"-Amateur" (amateur)
03/19/2019 at 21:56 • Filed to: None
5
9|
"-Amateur" (amateur)
03/19/2019 at 21:56 • Filed to: None | 5
| 9 |
Who needs a fancy car museum where the cars are pristine and desired...The junkyard museum is my go to where I gawk at cars living out their golden years being harvested. Today’s spotlight falls on a 1998 Cavalier Rallysport.
The Rallysport is no rally car nor is it sporty, but it sounds awesome! The Rally sport was the red headed stepchild of the Cavalier line-up. It technically slotted higher than the base model and lower than the Z24 trim.
I say technically, because it was essential a base model with lipstick. The Rallysport was only an appearance package made to move cars off dealer lots. If you look at our junkyard specimen, you’ll notice this one doesn’t even have a front sway bar. This savvy cavvy is wearing GM’s FE0 soft ride suspension package.
The birth of a Rallysport is quite easy. Starting with a base model, it gets upgraded from stock 14" wheels to 15", with a mixed bag if you get factory alloys or just steelies with hubcaps. Next the front and rear bumpers are painted to match the body color as bases customarily have oem unpainted bumpers. Rallysports then had the rear spoilers and side door guard mouldings (w/out z24 script) lifted from their performance Z24 counterparts.
To complete the package, it received the very 90s “Rallysport” decal on its quarter panels...not a guarantee though, some didn’t have it.
Our example is missing it. The neat thing is that some of them had some cool headrests inside with the Rallysport logo:
This one had it and it’s a cool touch.
Rallysports had an uprated instrument package with a tachometer not seen on normal base models.
This one had an Isuzu derived 5 speed manual paired to the base 2200 motor. This is the last iteration of GM’s Iron Duke replacement before their Ecotecs took the helm. Changes from the previous L4 2.2 were new heart shaped cylinder head chambers with shallower dished pistons, a new guideless pushrod rocker valvetrain and reworked intake runners for increased torque. Output is 115 hp with 135 lb ft of twistie.
Suspension is way of a trailing torsion beam setup and Macpherson strut up front. From experience on the autocross course with Gm L-bodys, it’s not that bad of a setup if you throw on some chunky sway bars all around:
In 1999, the Rallysport script changed from purple to gold which was a little more subtle.
That ends our Cavalier’s highlight reel. Thanks for joining me on this adventure! Just remember, the cavalier had another appearance package in Japan. Meet the Toyota TRD Cavalier:
I also snaggged those Rallysport headrests for my own Cavalier btw:
Stef Schrader
> -Amateur
03/19/2019 at 22:03 |
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I was about to say—the headrests are too good! I’d love those seats mounted as a set of
office chairs
, TBH. Just the perfect headrest graphic.
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-Amateur
> Stef Schrader
03/19/2019 at 22:18 |
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These are surprisingly hard to come by and I got all giddy when I laid eyes on them...first time I’ve seen them in person. 90s GM never ceases to disappoint me as an owner of their cars yet utterly surprise me when they do things like this. They are really neat!
Future Heap Owner
> -Amateur
03/19/2019 at 22:20 |
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Woah, actual temperatures marked on the temp gauge, too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.
shop-teacher
> -Amateur
03/19/2019 at 22:23 |
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Those are some sweet headrests!
404 - User No Longer Available
> -Amateur
03/19/2019 at 22:26 |
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That 2200 SFI brings me nightmares.
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-Amateur
> 404 - User No Longer Available
03/19/2019 at 22:48 |
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It’s a dog of an engine that should have made more hp for it’s size. 9:1 compression will do that I guess. At least they are good on gas...33 mpg on a 300 mile trip was some pretty awesome stuff.
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Stef Schrader
> -Amateur
03/19/2019 at 23:22 |
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90s GM absolutely
*nailed* a lot of the 90s aesthetic.
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404 - User No Longer Available
> -Amateur
03/19/2019 at 23:22 |
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All I remember is... back in 2002, my 2002 would sometimes have issues with random rough starts , lol.
Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness
> -Amateur
03/20/2019 at 07:40 |
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Eh, Chrysler’s 2.5L of the 90s made 100 hp/135 ft-lbs.
Engines used to be about torque over HP, because torque is what makes an efficient daily motor.