parting out 87 cavalier coupe - Page 2 - First Generation Forum

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Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Thursday, July 19, 2018 4:44 AM
Matt, I'll check the cassette tonight.

From what I remember, the base model coupe did have a couple pigtails already in the harness to make some connections. The cruise power came off a snap-in connector on the back of the fuse box. You need to have the speedometer head that has the small square hole on the back off to the side of the cable, as the LED from the speed unit senses the speed by looking at the rotating metal bar inside the needle movement (at least on mine with the mechanical speedo - V6 may have been different).

That LED was connected to a little green speed sense unit mounted immediately to the left of the column inside the dash (just to right of wiper switch and rear defog switch) - i can't remember if the green box was part of the base model car or not. I had added cruise to this one in 1996. A sense wire connected from the green box to the cruise ECU. There was also the servo vacuum unit, a set of wiring and vac tube that ran thru a dedicated firewall opening, and the vacuum breaker switch over the brake (and clutch of you have it).

BTW - this tilt column has the variable delay wiper control in it. If you have the 2-speed wipers or fixed delay, I believe you need to swap out the wiper control by opening the column, and then get the matching stalk. I have the variable delay wiper motor available (it has the big black square housing on the motor), as well as the parts for the 2-speed motor: the column control, column stalk, and 2-speed motor.

The cruise switch is actually just part of the wiper stalk, the wire runs down the inside of the column - pretty easy to add or remove, no column disassembly needed. I think you can even still get the stalk on rockauto.com for somewhere around $30. The one on the column looks like an aftermarket that I probably put on there in the late 2000's, the cruise wire tends to break right where it peeks out behind the stalk shaft.



1987 Chevrolet Cavalier 2-door coupe
with 1996 2.2L MPFI

Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Thursday, July 19, 2018 8:16 AM
That's interesting info on the cruise control. I'll have to take a look at the car to see what I'll need to convert it. I got the wiper delay motor already since Pick N Pull by me had a sale a while back and got one from a 94 Cavalier. Unfortunately the steering column was not interchangeable. Found the wiper motor with delay circuit board built within, wiper switch inside the column, and stalk were the different parts. I got one of three parts. Thought of just replacing the parts but wanting a tilt column overruled that lol.
Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Thursday, July 19, 2018 6:10 PM
Matt - some bad news about the radio. The cassette actually works and didn't eat an 80's Edie Brickell tape I found (I was looking for Pink Floyd but couldn't find it...). When I first turned it on, it made a cracking sound from the right speaker that I assumed was the dry-rotted paper cone speaker. However, I let it play thru both sides of the tape, and while it was doing that, I switched the speakers left to right and the crackling still was from the right side. I think the amp in the stereo is starting to go, because after an hour of running the cassette and FM radio at medium volume with the bass and treble up high, the temp with an IR thermometer was at 220F on the heat sink, and the cracking stayed the whole time - doesn't seem to be affected by the volume I set. There is a bunch of bass distortion too, but THAT might be the effects of the dry rotted 3" dash speakers. Now the way I tested it was to hook it up to the old dash I had pulled, so I only had front speakers, I have no rear speakers to test it with (those are long gone too). I wouldn't think these old radios need the front and the rear to both be loaded, but I might be wrong about that.



1987 Chevrolet Cavalier 2-door coupe
with 1996 2.2L MPFI
Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Friday, July 20, 2018 8:00 AM
Terry DeTurck wrote:Matt - some bad news about the radio. The cassette actually works and didn't eat an 80's Edie Brickell tape I found (I was looking for Pink Floyd but couldn't find it...). When I first turned it on, it made a cracking sound from the right speaker that I assumed was the dry-rotted paper cone speaker. However, I let it play thru both sides of the tape, and while it was doing that, I switched the speakers left to right and the crackling still was from the right side. I think the amp in the stereo is starting to go, because after an hour of running the cassette and FM radio at medium volume with the bass and treble up high, the temp with an IR thermometer was at 220F on the heat sink, and the cracking stayed the whole time - doesn't seem to be affected by the volume I set. There is a bunch of bass distortion too, but THAT might be the effects of the dry rotted 3" dash speakers. Now the way I tested it was to hook it up to the old dash I had pulled, so I only had front speakers, I have no rear speakers to test it with (those are long gone too). I wouldn't think these old radios need the front and the rear to both be loaded, but I might be wrong about that.


Nope, they sure don't need the rear speakers to work. My car didn't have rear speakers until Sunday. Was an option on the car. Did I forget to mention my car was as stripped down as they come? lol!!!. Anyway, it worked fine with just fronts, just didn't sound the greatest. A factory speaker harness from a 1994 Cavalier fixed that. I might still take the radio. What I can do is when I come to get the parts bring my Cavalier to get the parts, and then be able to just swap the radio to test since I know it doesn't crack from any speakers.

In regards to the a/c while it looks like a long term project I found the ECU is not different on an AC car vs non-AC car. Depending on the cost for the parts I'd be interested in the a/c set up. It would be a good winter project for sure.

Will also need the price of the parts for the radio (pending test in my car), driver seat, driver seat belt, front bumper, tilt column, driver mirror- gonna remove the door panel to see if I can modify the door panel to make it work. Might have marked lines to cut for the mirror trim (dunno).
Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Saturday, July 21, 2018 7:31 PM
Matt, that sounds like a plan... I sent you a PM to work out the details. Thanks!



1987 Chevrolet Cavalier 2-door coupe
with 1996 2.2L MPFI
Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Sunday, July 22, 2018 5:58 AM
Someone has to want these...
Rubber was replaced in 2007, dirty but still in really good condition. The sweeps were rivited onto the molding and worked great on my coupe the 7 years I used it after that. The drivers molding had an incident with a cinder block after I stopped using it, I pictured the dent. There are some cracks in the black plastic and some nicks, but these are in decent daily driver condition. First $20 plus shipping takes the pair.
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1987 Chevrolet Cavalier 2-door coupe
with 1996 2.2L MPFI
Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Friday, July 27, 2018 4:36 PM
I’ll take the window sweeps.
Sent you a PM
Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Tuesday, September 22, 2020 8:57 PM
Have you sold the sweeps yet. I have 87 cav z24
Re: parting out 87 cavalier coupe
Wednesday, September 23, 2020 4:12 AM
Hi Gerry, yes the sweeps were sold.
You can repair yours the same way I did, by attaching new rubber sweep material to them, but it is a fair amount of work.

By the way, I still have many parts left, if anyone is interested. The stuff I was holding for Matt is still here, I am not sure what happened to him. Anyone seen him lately?

I have the tilt column, delay wipers, lots of blue interior pieces and black dash, etc., door and window glass, rear defog glass, two engines (2.0 and 2.2) and an auto tranny. Make me any reasonable offer on any or all and it's yours. The big stuff would be best to pick up in person. Eventually I am going to just send what's left to the dump.



1987 Chevrolet Cavalier 2-door coupe
with 1996 2.2L MPFI
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