Let’s start off with some background on the original project that I learned a ton of stuff on. A 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. Ok now hold on. I know it is not a popular platform to mod nor is it rarely seen as anything more than a cheap throw-away car for high school girls. But there was something about the Cavalier that drew me to it and trust me you won’t regret reading about the history of this car. A car that unintentionally became an icon in the J-body community and that has inspired others to build these cars. I 100% built this car for myself, the way I wanted to build it. I have made some great friend along the way with this car and to this day it still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.
So waaayyyyy back in 2007 I purchased a used 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier 5-speed 1sv base model coupe for $7,000. Base model of base models. Manual locks, manual windows, no sunroof, not even a CD player, but because of that the 1sv was the lightest model in the lineup. That wasn’t a selling point at the time. I was just concerned that it was a newer Cavalier that I could afford. Sadly I have lost all pictures of it before I started modifying it, but I am sure everyone knows what a 100% stock Cavalier looks like.
Starting off I did not have a plan for what I wanted the car to end up as. All I knew was that this car was MINE and I could do whatever I wanted to it. So the 1st thing to get installed was a K&N Typhoon Short Ram Intake and a cheap set of Sport Edition CD wheels in 16×7.5 with a 35mm offset. They were originally wrapped in a set of 225/50R16 Riken Raptor tires. After that I found a 95-02 style trunk lid, 00-02 taillights, and a 00-02 Z/24 spoiler in the junkyard so I could get rid of the ugly stock taillights. I was able to get a local body shop to paint them black and a friend tinted the taillights with VHT Nightshades for me.
After the body mods I came across a good deal on a brand new Airlift Easystreet air-ride system for Cavaliers/Sunfires in a group buy on J-body.org. I had been wanting to bag a vehicle for a few years so I jumped on the opportunity and ordered a kit. I got the kit with the digital controller. The install took me about 2 weeks of working on it a few hours at a time after work, but I got it done myself and I even attempted my 1st fiberglass project because of it.
I needed a spot to mount the digital controller for the air-ride and I couldn’t find a spot that I liked so I grabbed a spare radio bezel from the junkyard and went to town. I cut out the center air vent, built a crude box in its place, made a spot for a aftermarket gauge, and piled on the fiberglass. I also reshaped it slightly to make it look smoother. After that I put on a bunch of high build primer and sanded the whole thing smooth. Then I hit it with some gunmetal paint and clear coat. It looked decent from the front side, but the back was another story. It was a mess, but good thing it was hidden behind the dash. I learned a lot from building this 1st bezel.
I had also joined another Group Buy on J-body.org to help Black Cat Customs get the proper equipment to build their custom 140mph gauge clusters for 00-05 Cavaliers and Sunfires. So I ordered a 140mph cluster with “Ecotec” in the center of the speedometer, blue LED lights, and the annoying “shift up” light deleted. To this day I am still very pleased with this purchase and it was a 100% plug and play mod. I have had this in the car for so long that I forget that it isn’t a stock part and I haven’t found the blue light annoying yet.
That’s all for now and I will leave you with some insight after spending 10+years of playing around with an unpopular platform. It isn’t what you build, it is how you build it. Going with the cheaper option just so you can have it now is not worth it. Save up for the things you want. There is no shame in letting parts sit on a shelf until you have everything you need to do the job properly. I have spent years collecting parts before.
Next up, boost and I finally decide on a direction for the car.