Cavalier...given to me...

[Mark_88]

A friend that I've been doing work for offered to give me her 199? Cavalier...it is actually in very good condition and they just pumped a bunch of money into it...but I can't nail down what is wrong with it other than they bought a new Suzuki and she wants to clean up her yard...

The car has been sitting since last summer but they start it up once in a while and move it around their driveway...it's just in the way...

Anyone know anything about these cars? I think it's a 4 cylinder and auto transmission...the last thing she said was "we just put a bunch of new parts into it and I don't want to drive it because every time I do it breaks down..."

I've already offered to sell it to a friend who scraps cars but now thinking I might keep it...just can't afford to fix anything and don't really have a place to store it...yet...

 

[cody93]

take it, fix it, dd it for a while so you can work on your ranger and then flip it for $$$ later.

 

[kryptonitecb]

I've heard bad things bout them being turds. And I also knew a guy with a 10 yr old one that only changed the oil on it and it ran. Now it had issues but he drove it and didn't care. So it may be a great deal or a money pit. Take at your own risk.

Personally free with problems beats paying for a good one for me. May cause headaches but its cheaper than getting a new one. Plus they get better mileage than a Ranger.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[armadillon]

Nothing but good things here. It's a free car. Either drive it or sell it for scrap, either way you made a profit.

Also, I know people with them that hate the looks but love the fuel economy. What do you expect, it's a Cavalier

 

[adsm08]

I don't think they put a 6 in those for the entire last generation.

I know a guy who bought one new when he first got out of high school. He still has it, mostly trouble free, and I don't think he even changes the oil that regularly. That thing has to be at least 10 years old by now. I'm pretty sure it is an 02, because I know he had it and wrecked it once before I ever started driving. I'll have had my license for 10 years come November, so it's at least an 02.


Oh yeah, Cavi + Taco = bad. Don't rear end a Taco.

 

[Mark_88]

Thanks for the input...

I tried to start it for her last fall and opened the door to get in...after a few side twists and moving the seat and a few other adjustments I was able to get in and turn the key...

Not sure if I could actually comfortably get in and out of it as easily as my Ranger...probably why I love the Ranger so much...

Going to have a look at it tomorrow and decide what to do...but I am leaning toward keeping it simply because I do need to pull the head on the Ranger to have the valve seals replaced...

As for rear ending a Taco...lol...I can see it going under just about any vehicle...so low on the front end...I had a Cavalier rear end my Zuki once and they had to tow his car away...I had to adjust the rear removable top and drove away...

 

[shane96ranger]

A guy at work had one with over something like 320,000 miles on it when it died. I believe it was a 99. It was the epitome of the word "rigged" though. The electric fan had a jumper that ran from the fuse panel under the dash, all the way to the fan. The factory fuse was around 30 amps, and this had a 50 amp fuse in the harness because "the other one kept popping".

That was on the list of many rigged items.

 

[koda6966]

I've got a 1993 wagon, love it. Drove all the way from Masonville NY to Potsdam then to Malone and finally Owls Head, then back home on 60 bucks. That's really good by the way.

(That's driving from like the PA border straight to the Canada border through NY. I live about a 1/2 hour from PA.)

 

[koda6966]

Here's my waggy.

 

[Ozwynn]

I had a 91 with a 2.2L 4cyl ohv that I put 30,000 miles on with a blown head gasket. never got over 25 mpg but .... It had an automatic and I drove it hard and put it away wet, and had the A/C on most of the time.

very simple engine to work on if its the OHV 2.0L or 2.2L.... part of the breaking down thing is the quality of the parts available..... I went through 6 water pumps (4 hours to change the first 1, 30 min to change the last 1) and about 12 ridge and kramer rebuilt alternators before I bought a new GM 1....... got to where I could change the alternator in 10 min. and 1 starter...... paid $1000 for it in '98 and sold it for $250 2 years later. The girl that bought it changed the head gasket and now her daughter drives it. still see it at least once a week.

 

[backroad101]

I don't think they put a 6 in those for the entire last generation.

.

V6 was last available in 1994, though people have been know to swap in a V6 in the 95-Newer ones. I had a 94 Z24 and seemed to be a good car, but it was a "fun car", only had it for 2 years and put maybe 2k miles on it when it was totalled


I'd say get it. It's free and should be easy to work on and maintain

 

[Mark_88]

Well, I went today to have a closer look at it...cracked windshield (about $200 because it wasn't insured)...would not start even with a boost (been sitting since December, even with a new battery)...boosting it drained my battery somehow and had to jump start my truck...

I called a friend to help and we ended up towing it backwards because we could not even push it in neutral...turned out all four wheels were locked...it made a fun sound dragging it with his V10 Dodge...like it didn't want to leave the spot it was in...

Turns out it was a 4 door with a 2.4 and had 251,000 Km when we hooked up my battery for the boost...things were not looking good for this...

My friend said the 2.4 was prone to head gasket failure...I didn't know...

Then the owner remembered that some of the money they spent on it was to repair structural damage to the frame (or undercarriage)...and at that point I remembered my neighbor with the same car who had her front wheel separate from the frame and fall off...

So, unfortunately...I had to let it go...fortunately, I made some money on the deal and the owner was happy, I was happy, and my friend who towed it away was happy...

It was a happy day...lol

 

[shane96ranger]

It was a happy day...lol

Nice to hear everything turned out happy, and there was no need to get Mr. Lee involved.

 

[Mark_88]

Nice to hear everything turned out happy, and there was no need to get Mr. Lee involved.

No, not a Korean huggy my buggy day...

 

[Ozwynn]

its a shame ... because the early 90's cavilers are not only 10' tall and bullet proof ...... they are 10' tall and BDAB proof ........ and brother ..... believe me when I tell you I can destroy me some vehicles.....