Sunday WashPost article on the Chevy Cavalier.

[unbasslichkeit]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...060502013.html

Just about everything said in this article is painfully true. Last year I bought a 96 Cavalier as my VW died on a used car lot and the Cav was the only car there I could pay cash for. It seemed like the only option at the time...so I bought it.

Maybe I shouldn't say "bought" - it is paid for, but to me it has the soul of a rental car. It has an engine, four doors, an automatic trans so my wife can drive it, crank-up windows, and air conditioning, which has been a big help this weekend. In the 16 months I've had it I've changed the oil and had the thermostat replaced as well as a busted glove box lock (which eBay had). It's got a trunk that will accomodate an Ampeg B-100R and a standard size Fender case.

Now, according to the Washington Post, I'm a Member of a Cult. I accept this. At the grocery store today I parked next to a green '97 Cavalier. Across from me in the next row of cars was a blue '96 Cavalier coupe. My LS sedan is red, and a lady in my neighborhood has one exactly like it.

We are everywhere.

[JonathanD]

In Kokomo Indiana...cough...
there s a small cult of guys who get cavaliers and then put rims on them, neon lights, and loud trunk rattlers. Its ridiculous. Mainly the older ones, but some newer ones.

Jonathan

[MoD_Scotty]

Definitely one of the crappiest cars out there...it's amazing GM made them for so long. I'd rather have a Saturn, because at least it will never have door/fender dings (because of the plastic).

But I'd also rather stab myself in the thigh with a fishgut-covered filet knife before I bought anything made by GM.

[peterbright]

Too bad you don't have a strong opinion.

[XtreO]

Originally Posted by unbasslichkeit

...an automatic trans so my wife can drive it...

Damn that comment made me laugh x)

[fenderhutz]

Awesome.

The reason people start cars clubs about them is because they are cheap, and mod easily and cheap as well.

Even if you put a whale tail, rims, bumblebee tailpipe, tint the windows, put in an audio system etc...........

You still cant polish a turd.

[playinpearls]

a stinky one at that...

[Mon Rominee]

My Brother in law has had a history with cavaliers. He had a meme-powder blue one from the early 90's the "flat" looking model, right before the last design change, and yeah, that was oddly enough not a terrible car for the money...not great, but passable.

Then I got a 92 Geo Tracker (biggest mistake of my life) and he followed suit. I got rid of the tracker, and he traded his in with negative equity, towards a fully decked GT model Cavvy.

Since he was upside down in equity on the tracker, he tacked it onto the GT, and promptly brought the price into the high 18's... like a 380 dollar payment. He had the car 4 years. I drove it a few times, it was pretty fast actually.

In a straight line. That's about it tho. By the end of the 4th year, it had only about 50 thousand on the clock. I drove it right before he was rid of it and could not believe how buzzy it had gotten, and how incredibly scary loose the front end had gotten, and he was very good with routine maintennance.

Crappy indeed. I don't see the Cobalt faring much better.

[Skeletomania]

I drove a 94 cavalier with the gray plastic bumpers, hand cranking windows, and nothing but a radio. We ended up trading it in for a Volvo 2 years ago. I actually like the steering wheel, and the seats on it. The steering wheel is nice and thick to grab on. The only worse part is the glove box, and the trunk. The trunk drew in so much water after heavy rain you can actually raise some gold fish. In winter time the water turned to thick ice that drags the car down like a low rider.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by fenderhutz

Awesome.

The reason people start cars clubs about them is because they are cheap, and mod easily and cheap as well.

Even if you put a whale tail, rims, bumblebee tailpipe, tint the windows, put in an audio system etc...........

You still cant polish a turd.

+1. What Fiddlenutz said.

[Lalabadie]

My uncle once rented a Cavalier to go from Halifax to Quebec and back. The car didn't make it to Quebec.