I've noticed a bit of a return, I guess you could call it....
I've been considering adding a J sedan to my little stable, mostly for the trusty, decent on gas car it is. Lately there has been quite a few posts from people looking for Js, whether they are adding to the fleet, or coming back once again to the J family. While I do realize it does go on normally, there has been much more of it lately. Heck, the gas prices of 2008 didn't even gather this much interest.....
I'm curious to see what you guys think about this. I just find it interesting when more of these "new" owners aren't just newbs anymore
My reasoning for another? A nice cheap DD that I don't have to slide the seat back to put the little guy in......and friends/family too...I'm not getting any younger here!
Even my buddy, never a huge fan of the J body, just picked up a 2003 sedan for himself..... and you'd think after having some type of J body for the last 15 years STRAIGHT would have my dumping mine in a hurry,,,,,,
Evan Undead (The Black Pearl) wrote:I like the "I'm back in a j.. damn I missed these" posts... they make me giggle
But, as long as they stay in tha game.....
Well who knows maybe the 3rd gens will come back in popularity for used even tho our platform died in 05.Gm could have improved it two fold but the foose balt (my humour) tooks it's place.Gm could have stayed in the game,but fell asleep.Heck honda with its civic is still around and made the changes to stay in the playing field.Thus why I own a 2011 civ.And I have NO plans on letting go of my 1st gen cav! a well made car.
yea... i had a 92 my sis has a 93 and then bought my 99 z24 in 08...shame i have arod knocking...but im looking to midify
Dave Z wrote:Evan Undead (The Black Pearl) wrote:I like the "I'm back in a j.. damn I missed these" posts... they make me giggle
But, as long as they stay in tha game.....
it's just that every time I see one, I think, 'then why did you sell it in the first place?''. I mean, I went from April 2003 to June 2005 without a jbody. not bc I sold it.. I got sideswiped in a blind t-junction.. but I missed the hell out of my Cavalier. the only reason I didn't get right back into a jbody was bc I couldn't afford what I wanted at the time (a third gen Z24), so I got what I could afford.. which turned out to be a CR-X that was a giant pile of crap. bought a second one cheap and combined all the good parts, and STILL had a giant pile of crap. sold it t some ricer, got a mint Volkswagen Golf Mk2.. finally found me a third gen Z24 at a good price, and sold my Golf with enough money to buy the Cavalier, drive to NJ and back to buy it, and get it legal. I've yet to part with a J and regret it
R.I.P. JessE Gerard 7.11.87 - 1.25.08
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Staying with mine as well.I have dumped alot into mine,mostly just wear/tear and resto work.I have a solid car and take real pride in saying I own it.That is why old (sunny) stays covered inside my garage yr round.My rides been gaming for 26 years,says something about how GM did something solid back in the 80s when people talked alot of sh!! about there small cars.
agreed. I've been looking for a clean, well-maintained first gen for a couple yrs now, but can't find one or they are out of my price range. by that, I mean they were asking some ridiculously high price (5k and up)
R.I.P. JessE Gerard 7.11.87 - 1.25.08
The Radiation Nation Facebook Twitter Twisted Metal Alliance
If I was in the market for a winter beater I would consider another.
sndsgood wrote:allot of times people just get drawn back into the things they are used too. its hard for some people to change.
True...but in crazy times like these, I could understand.
Prices for most compacts are getting pretty crazy, though the Js are not too bad (yet) Add in knowing all of their issues, and the facr that they are cheap and easy to fix (for the most part) and it's kinda a easy sale...
As for my example, I'd really like another 4 door car. (though I can live with what I have now), and I've always liked the LS Sport sedans....so we'll see.
Ive had my J for nearly 10 years now. I will never sell it. If I wreck it, chances are I will rebuild it.
I have had several other cars, just couldn't imagine getting rid of the J.
Its been nice to know that anytime I want, I can hop in it, turn the key and drive away. With proper maintenance it is really a good reliable car.
"Oil Leak ? What oil Leak ? Oh, Thats Just The Sweat From All The HorsePower!!"
DSMskyline wrote:Ive had my J for nearly 10 years now. I will never sell it. If I wreck it, chances are I will rebuild it.
I have had several other cars, just couldn't imagine getting rid of the J.
Its been nice to know that anytime I want, I can hop in it, turn the key and drive away. With proper maintenance it is really a good reliable car.
exactly. hell, I was horribly abusive to my first gen Z24 and it still held up. in fact, I was so hard on it trying to imitate WRC rally that I actually ended up ripping the front lip and skirts off of it. and at 420k miles, it still cranked up and drove every single day.. save for adding some water to the radiator
R.I.P. JessE Gerard 7.11.87 - 1.25.08
The Radiation Nation Facebook Twitter Twisted Metal Alliance
HEY! i applied to both things mentioned above, i got my 02 Cavalier when gas prices were at their highest in July 2008 (1.39/litre here) and i just got my 01 sunfire 2 weeks ago!
^-- WTF!?! That's not a J!
my first car was a bright red 97 sunfire se, it had dents and dings everywhere and a crushed in quarter panel from the previous owner. i didnt realize it then but i LOVED that car..i only had it a few months then i got T-boned and it got totaled..then i walked for a few months..went through a jeep grand cherokee for a few months then it died..after that i got a 97 explorer and drove it for a few years..but in that time i never forgot my j..every time i saw a sunfire i was wishing i had my car back...finally i made my mind up i was guna sell the exploder and get me a j..a few days after i made my mind up i was looking on craigslist and found my 97 sunfire...needless to say i snatched it up asap for 1000 bucks..and its turned out to be the best car iv ever had and it seems to have some of the more popular parts..spoilerless deck lid,charcoal interior,now it has ls rims (picked them up at a junkyard before i even joined the org)..i absolutly love my car i dont think i will ever sell it...BUT it may be my only j..i plan to switch up when i get another dd
I would never sell my J-body simply because any buyer would be asking for a refund once they saw the excel spreadsheet full of parts that are
not from a 2001 J-body...
No but seriously I doubt i will ever sell this car...
Buildin' n' Boostin for 08' - Alex Richards
A j is a good way to go. An Eco sedan has all the practicality you need(well not mine) and is peppy with pretty surprising gas mileage... Sure the interiors are dreadful and they get rusty...but they refuse to quit no matter how many front wheel bearings need to be changed.
^ i'll keep my quad 4... no need for an eco here =)
I was just talking to TehJeffie the other day about how many wheel bearings i've had to replace over the years... LOL
Alex Richards wrote:I would never sell my J-body simply because any buyer would be asking for a refund once they saw the excel spreadsheet full of parts that are not from a 2001 J-body...
No but seriously I doubt i will ever sell this car...
this is kinda my thing too. no matter what happens, i can tell you what store or junkyard or private party every part on my car came from. i have 97 sunfire parts, ford truck parts, 01 cavalier parts 04+ cobalt LSJ parts, ford cobra parts.
even when its paid off ill keep it.
You guys are crazy, if i could get even half of the amount of money ive dumped into my coupe i would gladly sell it to move onto another project.
Sh*t.... i even have the thing listed for sale right now knowing that ill never get an offer along the lines of something i would be happy with.
Eat my shift
just bought another one on the weekend, we've got a stock pile of parts, new parts are cheap, i know the cars inside and out, aside from a few wheel bearing and strut mounts i've never had any problems (knock on wood), are reasonable in the snow, cheap and deff. cheaper than driving my bronco the 80km's a day lol so why not Weird tho, i've owned alot of j's over the year. this is my 1st cav :s
in regards to the interior comment, by no means are they anything super nice, but in terms of cheap gm cars ill take it, imo the cobalts were worse.
Gary Frank wrote:just bought another one on the weekend, we've got a stock pile of parts, new parts are cheap, i know the cars inside and out, aside from a few wheel bearing and strut mounts i've never had any problems (knock on wood), are reasonable in the snow, cheap and deff. cheaper than driving my bronco the 80km's a day lol so why not Weird tho, i've owned alot of j's over the year. this is my 1st cav :s
in regards to the interior comment, by no means are they anything super nice, but in terms of cheap gm cars ill take it, imo the cobalts were worse.
Agreed, although I drove a friend's Cobalt SS/TC and I love the shifter and assembly in that car, and the gauge cluster is nicer than a j-body's as well.
R.I.P. JessE Gerard 7.11.87 - 1.25.08
The Radiation Nation Facebook Twitter Twisted Metal Alliance
I plan on keepin my 96 cav for a while, even though i have thought of getting rid of it a few times, i just cant get myself to do it. lol I have had it since 2005 when i bought it wrecked and replaced the whole quarter panel and fixed it up and been driving it ever since and had an accident in 2006 and fixed it again and drove it till i had to replace the motor in it since it blew up. lol and still driving and enjoying it.
JBO Member since 2006.
