Topic: Motoring Memories: General Motors J-Cars

[guest]

Things I remember:

• If you closed the air deflectors of the a/c vents, they would need to be pried back open with a knife/screwdriver because once they were flush, they didn’t have a knob/tab to open them back up.
• The three-speed auto meant that going 80km/hr on the highway, the engine sounded like a coffee-grinder, but I had no idea how fast the engine was going b/c there wasn’t a tachometer available except in the top trim.
• The radio controls were on the top of the dash, the cassette was down below by the shifter.  Radio sounded like 5H!t.  the speakers vibrated like a Jenna Jameson toy.  Worst of all, the stereo could not be replaced with a standard DIN-sized aftermarket unit.
• Got passed by school buses, scooters and even bicycles. 
• The panel gaps were measured in inches instead of mms.
• An OHV engine, when most cars were offering OHC/DOHC, multivalve engines.

Ah, good memories during high school.

[Seafoam]

 I had 97 cavalier. It had the pushrod engine and a 4 speed automatic.The drivetrain seemed pretty bullet proof. Did not have the car long enough for the head gasket to go.A lot of things were replaced before the 4 year mark such as the alternator ,and waterpump,dome light broke,tilt steering broke,etc. They still used the 2.2 pushrod up until 2000 i believe,when it was replaced with the ecotec.[ohc]

[footlong58]

I had 97 cavalier. It had the pushrod engine and a 4 speed automatic.The drivetrain seemed pretty bullet proof. Did not have the car long enough for the head gasket to go.A lot of things were replaced before the 4 year mark such as the alternator ,and waterpump,dome light broke,tilt steering broke,etc. They still used the 2.2 pushrod up until 2000 i believe,when it was replaced with the ecotec.[ohc]

No, You could get the 2.2 OHV up till 2002 I believe, that and the 2.4 Twin Cam.  In 2003 the Jbody got the 2.2 Ecotec, which is very noisy, but a fine and pretty strong 4 pot.

Anyone remember the old 2.3 DOHC Quad 4?  That was a hot engine too, 150hp from a four cylinder in a small car, all they way back in 1995!  I think the only other small car with anything close was the Neon R/T...

[Seafoam]

I had 97 cavalier. It had the pushrod engine and a 4 speed automatic.The drivetrain seemed pretty bullet proof. Did not have the car long enough for the head gasket to go.A lot of things were replaced before the 4 year mark such as the alternator ,and waterpump,dome light broke,tilt steering broke,etc. They still used the 2.2 pushrod up until 2000 i believe,when it was replaced with the ecotec.[ohc]

No, You could get the 2.2 OHV up till 2002 I believe, that and the 2.4 Twin Cam.  In 2003 the Jbody got the 2.2 Ecotec, which is very noisy, but a fine and pretty strong 4 pot.

Anyone remember the old 2.3 DOHC Quad 4?  That was a hot engine too, 150hp from a four cylinder in a small car, all they way back in 1995!  I think the only other small car with anything close was the Neon R/T...

Oh okay wasn't sure of the exact model year but they did eventually get around to using the ecotec in the j body before the cobalt came along.It is a good motor.I don't think the larger 2.3 or 2.4 were any prizes though.If the spark plugs weren't replaced before 100,000km you were in trouble because they were stuck in the head[at the time GM said the plugs didn't have to be replaced for 160,000 km]

[auto_enthusiast]

I had 97 cavalier. It had the pushrod engine and a 4 speed automatic.The drivetrain seemed pretty bullet proof. Did not have the car long enough for the head gasket to go.A lot of things were replaced before the 4 year mark such as the alternator ,and waterpump,dome light broke,tilt steering broke,etc. They still used the 2.2 pushrod up until 2000 i believe,when it was replaced with the ecotec.[ohc]

No, You could get the 2.2 OHV up till 2002 I believe, that and the 2.4 Twin Cam.  In 2003 the Jbody got the 2.2 Ecotec, which is very noisy, but a fine and pretty strong 4 pot.

Anyone remember the old 2.3 DOHC Quad 4?  That was a hot engine too, 150hp from a four cylinder in a small car, all they way back in 1995!  I think the only other small car with anything close was the Neon R/T...

There was an earlier version of the Quad 4 that had even more power in the late 80's/early 90's - 180 or 190 hp from the 2.3 liter engine was similar power to what the E30 M3 was producing.  IIRC it was offered in the Olds Achieva SCX and the Olds Cutlass Calais

[Mike]

I had 97 cavalier. It had the pushrod engine and a 4 speed automatic.The drivetrain seemed pretty bullet proof. Did not have the car long enough for the head gasket to go.A lot of things were replaced before the 4 year mark such as the alternator ,and waterpump,dome light broke,tilt steering broke,etc. They still used the 2.2 pushrod up until 2000 i believe,when it was replaced with the ecotec.[ohc]

No, You could get the 2.2 OHV up till 2002 I believe, that and the 2.4 Twin Cam.  In 2003 the Jbody got the 2.2 Ecotec, which is very noisy, but a fine and pretty strong 4 pot.

Anyone remember the old 2.3 DOHC Quad 4?  That was a hot engine too, 150hp from a four cylinder in a small car, all they way back in 1995!  I think the only other small car with anything close was the Neon R/T...

There was an earlier version of the Quad 4 that had even more power in the late 80's/early 90's - 180 or 190 hp from the 2.3 liter engine was similar power to what the E30 M3 was producing.  IIRC it was offered in the Olds Achieva SCX and the Olds Cutlass Calais

Correct.  The Grand Am had it too but in 180HP.

[dusterdude]

I bought an 87 Z24  (2.8 liter, 3sp automatic tranny)-- it was only 3 months old, only 8,000 km's on it in when I bought it  -- so only paid $12.5K plus tax.

While I agree that the quality of various parts of the car were "less than to be desired"   (IE my electronic dash burnt out in 3 times in the 13 years I had the vehicle, and the car did have a fair bit of rust around the wheel wells that started to develop after about 8 years..
I had great luck with the powertrain.  In 2000, I sold it with 245,000 kms on it  (for $100).  It had original engine and transmission, and both were in great shape. (  I changed oil every 5,000 KM with standard oil, but, believe it or not, I never changed the tranny fluid once.   At about 150,000 KM, a lube shop recommenced I change it due to it being dirty, but, then after talking to a few people, it was recommended to just leave it at that point -- which I did !)

[Jaeger]

Well Hyundai chose to keep re-freshing and improving the model to bring it up (and beyond) the competition.  GM?  Not so much.  GM instead...ummmm....wait they discontinued the model, so they were unable to keep making it better.  What car now has replaced the J series?  Not really the Cobalt.  Not really the Cruze.  So yea, someone might be tempted that try a car that has been made better over the last decade through re-designs and continuous improvement.  If GM had stuck with the J platform, in 2010, it might actually be decent.  But GM always seemed to release a car in this segment that was always behind the competition..or if it was on par with the competition only lasted a year or so.

Exactly correct.

Jaeger

[CatsEye68]

Well Hyundai chose to keep re-freshing and improving the model to bring it up (and beyond) the competition.  GM?  Not so much.  GM instead...ummmm....wait they discontinued the model, so they were unable to keep making it better.  What car now has replaced the J series?  Not really the Cobalt.  Not really the Cruze.  So yea, someone might be tempted that try a car that has been made better over the last decade through re-designs and continuous improvement.  If GM had stuck with the J platform, in 2010, it might actually be decent.  But GM always seemed to release a car in this segment that was always behind the competition..or if it was on par with the competition only lasted a year or so.

Exactly correct.

You know a thread is spiraling towards disaster when the Jaeger-meister and Artic Jr. Start supporting each other.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Hyundai Sonata's great-grandpa, of the same era as the J-car:




What an icon of automotive excellence.

[Schmengie]

Well Hyundai chose to keep re-freshing and improving the model to bring it up (and beyond) the competition.  GM?  Not so much.  GM instead...ummmm....wait they discontinued the model, so they were unable to keep making it better.  What car now has replaced the J series?  Not really the Cobalt.  Not really the Cruze.  So yea, someone might be tempted that try a car that has been made better over the last decade through re-designs and continuous improvement.  If GM had stuck with the J platform, in 2010, it might actually be decent.  But GM always seemed to release a car in this segment that was always behind the competition..or if it was on par with the competition only lasted a year or so.

Exactly correct.

You know a thread is spiraling towards disaster when the Jaeger-meister and Artic Jr. Start supporting each other.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Hyundai Sonata's great-grandpa, of the same era as the J-car:




What an icon of automotive excellence.

 It self-destructed in 'Stellar' fashion...

 BTW, that sure looks like a top-notch body shop, a car like that deserves the best. Do the body-colored tires cost extra?