At $5,000, Would You Adopt This 1993 Chevy Cavalier’s Attitude?

While far from perfect, today’s Nice Price or No Dice Cavalier Z24 convertible looks ready for some summer fun. Let’s decide how fun it would be to pay its asking price.

It is said that time heals all wounds. Or maybe it’s time wounds all heels? To be truthful, I’m a little sketchy on my trite proverb memorizations. Regardless, time seemingly hasn’t done much to make the Pontiac Aztek any more appealing. Featured on many lists of the ugliest cars of all time, even a toned-down and optioned-up edition like the 2005 Aztek Rally we considered yesterday struggled to find advocates. Our candidate had low miles and a fun dealer-optioned tent that could be erected over the rear hatch to turn the car into a quasi-camper. The idea of camping in an Aztek seemingly held about as much appeal as does the car’s angry appliance appearance, which meant that its $6,495 asking price had to do some heavy lifting. Ultimately, it did so, earning the Aztek a solid 78% Nice Price win.

Pontiac’s Aztek may have been one of GM’s most glaring missteps, but it’s safe to say that the company’s J-platform proved to be one of its biggest wins. 

You’ll recall in “Men in Black” when the agents use a small penlight device that, when flashed in their eyes, causes people to forget recent events. Chevrolet attempted a similar feat with the mid-’70s Monza, a model designed to erase memories of the lamentable Vega. It was all a facade, however, because underneath the Monza’s new looks, the car was Vega through and through. The wagon didn’t go even that far to hide the sham, as it used the same body as the Vega wagon.

Designed in the late 1970s to replace the Monza/Vega, along with their sister cars among other GM brands, the J-platform cars were a semi-clean sheet design that righted all the earlier model’s wrongs and established a sales hit for the Bowtie Brand. I say semi-clean sheet since the J-platform inherited much of its suspension from the larger Citation, making it the second model in GM’s lineup to go FWD. A global car, the J-platform sired the Chevrolet Cavalier, Cadillac Cimarron, Pontiac J2000, Buick Skyhawk, and Oldsmobile Firenza in America, and the Opel Ascona and Vauxhall Cavalier in Europe and England. Of all of those, Chevy’s Cavalier is probably the best remembered.

This 1993 Chevy Cavalier Z24 convertible is a top-of-the-line edition from the model’s second generation, and in fact is from the last year before the model line received a major makeover. Being a Z24 means it has the standard 3.1-liter LHO V6 under the hood. That produces 140 horsepower and 185 pound-feet of torque, and is paired with a Getrag five-speed manual transmission. The sporty Z24 package offers some show with that go in the form of model-specific nose and rocker extensions, and a honkin’-big wing on the trunk lid.

According to the ad, the engine has been “well maintained,” and the transmission enjoyed a recent rebuild. One would assume that a gearbox refresh means a new clutch as well, but that’s not called out in the ad. The seller does say that the brakes will need new pads “sooner rather than later,” and notes that the car has 89,000 “original” miles.

The brakes aren’t the only things that need some attention on this Cavalier. According to the ad, the driver’s seat height adjustment is broken, and the convertible top needs to be repaired as the glass rear window has become loose. Other issues include some dings in the bodywork and minor problems like a loose shifter boot. Hopefully, the seller will remove the huge amp from the back seat before handing over the car.

On the plus side, the aqua blue paint appears to be in decent condition, as does the cloth upholstery. Overall, the seller notes the car to be in need of some TLC.

One weird factor of this car is that it’s a pre-airbag edition, which required the seatbelts to be attached to the door so occupants could slide under them when entering and exiting. That’s not too big a deal in a coupe, but it’s impressive that Chevy made it work on the drop top too, simply by adding some small bumps atop the doors. Fortunately, the seatbelts can also be used in traditional fashion.

A clean title and the seller’s advocacy that these are rare cars in their neck of the woods makes this kind of a unique opportunity. The Cavaliers of this era are also pretty much unstoppable, so it’s unlikely that anything major or expensive will go wrong with it anytime soon. Could those factors add up to someone being willing to pay this Chevy’s $5,000 asking price?

What do you think? Is this hot Cavalier worth $5,000 even though it’s in need of some TLC? Or do the minuses outweigh the pros, adding up to it being worth considerably less?

You decide!

Nice Price or No Dice:

Denver, Colorado, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

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