I honestly considered my '98 Sunfire and 2004 Cavalier 2nd Generation J-bodies. Honestly, the 1982-1994 J-platform was all the same! In fact on my '89 Cavalier wagon, I got a taillight from an '84, and a fender from an '92! When I think of "generation" I think "bears no resemblence to the previous version". the 1995 Cavalier and Sunfire are the first ones to show such a change, not to mention the first 2 be offered without v-6 options.
So where does this middle generation come from?
I have always agreed with your opinion.
There was no major chassis redesign from 82 till 95 so only 2 "gens" in my mind.
But its been 3rd for so long there is no point trying to stop it. Besides that, what does it hurt?
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By the time you get everybody to say there's only 2 gen in the J platform, pretty much all of those cars will be gone(rusted in junk yards and such)
Gilles
2.3 Ho
The biggest change in the 1st, 2nd generations was the designs of the ends of the car. Front end used a different set of pieces (fenders went all the way down to the bottom of the lines, and lined up with the shorter, straighter hood) and the taillights in 1st gen were the same between 2doors and 4doors. In Gen 2, the body style changed, so the lights changed to match the needs. The coupes have the big dip in the trunklid between taillights, while 4drs had the straight trunklid going the width of the rear end)
The fenders really aren't different though, it was the body molding and the headlights on the front to make them look that way. In the time I owned my '89 Cavalier Station wagon, I ened up owning parts from a 1992 Cavalier, 1994 Sunbird, and '82 Cavalier Station wagon! They all fit just fine.
Well I dont know about that, but the 1st gen 2-doors had a totally different set of fenders...here is a pic of the way the bumpers used to go on my sunbird (had a 1st gen style front end)
An excerpt from the often under-utilized FAQ in the JBO library...
(whole article is here:
J-Body generations explained in the JBO FAQ)
Quote:
... 2 generations: 1982-94 and 1995-present, but the coupe and convertible underwent massive streamlining in the rear quarter and all models underwent major front-end revision for the 1988 model year, setting 1988-94 apart in the two-door models as a sort of generation of its own. The 3-door hatchback was dropped with this revision, and the sedan and wagon remained virtually unchanged from the radiator back, until the mass redesign for 1995, where the wagon was dropped and the coupe, convertible, and sedan received major changes in the front end frame, suspension, body shape, and performance options. The floorpan and basic frame, save for the front end and suspension systems, are virtually the same.
So that would explain why your wagon was able to use multi-generation parts....it was primarily the coupe that changed.
-Ferrite
yeah that makes a lot more sense now. I also misunderstood the generation. I thought it was slated from 1991 to 1994.
