technology... by a long shot. last i looked people were still using 4 valves per cylinder in 4 cylinder engines these days. how is that outdated? they dont use timing belts.. is that it? look at honda's k series engines and get back to me on that one. variable valve timing? big woop id rather have an even power band anyway. and exactly how is having a 2.4 liter a "waste of space"? vibrations? yea ok... someone needs to check between their legs for some manhood....
these cars were not meant to win jd power and associates awards and were certainly not meant to compete with jaguars and lexus' vehicles. they are what they are.. cheap, economic cars that get good gas mileage. they do not need to have all kinds of fancy expensive equipment. there was a reason they sold for 14-18,000 new back when they were made and now compacts sell for 25,000-35,000. there is more technology and gadgetry as well as engineering in them, of course they are going to be more expensive.
ill never understand why people expect a cheap car to be as nice as 100,000 dollar cars. get over it. if you take care of them they dont fall apart. they can last a very long time and you can definitely get your money's worth out of them. so the interior is made out of plastic. do you want real leather wrapped carbon fiber dashes and ferarri emblems, or??
RIP silver car. You will be missed.
of course, on Saturday, August 31, 2013 10:10 PM, the 1995 chevrolet cavalier and pontiac sunfire are out of date, and you can sit there and say "why did they do this, or why did they do that, it's outdated". well, no @!#$ it's outdated, it's 20+ year old technology. that might be a reason the platform has been dead for almost a decade.
sure, at the time it wasn't the best car ever made, but even considering price, options, build quality, etc... it was still one of the biggest selling platforms in its day. it's no different today. there's brand new cheap crap available that people are buying despite having "better" cars available. for the life of me, i can't see why anyone would buy a smart car, or a fiat 500. so, why do people buy them? because they can. that's their choice.
another point you brought up was that it's many peoples' first car. wonder why? because there's 10 million of them still on the market for <$3,000. unless you're a wall street banker, you don't get your first choice car for your first car, so you get a used car. it still gets decent gas mileage, has plenty of room and doesn't cost an arm and a leg for maintenance. don't know if you noticed or not, but the last 7 or 8 years have been a pretty hard time economy-wise, so not everyone is able to buy $20k+ cars and with national gas prices going well over $4/gal, people want a cheap, reliable car that's easy to maintain. with nearly every 95-2000 honda civic riced out with fart cans, intakes and altezzas, most people aren't going to buy them. camrys are highly sought after so they aren't on the market for more than 5 minutes when up for sale, nobody wants that era fords, neons are garbage, that doesn't leave many other options.
as for trying to sell them, modifications do not add value to cars. it's a labor of love, so any money put into cars is rarely ever returned when it comes time to sell. i bought my sunfire for $7k, put another $5k into it in mods and sold it for $250 for scrap when the engine took a steaming crap. we all know that modding cars is a waste of money, and there's no return to be had. if that's why you mod a car, you're doing it for the wrong reasons.
I'm happy with my ecotec for my first car. It's way better looking than any other car in it's class and has enough power to get it going. Nothing wrong with having a simple daily driver.
grgegre grgegr wrote:The Cavalier and Sunfire are too big too be called compact cars, Why the hell do u need a 2.2 -2.4litre engine for a compact? It's a waste of space. But then, they use pushrod engines, that's why. It's old that GM still uses the Quad 4 technology in these cars, this technology is old and outdated. The engine has too much vibration, this is just teh worst modern 4-valve engine in the world. I guess these are the reasons why these 2 cars are so cheap, not just its price, but its look, its quality, and reliability. And I guess North America is the only place where these 2 cars can survive. Before u say a Civic sucks, think about the Cavalier and Sunfire first.
is like most people who currently have a cavalier, it seems to be that most if not all of them, bought the car, because they didn't have another choice, in other words, at the time they bought it, they didn't have enough money to buy something better, or maybe they weren't aware on how bad the cavalier was built, or they didn't know any better, this was my case when i bought my cavalier at 20 years old
i seriously doubt that the cavalier would be anyone's dream cars, so no matter how much you try to rationalize that now you love the cavaliers, deep down, you and i know, that it was not your first choice, like really, who wants a cavalier as their first car? nobody, back then, there were many cars who outperformed the cavalier on every aspect (especially interior quality, everything on the cavalier is cheap and flimsy made) for similar price
it seems to me that most people on this site, bought the cavalier because they couldn't afford anything better, and then decided on making it "better" by adding mods, time went by, and as we all know the cavalier depreciates fairly fast for obvious reasons (quality sucks), so, then they realized that even selling the cavalier, wouldn't get them much money in return, so they kept it
and now they are modding, to make it less crappy
if you cannot admit, then you are hypocrite, you can say that you love the cavalier now, but i seriously doubt is anyone's dream car, you have this car now, because you didn't have a choice, and since selling will not give you enough to buy a better vehicle, you kept it and now are modding it
I'm still trying to figure out why you are here.
I prefer this forum to be nice and quiet.
dead.
the way it should be.
then tards like you show up and post a bunch of crap that everyone here already knows.
nobody cares.
sell your car and move on like a majority of this forum has.
I tell you what just let me know when you have a car that is 28 years old and still solid.My 1985 is a well made car,interior is really nice,good features and just a 2.0 tbi with a manual 4spd that has plenty of torque and still will burn the tires off.I can say the 1st gen stuff is rock solid plus lots of cool models.I do love my old J and while just a type 10 I do enjoy it.My dream car would be a 86/87 cavalier hatchback Z24.End of explanation.
OP is correct in so many ways.
My cheapo car my parents bought me back in 02-03 lasted a few months before dying. I needed a car and they decided to pick one out for me and make me pay 100%. It ended up being my 2003 Sunfire.
It served its purpose, and I had the dream to make it "fast" and "cool". I have a lot of great memories with it and I do love my Sunfire, but once you get a taste of a real head turner/fast/cool car, you will never look back.
I wish I had never put a dime into my Sunfire..... This is all my opinion; The car was good at getting from point A to point B, but for me, that is all.
grgegre grgegr wrote:The Cavalier and Sunfire are too big too be called compact cars, Why the hell do u need a 2.2 -2.4litre engine for a compact? It's a waste of space. But then, they use pushrod engines, that's why. It's old that GM still uses the Quad 4 technology in these cars, this technology is old and outdated. The engine has too much vibration, this is just teh worst modern 4-valve engine in the world. I guess these are the reasons why these 2 cars are so cheap, not just its price, but its look, its quality, and reliability. And I guess North America is the only place where these 2 cars can survive. Before u say a Civic sucks, think about the Cavalier and Sunfire first.
is like most people who currently have a cavalier, it seems to be that most if not all of them, bought the car, because they didn't have another choice, in other words, at the time they bought it, they didn't have enough money to buy something better, or maybe they weren't aware on how bad the cavalier was built, or they didn't know any better, this was my case when i bought my cavalier at 20 years old
i seriously doubt that the cavalier would be anyone's dream cars, so no matter how much you try to rationalize that now you love the cavaliers, deep down, you and i know, that it was not your first choice, like really, who wants a cavalier as their first car? nobody, back then, there were many cars who outperformed the cavalier on every aspect (especially interior quality, everything on the cavalier is cheap and flimsy made) for similar price
it seems to me that most people on this site, bought the cavalier because they couldn't afford anything better, and then decided on making it "better" by adding mods, time went by, and as we all know the cavalier depreciates fairly fast for obvious reasons (quality sucks), so, then they realized that even selling the cavalier, wouldn't get them much money in return, so they kept it
and now they are modding, to make it less crappy
if you cannot admit, then you are hypocrite, you can say that you love the cavalier now, but i seriously doubt is anyone's dream car, you have this car now, because you didn't have a choice, and since selling will not give you enough to buy a better vehicle, you kept it and now are modding it
Who pissed in your cheerios
. What's the matter mommy and daddy only buy you a cavalier for your first car and you hate it so you come here and whine and bitch like a 5yr old in all your posts.
The automotive hobby is not about "right" and "wrong". Its about doing what you want with your car to make yourself happy.
I got my Sunfire as my first car. Then I bought a Civic and then an Accord and a motorcycle. The Sunfire is STILL my favorite of all of them. Theres a reason we're here on the J-body forum. Because we all have a soft spot for them.
Dips
hit.
i love my cavalier and am planning on finishing the whole car in airbrushing., this is just the start
ive owned 6 cavaliers and 3 sunfires so far
I've had PLENTY of cool cars. Granted when I bought my first sunfire (not my first car mind you) I was intending in trading it for my buddies talon. Then I realized how comfy it was and good power for stock. So I kept it. Then a year later after making it how I wanted I traded it for a Camaro. Regretted it everyday until 9 months later I was browsing Craigslist only to find someone partin it out. My heart dropped and I contacted the seller. The car was all there but engine was locked up and no exhaust. For $400 I had my baby back. Sold it a few months later to a buddy to finish cause I was enjoying my camaro still. The love for my cavfire was still there. Traded the camaro for a stupid clean 240sx that was flawless and perfect and lowered on legit coilovers, had that for a couple months and traded it for a 93 civic hatch...now that was the WORST decision of my life. You wanna talk about how cheap jbody cars are...here you go that civic had the most plain and @!#$ty interior ever. Rear wheel wells were gone, suspension was @!#$, bushings squeak, body panels are complete crap and are paper thin. Only reason I was interested cause it had a legit wxhaust, Si tranny, and decently built engine. Still slower than my quad with a knocking wrist pin. Then after a few months traded it to my buddy for my cavfire back...again. Put tons of money in it. Wrecked it. Fixed it again. Wrecked it, bought my 99 z24, put my engine and tranny in it and love this car!
In the end I have owned "better" vehicles but this is where my heart is. I love my quad. I don't need "VTEC". It's like turbo lag without the turbo and even then it's still slow. I'll take torque all day long over revving to 9k rpm.
Go over to camaroforums and rant about there @!#$. Rednecks with mullets don't take that too well
Was a cavalier my first choice for a first car, you're damn right it was. I looked at my budget, saw what cars were in my range and went for a cavalier. I could have picked up a civic or an eclipse or -enter other used car here- but I went for a cavalier. I didn't know @!#$ about them, but I knew enough that cavaliers and sunfires were everywhere and parts for repairs were plentiful, besides, it's pretty easy on the eyes too. After 50k miles (sold it at 125k) and learning more about the platform, I bought a 2005 and sold my 97 to a high school senior for $1200. That car is STILL running great with minimal money invested and proper upkeep. I talk to the guy I sold it to a few time a year and he has no intentions on getting rid of it despite the fact that it is going to be rolling over 200k this year.
So again, tell me how crappy a J-Body is when they are so cheap and they can go forever.
Here is why people hate cavaliers; blandness.
True story. ive been NA, turbo, and supercharged so to say i havent 'experienced' they joy of one of those is nonsense and anyone who has owned other cars will tell you that there are much better platforms out there... and also much worse. So if anything they suck due to mediocrity.
By the way, your post was way too long/ had no pictures so i didnt read it and based my response on the title; so drink some chocolate milk and stfu.
Eat my shift
I wish i had a 99 pontiac sunfire gt or a firebird t/a firehawk
grgegre grgegr wrote:The Cavalier and Sunfire are too big too be called compact cars, Why the hell do u need a 2.2 -2.4litre engine for a compact? It's a waste of space. But then, they use pushrod engines, that's why. It's old that GM still uses the Quad 4 technology in these cars, this technology is old and outdated. The engine has too much vibration, this is just teh worst modern 4-valve engine in the world. I guess these are the reasons why these 2 cars are so cheap, not just its price, but its look, its quality, and reliability. And I guess North America is the only place where these 2 cars can survive. Before u say a Civic sucks, think about the Cavalier and Sunfire first.
is like most people who currently have a cavalier, it seems to be that most if not all of them, bought the car, because they didn't have another choice, in other words, at the time they bought it, they didn't have enough money to buy something better, or maybe they weren't aware on how bad the cavalier was built, or they didn't know any better, this was my case when i bought my cavalier at 20 years old
i seriously doubt that the cavalier would be anyone's dream cars, so no matter how much you try to rationalize that now you love the cavaliers, deep down, you and i know, that it was not your first choice, like really, who wants a cavalier as their first car? nobody, back then, there were many cars who outperformed the cavalier on every aspect (especially interior quality, everything on the cavalier is cheap and flimsy made) for similar price
it seems to me that most people on this site, bought the cavalier because they couldn't afford anything better, and then decided on making it "better" by adding mods, time went by, and as we all know the cavalier depreciates fairly fast for obvious reasons (quality sucks), so, then they realized that even selling the cavalier, wouldn't get them much money in return, so they kept it
and now they are modding, to make it less crappy
if you cannot admit, then you are hypocrite, you can say that you love the cavalier now, but i seriously doubt is anyone's dream car, you have this car now, because you didn't have a choice, and since selling will not give you enough to buy a better vehicle, you kept it and now are modding it
LOL dude. You have got to be one of the biggest fu
cktards to come around in a while. You obviously have some major issues, and coming on a J-body enthusiast site to bash J-bodies somehow makes you feel better.
That being said, go cry somewhere else.
