Also sold as the Holden Camira, the Isuzu Aska and only God knows what else around the globe. I had a JJ Camira, and it was great, but it died of terminal corrosion. Have only ever seen one for sale in NZ over the last 5 years.
all about that dollar, that's all they ever care about. im surprise General Motors doesn't spray paint GM on Chevy vehicles, oh but wait Chevrolet is GM, no to you younger viewers, GM consisted of, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Pontiac, Buick, GMC, Saturn, Olsmobile, basically anything that was produced under their umbrella, it's why their one of the richest in the industry. yes it's true GM started out as Chevrolet, but as they began selling cars, the owners all basically decided to split up the division, to create several divisions, each with their own CEO at the top. together we will create one main headquarters that oversees the whole thing, and we will call ourselves General Motors. now early on, it was just Chevrolet and Cadillac, but the goal for GM was to produce as many cars, as quick as we can make money. that's why GM didn't care, Pontiac was producing better cars than Chevrolet for a short period. it's because as long as it made them richer, they didn't care where the money came from. but after awhile GM just got lazy, and decided to rebadge everything they make. so if people ever wanna know why their were so many strikes, and lawsuits, it's because to GM, an employee was just a number. it's also why unions became a thing, now some people believe unions made things worse, but if you listen to some of those folks, they will say, if the employee doesn't get a say, in what cars are being produced, how the company you are under is doing in relation to another division, or even to a rival company. because here's the thing, even though Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, is all under one umbrella, that other division is still considered as competition. because what happens when, Buick is doing better than Chevrolet, all of a sudden the company you are under is suffering, which then effects how much you can get paid. the only time unions hurt, is when people keep demanding more money, but originally the unions was more than just about the money, it was also having a say on things, and to be able to question company decisions. but see GM never learned anything from history, because they made the same mistake with Saturn, and Pontiac, it's why they're not around anymore. some people ask, how is GMC still around, that's because GMC played it safe. GMC is only around, because essentially all they make are rebadge Chevy pickup trucks and SUV's. well they eventually decided to fully commit to making trucks, but to make them competitive with Chevrolet, they had to do something that would make them stand out. this is why the Denali only exist on GMC, the interior was usually a little nicer, but it was more like minor details. but anyway that's a long winded brief history.
I remember, I was a mechanic for chevrolet in 1985. We received a truck load of cavaliers, that were Buick in the back and chevrolet in the front. That was a complete mess. There were six of them. I don't know what happened to them. One by one they all disappeared. I am not sure if they were sold, I never saw one come in for service. Believe me, I looked, every time.
Not quite as bad, but when I purchased a new S-10 in 1990 it literally had 2 different style side mirrors. One bigger truck mirror and one smaller car-style mirror. I told the dealership I wanted it replaced under warranty after purchase, then they didn't want to do it. I had to force them. Little did I know that the brand new 1990 Cavalier we purchased new and that new S-10 were so full of problems I have never purchased a GM vehicle since.
My dad is retired from a state run power plant. He once told me one of the fleet vans, a Chevy Astro had a grill that was meant for a GMC Safari. That's the way it got delivered. It was a work van so nobody cared.
😁 When I purchased my 1997 Chevrolet Trans Sport in 2010, It had a Pontiac badged steering wheel inside. Basicly this minivan is a mixture of Chevy Venture and Pontiac Trans Sport... By the way Oldsmobile Alero of Europe is/was Chevrolet Alero. Some of them wore Chevy badges on the outside but on the steering wheel the Olds badge appeared. Any combination was/is possible... Whatever kinda parts available They [GM] had on their shelves, they had installed it into... By the way I also saw a 1978 Caprice 4 door sedan equiped with an Electra front. It looked well!
I had the UK version, a 1986 Vauxhall Cavalier. It looked so similar to the 80s US version but with different front and rear ends. Even the base steel wheels looked the same. Vauxhall was a GM owned UK subsidiary.
The 1986 model year put me in two Sunbirds. First was my wife's 2 dr coupe which replaced her 81 Chevette 4-dr. The car impressed me. Considering that I was driving a 1984 2-dr Chevette just about anything was an upgrade. I came home with a flashier two toned red and silver hatchback. You already know about that engine, but I drove it fast anyway. It looked sporty and I loved the way it looked. It got me through 6 years of pizza delivery and might have gotten more if I hadn't allowed a mechanic swindle me out of it on the pretense that the front axel boots couldn't be fixed. Still one of my favorite cars.
my first and only new car i bought was a 98 z24. i loved that car, the 2.4 dohc engine was quick and it could handle like a champ. had it 22 years with 168k miles on it, one morning it decided not to turn over anymore. 3 mechanics couldnt figure it out, replaced so much stuff to try to fix it but no go. parked it behind a relatives house and someone shot it up and stole everything from inside of it, needless to say state farm totaled it and sent it to the scrapyard in the sky.
My grandma had a 2002 chevy cavalier, it was a base model with only 2 doors, the dash would crack so easily due to the huge amounts or uv rays but it was a fun car to drive. We still have the cavalier, my grandma passed it on to my dad and the car still runs like it just came off the lot back in 2002. I love this car, but I wish chevrolet made it so the plastic was protected from uv rays to provent cracks, but other than that it drives super smoothly if you keep up with mantinence.
I had a little red cavalier hatchback my sister gifted to me when she got a new car I loved that little car even though it didn't have any power and was running on 3 cylinders lol. lucky for me I only drove it around my town where there aren't any big hills :D
I had the Opel model of this car as my first car that my parents bought me for Christmas. It was a blue sedan, I drove all around West Germany in that car!
Your videos are amazing. How do you find so much old photos & ads, research facts & data, etc. My compliments, sir! Love or hate the cars, gotta admire the history.
I almost bought one at a Chevy dealership, where they did the "Song and dance" pressure tactics! Thank god My friend was there with me to point out what they were doing, and as they gathered at the front door thinking I was coming to sign the deal My friend and I walked out smiling and waving. The car was ok but used. I bought a new car a Honda Civic later on and drove by both of us waving at them! they were not amused! ;-)
I had a 97 z24. In my opinion. The last half way decent looking cavalier. The 98 had the re designed front end and the bigger headlights that just didn't sit well with me... My mom actually had a dodge Daytona as well long before I had my cavalier. I came looking for that video and found this one. The nostalgia is real...
I bought the first 4.3 S-10 with the extended cab in 1988, I still have it today, it is 24 years old but is in show room condition, don't see any of these trucks on the road any more, the J car was excellent, they were so reliable and easy to maintain and repair, so cheap to keep on the road.
I had 3 Cavaliers, a 86 2 door, 94 2 door convertible & a 2000 2 door. I heavily modded the 2000, parts were easy to come by. I just sold it, 215k mi & still running strong.
One of the cars I learned to drive on was an '84 Sunbird with a 5-MT. Kinda liked it and would have been my car (hand-me-down from my parents) but either the engine block cracked or the head gasket blew because it would start blowing large billowing clouds of white exhaust. That happened about a week after it was bequeathed to me. My dad sold it for $250. Don't think I've ever seen the Olds or Buick versions of this car out in the wild.
I owned multiple versions of the cars listed here. A 79 Chevy Monza Spyder, with a 3.2 liter v6 4 speed. An 86 Pontiac Sunbird with a 5 Speed and sunroof. A 2004 Chevy Cavalier. Of these cars, the Monza Spyder was the best one. Thanks for the video
Had a 1982 Pontiac j2000 with the Brazilian made "g" 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine, 4 speed stick. Fun car. My wife had an 88 cavalier. She's always liked cavalier.
My mom got a '97 cavalier back when it was new, I was about 11 or 12 and thought it was a neat car, later on I got a '01 as my third car, 2.2 with 5 speed gearbox, I drove the hell out of that thing and it never failed to start up and go, my brother later got a 2000 Z24 which he had ended up wrecking 1 night, I was getting a new car around that time so I gave him my '01 which I had racked up 200K miles on, he pulled the 2.4 out of his wrecked Z24 and swapped it into my old car along with the wheels, suspension and interior, effectively giving him his old car back
I had a 1984 Buick Skyhawk coupe with 4 speed manual and 2.0L OHV engine and a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier RS sedan with 3 speed auto and 2.2L engine. Enjoyed both cars.
I was around J-body's for my whole life. My Dad was GM loyal and had a white Sunbird, then a dark red Sunfire, and then a white Sunfire. Unfortunately they were commuter cars so he always got the base 5speed. I had a 1992 Cavalier RS as my first car, and got the red Sunfire for my graduation. It was 5 speed so I loved the car despite it being a cheap 90's GM economy car.
I had an 85 Cavalier CS. Loved that car. The only problem I had with it was a clogged catalytic converter after the first year due to an incorrect exhaust system being put on it during manufacture according to the Chevy service department I took it to. Replaced the converter and put on the proper muffler and it ran great for years until some idiot ran a red light and T-boned it. It was never the same after that accident.
I own a 2004 Cavalier. Great car. Only four cylinder I have ever owned that actually had plenty of power. It loves high RPM’s. Excellent freeway car. The only bad part of them is the cheap crappy plastic of the dashboard. Mine is held together with epoxy, screws even some plastic welding I did to it. Waiting to hit a bump and the whole thing falls on the floor. And it is not only my Cavalier that’s like that. Everyone of these newer Cavalier‘a are like this.
My family used to own an 84 Buick Skyhawk Limited Wagon, that we bought brand new. Another big badge engineering project for GM was the Buick Century, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, Chevy Celebrity, and Pontiac 6000. Of course there was the Buick Somerset/Skylark, Oldsmobile Calais, and Pontiac Grand Am too.
I'll have to give GM props: The car was indestructible. And the name was cool. I personally liked it's last generation redesign despite the interior being stuck in the past.
Just a quick note I replied to somebody else already I have a 94 Pontiac Sunbird convertible 3.1 L engine 5-speed stick just outright fun-to-drive great video. Although you said that 94 side vinyl rear window I got it with glass in a defogger it actually got broken and I got it fixed this actually worked out great cuz now it doesn't leak in the trunk anyway. Just a fun car really pretty with a red body aluminum wheels gray interior with the buckets and a black convertible top. I got it a couple years ago and I'll never regret the decision it's just plain fun I keep it in the garage all winter come spring and summer nice day with the top down cruising away with that 5 and the radio blasting well it's just a great day when you're in that car enjoyed your video and I hope more people could keep these cars around their just a good thing to have I can't be the only one they sold millions of them
My first "new car" I bought when I was a Sunfire. I chose that over the Cavalier because it reminded me of a mini Firebird. I say new because prior to that my first car was a 1973 Dart Swinger.
Pontiac also had a Sunbird Turbo GT that was a 2.0L, 4 cylinder. I had the '86, and was one of my favorite cars I ever owned. At the time it was even quicker then the Cavalier 2.8L.
Hey Pat , great job.... your videos remind people of days gone by... The Cadillac Seville was the car that I figured would go onto better times.... There was a custom builder in Cleveland Ohio named Jerry Roman who owned a Shop called “Roman’s Chariot Shop” His. Kandy Red Vette , known as ROMAN’S CHARIOT “ (naturally) was a showstopper in the Autorama and he towed the enclosed trailer with a beautiful 2 tone Kandy Red and Black Seville... The Cadillac drew just as big a crowd as the Corvette...The sleek “Luxury Look” was so far ahead of its time that I guess they Just got “overlooked”.....?
I wanted a Sunfire so bad. I still think it looks genuinely good. I mean, if you replace the Pontiac badge with anything else, the two door would would be a looker for a budget car. So curvy.
This brings back memories. My wife's used Skyhawk and my used S-10 were big pieces of crap cars, both 1984 models. We got married in 1990 and thought by each of us buying new Chevy's we could stop visiting the repair shop! (S-10 for me and Cavalier for her). WOW, was I wrong! they were both huge pieces of crap. both vehicles had huge stacks of paperwork for warranty work performed. I think I visited the dealer for warranty work twice a month. I got rid of both of those vehicles before the factory warranty expired. The Cavalier was scheduled to go into the shop for warranty rust repair and they were not going to give us a rental. I decided it was time to ditch them before the warranty expired and we would be on the hood for the numerous repairs and break downs! The Cavalier was also sucking engine oil up the speedometer cable and I would come out in the morning and find oil on the dash! I have never purchased another GM product since! Burn me once it's on you, do it to me again and it's my fault! I have been purchasing Nissan's and Toyota's (Lexus for my wife) ever since. Luckily back then, Nissan's were great cars before we switched over to just Toyota products. All my Toyota vehicles require very little repairs, never anything before 150K. I am getting ready to give my father-in-law my wife's old 04 Lexus ES 330 with 226K miles on it. That car has been wrecked twice, (neither my wife's fault) and survived my younger son's early driving years. My Tacoma has 236K and my wife's current RX350 has 165K and they run great! Thanks for the memories!
As a GM parts employee for many years I remember how popular the J bodies were. I was wondering if you remembered or would ever consider doing an episode on the extremely short lived GMC Cabarello. I was basically an El Camino with GMC badges and if memory serves correctly it was only made for a year or two. Late 80’s on the G body platform
I have stories & stories about these cars. I made $6k off of an 85 Cavi by trading it over a dozen times. I did about 100 V6 swaps in these cars. If you needed a GM "C" part ( Camaro or Cavalier ) I was the guy you came to see. People thought those cars were junk, but they would go anywhere & I live in the mountains. 😂 My lil sister had a Sunbird Convert, black & red, given to her. I did a motor swap and that was a fun lil car. The Cimarrons were great donor cars. Ever see a Cavalier with leather interior ? They sell like hotcakes ! V6 Leather.....instant cash. Then I use to swap the Z24's into the newer Cavi's. Along with Baretta parts into a Cavi. Dealerships paid me to install Z24 parts on base Cavaliers. I made a ton of money off those cars.
I would still consider having a Cadillac Cimarron. As long as it was offered with the 2.8 liter V6, automatic, and air conditioning, it would be perfect for me. I would probably add a turbo kit for the V6 to get more power out of it.
1988 to 1992 mazda 626 GT. Also include the 626 and MX6. I’ve owned all 3. Just purchased the 1990 626 GT turbo hatchback I’m rebuilding for my daughter.
If you haven't done this one yet, how about the 1983 through 1986 Ford Thunderbird. Another one would be the Dodge Rampage, especially the 84 with the Shelby package. My friend Mike had one in red. The big difference between the Shelby Charger and Shelby Rampage was the Charger got the 2.2 liter turbo charged engine rated at 146 horse power which was really good for a 4 cylinder back then. The Rampage was relegated to the normally aspirated 2.2 liter 4 cylinder. Can't remember the horse power rating at the moment.
I had a sliver 4 door Cavalier 2002 LS Sport with the 2.2 Ecotec motor with the 5 speed manual transmission. I miss that car honestly and maybe stupid for selling it. As there were only so many made in that configuration.
When people think that the cavalier had three generations but was just a design redo, it’s like the Subaru WRX. during its second generation, it went through THREE redesigns, so not many people would think that the WRX had more generations but was still the second generation.
I know that if a car lasts more than 10 years, it's a Very Good thing on many levels!! But it's SOOO HARD for me to wrap my head around the fact that these cars; especially the Cavalier; were All!!! OVER ChicagoLand and NW Indiana! And now the Janesville, WI Assembly; which I'm Sure at one point was running 24/7/365; is now a vacant lot!! It just breaks my heart!!!😢😢😢vcd
Ok I had a rare car you don't see anymore. An 88 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. But it didn't have the Sigma Name on it. It had the Greek symbol which looks like an E. So people called it a Galant E. Then in 89 they dropped the Greek symbol and Galant name and it was simply called Sigma. That remained until the 90 model here where they added a drivers Airbag. The car came with a Mitsubishi 3.0L V6, their first in the US. It had a whooping 141 hp if I remember correctly. Also for the 88 model year they offered a 5 speed manual which is what I had. Anyway this might be an interesting model to showcase as I bet not many people know of it. But the people that owned them loved them. They were offered with air struts that would lower the car on the freeway for better aerodynamics and stability.
Great video interesting to see the US take on it but no mention of the J cars worldwide success(?) and model variants sold elsewhere such as the Opel Ascona, Vauxhall cavalier, Isuzu, Holden Camira etc The Holden Camira is one of the most hated cars in Australia, not really fair but its folklore now and whenever the Camira is mentioned on a FB page or similar here no other car causes so much discussion. The wagon variant was also designed in Australia I believe, and at least shipped to Europe for Opel and Vauxhall, not sure about the USA
U forgot to mention how the Chevy Cavalier was rebadged as a Toyota and sold exclusively in Japan back in the 90s! Quite the ☯️ factor as several Toyotas were sold as rebadged GM vehicles (Chevy Nova 6th gen, GEO/Chevy Prizm & Pontiac Vive) back in the 90s.
The Sunbird had it's own engine. It may have shared it with the Buick. It was an OHC 2.0 liter it seemed to perform a little smoother than the Chevy engine.
@@markgodau5280 I stand corrected. Thanks. Id erroneously associated the name (J2000) with engine size. But then I remembered that they aren’t related. I know the letter is the body platform T, J, and A. But Pontiac seems to simply have chosen the numeric portion of the names out of the air 1000, 2000, 6000 bear no relation to anything on the cars to my knowledge.
GM refused to update these cars regularly enough. The first version lasted 12 years, and the second version lasted 10 years. If they had updated it more regularly, say every four or five years, it would have been more competitive. GM had no business marketing these extremely basic econobox cars as Oldsmobile, Buick, or Cadillac. Even Pontiac was pushing it because they weren't exactly fast or sporty. People's expectations for cars change as competitors leapfrog each other. I always keep an eye out for badge engineering The Lexus ES line is basically the same as a well-optioned Toyota Camry, which makes sense because Lexus is Toyota's luxury division. The Geo Prizm was a Toyota Corolla. The Pontiac Vibe was a Toyota Matrix. The current Toyota Yaris is a Mazda 2. Nissan owns Infiniti, and Honda owns Acura. The luxury brands share a lot of vehicle platforms with their mainstream brands. Hyundai owns Kia now, and there is a lot of parity between their cars. The Hyundai Elantra and the Kia Forte are essentially the same car.
I remember when the Sunfire initially came out and people went bonkers for them. They were everywhere. Just goes to show what marketing and a fairly stylish body can do to disguise a crap car.
The first car my parents had when I was born was the late 1980s coupe model. They went on to purchase a 2005 car as an upgrade thinking they would keep it for just as long. They were shocked how quickly everything broke down. They sold that car in less than 5 years as it was too much to afford to repair. This video brought back great memories!
Sold as the Toyota Cavalier here in New Zealand. I sold a few of them 2nd hand in my former career in car sales. They were hardly what you'd call reliable. The auto gearbox crapped itself and there were the usual electrical problems that bug u.s and euro cars.
I used to own a 2002 Sunfire after my younger brother wrecked my 2005 Grand Am. It was dependable didn't have any major issues aside from replacing the radiator fans,transmission shift cable ,and the ignition lock switch but I just wasn't the right car for me. I should've just bought another Grand Am or stepped up to a Grand Prix or Bonneville.
I just pulled an 87 sunbird from a junkyard with only 62,000 miles, I got it back on the road and now it's my daily driver
That's awesome! Props for saving that car.
You should have left it where it was! I hope after you drive it a while you learn why most of them belong in a junkyard!
@@littlejohnny47 so far it's been amazing lol, great gas mileage too! I'm averaging about 36 mpg, but to be fair most of my driving is on the highway
Wow
GOD BLESS YOU!!!❤My ex-coworker Julie was gifted a then-new white 1991 Sunbird convertible! That was a Sweet Ride!!!❤😊
No one:
GM: "screw it, put ALL our badges on this car"
Also sold as the Holden Camira, the Isuzu Aska and only God knows what else around the globe.
I had a JJ Camira, and it was great, but it died of terminal corrosion.
Have only ever seen one for sale in NZ over the last 5 years.
all about that dollar, that's all they ever care about.
im surprise General Motors doesn't spray paint GM on Chevy vehicles,
oh but wait Chevrolet is GM, no to you younger viewers,
GM consisted of, Chevrolet, Cadillac, Pontiac, Buick, GMC,
Saturn, Olsmobile, basically anything that was produced under
their umbrella, it's why their one of the richest in the industry.
yes it's true GM started out as Chevrolet, but as they began selling
cars, the owners all basically decided to split up the division,
to create several divisions, each with their own CEO at the top.
together we will create one main headquarters that oversees the
whole thing, and we will call ourselves General Motors.
now early on, it was just Chevrolet and Cadillac, but the goal for
GM was to produce as many cars, as quick as we can make money.
that's why GM didn't care, Pontiac was producing better cars than
Chevrolet for a short period. it's because as long as it made them
richer, they didn't care where the money came from.
but after awhile GM just got lazy, and decided to rebadge everything
they make.
so if people ever wanna know why their were so many strikes,
and lawsuits, it's because to GM, an employee was just a number.
it's also why unions became a thing,
now some people believe unions made things worse, but if you listen to
some of those folks, they will say, if the employee doesn't get a say,
in what cars are being produced, how the company you are under
is doing in relation to another division, or even to a rival company.
because here's the thing, even though Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC,
is all under one umbrella, that other division is still considered as competition.
because what happens when, Buick is doing better than Chevrolet,
all of a sudden the company you are under is suffering, which then effects
how much you can get paid.
the only time unions hurt, is when people keep demanding more money,
but originally the unions was more than
just about the money, it was also having a say on things, and to be able
to question company decisions.
but see GM never learned anything from history, because they made the same
mistake with Saturn, and Pontiac, it's why they're not around anymore.
some people ask, how is GMC still around,
that's because GMC played it safe. GMC is only around, because essentially
all they make are rebadge Chevy pickup trucks and SUV's.
well they eventually decided to fully commit to making trucks,
but to make them competitive with Chevrolet, they had to do something that
would make them stand out. this is why the Denali
only exist on GMC, the interior was usually a little nicer, but it was more
like minor details.
but anyway that's a long winded brief history.
I remember, I was a mechanic for chevrolet in 1985. We received a truck load of cavaliers, that were Buick in the back and chevrolet in the front. That was a complete mess. There were six of them. I don't know what happened to them. One by one they all disappeared. I am not sure if they were sold, I never saw one come in for service. Believe me, I looked, every time.
Not quite as bad, but when I purchased a new S-10 in 1990 it literally had 2 different style side mirrors. One bigger truck mirror and one smaller car-style mirror. I told the dealership I wanted it replaced under warranty after purchase, then they didn't want to do it. I had to force them. Little did I know that the brand new 1990 Cavalier we purchased new and that new S-10 were so full of problems I have never purchased a GM vehicle since.
Rare cars now!
My dad is retired from a state run power plant. He once told me one of the fleet vans, a Chevy Astro had a grill that was meant for a GMC Safari. That's the way it got delivered. It was a work van so nobody cared.
😁 When I purchased my 1997 Chevrolet Trans Sport in 2010, It had a Pontiac badged steering wheel inside. Basicly this minivan is a mixture of Chevy Venture and Pontiac Trans Sport... By the way Oldsmobile Alero of Europe is/was Chevrolet Alero. Some of them wore Chevy badges on the outside but on the steering wheel the Olds badge appeared. Any combination was/is possible... Whatever kinda parts available They [GM] had on their shelves, they had installed it into... By the way I also saw a 1978 Caprice 4 door sedan equiped with an Electra front. It looked well!
I definitely saw one of these about 15 years ago!! I was like wtf is this?
I had the UK version, a 1986 Vauxhall Cavalier. It looked so similar to the 80s US version but with different front and rear ends. Even the base steel wheels looked the same. Vauxhall was a GM owned UK subsidiary.
My brother bought a new one of these in 1984. It was totally indestructible and was a blast to drive in the snow.
The 1986 model year put me in two Sunbirds. First was my wife's 2 dr coupe which replaced her 81 Chevette 4-dr. The car impressed me. Considering that I was driving a 1984 2-dr Chevette just about anything was an upgrade. I came home with a flashier two toned red and silver hatchback. You already know about that engine, but I drove it fast anyway. It looked sporty and I loved the way it looked. It got me through 6 years of pizza delivery and might have gotten more if I hadn't allowed a mechanic swindle me out of it on the pretense that the front axel boots couldn't be fixed. Still one of my favorite cars.
I always envy the kids at my school that had the 86 z24 cavalier. I wanted one so bad. Never got it.
Don't forget it was sold as the Vauxhall Cavalier in the UK too. Just different head lights
They were also sold as the Toyota cavalier in Japan for a short while, those cars can now be found in NZ
@@trentryan27 and probably the UK, there's a huge 2ndhand Japanese car import industry in the UK, I've not seen a Toyota Cavalier yet though.
My mom had a 1993 Pontiac Sunbird SE with the 3.1L V6. I loved the way it sounded. I miss that car.
my first and only new car i bought was a 98 z24. i loved that car, the 2.4 dohc engine was quick and it could handle like a champ. had it 22 years with 168k miles on it, one morning it decided not to turn over anymore. 3 mechanics couldnt figure it out, replaced so much stuff to try to fix it but no go. parked it behind a relatives house and someone shot it up and stole everything from inside of it, needless to say state farm totaled it and sent it to the scrapyard in the sky.
My grandma had a 2002 chevy cavalier, it was a base model with only 2 doors, the dash would crack so easily due to the huge amounts or uv rays but it was a fun car to drive. We still have the cavalier, my grandma passed it on to my dad and the car still runs like it just came off the lot back in 2002. I love this car, but I wish chevrolet made it so the plastic was protected from uv rays to provent cracks, but other than that it drives super smoothly if you keep up with mantinence.
The Geo Metro also had a ton of nameplates. It didn't sell as well as the Cavalier, but it had probably twice as many badges (if not more).
Firefly, Sprint, just off the top of my head. I always wanted to give one a spin. Looked like fun.
Geo Metro itself was a clone of the Suzuki Swift.
@@fosterfuchs The Swift was a rebranded Suzuki Cultus.
my 98' Z24 automatic had 250k before I let it go, best car I've ever had. Wish is could buy another one.
I had a little red cavalier hatchback my sister gifted to me when she got a new car I loved that little car even though it didn't have any power and was running on 3 cylinders lol. lucky for me I only drove it around my town where there aren't any big hills :D
Awesome video! My wife an I own two cavalier wagons an 1985 an 1992 we also own 4 Chevy celebrity wagons as well
I had the Opel model of this car as my first car that my parents bought me for Christmas. It was a blue sedan, I drove all around West Germany in that car!
Cool man. My whole family drove the cavalier bodies in 80's and 90's. My dad loved the Cavalier Wagon. He was a boat painter. I had the olds quad 4.
Your videos are amazing. How do you find so much old photos & ads, research facts & data, etc. My compliments, sir! Love or hate the cars, gotta admire the history.
Have 1996 4 door -inside except for 4 places of plastic that is cracked looks 95% perfect. 70,000 miles outside looks great still has great shine.
The 1988/1989 Cavalier Z24 was by far the best version of any J body during its entire run!!
I almost bought one at a Chevy dealership, where they did the "Song and dance" pressure tactics! Thank god My friend was there with me to point out what they were doing, and as they gathered at the front door thinking I was coming to sign the deal My friend and I walked out smiling and waving. The car was ok but used. I bought a new car a Honda Civic later on and drove by both of us waving at them! they were not amused! ;-)
I had a 97 z24. In my opinion. The last half way decent looking cavalier. The 98 had the re designed front end and the bigger headlights that just didn't sit well with me... My mom actually had a dodge Daytona as well long before I had my cavalier. I came looking for that video and found this one. The nostalgia is real...
I bought the first 4.3 S-10 with the extended cab in 1988, I still have it today, it is 24 years old but is in show room condition, don't see any of these trucks on the road any more, the J car was excellent, they were so reliable and easy to maintain and repair, so cheap to keep on the road.
I had 3 Cavaliers, a 86 2 door, 94 2 door convertible & a 2000 2 door. I heavily modded the 2000, parts were easy to come by. I just sold it, 215k mi & still running strong.
One of the cars I learned to drive on was an '84 Sunbird with a 5-MT. Kinda liked it and would have been my car (hand-me-down from my parents) but either the engine block cracked or the head gasket blew because it would start blowing large billowing clouds of white exhaust. That happened about a week after it was bequeathed to me. My dad sold it for $250. Don't think I've ever seen the Olds or Buick versions of this car out in the wild.
I owned multiple versions of the cars listed here. A 79 Chevy Monza Spyder, with a 3.2 liter v6 4 speed. An 86 Pontiac Sunbird with a 5 Speed and sunroof. A 2004 Chevy Cavalier. Of these cars, the Monza Spyder was the best one. Thanks for the video
Had a 1982 Pontiac j2000 with the Brazilian made "g" 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine, 4 speed stick. Fun car. My wife had an 88 cavalier. She's always liked cavalier.
My first car I bought was a 1987 Cavalier RS Blue red pinstripeing sunroof loved that car
The Sedan and wagon were available in the UK & Europe as the Vauxhall Cavalier/ Opel Ascona. The wagons were supplied by Holden of Australia iirc.
My mom got a '97 cavalier back when it was new, I was about 11 or 12 and thought it was a neat car, later on I got a '01 as my third car, 2.2 with 5 speed gearbox, I drove the hell out of that thing and it never failed to start up and go, my brother later got a 2000 Z24 which he had ended up wrecking 1 night, I was getting a new car around that time so I gave him my '01 which I had racked up 200K miles on, he pulled the 2.4 out of his wrecked Z24 and swapped it into my old car along with the wheels, suspension and interior, effectively giving him his old car back
I had a 1984 Buick Skyhawk coupe with 4 speed manual and 2.0L OHV engine and a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier RS sedan with 3 speed auto and 2.2L engine. Enjoyed both cars.
I was around J-body's for my whole life. My Dad was GM loyal and had a white Sunbird, then a dark red Sunfire, and then a white Sunfire. Unfortunately they were commuter cars so he always got the base 5speed. I had a 1992 Cavalier RS as my first car, and got the red Sunfire for my graduation. It was 5 speed so I loved the car despite it being a cheap 90's GM economy car.
I had an 85 Cavalier CS. Loved that car. The only problem I had with it was a clogged catalytic converter after the first year due to an incorrect exhaust system being put on it during manufacture according to the Chevy service department I took it to. Replaced the converter and put on the proper muffler and it ran great for years until some idiot ran a red light and T-boned it. It was never the same after that accident.
I had an 88 Sunbird, 2002 Sunfire, 91 & 97 Cavalier as well. They were tough cars! Lots of miles but ran like tanks
There was a European J-Car, the Vauxhall Cavalier, which became the Insignia, which doubled as the Buick Regal.
I love the Cavalier.. had matching 1998 and 1996 black five speed coupes.. almost 20 years ago.. paid $300 each.
I own a 2004 Cavalier. Great car. Only four cylinder I have ever owned that actually had plenty of power. It loves high RPM’s. Excellent freeway car. The only bad part of them is the cheap crappy plastic of the dashboard. Mine is held together with epoxy, screws even some plastic welding I did to it. Waiting to hit a bump and the whole thing falls on the floor. And it is not only my Cavalier that’s like that. Everyone of these newer Cavalier‘a are like this.
My family used to own an 84 Buick Skyhawk Limited Wagon, that we bought brand new. Another big badge engineering project for GM was the Buick Century, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, Chevy Celebrity, and Pontiac 6000. Of course there was the Buick Somerset/Skylark, Oldsmobile Calais, and Pontiac Grand Am too.
I had a 90 Z24 and a 2004 LS. I loved both of them. I would buy a 90 Z24 again. That was a HS Parking Lot beauty back in the day.
Dude! My first car was a Pontiac 6000 LE and I can’t find anything on RUclips! You should totally cover the A Bodies!
I had an '86 Olds Cutlass Calais with the Quad 4 and a 5 speed manual trans.
I'll have to give GM props: The car was indestructible. And the name was cool. I personally liked it's last generation redesign despite the interior being stuck in the past.
Just a quick note I replied to somebody else already I have a 94 Pontiac Sunbird convertible 3.1 L engine 5-speed stick just outright fun-to-drive great video. Although you said that 94 side vinyl rear window I got it with glass in a defogger it actually got broken and I got it fixed this actually worked out great cuz now it doesn't leak in the trunk anyway. Just a fun car really pretty with a red body aluminum wheels gray interior with the buckets and a black convertible top. I got it a couple years ago and I'll never regret the decision it's just plain fun I keep it in the garage all winter come spring and summer nice day with the top down cruising away with that 5 and the radio blasting well it's just a great day when you're in that car enjoyed your video and I hope more people could keep these cars around their just a good thing to have I can't be the only one they sold millions of them
My mother had a late 1980s Chevrolet Cavalier and she rented a Pontiac Sunfire from around the same time once herself.
My first "new car" I bought when I was a Sunfire. I chose that over the Cavalier because it reminded me of a mini Firebird. I say new because prior to that my first car was a 1973 Dart Swinger.
I own an 89 Chevy K2500 and am in the process of buying an 05 Cavalier Coupe
I had an 85 Sunbird hatchback that I loved. I replaced it with a 1987 Z24. While I loved the Z24 I really wish I would have kept the Sunbird.
Pontiac also had a Sunbird Turbo GT that was a 2.0L, 4 cylinder. I had the '86, and was one of my favorite cars I ever owned. At the time it was even quicker then the Cavalier 2.8L.
There was also the Toyota Cavalier which was a rebadged version that sold poorly in the Japanese market
Geo metro
I had a 1979 Chevy Impala, white four door, with a choked 305ci V8. Still did burnouts.
Hey Pat , great job.... your videos remind people of days gone by...
The Cadillac Seville was the car that I figured would go onto better times....
There was a custom builder in Cleveland Ohio named Jerry Roman who owned a
Shop called “Roman’s Chariot Shop” His. Kandy Red Vette , known as ROMAN’S CHARIOT “
(naturally) was a showstopper in the Autorama
and he towed the enclosed trailer with a beautiful 2 tone Kandy Red and Black Seville...
The Cadillac drew just as big a crowd as the Corvette...The sleek “Luxury Look” was so far
ahead of its time that I guess they
Just got “overlooked”.....?
I have a base model 2004 Cavalier with the 2.2Ecotec. Burns oil, body rusted, but so far it’s been a tank. 153k on the odometer.
Had a 2005 Sunfire until 2018. She has 256,000 on her before I moved on. Such a good car
I wanted a Sunfire so bad. I still think it looks genuinely good. I mean, if you replace the Pontiac badge with anything else, the two door would would be a looker for a budget car. So curvy.
This brings back memories. My wife's used Skyhawk and my used S-10 were big pieces of crap cars, both 1984 models. We got married in 1990 and thought by each of us buying new Chevy's we could stop visiting the repair shop! (S-10 for me and Cavalier for her).
WOW, was I wrong! they were both huge pieces of crap. both vehicles had huge stacks of paperwork for warranty work performed. I think I visited the dealer for warranty work twice a month. I got rid of both of those vehicles before the factory warranty expired. The Cavalier was scheduled to go into the shop for warranty rust repair and they were not going to give us a rental. I decided it was time to ditch them before the warranty expired and we would be on the hood for the numerous repairs and break downs! The Cavalier was also sucking engine oil up the speedometer cable and I would come out in the morning and find oil on the dash! I have never purchased another GM product since! Burn me once it's on you, do it to me again and it's my fault! I have been purchasing Nissan's and Toyota's (Lexus for my wife) ever since. Luckily back then, Nissan's were great cars before we switched over to just Toyota products. All my Toyota vehicles require very little repairs, never anything before 150K. I am getting ready to give my father-in-law my wife's old 04 Lexus ES 330 with 226K miles on it. That car has been wrecked twice, (neither my wife's fault) and survived my younger son's early driving years. My Tacoma has 236K and my wife's current RX350 has 165K and they run great! Thanks for the memories!
How about an episode on the Honda Element? A car from the early 2000s that is sadly no more (but my 2004 model just keeps going and going!)
As a GM parts employee for many years I remember how popular the J bodies were. I was wondering if you remembered or would ever consider doing an episode on the extremely short lived GMC Cabarello. I was basically an El Camino with GMC badges and if memory serves correctly it was only made for a year or two. Late 80’s on the G body platform
I have stories & stories about these cars.
I made $6k off of an 85 Cavi by trading it over a dozen times.
I did about 100 V6 swaps in these cars.
If you needed a GM "C" part ( Camaro or Cavalier ) I was the guy you came to see.
People thought those cars were junk, but they would go anywhere & I live in the mountains. 😂
My lil sister had a Sunbird Convert, black & red, given to her.
I did a motor swap and that was a fun lil car.
The Cimarrons were great donor cars.
Ever see a Cavalier with leather interior ?
They sell like hotcakes !
V6 Leather.....instant cash.
Then I use to swap the Z24's into the newer Cavi's.
Along with Baretta parts into a Cavi.
Dealerships paid me to install Z24 parts on base Cavaliers.
I made a ton of money off those cars.
Great channel I just subscribed and making my way through all the videos. Love to see 82 Datsun 310, or a Dodge Dakota.
My mom had an '82 310.
@@jasonwhite6936 That was my second car and my sister had a 1981. They were basic little cars. Miss those times!
I would still consider having a Cadillac Cimarron. As long as it was offered with the 2.8 liter V6, automatic, and air conditioning, it would be perfect for me. I would probably add a turbo kit for the V6 to get more power out of it.
1988 to 1992 mazda 626 GT. Also include the 626 and MX6. I’ve owned all 3. Just purchased the 1990 626 GT turbo hatchback I’m rebuilding for my daughter.
Hung out with a girl in high school that had 1988 cavalier Z24 convertible.. those were the days ...hey , can you do the rwd Toyota Celica
He did. It is great too
If you haven't done this one yet, how about the 1983 through 1986 Ford Thunderbird. Another one would be the Dodge Rampage, especially the 84 with the Shelby package. My friend Mike had one in red. The big difference between the Shelby Charger and Shelby Rampage was the Charger got the 2.2 liter turbo charged engine rated at 146 horse power which was really good for a 4 cylinder back then. The Rampage was relegated to the normally aspirated 2.2 liter 4 cylinder. Can't remember the horse power rating at the moment.
Great videos! Do the Chevy citation. I had an x11. I loved that car though the repairs nearly bankrupted me!
My dad had a 1990 sunbird Le coupe . If I could find one I’d buy it and drive it.
Great video. There's a lot of stuff in here I never knew as a die-hard GM car guy
Amazing Chanel! :)
Ever consider doing a video on the Pontiac Fiero? Or buick lesabre?
Yes just what i was thinking i had 2 fieros when i was younger and in highschool. Loved them
I had a Pontiac 6000 mine was very unique it had a v8, yes I’m not stupid they never offered a V-8 someone ls swapped it
Did they make it RWD?
I severely doubt someone would waste their time LS swapping that piece of crap
I had a sliver 4 door Cavalier 2002 LS Sport with the 2.2 Ecotec motor with the 5 speed manual transmission.
I miss that car honestly and maybe stupid for selling it. As there were only so many made in that configuration.
You should a video on the Chevy Malibu, Monte Carlo, and the Impala.
When people think that the cavalier had three generations but was just a design redo, it’s like the Subaru WRX. during its second generation, it went through THREE redesigns, so not many people would think that the WRX had more generations but was still the second generation.
I drive a 2004 orange 2 door one when I was learning to drive! It was the schools
I had a 2001 Cavalier coupe with no power windows or door locks. I constantly had to fix this car and the engine went after almost three years.
I know that if a car lasts more than 10 years, it's a Very Good thing on many levels!! But it's SOOO HARD for me to wrap my head around the fact that these cars; especially the Cavalier; were All!!! OVER ChicagoLand and NW Indiana! And now the Janesville, WI Assembly; which I'm Sure at one point was running 24/7/365; is now a vacant lot!! It just breaks my heart!!!😢😢😢vcd
I had 1998 Cavalier Z24.
I canged the engine mounts to polyerythane. it was faster than a 1500 Silverado off the line.
I graduated high school in ‘05. Every High school parking lot was loaded with J bodies back then.
Ok I had a rare car you don't see anymore. An 88 Mitsubishi Galant Sigma. But it didn't have the Sigma Name on it. It had the Greek symbol which looks like an E. So people called it a Galant E. Then in 89 they dropped the Greek symbol and Galant name and it was simply called Sigma. That remained until the 90 model here where they added a drivers Airbag. The car came with a Mitsubishi 3.0L V6, their first in the US. It had a whooping 141 hp if I remember correctly. Also for the 88 model year they offered a 5 speed manual which is what I had. Anyway this might be an interesting model to showcase as I bet not many people know of it. But the people that owned them loved them. They were offered with air struts that would lower the car on the freeway for better aerodynamics and stability.
I daily drive a 1998 chevrolet cavalier 2.2 5 speed manual i love that car
Would like to see pontiac Bonneville sse 1988 thru 1990 model along with the Oldsmobile touring sedan of the same year.
My first car was a 1988 Cavalier, it was very reliable
My 85 Fiero GT was fun.
Great video interesting to see the US take on it but no mention of the J cars worldwide success(?) and model variants sold elsewhere such as the Opel Ascona, Vauxhall cavalier, Isuzu, Holden Camira etc The Holden Camira is one of the most hated cars in Australia, not really fair but its folklore now and whenever the Camira is mentioned on a FB page or similar here no other car causes so much discussion. The wagon variant was also designed in Australia I believe, and at least shipped to Europe for Opel and Vauxhall, not sure about the USA
i never understood all the hate for the Camira. i mean they were cheap and pretty boring but they were not that bad a car.
U forgot to mention how the Chevy Cavalier was rebadged as a Toyota and sold exclusively in Japan back in the 90s! Quite the ☯️ factor as several Toyotas were sold as rebadged GM vehicles (Chevy Nova 6th gen, GEO/Chevy Prizm & Pontiac Vive) back in the 90s.
The Sunbird had it's own engine. It may have shared it with the Buick. It was an OHC 2.0 liter it seemed to perform a little smoother than the Chevy engine.
Actually it was an OHC 1.8 liter, which it shared with the Skyhawk and Firenza
@@markgodau5280 I stand corrected. Thanks. Id erroneously associated the name (J2000) with engine size. But then I remembered that they aren’t related. I know the letter is the body platform T, J, and A. But Pontiac seems to simply have chosen the numeric portion of the names out of the air 1000, 2000, 6000 bear no relation to anything on the cars to my knowledge.
Great video, my dad had a wagon in the late 90s it soooo underpowered should have been a v6 standard.
One of my friends had a 1997 Cavalier she just traded in and it was a rag top but the fuel injectors failed and she didn't want to fix it.
Have you ever done an episode on the Plymouth Arrow?
GM refused to update these cars regularly enough. The first version lasted 12 years, and the second version lasted 10 years. If they had updated it more regularly, say every four or five years, it would have been more competitive.
GM had no business marketing these extremely basic econobox cars as Oldsmobile, Buick, or Cadillac. Even Pontiac was pushing it because they weren't exactly fast or sporty.
People's expectations for cars change as competitors leapfrog each other.
I always keep an eye out for badge engineering The Lexus ES line is basically the same as a well-optioned Toyota Camry, which makes sense because Lexus is Toyota's luxury division.
The Geo Prizm was a Toyota Corolla. The Pontiac Vibe was a Toyota Matrix. The current Toyota Yaris is a Mazda 2.
Nissan owns Infiniti, and Honda owns Acura. The luxury brands share a lot of vehicle platforms with their mainstream brands.
Hyundai owns Kia now, and there is a lot of parity between their cars. The Hyundai Elantra and the Kia Forte are essentially the same car.
1990 chevy cavalier 2.2 liter 4 cylinder with 99 horsepower…..never had a problem
Chevy should bring back the Cavalier as a cheap and accessible EV with available Bose speakers.
My second car was a purple 2 door cavalier.
I remember when the Sunfire initially came out and people went bonkers for them. They were everywhere. Just goes to show what marketing and a fairly stylish body can do to disguise a crap car.
The first car my parents had when I was born was the late 1980s coupe model. They went on to purchase a 2005 car as an upgrade thinking they would keep it for just as long. They were shocked how quickly everything broke down. They sold that car in less than 5 years as it was too much to afford to repair. This video brought back great memories!
Type 10 wasn't half bad actually . always recalled the vibration of the engine being very there
The Cadillac version would have been pretty cool in a 2 door coupe.
If GMC could've built their version of the Cavalier, they would compete against AMC Eagle lineup
Some how I remember the smell of the interior of these cars.
Love my 94 cavalier rs
Sold as the Toyota Cavalier here in New Zealand.
I sold a few of them 2nd hand in my former career in car sales. They were hardly what you'd call reliable. The auto gearbox crapped itself and there were the usual electrical problems that bug u.s and euro cars.
I used to own a 2002 Sunfire after my younger brother wrecked my 2005 Grand Am. It was dependable didn't have any major issues aside from replacing the radiator fans,transmission shift cable ,and the ignition lock switch but I just wasn't the right car for me. I should've just bought another Grand Am or stepped up to a Grand Prix or Bonneville.