2001 Chevrolet Cavalier
2-Door Coupe
Gold
2.2 L 2200 SFI
Automatic
104,000 miles
I've been driving this car around for about two years now. My Dad bought it off some guy on craigslist for around two-grand, then ended up giving it to me. To be honest, I really didn't like the way it looked at first. I was new to driving, and new to the "J-Body Scene" at the time. I thought it looked like a car that somebody's Grandma would drive to the grocery store. My ex-girlfriend said that the front-end of Cavaliers reminded her of a penis, haha. But as time went on, my opinion changed and I realized that it's a pretty cool little car.
Although my opinion changed, I've had some problems with it already.
- The piece of plastic along the border of the dashboard/windshield on the interior of the car has cracked in multiple places (which I guess is pretty common for Cavaliers)
- The muffler/exhaust system completely went out on me when I was on the freeway, and the sound of the car running just sounded loud as @!#$...like a roaring behemoth of some sort.
- The brakes got all @!#$ up, and started making these crazy screeching noises...I had to pay around $400 to get them fixed, and that was a heavily discounted price.
- The left wheel is kinda @!#$ up right now too. Whenever I make a U-Turn, or a sharp left turn, you can hear this loud popping noise.
- The trunk has broke once. The latch broke and I was unable to pop it open with the inside lever, and I couldn't even open it with the key. I had to weld the piece inside back together to fix that.
- The rear window defroster doesn't really even work, and the cruise control doesn't work either.
- The stock radio/speakers were really @!#$ty, so I threw a Kenwood system in there and some new speakers. It bumps.
Cavaliers are pretty decent cars, and they're really fun to drive.
But after driving this car around for about 2 years now, I'm thinking about leaving the "J-Body Scene" as well.
I'm probably gonna fix what's wrong with it, then sell it to somebody off the street for around the same price that my Dad bought it for.
I'm more of an import guy I guess, I'm thinkin about getting either a Civic, Integra, or Sentra.
Mike Gonzales wrote:The brakes got all @!#$ up, and started making these crazy screeching noises...I had to pay around $400 to get them fixed, and that was a heavily discounted price.
buy a haynes manual. a 4 corner brake job with new hydraulics, friction material, rotors and drums should cost AT MOST $250. using premium parts.
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I disagree- I think it would be hard to find each wheel's worth of brake parts (rotor and/or drum, pads, shoes, calipers, maybe a hose...) for under $100 each wheel- and if you do find it cheaper, it's probably not going to be premium parts.
However, if you've got a line on the best place to buy good brake parts cheap- pleaase share.
J-bodys are like appliances... cheaply made, meant to be thrown away after enough use. As far as imports go.. the three you listed are exactly the same, just made by non-American companies. And when you have those same problems with those cars, the parts will cost you more than the J-body did.
I have connections in the parts industry, just did my complete rear brakes last week for $170. Premium parts too. It's all in who you know.
Front brakes can be done for around $75 for new pads and rotors.
Sounds like you dont do any upkeep on the car and just waited till it all went to @!#$ before trying to fix it.
wagner thermoquiets - $35 front, $23 rear.
wagner rotors - $24 each. drums - $20 each.
a-1 cardone calipers - $13 each.
wheel cylinders - $12 each
rear hardware kit - $7.
total - $203.
shop around mate. you got ripped off.
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Yall are assuming he did his own brake job, a couple hours of shop labor rate would easily add up to the $400 he listed.
Richard K wrote:Yall are assuming he did his own brake job, a couple hours of shop labor rate would easily add up to the $400 he listed.
actually, i was assuming a shop did it, thus, as i said, he got ripped off. "Yall" need to realize that brakes are about the simplest thing to do on these cars.
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Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:actually, i was assuming a shop did it, thus, as i said, he got ripped off. "Yall" need to realize that brakes are about the simplest thing to do on these cars.
Point taken.
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As far as the other things, they all sound pretty common to me....
Just an FYI, they sell a cover for the cracked section of dash you're talking about for around $110ish. It glues over top of the old one, I was thinking of getting myself one..... The cracks are common.
The defroster I've had the little connector on rear windshield get too loose to work good.
Exhaust I've replaced twice already....... they rust out quick sometimes
I've glued my trunk latch cable cover back on, as it's fallen apart before.
As far as speakers, Infinity Kappas ftw.
Brakes are simple for an well-equipped j-body fix-it guru, but I for one have only done them once, just to prove I can do it, and actually, I just did the pads.
Hardly anybody can turn their own rotors, and while the thread tells me that a rotor can be had for less than $25, I wanna see the part first, so I have to buy it in a store, and that runs $36 at Advance Auto Parts. The two rotors and two drums would cost $166 at Advance, it would be another $86 for the thermoquiet pads and shoes, two cardone calipers are $34, the rear brake cylinders are $10 each, and hardware kit is $7.50 So, getting your parts at a supposedly "discount' parts store runs you $313. If it was me, I would fork over the additional $90 for the labor to put this all on my car, because it would take me all day (and maybe more) to do it.
So, as far as the "simplest" thing to do on these cars, I vote for replacing the air filter.
DavidCyrus wrote:Brakes are simple for an well-equipped j-body fix-it guru, but I for one have only done them once, just to prove I can do it, and actually, I just did the pads.
Hardly anybody can turn their own rotors, and while the thread tells me that a rotor can be had for less than $25, I wanna see the part first, so I have to buy it in a store, and that runs $36 at Advance Auto Parts. The two rotors and two drums would cost $166 at Advance, it would be another $86 for the thermoquiet pads and shoes, two cardone calipers are $34, the rear brake cylinders are $10 each, and hardware kit is $7.50 So, getting your parts at a supposedly "discount' parts store runs you $313. If it was me, I would fork over the additional $90 for the labor to put this all on my car, because it would take me all day (and maybe more) to do it.
So, as far as the "simplest" thing to do on these cars, I vote for replacing the air filter.
you shop at an advance. there will be a gentleman (or lady) behind the counter with an ASE pin or even a patch. THAT's the person to build a rapport with. i guarantee, when you make friends with this person, your parts will become cheaper.
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mitdr774 wrote:Front brakes can be done for around $75 for new pads and rotors.
Sounds like you dont do any upkeep on the car and just waited till it all went to @!#$ before trying to fix it.
Runs me close to $200...but I only use EBC green stuff pads and slotted rotors. Once you get used to really good brakes nothing else will do. My gfs Malibu has premium pads and stock rotors and its not even close to the feel and response I have.
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I just wish my wife's cav would stop eating through brakes. But then again, she does a good bit of city driving........
Rich Grayo Jr. wrote:DavidCyrus wrote:Brakes are simple for an well-equipped j-body fix-it guru, but I for one have only done them once, just to prove I can do it, and actually, I just did the pads.
Hardly anybody can turn their own rotors, and while the thread tells me that a rotor can be had for less than $25, I wanna see the part first, so I have to buy it in a store, and that runs $36 at Advance Auto Parts. The two rotors and two drums would cost $166 at Advance, it would be another $86 for the thermoquiet pads and shoes, two cardone calipers are $34, the rear brake cylinders are $10 each, and hardware kit is $7.50 So, getting your parts at a supposedly "discount' parts store runs you $313. If it was me, I would fork over the additional $90 for the labor to put this all on my car, because it would take me all day (and maybe more) to do it.
So, as far as the "simplest" thing to do on these cars, I vote for replacing the air filter.
you shop at an advance. there will be a gentleman (or lady) behind the counter with an ASE pin or even a patch. THAT's the person to build a rapport with. i guarantee, when you make friends with this person, your parts will become cheaper.
See. I was under the impression that parts go for a set retail price.
Though being friends with an employee makes returns easier.
TheSundownFire (GME Chat) wrote:See. I was under the impression that parts go for a set retail price.
Though being friends with an employee makes returns easier.
Usually 3 levels. Customer, Preffered Customer, And Employee.
All the parts counters know me when I walk in. And I get employee pricing in most cases.
Rich speaks truth. Be-friend these people and they will hook you up.
Mike wrote:TheSundownFire (GME Chat) wrote:See. I was under the impression that parts go for a set retail price.
Though being friends with an employee makes returns easier.
Usually 3 levels. Customer, Preffered Customer, And Employee.
All the parts counters know me when I walk in. And I get employee pricing in most cases.
Rich speaks truth. Be-friend these people and they will hook you up.
I just run in through my friends commercial account. Tax free is good stuff.
My friend who works at Advance will give me his employee pricing but I assume most people dont know the employees that well to get that done. Plus its kinda against the rules.
I dont even need to see the drum brake on something before its taken apart to put it back together anymore... although I've replaces the brakes on well over 100 different vehicles. Not to mention all kinds of other maintenance.
And yes when you have work done there is a HUGE markup on parts... usually twice as much as you can get it for yourself... Im surprised more of you dont know that.
That a really easy way to check... go to the parts store find out how much the parts cost, double that, then add labor... that really close to how much you'll be charged to fix your car.
Excuse the typing its 4am
mitdr774 wrote:Front brakes can be done for around $75 for new pads and rotors.
Sounds like you dont do any upkeep on the car and just waited till it all went to @!#$ before trying to fix it.
Agreed.
The horrible screeching you heard was most likely your pad's wear indicators rubbing on your rotor. That's normal if you push your pads that far. If you keep an eye on it and don't let it get that far, you can save your rotors and just replace your pads which saves you money.
You also save a lot of money if you do it yourself but I can understand if you don't have the mechanical knowledge/tools. I did my front brakes for 80$ total... with mid-grade rotors and the better quality OEM replacement ceramic pads that Pep Boys stocks. I could have done it for about 25$ cheaper if I got the cheaper pads... so if you are on a budget there are a lot of options.
Sounds like the popping noise means you need a new wheel bearing.. just my first guess.
Think about the reality of it... you have 104K miles on your car, and you needed a good brake job and possibly a wheel bearing... A lot of cars, including your imports you mentioned, would need the same routine type maintenance, if not more, at that age. Car's need maintenance, and what you have listed are really nothing to complain about.
Oh... and my Nissan needed the OEM exhaust replaced at about 75k miles due to rust. So I wouldn't blame these repairs on being a Cavalier, lol.
Weebel wrote:I dont even need to see the drum brake on something before its taken apart to put it back together anymore... although I've replaces the brakes on well over 100 different vehicles. Not to mention all kinds of other maintenance.
And yes when you have work done there is a HUGE markup on parts... usually twice as much as you can get it for yourself... Im surprised more of you dont know that.
That a really easy way to check... go to the parts store find out how much the parts cost, double that, then add labor... that really close to how much you'll be charged to fix your car.
Excuse the typing its 4am
This.
When I used to work at Sears Auto as a service writer, we were told to always use sears stocked parts, which were usually 1/3 more expensive than its auto part store equivalent. If I liked you, I would tell you that we were out of sears parts so I could get the auto parts store deliver the same parts for anywhere from $20-$80 less. If you were a dick, you got charged full price regardless, and you'd probably have to wait longer than the people who would talk to you like a human being and not a slave.
That point being said, keep this in mind the next time you need work
1. If you can fix it yourself, do it yourself and spend the money you save on mods, or take your girl out to dinner, chances are shes pissed you were in the yard all day working on your car.
2. If you can't fix it yourself, make friends with a local mechanic. you can usually tell if they are good if its hard to get an appointment.
3. If you can't get an appointment, make some friends who know their way around cars. I have friends who'll do maintainence work for barter, usually beer, cigarettes, dvds etc.
4. If you don't have friends, then go to sears auto or pep boys and prepare to bend over and take it while they tell you your $100 brake job will be more like $600 because you need rotors, brake fluid flushes, brake lines, master cylinders, and just about anything they claim is "worn" because you are too stupid to know the difference.
Trust me, stay away from those places. I only go for oil changes in the wintertime because I hate working in the snow and cold. This spring I found that the last place I took it to must have used an air wrench to put the oil plug back in because it was destroyed. Then they claimed that because I didnt have the receipt that they werent responsible.
This winter, Im biting the bullet and getting mechanics gloves because the McCarShops are all bad news.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, July 06, 2010 12:42 PM
Ive had five third generation Cavaliers. Currently have a 2003 Sedan. Its has 113,000 miles and the thing runs just as good as a new car.
a single axle brake job starts at 199.99 with lifetime brakes where i work.
cars need to be maintained.
this includes imports.
I think these cars are great. I bought a non running vehicle with 97000 miles for nearly nothing. it had a great body, decent aftermarket stereo and good tires.
The problem with the car was a dead alternator and starter that both had been previously replaced.
I was told by the nice people in this forum to look at the ground wiring and found a crappy little ground coming from the battery that was nearly broken in half.
I went to a shadetree starter/alternator guy and had both rebuilt for 50 bucks apiece. I bought some hugemongus battery cable by the foot and connectors from Advance, crimped and soldered conectors for every ground I could find and replaced the main positive feed also. I also added a breaker in there somewhere again from advice in this forum.
I changed both front calipers, pads and rotors and I am sure it was just over $200 in parts from Autozone.
My boy has put 25,000 on this car now without a glitch. State to state road travel, around town, it has the quad 4 and is a very tourqey unit.
I have less than $800 in the car.
If only I could get him to stop hitting stop signs with it during winter!
These are very good cars in my opinion....
gary
97 Pontiac sunfire quad 4 auto
Our 99 Cav is my wife's DD and is easy to maintain. Cheap if you do the work yourself. Read every post in this Forum even if it doesn't directly apply to yours. I do 99% of the repairs on our 91 S-10 Blazer, the 99 Cav, and the 88 Vette, because I read up on any problem before I lift the hood.
