99-01(ish Chevy Z-24's+Help me pick my vehicle thread.

[spaceman]

the last 3 vehicles ive owned have been imports,im curious about chevy 24s and how they in terms of maitenance,etc.
TIA.
Im not sold on the idea of getting one.But id like a smaller sport sedan type vehicle,or perhaps a smaller 4x4 pickup.
right now my options are:

1996 Acura Integra GS:7k

1999 Chevy z-24:8k ish

1989 4x4 Toyota Ext. Cab 3.0v6,mint: $3,500(friend owns this,babied it,has a million new parts, and a showroom body)(no need to finance!)

01 Chevy Malibu:$10k ish.

'99 Galant:9k

Mid 90's TBD Toyota 4x4 PU(???)

my commute is roughly 25 miles, which of the above will give me the least amount of headaches , also which would last the longest(all things being equal).


any vehicle reccomendations/advice are appreciated

 

[spaceman]

or how about i just get a sailboat like Link?

 

[Vette73]

The Z24 motor is pretty strong and has a good deal of aftermarket parts. A lot of them are from GM as the motor has been used for racing for a long time. I don't know about what can be done but anything from a mild build all the way up to superchargers should be doable.

Look for a GM Performance catalog and see what they have and try and find a Cav forum.

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
The Z24 motor is pretty strong and has a good deal of aftermarket parts. A lot of them are from GM as the motor has been used for racing for a long time. I don't know about what can be done but anything from a mild build all the way up to superchargers should be doable.

Look for a GM Performance catalog and see what they have and try and find a Cav forum.

aside from some very minor mods,ill be keeping in stock.

the z-24 coupes are attractive,but how much more bang do they vs. a reg chevalier?

 

[spaceman]

basically, i do not want to make a wrong move.

i have made some bad vehicle/impulse choices before(in part due to lack of funds,in part becuase i was young ) i figure around 7-10k will put me in a vehicle i like.I really miss my pick-up for tag saling,hauling big trash,junk, art etc.
OTOH, i like the way a car drives for extended distances.
+there are alot of mountains and twists and turns here.

 

[radioouman]

Originally posted by: ncircle


1996 Acura Integra GS:7k

1999 Chevy z-24:8k ish

1989 4x4 Toyota Ext. Cab 3.0v6,mint: $3,500(friend owns this,babied it,has a million new parts, and a showroom body)(no need to finance!)

01 Chevy Malibu:$10k ish.

'99 Galant:9k

Mid 90's TBD Toyota 4x4 PU(???)

Wow, you are just all over the board with this vehicle purchase!! I know nothing about Cavaliers. Never even been in one. I did drive a Malibu one time. Most people say that they are acceptable, but nothing spectacular. They are great rental cars... (so is Cavalier come to think of it!)

I don't know much about the Acura. I'm assuming that since it is Honda, it would be pretty reliable.

I'm not a Mitsubishi fan at all. I've seen too many problems with Mitsubishi engines.

If you like a pickup's utility, then go for one that is economical. Toyotas and S-10s are probably a good choice. I can't seen spending $3500 on a 1989 vehicle, no matter what condition it's in. It would be a good third car for sure, but probably not a great commuter.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: ncircle
basically, i do not want to make a wrong move.

i have made some bad vehicle/impulse choices before(in part due to lack of funds,in part becuase i was young ) i figure around 7-10k will put me in a vehicle i like.I really miss my pick-up for tag saling,hauling big trash,junk, art etc.
OTOH, i like the way a car drives for extended distances.
+there are alot of mountains and twists and turns here.

Well a used car is only as good as the last owner toke care of it. The 2.4 motos is good, BUT if not taken care of it can have all the same probelms that Jap. 4 cyl DOHC engine will have. Like cracked heads, exhust manifolds, water pumps, etc....

But find a good one and try to get one with a 5 speed. They are harder to find but are worth it. They rev. pretty free and move quite quickly.

 

[vi edit]

Personally, I'd skip the Cavalier and jump up a step to a Grand Am GT. Resale is aweful on them so you can buy them for next to nothing. If you can find a '00 model, they started putting the 3.4 in them. They offer reasonable get up and go, and are pretty cheap to work on.

 

[StageLeft]

Please don't buy a malibu.

 

[TrueBlueLS]

Originally posted by: ncircle
the last 3 vehicles ive owned have been imports,im curious about chevy 24s and how they in terms of maitenance,etc.
TIA.
Im not sold on the idea of getting one.But id like a smaller sport sedan type vehicle,or perhaps a smaller 4x4 pickup.
right now my options are:

Alright, with a 99 Z24... I'm pretty sure that is the last year they made them with the EGR on them so you won't have access to the GM supercharger. The good part with the year that you're looking at is that they ironed out the water pump issue. Between that and some people having problems with the 3rd bearing being spun (more than likely from being beat on constantly), the 2.4 Twin Cam is a strong and reliable motor. If you're able to fnid one with a manual (which I highly recommend), you'll have a car that starts off at about a 15.5 second quarter mile. You can easily bring it down in the 14 second range with a combination of a intake, throttle body, crank pulley, header, high flow cat, and a less restrictive muffler (I recommend a Dynomax Super Turbo to stay away from fart cans). Just to get an idea of what kind of aftermarket you can get, go to Car Custom's Website to browse around. If you have any other questions, let me know.

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: TrueBlueLS

Originally posted by: ncircle
the last 3 vehicles ive owned have been imports,im curious about chevy 24s and how they in terms of maitenance,etc.
TIA.
Im not sold on the idea of getting one.But id like a smaller sport sedan type vehicle,or perhaps a smaller 4x4 pickup.
right now my options are:

Alright, with a 99 Z24... I'm pretty sure that is the last year they made them with the EGR on them so you won't have access to the GM supercharger. The good part with the year that you're looking at is that they ironed out the water pump issue. Between that and some people having problems with the 3rd bearing being spun (more than likely from being beat on constantly), the 2.4 Twin Cam is a strong and reliable motor. If you're able to fnid one with a manual (which I highly recommend), you'll have a car that starts off at about a 15.5 second quarter mile. You can easily bring it down in the 14 second range with a combination of a intake, throttle body, crank pulley, header, high flow cat, and a less restrictive muffler (I recommend a Dynomax Super Turbo to stay away from fart cans). Just to get an idea of what kind of aftermarket you can get, go to Car Custom's Website to browse around. If you have any other questions, let me know.

thnx for the advice.
grrr decisions decisions.

 

[CraigRT]

Cavy Z24's are the Neon R/T's most worthy opponent.
they're nice cars, i have no problem with them (cept the new ugly ones)
they seem to be pretty reliable, they look nice, they have good bawlz(heh) for the money.

I personally would not buy one.... but they're not bad cars.

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: Yield
Cavy Z24's are the Neon R/T's most worthy opponent.
they're nice cars, i have no problem with them (cept the new ugly ones)
they seem to be pretty reliable, they look nice, they have good bawlz(heh) for the money.

I personally would not buy one.... but they're not bad cars.

i would sooner die than drive any neon.
i already explained this to the dealer(dodge) who has been trying to push me into a new one.
I told him id rather buy a 4x4 beater for 2 grand becuase id have more fun driving it than any neon.
the z-24's are much nicer looking IMO.

 

[TrueBlueLS]

Originally posted by: ncircle
the z-24's are much nicer looking IMO.

Can't hold a light to this styling of the new Cavaliers. Sure the 1995-1999 look almost identical (changes to the headlights, taillights, front bumper, and rear bumper for the second phase of the third generation), but you can't be the sleek looks of the 2000-2002 Cavalier. I'm glad GM showed some balls with the 2002 and had the mirrors and door handles match over them sticking out like a sore thumb.

 

[spaceman]

Originally posted by: TrueBlueLS

Originally posted by: ncircle
the z-24's are much nicer looking IMO.

Can't hold a light to this styling of the new Cavaliers. Sure the 1995-1999 look almost identical (changes to the headlights, taillights, front bumper, and rear bumper for the second phase of the third generation), but you can't be the sleek looks of the 2000-2002 Cavalier. I'm glad GM showed some balls with the 2002 and had the mirrors and door handles match over them sticking out like a sore thumb.

nice car true blue!
iwas using 99 as a reference becuase thats what they had in the flyer.
i imagine it wouldnt be a staggering amount more for a 00.
ill keep it in mind