Hey guys. I'm new to the Jbody community, and I figured I'd start my Jbody journey here. I'm going to post picture of my car in it's current state. Keep in mind that the car is all stock at the point.
The front:
Engine Bay 1:
Engine Bay w/o the horrible shadow of me:
And the rear:
Ignore the huge hole in the bumper. I inherited this car from my mom, who just recently bought a 2003 Cavvy and gave me this. I'm planning on getting an LS Sport rear bumper to replace the current ones. Also, that also explains the running stickers on the back.
I'll probably be posting here with each new addition/modification to the car so everyone can follow my progress
All-in-all I'd say it's a pretty clean car. It's been garage-kept for most of its life, so it's in pretty good condition. It currently has ~194,xxx miles on it, and it's a 5-speed manual. I absolutely love the car, and I cant wait to do some work on it. I am always open to suggestions and feedback. If anyone would like to recommend a part to me, post it!
~ Will
lets get some side shots! looks like you have a good candidate for a pretty sweet car/project! have some fun with it and look forward to more progression
Z24Sunfire wrote:lets get some side shots! looks like you have a good candidate for a pretty sweet car/project! have some fun with it and look forward to more progression
I'll try to get some side shots once I get home. I was thinking of getting some videos done on the car as well.
First thing I'd do is detail that engine bay!
With that many miles I'd start with maintenance first..get new ball joints on with a set of poly bushings while they're out....tie rods...and suspension since your already that far.....haha. keep us posted on progress.
JUCNBST wrote:With that many miles I'd start with maintenance first..get new ball joints on with a set of poly bushings while they're out....tie rods...and suspension since your already that far.....haha. keep us posted on progress.
I definitely will. I'm planning on buying some parts to rebuild the engine since it's in rough shape. It burns oil a lot. I can get some pistons, valves, valve seals, and all that stuff for $500 and some change.
Welcome! Wish my car was white..
"In Oldskool we trust"
Y3llowCav wrote:Welcome! Wish my car was white..
Such a clean color....but very hard to keep that way
Y3llowCav wrote:Welcome! Wish my car was white..
Really? I saw your build thread. You said you loved the fact that your Cavvy is yellow.
Y3llowCav wrote:So do the police.
Hahaha, I hear that. Luckily I haven't been pulled over *yet*. I had a thought; did GM ever make a L61 come supercharged from the factory?
On an unrelated note; I may be taking a trip up to the junkyard sometime later this week in hopes of getting some LS Sport bumpers.
Z24Sunfire wrote:lets get some side shots!
Here 'ya go!
And, the newest addition to the car (+50 HP):
Keep in mind that the sticker is a joke. It's just poking fun at Honda's, because why not? Honda owners actually get genuinely upset when they see the sticker for some reason.
Z24Sunfire wrote:woohoo for no rust!
There's no rust on the outside, but I'm sure the frame could use a bit of love. It's gone through so many winters here in PA, and with the salt and stuff they put on the roads...
I'd be deeply surprised if the frame isn't rusted. I haven't looked, though.
Welcome to the forum! Nice car ,looks pretty clean... Good luck and have fun searching for upgrades...
BLACKMANTIS
GM never produced a cavalier with the m62 blower on it, however they offered it in kit form, which you could purchase and install. Semi-simple bolt on, that came with a GM reflash for the ECU to make it run "ok." Same thing that's on the Cobalt SS S/C.
The kit retailed anywhere from $2,200 - $2,600 depending on where you ordered it from. I have this on mine and love it. With supporting bolt on mods, it is decently quick, a blast to drive, and sounds pretty cool as well. Not to mention reliable. I've put nearly 100k miles on my kit with virtually zero issues and it continues to run great.
sscavalier wrote:GM never produced a cavalier with the m62 blower on it, however they offered it in kit form, which you could purchase and install. Semi-simple bolt on, that came with a GM reflash for the ECU to make it run "ok." Same thing that's on the Cobalt SS S/C.
The kit retailed anywhere from $2,200 - $2,600 depending on where you ordered it from. I have this on mine and love it. With supporting bolt on mods, it is decently quick, a blast to drive, and sounds pretty cool as well. Not to mention reliable. I've put nearly 100k miles on my kit with virtually zero issues and it continues to run great.
I might look into this from my local Chevy dealer. That is quite the price tag, though. I was thinking of swapping a Quad4 into the Cavvy sooner or later. But for now, I just need a little extra boost. I'm trying to make the car match my friend's '92 Pontiac Sunbird (also a J-body) that has a 3.1L V6.
If you guys want, I might get a video done and up to show you how the car runs. I think it runs pretty well. The only thing is; it has a slight knock when it gets low on oil. It's not there after I put a little bit of oil in it. I have no idea what the issue is.
Unfortunately, the gm supercharger kit is no longer stocked or sold by the dealer. Some 3rd party vendors may have one lying around but it's almost impossible to find complete. That being said, it's really not too hard to piece the entire kit together for MUCH cheaper than the advertised price. Here's a link that will tell you everything you need to know:
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=40&i=183438&t=183438
"In Oldskool we trust"
The Quad4 would be a downgrade and performance parts are ALOT harder to find for it. A fresher 2.2L Ecotec and a used M62 kit will do just fine. Depending on what you get with the kit it could put you at anywhere from 200whp to 230whp.
Tinkles(KGM) wrote:The Quad4 would be a downgrade and performance parts are ALOT harder to find for it. A fresher 2.2L Ecotec and a used M62 kit will do just fine. Depending on what you get with the kit it could put you at anywhere from 200whp to 230whp.
What would you recommend I get with the kit, if I were to supercharge it?
A heat exchanger would be a very good idea. A higher flowing fuel pump, 60# injectors, and a custom tune will work on a stock sized pulley but also leave you plenty of room to swap to smaller pulleys with just a retune. Also a good wideband is needed.
Tinkles(KGM) wrote:A heat exchanger would be a very good idea. A higher flowing fuel pump, 60# injectors, and a custom tune will work on a stock sized pulley but also leave you plenty of room to swap to smaller pulleys with just a retune. Also a good wideband is needed.
Alright. This is way in the future, however. My plan is to rebuild the engine using OEM parts first to return it to near-new condition, and THEN start modding it. I'm sure the gaskets, seals, and rings are all cooked in the current engine.
On an unrelated note, I'm ordering a headunit and some speakers tomorrow. I'll hopefully have them installed and ready to go by Tuesday of next week. I'll probably get some pictures up after I unbox everything, and a few more after everything's installed in the car, so look forward to that next week. I'm also going to the junkyard this coming Sunday to see if I can find any LS Sport bumpers/panels, so look forward to that as well.
Couple issues with what you've said....
You say it knocks with little oil, and your not sure what the issue is? It's low on oil. lol. That's the issue. If it's burning oil somewhere, you'll need to locate where.
As far as cooked gaskets and rings, etc, you would know if you there were some problems. If it seems to run great, throwing a little boost at it wouldn't hurt much. But, if you've got a few leaks, low compression, head gasket issues, etc, then boost would be a bad idea. You shouldn't have to add oil too much unless it's developed a leak, or is consuming it elsewhere.
Like tinkles said, the 2.4 is a decent engine, but stick with what you've got. I've really only heard of quad guys wanting to put an eco in their car, not the other way around! Stock eco cavalier should be able to beat or at least hang close with a 3.1
If you're on a budget and want to go fast, then quit spending money on audio
sscavalier wrote:Couple issues with what you've said....
You say it knocks with little oil, and your not sure what the issue is? It's low on oil. lol. That's the issue. If it's burning oil somewhere, you'll need to locate where.
As far as cooked gaskets and rings, etc, you would know if you there were some problems. If it seems to run great, throwing a little boost at it wouldn't hurt much. But, if you've got a few leaks, low compression, head gasket issues, etc, then boost would be a bad idea. You shouldn't have to add oil too much unless it's developed a leak, or is consuming it elsewhere.
Like tinkles said, the 2.4 is a decent engine, but stick with what you've got. I've really only heard of quad guys wanting to put an eco in their car, not the other way around! Stock eco cavalier should be able to beat or at least hang close with a 3.1
If you're on a budget and want to go fast, then quit spending money on audio
I'd never say say those words in my life lol but im very partial
