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My first NEW car was a 1989 Z24 with a 5 speed manual, blue with gray cloth interior! The front seats had the integrated head rests. Those were the most comfortable seats I have ever had in a car. My Mom and Dad went along with me to purchase the car because they had never driven home in a brand new vehicle before. I was 22 years old and on top of the world! :)
I have a black cavalier type 10 model 1985 from 1992 that came to my family. I went to high school in it, and now 30 years later my daughter will go to her high school in the cavalier..
In my circle of friends 20 years ago we had a total of 5 GM j cars ranging from 89 to 94. Three were 2 door Sunbirds, one was an 89 z24 with a 2.8 and the other one was a base 4 door cavalier. Mine was a 94 Sunbird LE with a 3.1 and 5 speed. That car was so much fun to drive.
My high school friend had an 89 sunbird, and it was adorable. My aunt had a first (couple) and third gen (sedan) cavalier. I had a third gen cavalier... The first gen hatchback was the cutest to me. ♥️
My first new car purchase was an '83 Cavalier 4 speed manual. I bought it without knowing how to drive a manual transmission. My dad drove it home from the dealership and taught me how to drive it on the neighborhood shopping center parking lot. What a great trouble-free car!
In 1993 after a family gathering I realized several members of the family had a variant of the Cavalier we had the 89 RS sedan; my cousin had a 91 RS and my uncle had an RS wagon. They did us well except when the computer brain went out and cost over a Thousand bucks the fix and replace. 89 had a distributor less ignition.
I had an 83 CS four door in two tone brown. Despite a horribly leaking transmission and no ac or power anything including engine lol I actually really liked that car. It was reliable and comfortable. I had it longer than any other car of my youth.
My parents bought a 1986 RS wagon. Black with red interior with the 85 hp engine and 5 spd. It was loaded with all available options. It was their "EXTRA" car that did yeoman's service like hauling gardening supplies and German Shepherds and Bernese Mountain Dogs around. It was maintained but not babied. Myself and all of my siblings leaned to drive a manual transmission in it. My parents kept it twenty years and 215k miles. It never failed to start or left anyone stranded. They eventually sold it for the princely sum of $385.00 to their housekeeper's brother. Everything still worked including the A/C! He drove it from Milwaukee to Alaska and once there he drove it for a couple of years. He misjudged the ground clearance and managed to puncture the oil pan while driving down a rugged dirt track on the way to a hunting camp.
20 years! Wow. I'm reading the comments from others and there is a common denominator and that is that family's kept them for a long time! Thanks for the good read William.
My friend's Dad bought a new Cavalier in 84' it was a great car,he loved it and still had it in the early 2000's when he passed.I like the 88' Z24 it's a real cutie.
My parents bought a brand new base wagon in 1986. During the cars 10 years in the family it hit everything but the lottery and survived two teenagers driving it. At 180k on the original engine it was donated to a local church for a family in need and the only work it actually needed was a wiper motor and exhaust pipe.In 92 mom stepped up into a.new 92 RS sedan and the wagon became the extra car in the house. Both were great cars my parents more than got their money's worth out of.
My girlfriend (now wife) bought a used low option 88 z24 coupe from a family friend in 1991. In was a bit crude but fun to drive and sounded great. First gear synchro was weak and she didn’t help matters by constantly just jamming it into gear. Never let her down though. Traded it on a Year old ‘92 Nissan NX2000. Automatic, t-tops. Power options. That car we loved!
Glad it worked out for your wife. Yes...the Japanese do a much better job. I have a vette and a new Duramax and still drive a 1998 Honda Accord that my mom gave me to work and back. Dependable! Thanks for the info Jeffery!
People like to bash the J-body cars but they were really good cars in my opinion. I owned 3. First was a silver 1985 4-door Cavalier with a red interior and the 2.0L engine. Bought it used from a friend with 90k+ miles and it lasted more than 3 years and another 30k+ miles. My second was a blue 1992 4-door Cavalier with the 2.2L for my wife. Bought that used as well then gave it to my mother-in-law after 3 years when we bought our first minivan. The 3rd was a red 1993 2-door Pontiac Sunfire SE with the 3.1L V6. It replaced the silver 85 Cavalier. Once again it was a used car and I owned it 6 years. All 3 were fantastic cars and never gave me much trouble at all.
My brother owned an 84 Cav. I hit a construction barrel when I was coming home from a bar. lol Just messed up the grill is about it. 21 and dumb. I'm reading lots of comments that people had these cars for years and they were great cars! Glad to hear the same for you!
Great little car right there, had two of them and they allowed me to drive 100,000 miles for $300 + fuel a few fan belts, a single piece of exhaust pipe and oil changes... & 1 set of new tires @ $25 each
Great video and very nostalgic to see cars from my Era ! These Cavaliers next to the K cars were extremely popular back in the day. My parents owned a full-sized RWD Chevrolet Caprice wagon though which was very reliable .
My dad owned an Impala Wagon. My brother owned a 1984 Cavalier until I borrowed it one night and went to a bar that had quarter drinks. I hit a construction barrel full of sand at 1am. Hey, I was 21 and dumb. ha! It still ran but the grill was broken. Bars can't do quarter beers anymore. lol Thanks for watching Andre
My first car was an '88 Cavalier coupe. It was a base model - the only option was automatic transmission, which we got because I hadn't learned stick yet. It didn't even have power steering, or power anything. It got the job done, though.
First car 1990 cavalier… no radio, no a/c, no power steering or power windows, stripped down 2 door base model….2.2 4 cylinder 99 horsepower…. I loved it!
My dad had 4 of them when I was young 3 Z24s and one RS. RS was an 89 with the 2.8. Then he had a 1990 Z. And another 2 that were 1992's. In Ontario tho where I'm from they put salt on the roads in winter. Most people winter drove these. So finding one that isn't rotten nowadays is very rare in Canada. They are mostly all gone sadly.
We're reading many comments of these cars hangin around with families for years. They were dog sleds but a good car for Chevy for the time! Thanks for watching.
I have four 2nd generation Cavaliers that I've had for many years now. 1988 Z24 5spd Coupe 1988 Station Wagon (was a 4cyl/auto), Now has 3.1 engine/automatic with Dash, Instruments and wiring from a 94 RS donor. 1992 Z24 Automatic convertible. 1994 Z24 5spd Coupe. 3400 engine to be installed soon. All of them are southern, rust free cars. I've got 4 extra 5 speed trans-axles and all the pedals, brackets, hydraulics, etc to convert the two automatics over to manuals. Projects always going on. Great cars.
My dad still drives his 92 cavalier wagon every day. The little 2.2 has got over 300,000 on it. I rebuilt an engine for it , but the one in it doesn't use a bit of oil and runs fine. Great little machines.
@@rickintexas1584 I found an S10 that' needs a 2.2 sooooo, I don't know what to do. As soon as I put my fresh block in it, my Pop's little wagon will give out. Even though they were the highest selling cars, they've been crunched. Not as many laying around as you would think.
Dad had an 84 4 spd stick new. I bought an 86 5 spd that was 2 years old when I got it.Heck that RS in your video with the red interior looked exact as mine but mine was charcoal grey with red interior. Had friends with a few of them as well. They were everywhere. That said 1st generation for the price might be the best car ever built. They went on and on and to this day think it was one of the best looking cars of that era.
The 1st generation design (1982) was gorgeous! Especially love the front end with the large dual headlights. The 4 headlight refresh was a step backwards IMO
My first new car was a 1984 Cavalier Convertible. It was a beautiful bright red color with a sand gray convertible top, and sand gray vinyl interior. I loved that car. Someone ran a stop sign and hit me from the side. The car was pretty much totaled. I was just sick. I ordered a 1987 Cavalier Z24 Coupe from the factory. It was a beautiful blue exterior and a blue velour interior. I drive that car until I ordered my be t new car was a 1991 Lumina Z34. That was another favorite car that I owned. Loved it!
Bought a red 83 Cavalier new and through over 250,000km It was trouble free. I added a set of Goodyear Eagles on 14" aluminum wheels and a set of 8" Hella fog lights and 55w/100w Hella headlights due to my 1.5hr midnight commute. The car was still running when it met a Black Angus heifer on a rainy night but it protected everybody inside. The 2liter engine was still running strong after all those miles and it was still on the original clutch.
Worked for some and not for others. Ed. Glad it worked for you! We appreciate you watching our video and commenting! Please subscribe to our channel. It really helps us out.
Loved the ‘89. I bought a 2003 bec it was one of the few cars with a manual transmission. What a fast car. Not a lot of headroom bec of sunroof. Fun to drive & easy to handle.
I graduated college in 1986 and got married in 1987. I seriously considered a Cavalier Z24, but went with a red Trans Am instead. The Cavalier was a good car, but that Trans Am was awesome.
My first car in 2002 was a Blue and rusty sedan 1988 Cavalier RS. It wasn't pretty or fast, but it was very reliable as I beat the snot out of it for 4 years. Then sold it to a cousin who did the same for a few more years. I always wanted a 88 or 89 Z24 since then.
I had two later cavaliers. 2000 Z24 2.4 "twin cam" was really nice. My brother had an 02 base model with 5 speed manual and 2.2 engine. The Z24 got wrecked and my brother gave me his cavalier and bought a new car. At 220,000 miles the base cavalier got turned into a "sleeper". Everything; Engine and transmission (4 speed auto), suspension, brakes, wheels, wiring and computers. With crank windows and no sunroof the 02 was actually faster than the Z24 ever was. I did the swap because I did change the head gasket in the 2.4 engine months before the wreck and the 2.2 was leaking and burning oil pretty bad. Got another year and a half before rust was just too much.
I had a brand new 2004 Cavalier coupe. I loved that car for as long as it lasted. It had a power sunroof. Couldn’t believe it. I put 145000 miles on it in just under 5 years before I traded it in.
My first new car was an'87 Z24 hatchback (ordered,waited 2 months for it).Blue on blue,2.8 V6/5 speed. After some engine work & some simple mods,it kept up the V8 muscle of its era.Miss that car.
My 1st new car purchase was a factory ordered 1985 Cavalier Wagon with the 2.0 Iron Duke TBI Four mated to a 5spd for about 10k. Also ordered it with the light/dark blue 2 tone paint job and had aftermarket window tint and a pop up sunroof installed. My best friend nicknamed it 'The Mortician's Wagon' lol. Car handled great with Tire Rack ordered Pirelli P77s on it. Put 85k on that one until a seized cat converter torched the engine compartment in 1988 on the way home from one of many road trips. I then used the insurance $$ and followed up with a factory ordered electric blue 1988 wagon featuring a 2.8 V6 and GETRAG 5 spd and sport suspension (pretty much an unbadged Z-24 package). Also gave it the full window tint and sunroof treatment. Boy was that one sleeper of a car and had loads of fun dusting many an unsuspecting hotshot who didn't think much of the unassuming looks of my ride. Put 150k over 10 yrs on that one until body rot crept in and the 3 gear synchronizer started to go yet I still was able to sell it to a co-worker for $800 in 1998. That 2.8L MPFI mill ran like a top and never burned any (synthetic) oil between 10k mi servicing. All in all, my best new vehicle experience to date.
I bought a 1990 Cavalier CL wagon in 1992. It had 66,000 miles on it. As a volunteer firefighter, I put my emergency lights and siren on it, and did 75+ mph regularly responding down the highway to the fire station. It was almost trouble free. The only problems I had with it were the speedometer needle had a bad vibration and eventually snapped off. I picked up a new speedometer at a junkyard and kept going. The only other problem I had when it was about 8 years old was that the transmission started to leak fluid. But it still ran strong. I really hated to sell it, but we needed to move, so I needed the money. But the mileage when I sold it was about 211,000 miles.
In uk we had this as the mk2 Vauxhall Cavalier, same as the Opel Ascona c in Mainland Europe. This was Europe's j car, 2 & 4 door sedan, 5 door hatchback, 5 door wagon (only on the cavalier using the Australian Holden Camero wagon rear end) and 2 door convetible. Very attractive car.
I drove one as a rental when I visited Montreal, Canada. It was a coupe model far 1989. I also rented one in 1995 on a trip to Vancouver, Canada and in Toronto in 2004. I currently have a 1999 coupe model.
Grew up in a 84 cl wagon 2 tone brown. I unfortunately hit a deer on homecoming night in 1991. It had 200,000 miles just rolled over the second time. Was a great car for my parents.
I remember going to a u pull it salvage lot with my uncle, and the guys had brought in a black, very neat '87 Cavalier Z24 coupe. Still had the original keys, and with a battery, probably could still run. Wish I'd had the money back then to buy it.
I kinda love the look of the 85-86 hatchback z24. If I could make a Frankenstein of that hatch body but with 88-89 z24 front clip and side skirts, would've been a sweet looking little hatchback
Had a 90, it was the cheapest car but ran like a top. 95hp, hit 100mph once down hill. Fuel was just ok for the go cart. My next car was a 97 z28, where I hit 100mph any time I wanted.
My dad had an '84 Cavalier wagon with the 2.0 and 4 on the floor stick that he bought used with 111k in 1995. He drove it up to 172k by 2000. Though he got another car, he kept his Cavalier for 6 more years in his driveway. He was kind of attached to it because it never leaked oil. My dad was NOT one given to be attached to cars. I finally talked him into getting rid of it in 2006 as it was literally turning green. Fast forward to 2014. The new owner still had it. He replaced the fuel pump in it. That was why it would always start but then immediately conk out. It was offered to me for sale, but I declined. (damn, I wonder if he still has it)
I had a 1993 Chevy cavalier 4 door I bought at the junkyard I was working at for 116$ in 2017 I drove it till 2020 loved it best car I ever had! it was a beast! I used to go fishing and hunting with it all the time. it went down trails people wouldn't take there trucks down lol I regret selling it I wish I could find another. The square body cavalier is pretty much extinct in Canada now
I owned a 96 Z24 as my first brand new car purchase, just out of college. It was pretty quick with the 5 speed, but the suspension was really stiff, even worse than a Trans Am from the 80s I used to own. It was a pretty reliable car though, the only thing that went out on it was a fuel pump in the 8 years I owned it.
The Cavalier was one of GM's longest running compact car nameplates. Chevy sold a lot of them during it's run. We had several of them, and they were all good cars. The Cavalier was replaced with the Cobalt. I was given a Cobalt as a rental when warranty work was being performed on my Impala. I hated the Cobalt. GM has filed a trademark patent for the Cavalier, and there was a rumor they may revive the name. The Cavalier was a popular car, and if it was revived, it could have another successful run. Chevy needs to bring it back.
My brothers first new car was an 85 type-10, a dark blue with blue interior manual. That was the car that started my love affair of automobiles. Unfortunately, I never owned that car as by the time I was old enough to drive it in the mid 90s it was rusting out bad including the firewall so my brother wouldn't sell it to me, off to the scrap yard around 98.
I liked the Corsica better because it had the column shifter. Wish they made them like that with the Cavalier but American companies have to mimic the imports < : (
My neighbor bought the Pontiac version the J2000 when it came out.It replaced his 1976 Firebird that was his 1st new car.He had nothing but trouble with it and it was gone in 1986 when he bought a new Celica.
@@johnfpotega2017 My neighbor went to Toyota and never came back.Junk was right on the money for those 1st J bodies.By the time I was selling them in 991 they were pretty well sorted out
The biggest problem with the Cavalier is the same problem affecting pretty much all of GM's North American production: their build quality was indifferent at best and never on par with European and Japanese rivals. It's such a shame as their styling was quite good and their ideas were current, but when putting it together the end products felt comparatively crude and assembled by people who didn't care anymore. But this is the same GM that created an entire division to make quality import fighters instead of making their existing divisions better, so take it as you will.
The Cavalier was introduced in the late Spring of 1981...so the sales numbers that was quoted for the 82 model was for 1.5 year... so the 1983 models increased in sales , not decreased. The 83 model had some changes as you stated but the sales increased not decreased for 83.
I had a 95 Cavalier I bought new. (First yr. of the rounded redesigned body style.) Had it for 13 yrs. For the most part it was reliable but man that Fisher Price quality interior was terrible, even for an entry level car.
My Moms 83 Cavalier CL had close to 400,000 miles before the engine spun a bearing. it was an embarrassment because it was a pale blue and we had that damn thing forever. SO glad it finally died.
Chevrolet was the division for great smaller cars for the everyman, as well as great larger cars. So was Pontiac. Olds Caddy and Buick had no business making smaller cars competing with the sister divisions.
At the start of your video, you implied that the Cavalier was a USA's answer to the "imports". However, there are remarkable similarities between the Cavalier's styling and power trains to that of GM's erstwhile Opel subsidiary's mid-size (for Europe) offerings which also benefited from the J car platform. Granted there were cosmetic modifications for the USA market but essentially it was itself an import to battle against other imports but, a USA derived car it wasn't.
My first car was a 1984 cavalier wagon cs that car would go anywhere in the snow gave us many dependable years of transportation the only major problem we had was the rack and pinion steering went out a common problem
Working for the Post office I inadvertently drove Chevys through the years. First Nova's, then Chevettes and then the Grumman LLV which was a S 10 pickup base.
That's an Opel Kadett here in Europe and a Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK, and although the Chevy has been heavily "face lifted", I'm pretty sure the first gen it's the same car underneath, as later ones are obviously on a different platform. These are very popular in the euro custom car scene, as they look really cool slammed on deep dish rims, and being rwd and super light, with a few engine mods they can also be fun. So, where did all yours go?
I had owned 2 cavaliers, they were a tank in the snow. Drove up many mtns with no problems at all. I had a 85 RS 4 door sedan cavalier auto, and a 89 2 door Z24 cavalier. Standard. The Cobalt replaced the cavalier, then Cruz replaced them.
Cavalier was the top selling small car of the 80's, and did well enough in the 90's to continue on into the 2000's, ending its run in 2005. Not bad, but clearly Millennials wanted no part of Cavalier, and GM wanted to court a new generation with a more appealing style car, and discontinued the Cavalier after 23 years.
Not bad at all Jack. My brother owned one. I wrecked it. lol We appreciate you watching our video and commenting! Please subscribe to our channel. It really helps us out.
I never owned one but I definitely rode in a bunch. Good car for the price and the times. I'd rather have a first gen Cavalier than anything made since 2000. New vehicles have too much unnecessary technology. I like simplicity and styling. Anything is better than a CROSSOVER!!!
The 1984 year changes with the quad rectangular headlights and new grill made the car look more like a mini version of the larger size Chevy Celebrity. I think that similarity in the the eyes of GM helped to justify the considerably higher price increase as well.
Surprised that GM carried on with the J car platform after 1988. In Europe this was replaced with a brand new model - Opel Vectra A / Vauxhall Cavalier mark 3.
I love the 1st Gen Cavi's the most asim a fan of square body vehicles . I sold my 87 a couple years ago along with my 2nd Gen 94,3rd Gen 99 ,02 z24 and 05 LS . I had 6 a couple years ago but sold them all in a week to focus on my 3rd Gen camaros. My favorite year Cavi is a 99, I've had 5over the years and all have ended up with 400k plus when I sold them. My least fav is the fugly 03-05 . I dont like the taillights with the matching reflector across the trunk and hate the hideous headlights (very fugly) but in LS sport trim with the body kit the 03-05 looks good in sedan more than the coupe but I'm going to get other cavi soon and want a 1st Gen square body to put a95-02 2.2 in as I love that motor for a 4 cylinder
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My first NEW car was a 1989 Z24 with a 5 speed manual, blue with gray cloth interior! The front seats had the integrated head rests. Those were the most comfortable seats I have ever had in a car. My Mom and Dad went along with me to purchase the car because they had never driven home in a brand new vehicle before. I was 22 years old and on top of the world! :)
I have a black cavalier type 10 model 1985 from 1992 that came to my family. I went to high school in it, and now 30 years later my daughter will go to her high school in the cavalier..
In my circle of friends 20 years ago we had a total of 5 GM j cars ranging from 89 to 94. Three were 2 door Sunbirds, one was an 89 z24 with a 2.8 and the other one was a base 4 door cavalier. Mine was a 94 Sunbird LE with a 3.1 and 5 speed. That car was so much fun to drive.
I had for my 1st car was a pontiac sunfire.
My high school friend had an 89 sunbird, and it was adorable. My aunt had a first (couple) and third gen (sedan) cavalier. I had a third gen cavalier... The first gen hatchback was the cutest to me. ♥️
My first new car purchase was an '83 Cavalier 4 speed manual. I bought it without knowing how to drive a manual transmission. My dad drove it home from the dealership and taught me how to drive it on the neighborhood shopping center parking lot. What a great trouble-free car!
Happy to hear it did good for you. Thanks for watching David!
There is one for sale low milage so Im checking it out
The first car I bought on my own after graduating from college was a ‘91 red coupe. It was also my first brand new car. I loved it!
@@jayhopkins8341 my first car was the ‘94 Z24 white coupe. Started my life long love of GM vehicles.
In 1993 after a family gathering I realized several members of the family had a variant of the Cavalier we had the 89 RS sedan; my cousin had a 91 RS and my uncle had an RS wagon. They did us well except when the computer brain went out and cost over a Thousand bucks the fix and replace. 89 had a distributor less ignition.
I'm hearing they did a lot of family's well. Glad it did you guys. Thanks for watching Albert!
We still have my dad's 1991 Cavalier and it only comes out for the summer. Still going strong!!!!!!!!! I wish small cars would come back in fashion.
I had an 83 CS four door in two tone brown. Despite a horribly leaking transmission and no ac or power anything including engine lol I actually really liked that car. It was reliable and comfortable. I had it longer than any other car of my youth.
Number one for its time for a reason! Thanks for watching Joel!
My parents bought a 1986 RS wagon.
Black with red interior with the 85 hp engine and 5 spd.
It was loaded with all available options.
It was their "EXTRA" car that did yeoman's service like hauling gardening supplies and German Shepherds and Bernese Mountain Dogs around.
It was maintained but not babied.
Myself and all of my siblings leaned to drive a manual transmission in it.
My parents kept it twenty years and 215k miles.
It never failed to start or left anyone stranded.
They eventually sold it for the princely sum of $385.00 to their housekeeper's brother.
Everything still worked including the A/C!
He drove it from Milwaukee to Alaska and once there he drove it for a couple of years.
He misjudged the ground clearance and managed to puncture the oil pan while driving down a rugged dirt track on the way to a hunting camp.
20 years! Wow. I'm reading the comments from others and there is a common denominator and that is that family's kept them for a long time! Thanks for the good read William.
I loved the Z24 when that was out, I wanted one when I was in high school.
My friend's Dad bought a new Cavalier in 84' it was a great car,he loved it and still had it in the early 2000's when he passed.I like the 88' Z24 it's a real cutie.
my favorite cavalier is 84-85 year models i love them chevy's 86 z-24 my favorite too
Thanks for watching Joel.
My parents bought a brand new base wagon in 1986. During the cars 10 years in the family it hit everything but the lottery and survived two teenagers driving it. At 180k on the original engine it was donated to a local church for a family in need and the only work it actually needed was a wiper motor and exhaust pipe.In 92 mom stepped up into a.new 92 RS sedan and the wagon became the extra car in the house. Both were great cars my parents more than got their money's worth out of.
Reading other comments, seems that these cars were part of the family for years! Thanks for watching and the comment Sean!
My girlfriend (now wife) bought a used low option 88 z24 coupe from a family friend in 1991. In was a bit crude but fun to drive and sounded great. First gear synchro was weak and she didn’t help matters by constantly just jamming it into gear. Never let her down though. Traded it on a Year old ‘92 Nissan NX2000. Automatic, t-tops. Power options. That car we loved!
Glad it worked out for your wife. Yes...the Japanese do a much better job. I have a vette and a new Duramax and still drive a 1998 Honda Accord that my mom gave me to work and back. Dependable! Thanks for the info Jeffery!
Loved my 1992 Cavvie! It was a beat up junk pile but ran great and never gave me a problem. I miss that car.
Cool, I have a 2010 Chevy Cobalt LT Chrystal red metallic sedan . I like it a lot 😀
Glad it's working out for you Michael. Thanks for watching!
@@ThisOldCarChannel Thakl you, you are welcome 😀
they were great little cars, I had an '83, '85 & a '87 Z24
My father had an ‘82. It lasted for 11 years
That's why they were big sellers! Dog sleds but big sellers! Thanks for watching.
People like to bash the J-body cars but they were really good cars in my opinion.
I owned 3. First was a silver 1985 4-door Cavalier with a red interior and the 2.0L engine. Bought it used from a friend with 90k+ miles and it lasted more than 3 years and another 30k+ miles. My second was a blue 1992 4-door Cavalier with the 2.2L for my wife. Bought that used as well then gave it to my mother-in-law after 3 years when we bought our first minivan. The 3rd was a red 1993 2-door Pontiac Sunfire SE with the 3.1L V6. It replaced the silver 85 Cavalier. Once again it was a used car and I owned it 6 years. All 3 were fantastic cars and never gave me much trouble at all.
My brother owned an 84 Cav. I hit a construction barrel when I was coming home from a bar. lol Just messed up the grill is about it. 21 and dumb. I'm reading lots of comments that people had these cars for years and they were great cars! Glad to hear the same for you!
Great little car right there, had two of them and they allowed me to drive 100,000 miles for $300 + fuel a few fan belts, a single piece of exhaust pipe and oil changes... & 1 set of new tires @ $25 each
Great video and very nostalgic to see cars from my Era ! These Cavaliers next to the K cars were extremely popular back in the day. My parents owned a full-sized RWD Chevrolet Caprice wagon though which was very reliable .
My dad owned an Impala Wagon. My brother owned a 1984 Cavalier until I borrowed it one night and went to a bar that had quarter drinks. I hit a construction barrel full of sand at 1am. Hey, I was 21 and dumb. ha! It still ran but the grill was broken. Bars can't do quarter beers anymore. lol Thanks for watching Andre
My first car was an '88 Cavalier coupe. It was a base model - the only option was automatic transmission, which we got because I hadn't learned stick yet. It didn't even have power steering, or power anything. It got the job done, though.
First car 1990 cavalier… no radio, no a/c, no power steering or power windows, stripped down 2 door base model….2.2 4 cylinder 99 horsepower…. I loved it!
My dad had 4 of them when I was young 3 Z24s and one RS. RS was an 89 with the 2.8. Then he had a 1990 Z. And another 2 that were 1992's. In Ontario tho where I'm from they put salt on the roads in winter. Most people winter drove these. So finding one that isn't rotten nowadays is very rare in Canada. They are mostly all gone sadly.
I'm sorry...that your Dad owned so any of these shit-boxes; He must have been a glutton for punishment!
We're reading many comments of these cars hangin around with families for years. They were dog sleds but a good car for Chevy for the time! Thanks for watching.
I have four 2nd generation Cavaliers that I've had for many years now.
1988 Z24 5spd Coupe
1988 Station Wagon (was a 4cyl/auto), Now has 3.1 engine/automatic with Dash, Instruments and wiring from a 94 RS donor.
1992 Z24 Automatic convertible.
1994 Z24 5spd Coupe. 3400 engine to be installed soon.
All of them are southern, rust free cars. I've got 4 extra 5 speed trans-axles and all the pedals, brackets, hydraulics, etc to convert the two automatics over to manuals. Projects always going on.
Great cars.
My dad still drives his 92 cavalier wagon every day. The little 2.2 has got over 300,000 on it. I rebuilt an engine for it , but the one in it doesn't use a bit of oil and runs fine. Great little machines.
Wow, that is awesome. I’m happy to hear about those American made cars lasting so long.
@@rickintexas1584 I found an S10 that' needs a 2.2 sooooo, I don't know what to do. As soon as I put my fresh block in it, my Pop's little wagon will give out. Even though they were the highest selling cars, they've been crunched. Not as many laying around as you would think.
@@rickintexas1584 I'm in Oklahoma, if you know where a pair of taillight lenses for a wagon are, please let me know $$$$
Dad had an 84 4 spd stick new. I bought an 86 5 spd that was 2 years old when I got it.Heck that RS in your video with the red interior looked exact as mine but mine was charcoal grey with red interior. Had friends with a few of them as well. They were everywhere. That said 1st generation for the price might be the best car ever built. They went on and on and to this day think it was one of the best looking cars of that era.
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The 1st generation design (1982) was gorgeous! Especially love the front end with the large dual headlights. The 4 headlight refresh was a step backwards IMO
My first new car was a 1984 Cavalier Convertible. It was a beautiful bright red color with a sand gray convertible top, and sand gray vinyl interior. I loved that car. Someone ran a stop sign and hit me from the side. The car was pretty much totaled. I was just sick. I ordered a 1987 Cavalier Z24 Coupe from the factory. It was a beautiful blue exterior and a blue velour interior. I drive that car until I ordered my be t new car was a 1991 Lumina Z34. That was another favorite car that I owned. Loved it!
Cavaliers were what they were but I have to say some of the hatchbacks and later Z24's looked pretty cool. BTW, just subbed! Cool stuff!
Wouldn't mind having a Z-24 or an X-11. Thanks for watching Red!
Bought a red 83 Cavalier new and through over 250,000km It was trouble free. I added a set of Goodyear Eagles on 14" aluminum wheels and a set of 8" Hella fog lights and 55w/100w Hella headlights due to my 1.5hr midnight commute. The car was still running when it met a Black Angus heifer on a rainy night but it protected everybody inside. The 2liter engine was still running strong after all those miles and it was still on the original clutch.
Worked for some and not for others. Ed. Glad it worked for you! We appreciate you watching our video and commenting! Please subscribe to our channel. It really helps us out.
Loved the ‘89. I bought a 2003 bec it was one of the few cars with a manual transmission. What a fast car. Not a lot of headroom bec of sunroof. Fun to drive & easy to handle.
I graduated college in 1986 and got married in 1987. I seriously considered a Cavalier Z24, but went with a red Trans Am instead. The Cavalier was a good car, but that Trans Am was awesome.
BEAUTIFUL INFORMATIVE VIDEO ON THE CHEVY CAVALIER--GREAT TO KNOW IT WAS THE BEST SELLER FOR 1984/85- LOVE IT.
Love my 84 Cimarron. Thanks for this vid!
My first new car that I bought when I was 18 years old was a 88 Chevy cavalier with a manual transmission...loved that car.
My first car in 2002 was a Blue and rusty sedan 1988 Cavalier RS. It wasn't pretty or fast, but it was very reliable as I beat the snot out of it for 4 years. Then sold it to a cousin who did the same for a few more years. I always wanted a 88 or 89 Z24 since then.
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I had two later cavaliers. 2000 Z24 2.4 "twin cam" was really nice. My brother had an 02 base model with 5 speed manual and 2.2 engine. The Z24 got wrecked and my brother gave me his cavalier and bought a new car. At 220,000 miles the base cavalier got turned into a "sleeper". Everything; Engine and transmission (4 speed auto), suspension, brakes, wheels, wiring and computers. With crank windows and no sunroof the 02 was actually faster than the Z24 ever was. I did the swap because I did change the head gasket in the 2.4 engine months before the wreck and the 2.2 was leaking and burning oil pretty bad. Got another year and a half before rust was just too much.
My favorite year of the cavalier was the 85-87 model and the 89-94 z24 models
I had a brand new 2004 Cavalier coupe. I loved that car for as long as it lasted. It had a power sunroof. Couldn’t believe it. I put 145000 miles on it in just under 5 years before I traded it in.
My first new car was an'87 Z24 hatchback (ordered,waited 2 months for it).Blue on blue,2.8 V6/5 speed. After some engine work & some simple mods,it kept up the V8 muscle of its era.Miss that car.
My 1st new car purchase was a factory ordered 1985 Cavalier Wagon with the 2.0 Iron Duke TBI Four mated to a 5spd for about 10k.
Also ordered it with the light/dark blue 2 tone paint job and had aftermarket window tint and a pop up sunroof installed. My best friend nicknamed it 'The Mortician's Wagon' lol. Car handled great with Tire Rack ordered Pirelli P77s on it. Put 85k on that one until a seized cat converter torched the engine compartment in 1988 on the way home from one of many road trips. I then used the insurance $$ and followed up with a factory ordered electric blue 1988 wagon featuring a 2.8 V6 and GETRAG 5 spd and sport suspension (pretty much an unbadged Z-24 package). Also gave it the full window tint and sunroof treatment. Boy was that one sleeper of a car and had loads of fun dusting many an unsuspecting hotshot who didn't think much of the unassuming looks of my ride. Put 150k over 10 yrs on that one until body rot crept in and the 3 gear synchronizer started to go yet I still was able to sell it to a co-worker for $800 in 1998. That 2.8L MPFI mill ran like a top and never burned any (synthetic) oil between 10k mi servicing. All in all, my best new vehicle experience to date.
I bought a 1990 Cavalier CL wagon in 1992. It had 66,000 miles on it. As a volunteer firefighter, I put my emergency lights and siren on it, and did 75+ mph regularly responding down the highway to the fire station. It was almost trouble free. The only problems I had with it were the speedometer needle had a bad vibration and eventually snapped off. I picked up a new speedometer at a junkyard and kept going. The only other problem I had when it was about 8 years old was that the transmission started to leak fluid. But it still ran strong. I really hated to sell it, but we needed to move, so I needed the money. But the mileage when I sold it was about 211,000 miles.
I got one of these vehicles as a rental back in 1998, referring to it as the Chevy *_Cadaver,_* what a bucket of bolts it was!
In uk we had this as the mk2 Vauxhall Cavalier, same as the Opel Ascona c in Mainland Europe. This was Europe's j car, 2 & 4 door sedan, 5 door hatchback, 5 door wagon (only on the cavalier using the Australian Holden Camero wagon rear end) and 2 door convetible. Very attractive car.
But only with 4 sylinders engines!
I drove one as a rental when I visited Montreal, Canada. It was a coupe model far 1989. I also rented one in 1995 on a trip to Vancouver, Canada and in Toronto in 2004.
I currently have a 1999 coupe model.
Grew up in a 84 cl wagon 2 tone brown. I unfortunately hit a deer on homecoming night in 1991. It had 200,000 miles just rolled over the second time. Was a great car for my parents.
Oh Man...That will screw up a homecoming! Glad it was good to you guys! Thanks for watching!
I remember going to a u pull it salvage lot with my uncle, and the guys had brought in a black, very neat '87 Cavalier Z24 coupe. Still had the original keys, and with a battery, probably could still run. Wish I'd had the money back then to buy it.
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I had a 1987 z24 I loved that little car and for it’s time is was bad ass for a 6 banger
I kinda love the look of the 85-86 hatchback z24.
If I could make a Frankenstein of that hatch body but with 88-89 z24 front clip and side skirts, would've been a sweet looking little hatchback
My mom first car out of high school was a 1986. Then owned 1991 and a 1996 over the years. cavalier was her favorite car
Had a 90, it was the cheapest car but ran like a top. 95hp, hit 100mph once down hill. Fuel was just ok for the go cart. My next car was a 97 z28, where I hit 100mph any time I wanted.
Funny, I switched from a Z28 to a Cavalier in 86. That thing barely made it up a hill. Thanks for watching. Make sure and subscribe!
I like that you showed the 2.8L "high output" V6 and its 125 brutal horsepower...... with a big ol' oil leak at the valve cover.
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Second car was 1984 Buick Skyhawk with 2.0L engine from the Cavalier and 4 speed manual.
Thanks for watching Dave and the story.
In Australia, it was called the Camira, sold between '83 and '89. They were ok cars, but yeah the ECU computer seemed to be a weak spot!
My dad had an '84 Cavalier wagon with the 2.0 and 4 on the floor stick that he bought used with 111k in 1995. He drove it up to 172k by 2000. Though he got another car, he kept his Cavalier for 6 more years in his driveway. He was kind of attached to it because it never leaked oil. My dad was NOT one given to be attached to cars. I finally talked him into getting rid of it in 2006 as it was literally turning green. Fast forward to 2014. The new owner still had it. He replaced the fuel pump in it. That was why it would always start but then immediately conk out. It was offered to me for sale, but I declined. (damn, I wonder if he still has it)
hahaha! A good read Marshall. Thanks for subscribing!
I had a 1993 Chevy cavalier 4 door I bought at the junkyard I was working at for 116$ in 2017 I drove it till 2020 loved it best car I ever had! it was a beast! I used to go fishing and hunting with it all the time. it went down trails people wouldn't take there trucks down lol I regret selling it I wish I could find another. The square body cavalier is pretty much extinct in Canada now
A shame that domestic auto manufacturers have forgotten how to make good, basic transportation.
We had a 1989 Cavalier coupe, bought new and kept for 10 yrs, before selling it. I was a good little car, sporty too.
I owned 2 of them and I really like them.( 1991 & a 2000.)
I bought a new 1988 Buick Skyhawk, (sister to the Cav) and I had it for 9 years. I sold it to a co-worker who drove it another nine years.
Money's worth out of that car indeed!
I wanted a 1996 Cavalier so badly that last body style lol ❤
I owned a 96 Z24 as my first brand new car purchase, just out of college. It was pretty quick with the 5 speed, but the suspension was really stiff, even worse than a Trans Am from the 80s I used to own. It was a pretty reliable car though, the only thing that went out on it was a fuel pump in the 8 years I owned it.
The Cavalier was one of GM's longest running compact car nameplates. Chevy sold a lot of them during it's run. We had several of them, and they were all good cars. The Cavalier was replaced with the Cobalt. I was given a Cobalt as a rental when warranty work was being performed on my Impala. I hated the Cobalt.
GM has filed a trademark patent for the Cavalier, and there was a rumor they may revive the name. The Cavalier was a popular car, and if it was revived, it could have another successful run. Chevy needs to bring it back.
Nice car
I had a 1999 Chevy Cavalier Z-24 5 speed all black with black and red interior decked out!!!! I miss it.
My brothers first new car was an 85 type-10, a dark blue with blue interior manual. That was the car that started my love affair of automobiles. Unfortunately, I never owned that car as by the time I was old enough to drive it in the mid 90s it was rusting out bad including the firewall so my brother wouldn't sell it to me, off to the scrap yard around 98.
I worked at the Lordstown, Ohio plant where the Cavalier, Cobalt and Cruze were built.
I liked the Corsica better because it had the column shifter. Wish they made them like that with the Cavalier but American companies have to mimic the imports < : (
My favorite was the 1985ighty 5 cavalier station wagon I still have it it still runs and it's over 200000 miles
I had a '94 Chevrolet Cavalier wagon
My dad had one. He would pick up my kids from school in it. Miss that car and miss my dad.
My neighbor bought the Pontiac version the J2000 when it came out.It replaced his 1976 Firebird that was his 1st new car.He had nothing but trouble with it and it was gone in 1986 when he bought a new Celica.
@@johnfpotega2017 My neighbor went to Toyota and never came back.Junk was right on the money for those 1st J bodies.By the time I was selling them in 991 they were pretty well sorted out
The biggest problem with the Cavalier is the same problem affecting pretty much all of GM's North American production: their build quality was indifferent at best and never on par with European and Japanese rivals. It's such a shame as their styling was quite good and their ideas were current, but when putting it together the end products felt comparatively crude and assembled by people who didn't care anymore. But this is the same GM that created an entire division to make quality import fighters instead of making their existing divisions better, so take it as you will.
The Cavalier was introduced in the late Spring of 1981...so the sales numbers that was quoted for the 82 model was for 1.5 year... so the 1983 models increased in sales , not decreased. The 83 model had some changes as you stated but the sales increased not decreased for 83.
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I had a 95 Cavalier I bought new. (First yr. of the rounded redesigned body style.) Had it for 13 yrs. For the most part it was reliable but man that Fisher Price quality interior was terrible, even for an entry level car.
I think they recycled the old Chevette interior but they were afraid to admit it
My Moms 83 Cavalier CL had close to 400,000 miles before the engine spun a bearing. it was an embarrassment because it was a pale blue and we had that damn thing forever. SO glad it finally died.
Got your moneys worth, that's for sure! Thanks for the comment Greg!
How many head gaskets?
There was also a Cavalier producrd by GM for Toyota. It was the Toyota Cavalier, and is in the encyclopedia.
In europe this was build as Opel Ascona C, from 1981-1988.
Engines from 1.3 60bhp up to 2.0 130bhp.
Chevrolet was the division for great smaller cars for the everyman, as well as great larger cars. So was Pontiac. Olds Caddy and Buick had no business making smaller cars competing with the sister divisions.
At the start of your video, you implied that the Cavalier was a USA's answer to the "imports". However, there are remarkable similarities between the Cavalier's styling and power trains to that of GM's erstwhile Opel subsidiary's mid-size (for Europe) offerings which also benefited from the J car platform. Granted there were cosmetic modifications for the USA market but essentially it was itself an import to battle against other imports but, a USA derived car it wasn't.
My dad's final mid-life crisis was the 1988 Z24 in red just like this video shows. Those squared off wheels were impossible to find!
I loved the Zs...Thanks for watching. Make sure and subscribe.
My first car was a 1984 cavalier wagon cs that car would go anywhere in the snow gave us many dependable years of transportation the only major problem we had was the rack and pinion steering went out a common problem
I have two great American-made sport compacts - an 1986 Dodge Omni GLH and a 1987 Chevy Cavalier Z24 with a cowl induction hood!
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Working for the Post office I inadvertently drove Chevys through the years. First Nova's, then Chevettes and then the Grumman LLV which was a S 10 pickup base.
Which did you like best James? Thanks for watching. Make sure a subscribe.
I have a 2004 Cavalier it’s a awesome car actually
That's an Opel Kadett here in Europe and a Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK, and although the Chevy has been heavily "face lifted", I'm pretty sure the first gen it's the same car underneath, as later ones are obviously on a different platform. These are very popular in the euro custom car scene, as they look really cool slammed on deep dish rims, and being rwd and super light, with a few engine mods they can also be fun. So, where did all yours go?
I had owned 2 cavaliers, they were a tank in the snow. Drove up many mtns with no problems at all. I had a 85 RS 4 door sedan cavalier auto, and a 89 2 door Z24 cavalier. Standard. The Cobalt replaced the cavalier, then Cruz replaced them.
Cavalier was the top selling small car of the 80's, and did well enough in the 90's to continue on into the 2000's, ending its run in 2005. Not bad, but clearly Millennials wanted no part of Cavalier, and GM wanted to court a new generation with a more appealing style car, and discontinued the Cavalier after 23 years.
Not bad at all Jack. My brother owned one. I wrecked it. lol We appreciate you watching our video and commenting! Please subscribe to our channel. It really helps us out.
Millenials loved it as their first car. Not so much when we grew up
If i ever find myself in one of these cavaliers one day you guys will be the first to know
I had a mid year, 1987 and it nice, i kept it for 15 years 2.0 but its was #CS
I never owned one but I definitely rode in a bunch. Good car for the price and the times. I'd rather have a first gen Cavalier than anything made since 2000. New vehicles have too much unnecessary technology. I like simplicity and styling. Anything is better than a CROSSOVER!!!
The 1984 year changes with the quad rectangular headlights and new grill made the car look more like a mini version of the larger size Chevy Celebrity. I think that similarity in the the eyes of GM helped to justify the considerably higher price increase as well.
I bought a brand new 84. Sucked!!! Merry Christmas and thanks for watching. Make sure and subscribe!
2000 Cavalier LS 2.4 and a automatic transmission, pwr window, door locks and mirrors. Oh AZ all it's life, 139,000 miles.
Surprised that GM carried on with the J car platform after 1988. In Europe this was replaced with a brand new model - Opel Vectra A / Vauxhall Cavalier mark 3.
I had a '91 Z24.
I love the 1st Gen Cavi's the most asim a fan of square body vehicles . I sold my 87 a couple years ago along with my 2nd Gen 94,3rd Gen 99 ,02 z24 and 05 LS . I had 6 a couple years ago but sold them all in a week to focus on my 3rd Gen camaros. My favorite year Cavi is a 99, I've had 5over the years and all have ended up with 400k plus when I sold them. My least fav is the fugly 03-05 . I dont like the taillights with the matching reflector across the trunk and hate the hideous headlights (very fugly) but in LS sport trim with the body kit the 03-05 looks good in sedan more than the coupe but I'm going to get other cavi soon and want a 1st Gen square body to put a95-02 2.2 in as I love that motor for a 4 cylinder
A high school friend had an 86. He drove the shit out of it and had it until about 1997 or so. He sold it with almost 300k on the Odometer!!!
1989. I still have it.
In my country the Chevrolet cavalier it was knew like Monza and it's a nice car