Well here is my car's baby book I guess you can say. Some before, in between, and after shots of my 98 5 speed swapped cavalier 2.2. I didn't swap it, so I can't answer any questions about anything involving that, but I'm sure that there is someone or a post somewhere on this site that can help. Anyways, getting sidetracked. Uhh, not much more to say. Take a look and let me know what you guys think.

When I first got the car, it had a ghetto front bumper, it was modified to fit this car, and I bottomed out which completely ripped it apart. I rode around for a bumper for the longest time. Until I spent $288 on this(We'll talk more about this later) That was with shipping. Anyways, this is me installing the bumper.

This was when it was all said and done(for the time being)

Chevy floor mats actually make it look clean.

Anyways, back to the price of the front bumper. $288 with shipping? I wish I would've given it more thought. Bottomed out once again, messing it up, not tearing it all to shreds like the last one, but it did get some cracks, bent my front fenders. No pictures of that but I went on Ebay, took my time looking for stock parts:
Fenders $54 for both
Front Z24 bumper I think it was like $97
Rear bumper $108 with shipping
I even bought a set of 2 inch lowering springs for $88
All in all, I spent about $330 or something was the final price.
More new stuff for a few extra bucks and a nicer look. The sides skirts were molded with bondo. Thats what is left on the side there. Had to deal with this for a few weeks.

A few weeks later, I got some rims. Konig Monsoons which were painted pink, then black... I wish they left them the original color, but hey, better than the steelies.

Another shot of the wheels. That wheel gap!

If you were thinking, "Why is the car so high with those lowering springs?" Well they weren't put in until about.... now.

Eventually the back will be lower.

And then came the time to get rid of that bondo on the sides... If you want to know how I did it, I spent about an hour on each side just chiseling away with a hammer and chisel. Wasn't fun, but doing that before you sand away what you can saves sandpaper. I think it was $5 at Wal-Mart for a set of chisel's. I used the two bigger ones and didn't even touch the smaller one. Here was the near outcome of that, as you can see there is still a tad bit of bondo left, but it was gone soon.
And yes, that blue was the original color. They just put the kit over it.

And now, time to get rid of the multicolored effects. Black/primered fenders and bumpers, blue sides, grey spot on trunk, and white body. I bought a few cans of primer, and went to town. Its not a spray paint permanent paint job, or whatever you'd call it, but it'll do for now until I get it painted. Voila

A good shot, which includes part of my friends 240


I posted this for feedback and to see what you guys would think. And if you guys have any questions about how or what I did specifically to get rid of the molded side skirts feel free to ask, as we're all here to help each other, right?

its definatly going in the right direction...i approve..and everybody rattlecans something at somepoint...looks better than multi color

Thanks
Looks a lot better. I just did the chiseling, bondo, and spray all today. First time ever really doing bodywork, came out pretty good for a first timer lol

was thinkin the whole time when u said u chiseled..."i hope he didnt slip and put any dents" i do body work for a living and i had a few dents in that body line on my car and it wasnt easy fixing them trying to match that bodyline...but from what i could see it looked pretty good.

For the sake of your life and the lives of others around you take those POS "lowering springs" off and toss them in the trash. That car is a rolling deathtrap with that "lowering kit".


Error: Sig not found.

Why? Because they're eBay springs?

Daniel Cooper wrote:was thinkin the whole time when u said u chiseled..."i hope he didnt slip and put any dents" i do body work for a living and i had a few dents in that body line on my car and it wasnt easy fixing them trying to match that bodyline...but from what i could see it looked pretty good.

Yeah the kit was bondoed right above that line. I did put some minor scrapes and dings, but I touched them up with bondo. Nothing too big.

Scott Klett wrote:Why? Because they're eBay springs?

Yes. They are trash.
I'm also going to assume you threw them on the stock struts, which is also a BIG no no. Probably a worse idea than the ebay springs. And I speak from experience. Years ago, before I really educated myself on properly and SAFELY lowering, I did the same thing. It rode like a$$, and blew all four struts within weeks. I'm lucky something bad didn't happen at highway speeds.

On a different note, good job going back to a stock look. Blitz front bumpers are about the most hideous things next to herpes. The stock look is much much better, and it looks like you off to a decent start with removing all the bondo and starting over on the body.

But please for the love of God, get rid of the ebay springs.

EVILution (KGM Godfather) wrote:

Scott Klett wrote:Why? Because they're eBay springs?

Yes. They are trash.
I'm also going to assume you threw them on the stock struts, which is also a BIG no no. Probably a worse idea than the ebay springs. And I speak from experience. Years ago, before I really educated myself on properly and SAFELY lowering, I did the same thing. It rode like a$$, and blew all four struts within weeks. I'm lucky something bad didn't happen at highway speeds.

On a different note, good job going back to a stock look. Blitz front bumpers are about the most hideous things next to herpes. The stock look is much much better, and it looks like you off to a decent start with removing all the bondo and starting over on the body.

But please for the love of God, get rid of the ebay springs.

All right, thanks for the info. I limit my driving as it is with gas being so high, so once I get the chance I'll buy a good set of springs and struts.
And yeah I like it so much more that its back to the stock body.

Until then you need to put your stock suspension back on ASAP. There are quite a few pictures of totaled Js on this site that had cheap/hacked together suspension(thankfully they did not hit another car). Just remember you could hit a bump at any time, lose control, and kill a family on their way home from the perfect family outing. It isnt just you out there on the road.


Error: Sig not found.

You get what you pay for... you already realized this with a non-critical part of your car and it still ended in disaster... now transfer that lack of design to a very critical part of the car.

Take the cheap springs off your stock struts and throw them away. Don't sell/give them to anyone else. They really aren't safe.

On another note, good luck with your progress. We all came on here to learn at some point, just do take the advice given. It's not being put to be mean/critical... but to educate for safety.

Deff bad idea doing anything but legit on lowering. I got talked into by a friend to "heat my springs"...got away with it for a year! luckly they didnt shatter but then I changed them out for megan lowering springs. Still riding on them and nothing has happened yet. It also doesnt even ride bad at all.

i wanna see pics off crashed cars due to springs ?? especially ebay springs ?? (as in there not safe they should crack or break or sag or pop out something like this condition... Show me pics of this condition of the springs then ill consider taking them out of my car) ...not some young kid ripping there car down the road going over the speed limit hitting a bump or curb and losing control ..cuz hes a nascar driver lmao ... point is ..prove it to me and ill take mine out .. mostly pics please ..no thread or write ups just personal opinions cuz this is my personal opinion lol and we can do this all day ..Also take into account even stock springs break and sag or w.e.....they do get test and or are deemed safe to go in a passenger car with lives in that companies hands or at stake ....it is true you get what you pay for so yea expect that its life lmao ... and yea heating a spring or cutting it is deemed unsafe ..hint why can't get put on the road with a broken spring legally by a good mechanic....also your altering the original design and thats just unsafe to begin with ..wasn't designed for it .. don't do it ..

You bumped an old thread to let us know that you're lazy?

Cool...






________________________________________.
Still not low enough for a signature.

lazy =who isn't .. didn't wanna start a new thread so sorry yea i am
bumped = yes cuz no one has given a good response yet or photo (proof )

Tinkles(KGM) wrote:Until then you need to put your stock suspension back on ASAP. There are quite a few pictures of totaled Js on this site that had cheap/hacked together suspension(thankfully they did not hit another car). Just remember you could hit a bump at any time, lose control, and kill a family on their way home from the perfect family outing. It isnt just you out there on the road.

huh?! those cars were lowered down WAY more than this guys, man.

look at how high his car sits.. its not very low at all. hardly dangerous if he had good struts. come on be realistic...


Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Friday, July 06, 2012 10:32 AM


I choose the technology built for land speed records... not the technology built to save on emissions and gas mileage.