I'm looking around for a used J-body and I wanted to know what, if any, specific things to look for. This is a good site and has a lot of info, but what are some of the weak links in these cars? I need something reliable so I want to make sure I don't make the mistake of buying anything that's gonna break down on the side of the road. Thanks.

Low miles and an older non smoker owner. No kids had access to it and it has maintence records. Stick to those and you should be fine. Also look for any mods like wheels and an exhaust, if it has them pass as its been run hard and who knows if it was cared for.




Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

Thanks for the reply, but I was more interested in mechanical issues. Such as with ford probes, the auto trannys are really crappy, as with all fords really. I'd much rather stick with GM, espeically for a car that doesn't have a rear end! Also, as far as 4 cylinders, what is the strongest motor and best gas mileage? Is OBD I much better than OBD II. I'm not looking to tune or anything other than maybe some cheaper bolt-ons in the future. Thanks.

Oh! ok my bad. Stick to any that have a ECOTEC engine in them. True the 2.4 's aren't bad but GM is actualy supporting the ECOTEC which means more aftermarket support as well. As for bolt ons they make bunches for all the Cavi's but with a mild p&p job I'm running in the 14's




Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

2.2L Ecotec engine found in 2002+.....not the easiest engine to find in 2002 body style but from 03 up thats the only engine they came with........

good starting power 140hp and 150 torque good gas consumption and it is one of GM's newest engines with lot of interst therefore lots of parts are available and more will come.

but no matter what engine/car/year you end up with, just do as seawolf06 (z28 guy) said and also when you own the car your self make sure you keep up on the maintainence recomended.



I have one true love in my life...And my girlfriend sits next to me in it

Sorry......it was Jackalope that made the post on what to look for with previous owners........and Jackalope: I swear I did not see your post, so often that happens where I post some thhing then when I loook someone had already made the same answer while I was typing.......lol



I have one true love in my life...And my girlfriend sits next to me in it

id just make sure the miles are very low.
and certainly a non smoker. YUCK!!!
welcome to the donald!!!



-Www.IznTrbl.Com-

Boorad, I so don't take offence to little things like that its not even an issue. Its all good means I was on the right track with the info I gave out, you too for that matter!
Stick to an ECO car, low mileage, non smoker, ADULT OWNED ! car and you should be fine. I don't know of anything really bad to look out for.

Anyone else ?





Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

So far I've owned a 2200 (2.2L non-ECO)/auto (in a 2002 Sunfire SE) and an ECOtec/manual (in my 2005 Cavalier LS Sport). If it's at all possible for you, I highly recommend the ECO with a manual tranny!

...oh yeah, make it adult-owned, low-miled, non-smoker and you're golden.

Make sure there is no blood in the trunk from dead hookers lol j/k

Seriously, the ECOTEC is a very reliable motor and very easy to find. Lucky for us (I guess) our cars have no resale value so you could find a 2003 in the 5000 range with probably 40,000 miles...of course I'm assuming but just be a basic good shopper.



www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837

NJHK (King Of Newbies)
Make sure there is no blood in the trunk from dead hookers lol j/k:

Must be a New Jersey thing.....lol

you make comments on canada I can make comments too........LOL

And where have you been, its not like you to be post #11



I have one true love in my life...And my girlfriend sits next to me in it

Sorry.....#9 but still usually your in the top 3 if not #1 but your #1 in my books



I have one true love in my life...And my girlfriend sits next to me in it

Boorad wrote:Sorry.....#9 but still usually your in the top 3 if not #1 but your #1 in my books

Yesterday night was my night off and I had passed out around 5 PM and didn't wake up till 6:45 AM and when I was on the org before that, I didn't see this post.

so...DON'T QUESTION THE KING!

and yes, the king loves the smell of dead hookers in the morning

Go Jersey!



www.kronosperformance.com / 732-742-8837

thanks guys, but I'm going to definitely be buying something used in the $2k dollar range. I guess I should have mentioned that in the initial post. This will be my daily driver, so I don't really care about aftermarket parts at all. I wanted to know if certain engines/transmissions were more reliable or prone to early failure than others. What are the best years to get one (i.e. pre-95 for OBD I) Do the auto trannys break often? Do certain models have better/worse handeling or weak links like the CV joints? I'm not new to the used car game, just to J-Bodies. I'm an F-body fan at heart. Thanks.

$2000.00 may get you an older high mileage car but I'd take that 2grand to a dealer and buy a 2 year old used Cavi and use that for a down payment. We are selling them here for around 6 grand for a 2 year old car. That would be the best way to go.




Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

If you gotta stick within the $2K range and you're not looking for wide aftermarket support, the 2.2L OHV/auto was always a reliable way to go for me. Neither my 2002 Sunfire nor my friend's 1996 Sunfire nor my aunt's 1992 Cavalier ever had any major problems, and they all had the 2.2L/2200 OHV engine with an auto trans. I'd never trade my ECO/manual for one, but it sounds like it fits what you're looking for. Keep us posted on what ya get.

The 2200 motor has enough power for the daily driver. And it gets better gas mileage. I get low to mid 30 MPG on average. With a 5 spd.


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Madjack wrote:Like I said before, building an engine like ours (2.2 or 2200) is a painstaking chore , since there is so few custom made parts. It's frustrating to me too, but that's what I like about doing this engine, it's the challenge.

2200/auto it is. That's exactly what I wanted to know. thanks. now I just need to find one around here. I'll check out the dealerships and see if maybe I can find a good deal, but I've never trusted dealerships. If there's anyone selling something like this around BR, LA, let me know asap. Thanks again.

Jbody2nr wrote:The 2200 motor has enough power for the daily driver. And it gets better gas mileage. I get low to mid 30 MPG on average. With a 5 spd.

Hmm, really ? I'm getting in the low 40's with my ECO and 5spd.




Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

id say get a 2.2ohv...very reliable motor...mine had almost 200k on it before it got totaled and with the 5 speed i was getting 33-38mpg when i drove it nicely...also check the front of the dash(near the windsheild)..try get one that isnt cracked...i donno there really isnt any huge issues with 2.2 cavi's outside of the whole lack of power issue

what about the 2.4? doesn't that come with the LS and z24?

Yes, and its a good engine too. None of the engines in these cars have any real problems they are all gppd a to b cars.




Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

now find me a good deal locally for a j-body darnit! lol. thanks again.

Did you check the classified section here ? maybe you'll get lucky.




Semper Fi SAINT. May you rest in peace.

yeah, the classifieds here don't have anything near me. I've also checked ebay, local sites, autotrader and cars.com. Nothing.