Sorry bout the lame title, but I just waned to share. My first J was an 87z24. Great car. Had a breif N-Body stint, then I got a 2200 '02 cav. Fun car, not fast though. I still have it. In august I got a 04 base eco cav. Very fun. I got a lot of stuff with it that is just great to have as extras.
I told myself I would "upgrade" after this. But now a used car dealer on the way home from work has a 05 black ls sport that i'm forced to look at every damn day. I want to strip down the 2200 cav and trade it on this one.
Do I owe it to my self to upgrade, since all ive driven my entire life were GM econocars? I really enjoy driving the eco cav, and its potential is undeniable, unlike the 2200.
Thanks for reading
well, an "upgrade" is really upto you. I also plan to upgrade, but every time i see a J for sale....and especially an Eco J, I have to stop and look. never thought id be so attached to a single platform, let-alone an econobox platform, but they're fun....especially when we know most everything about a car most others wont even look at. makes it that much more enjoyable and rewarding when you can change peoples views on that
you owe it to yourself to actually upgrade. going to another cavalier isnt an upgrade imo
Joey Baggs (Eazy716) wrote:well, an "upgrade" is really upto you. I also plan to upgrade, but every time i see a J for sale....and especially an Eco J, I have to stop and look. never thought id be so attached to a single platform, let-alone an econobox platform, but they're fun....especially when we know most everything about a car most others wont even look at. makes it that much more enjoyable and rewarding when you can change peoples views on that
well said...I know there is a huge resource here and scattered about the web for support on these cars...aftermarket and maintenance. I know the platforms shortcomings and how to correct them, the ones I cant correct (such as cheap interior), i have learned to live with.
"upgrades" i have seriously considered in the recent past: RSX, Scion TC, Altima SE-R, 350Z. These are the ones that I really looked into. Others that I like, but not enough to own: 2001+Civic, 2.5 Altima, Corolla S, Accord V6MT.
I wont lie, some of those cars are well outside of what I want to spend on a car, much less a car that I want to be fun to drive and modify. Also, I wont deny that outside of the ecotec factor, the main reason I keep coming back to the platform is bang for the buck - not cheapness - but value. sure the K20 in the RSX is pretty indestructable to about 400 whp, but its a 20k dollar car. Just an example. Also, relative to newer platforms, the J is damn light. Weight is bad for performane and economy...everyone knows that.
Thanks for the third party opinions!!
i say say got for it too i have owned 4 different year JBOs and i gotta say im addicted to them..ive gone as far as looking into gettting a 2nd gen for a saily driver while my eco gets its new toys
years and cars i have owned
1. 89 4 door cavy in red
2. 1994 rs 4 door cavy in blue
3. 95 4 door ls cavy in white
4. current one is- 03 ls sport cavy in blue
its a fun vortex to be in but a twin turbo 350z could always be fun too lol
RIP JESSE GERARD.....Youll always be in my thoughts and prayers...
03lssportblue wrote:its a fun vortex to be in but a twin turbo 350z could always be fun too lol
bah, twin charged eco will drop more jaws just based on premise!
Joey Baggs (Eazy716) wrote:03lssportblue wrote:its a fun vortex to be in but a twin turbo 350z could always be fun too lol
bah, twin charged eco will drop more jaws just based on premise!
well lets see it lol
RIP JESSE GERARD.....Youll always be in my thoughts and prayers...
my whole family has a thing for jbodys at one point in time I had a 90 z24 my mom had a 93 4 door cavalier ,my aunt 89 z24 vert,uncle 00 cavalier,great aunt 01 cavalier coupe. and now I have a 98 cavalier coupe just hit 195,XXX miles. also had a 99 z24 but junked it.now I will be getting a 97 Z. once the 98 dies ill be getting another cavalier most likely a 4 door with a eco. but as for upgrading yeah you can get better car and change but I have tried and ended up back with a cavalier. my point is u will probably get a "better car" but for the price to fix up a cavalier and have fun is most likely cheaper than any other car.
At one point... between my dad and me... we owned 3..
93 Sunbird LE 2-door (car I had when I joined)
93 Sunbird SE Vert (my dad still has that car.. it's like new)
97 Sunfire SE 2-door w/ a 2.4 engine (was my dads, but I own it now).
At one point they where all sitting in the driveway together and I forgot to take a picture,, my dad said that I'de always have another chance... but a week later my 93 got totaled, and I bought the Sunfire from my dad. I wish I would have taken that picture.
Ever since my dad bought that convertible..I've been hooked on J-bodies too. I stop and look over J's on sale lots.also. When the dealer sees me looking over one like I'm a 16 year old looking at a Camaro... they usually walk over and do the whole salesman thing... I like to say "I wonder what it has for an engine in it", and before the dealer can open the hood, I just lean down and glance under the front bumper at the oil pan, and tell them what it has in it.... man that throws them off.
Ya it would be nice to own a Trans Am or 350Z... but you can have a lot of fun with a 2.4 or Eco powered Cavy... so I would say go for it too. By the time you can afford something nicer / faster... you could modify a J-body into something just as or more fun anyway.
I had 3 J's, 89 z24, 95 Sunfire, and a 99 z24. After moving on the bigger and better things, all I can say is do it. You will not regret it, and you will only look back to say, "why didn't I do this sooner."
J's are fun and cheap, but that's it. When you get older, it's time to move on.
**there is only one true love in my life... and my girlfriend has learned to live with it**
I still have my 97 Z24 along with a GTP. I actually use the Z24 a lot more simply because gas mileage sucks in the GTP. lol
-Luis
GTP's are nice cars... but I've only known one person that had one faster than my car. Although his car ran high 12's and was pushing over 400hp, so it wan't even a remotley fair race.
Until I feel like putting some real money out- My J will do just fine..
They are cheap, but fun cars....
I'm in no rush to replace my cavs (well, the wagon may rust out first..), and honestly, I'm not sure where I want to go with this car thing....
Vette?
Muscle car?
Lexus?
Until I know...then the Js it is.
I hate to say it, but with a baby on the way I'll probably look into picking up a 2200 four door J-body to go alongside my two door J. Either that or a four door GM with the 3800 series engine.
I stopped in and test drove the 05 ls sport. Then I found out they wanted 11k for it with almost 60k miles. Is that even close to right?? I walked, of course. Plus the shift boot was ripped off
that sounds awefully expensive to me.
hell im asking 12k for an 03 with 36k and....well, alot of mods, lol
It's actually amazing if you think about it, how attached you can become to a platform. For me it's not neccesarily the J's (don't get me wrong, I like my J) and as much as a motor swap and a turbo would make me smile... for me it's F-body's.
Everytime I see an old Camaro, or Trans Am, I have to look, and if its for sale, I look even harder. I think it has to do what your first car was, because when I was 16 I went out and bought an 81 Camaro (and I'm only 20 now, lol) then later a trans am.
I def. know where you're coming from when you say you're sucked into a vortex. And 11k is way too much. Why spend all that money just to get the 05 sport? You can put the sport bumpers on your current car, hell, I just picked up a brand new, never used, 03+ rear LS sport bumper for my 02... cost me like 200 with tax
Just got to shop around a bit!
There will always be someone faster than you, but thousands slower and dumber than you.
You think that's bad, some stealership around here had the balls to charge 13K for an 03 with 60K.
2002 Cavalier 2200 5spd
