Lipstick on the pig: how to improve a cheap car?

[slowdime]

I'll have to look into this dynomat. I've read some pretty good reviews elsewhere and there's been a few suggestions here.
As much as I'd like to get a car I might enjoy more it's really not a very smart move for me financially. Any other car I get of equal value will undoubtedly come with a host of issues. I got pretty lucky with this car in that it was well maintained before got it.
Realistically I'll probably end up keeping it for at least another 2 years, possibly longer. My intent is to make it a little bit more comfortable. And then when I'm done with it sell it really cheap to another student who needs a cheap ride that's been cared for.
I gave it a very thorough cleaning yesterday since it was sunny and in the 60s and it needed to be done anyway. Cleaned the engine bay and the undercarriage, also gave it a polish and wax.
As I mentioned, I priced some suspension components for around $250, and that's for a new front end using moog/a.c. delco stuff that I could install in an afternoon.
I don't expect to get back what I put into it, but if i can make driving it a pleasurable experience for the next 2 years plus I'll own it then in my mind it'll be worth it.

 

[HangFire]

One thing about Cavaliers, parts are CHEAP! I looked up some stuff for a friend on rock auto, and almost cried at the prices.

Also, check out "FatMat".

 

[slowdime]

Yeah parts for this car are really cheap and plentiful. The downside to rockauto is the shipping costs. I filled my 'cart' on rockauto then went over to amazon and added the same parts, they cost the same but the shipping was free on several items and a lot less on others. Rockauto did have moog coil springs for a lot less though, even with shipping.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Ah yes, the Cavalier. GM's answer to the Honda Accord. Didn't quite make it.

 

[thr_wedge]

ah a college man

this all makes sense now

when I was in college I tried to "upgrade" and ended up regretting it every time. In fact I had a great Cavalier ('91, 2.2L 4 cyl) at one point for a couple years, with well over 200k on the clock and sold it for a '85 Cadillac Coupe Deville that ended up being a complete POS. The girl I sold the Cavalier to drove it another couple years.

If you're going to keep it for 2 years, do the little upgrades to make your life happier. Throw some eibachs on there, some better tires, I think my $1500 estimate is pretty close if not a little high and spread over 2 years that isn't bad. If it runs and drives and is registered you'll get $2000 out of the car when you sell it, especially if you are taking good care of it.

 

[slowdime]

Yeah I have no interest in 'pimping' the car out as a lot of others in my age cohort do. My goal is to make it at least slightly better than it is now in terms of ride comfort and handling since I do a fair bit of driving. I don't subscribe to the whole 'put on an ebay intake and get 50hp' bologna that my younger brother does.
I've got a feeling I'm going to be driving it for a bare minimum of 2 more years; I've got one year to graduate since I attend half-time, then assuming I find a better job within 6 months of graduation I still have loans to pay off. I'd strongly prefer to be debt free before taking on a vehicle loan so the cheap to operate cavalier will probably be around for a little while.
In the mean time I'd like to at least make it a little more pleasant to drive.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Ah yes, the Cavalier. GM's answer to the Honda Accord. Didn't quite make it.


No, the Cavalier was GM's answer for those who didn't have the wallet for a Honda Civic. The Cavalier was always heavily discounted, so could be a good value.
The Malibu was the car that GM aimed at Accord aspirants lacking the pocket or credit rating to drive off in a new Honda.
The Mailbu was also always heavily discounted and was popular with fleets. A good value for a buyer with low expectations.

 

[fdcg27]

A lot of the squeaks and rattles could probably be reduced by a judicious tightening of fastners and relacement of broken or weak plastic trim attachment bits.
The most cost effective improvement you can make with any car is a set of better tires.
The Michelin Defender you mention would not be my first choice for any car.
Too costly for what you get, IMHO.
Do a little research and find a tire noted for good compliance and quietness. Shop around, since tires are always on a deal in some desirable brand and model somewhere.
If you're going to be driving this beast for at least another couple of years, a set of better tires would be well worth the expense.
Don't underestimate how much a good set of tires can do to transform a sow's ear of a car.

 

[slowdime]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
A lot of the squeaks and rattles could probably be reduced by a judicious tightening of fastners and relacement of broken or weak plastic trim attachment bits.
The most cost effective improvement you can make with any car is a set of better tires.
The Michelin Defender you mention would not be my first choice for any car.
Too costly for what you get, IMHO.
Do a little research and find a tire noted for good compliance and quietness. Shop around, since tires are always on a deal in some desirable brand and model somewhere.
If you're going to be driving this beast for at least another couple of years, a set of better tires would be well worth the expense.
Don't underestimate how much a good set of tires can do to transform a sow's ear of a car.


At $100 a tire they're certainly on the pricey side. I found a list of the top 10 quietest tires, not sure how accurate the list is but defenders were on there. I'll look at some other one's and see what fits the budget. Tires would cost quite a bit more than the suspension since I'll be doing the work myself on the front end, but tires are the only point of contact a car has with the road so good ones are never a bad investment. It's a shame the new tires the previous owner put on are [censored], but I suppose he was planning on selling it anyway so I can't blame him.

 

[slowdime]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: HosteenJorje
Ah yes, the Cavalier. GM's answer to the Honda Accord. Didn't quite make it.


No, the Cavalier was GM's answer for those who didn't have the wallet for a Honda Civic. The Cavalier was always heavily discounted, so could be a good value.
The Malibu was the car that GM aimed at Accord aspirants lacking the pocket or credit rating to drive off in a new Honda.
The Mailbu was also always heavily discounted and was popular with fleets. A good value for a buyer with low expectations.


I've always had American cars(fords and chevys) and usually dated girls with Japanese cars. Huge difference in fit and finish. I never had any mechanical trouble with the American cars but the cabin noise and overall quality of the cabin was terrible, the cavalier is probably the worst I've driven.

 

[glock19]

Originally Posted By: slowdime
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
A lot of the squeaks and rattles could probably be reduced by a judicious tightening of fastners and relacement of broken or weak plastic trim attachment bits.
The most cost effective improvement you can make with any car is a set of better tires.
The Michelin Defender you mention would not be my first choice for any car.
Too costly for what you get, IMHO.
Do a little research and find a tire noted for good compliance and quietness. Shop around, since tires are always on a deal in some desirable brand and model somewhere.
If you're going to be driving this beast for at least another couple of years, a set of better tires would be well worth the expense.
Don't underestimate how much a good set of tires can do to transform a sow's ear of a car.


At $100 a tire they're certainly on the pricey side. I found a list of the top 10 quietest tires, not sure how accurate the list is but defenders were on there. I'll look at some other one's and see what fits the budget. Tires would cost quite a bit more than the suspension since I'll be doing the work myself on the front end, but tires are the only point of contact a car has with the road so good ones are never a bad investment. It's a shame the new tires the previous owner put on are [censored], but I suppose he was planning on selling it anyway so I can't blame him.


According to TireRack the General RT43 is quieter and cheaper (in your size $60 vs $100 per tire) than the Michelin Defender. Might be worth considering as an option.

Link to comparison on TireRack

 

[slowdime]

Thanks for the link. Ill have a better look into it when I get home. Got to go play mechanic on the girlfriends car for a little bit. $60 per tire is a lot more reasonable, the ones I got now I found listed on the les schwab website for $40.... they're called 'thunderer' total garbage, I use schwab for alignment only, none of the tires they offer are that great for the markup they put on them, especially when there's an Americas tire right down the road. People around the pnw seem to swear by les schwab though, ignorance I suppose.

 

[JustinH]

Bought two cheapo tires at NTB earlier in the year, they were the only place open on a sunday, and I had a sidewall puncture.

As it turns out they are made in the US tires from a decent manufacturer that makes a bunch of house brand tires.

Just putting two tires on the thing changed it for the better.

Much better than the OEM goodyear eagles that were bad when new.

 

[artificialist]

Sometimes if you apply dielectric grease to the weatherstripping and other rubber seals, you can quiet the car down a little bit. The downside is that you have to enter and exit the car very carefully, or you will get that stuff sticking to your clothes.

 

[slowdime]

Originally Posted By: glock19
Originally Posted By: slowdime
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
A lot of the squeaks and rattles could probably be reduced by a judicious tightening of fastners and relacement of broken or weak plastic trim attachment bits.
The most cost effective improvement you can make with any car is a set of better tires.
The Michelin Defender you mention would not be my first choice for any car.
Too costly for what you get, IMHO.
Do a little research and find a tire noted for good compliance and quietness. Shop around, since tires are always on a deal in some desirable brand and model somewhere.
If you're going to be driving this beast for at least another couple of years, a set of better tires would be well worth the expense.
Don't underestimate how much a good set of tires can do to transform a sow's ear of a car.


At $100 a tire they're certainly on the pricey side. I found a list of the top 10 quietest tires, not sure how accurate the list is but defenders were on there. I'll look at some other one's and see what fits the budget. Tires would cost quite a bit more than the suspension since I'll be doing the work myself on the front end, but tires are the only point of contact a car has with the road so good ones are never a bad investment. It's a shame the new tires the previous owner put on are [censored], but I suppose he was planning on selling it anyway so I can't blame him.


According to TireRack the General RT43 is quieter and cheaper (in your size $60 vs $100 per tire) than the Michelin Defender. Might be worth considering as an option.

Link to comparison on TireRack


Just had a look at those and they look pretty sweet. Wally world has them for $70/tire, I don't know about their balancing skills though, I may just buy them there and pick a different place to mount & balance.
Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[147_Grain]

Do the inexpensive / free stuff and save your money for a 14 year newer vehicle. Things don't get any more "basic" than a stripped Cavalier. Make sure it's dependable and save all the money you can for emergencies and future transportation expenses.

 

[HangFire]

Originally Posted By: slowdime
Yeah parts for this car are really cheap and plentiful. The downside to rockauto is the shipping costs. I filled my 'cart' on rockauto then went over to amazon and added the same parts, they cost the same but the shipping was free on several items and a lot less on others. Rockauto did have moog coil springs for a lot less though, even with shipping.

The ever-present 5% discount that rock auto always offers through just about every car forum usually makes up the shipping difference over Amazon, but yes, they are very close to each other. I buy from both, depending on price and the need for 2-day prime or not.

As for tires, right now you can get $100 off $400 or more on brand-name tires at discounttiredirect as long as you pay with paypal. I maximized my savings by buying a $400 set of Continental PureContact EcoPlus and sure enough after coupon paid exactly $300 INCLUDING SHIPPING. This tire was rated #3 in the Grand Touring category and #1 is not available in my size and #2 costs almost twice as much (Michelin). This is for my Corolla... it's nice to own a small car with small rims when it's time to pay for tires!

http://stores.ebay.com/discounttiredirect/

I found a local place to mount/balance them for me for $25/ea, my stems are only 2.5 years old (I put on mileage fast) and the local dump takes old tires for $1.50 each, so I'm saving over $50 versus the best local tire shop quote. Continental throws in a 12 month road hazard as well.

 

[slowdime]

Originally Posted By: HangFire
Originally Posted By: slowdime
Yeah parts for this car are really cheap and plentiful. The downside to rockauto is the shipping costs. I filled my 'cart' on rockauto then went over to amazon and added the same parts, they cost the same but the shipping was free on several items and a lot less on others. Rockauto did have moog coil springs for a lot less though, even with shipping.

The ever-present 5% discount that rock auto always offers through just about every car forum usually makes up the shipping difference over Amazon, but yes, they are very close to each other. I buy from both, depending on price and the need for 2-day prime or not.

As for tires, right now you can get $100 off $400 or more on brand-name tires at discounttiredirect as long as you pay with paypal. I maximized my savings by buying a $400 set of Continental PureContact EcoPlus and sure enough after coupon paid exactly $300 INCLUDING SHIPPING. This tire was rated #3 in the Grand Touring category and #1 is not available in my size and #2 costs almost twice as much (Michelin). This is for my Corolla... it's nice to own a small car with small rims when it's time to pay for tires!

http://stores.ebay.com/discounttiredirect/

I found a local place to mount/balance them for me for $25/ea, my stems are only 2.5 years old (I put on mileage fast) and the local dump takes old tires for $1.50 each, so I'm saving over $50 versus the best local tire shop quote. Continental throws in a 12 month road hazard as well.


Thanks for the link. This thread is turning into a tire subforum topic! I think I'm pretty set on the general rt43. Good price for those and I wouldnt need to have them shipped. The only question I'd have is whether to let the knuckledraggers at wally world mount and balance them or go elsewhere. No offense to any walmart employees, I know some are better than others, heck a friend of mine works there, but I've had pretty poor experiences with them in the past.

 

[fdcg27]

I've had exactly one car in a Walmart TLE for any service and that was to mount the new Pure Contacts I had on the Forester.
I was pleasantly surprised at the care they took in the work they did.
Pretty sure that the very knowledgeable tech, a guy in his forties, was getting more than minimum wage and probably more like twenty bucks an hour.
I was pleased with my Walmart tire mounting experience and was also favorably impressed with the guys doing the few oil changes I watched while having the tires mounted on my car.
I'd have them mount tires again.
OTOH, there's also a little local mom and pop I use and I feel that they deserve the business.
They'll mount anything you want mounted and I've never had a problem with their balancing.

 

[thr_wedge]

Originally Posted By: slowdime
Yeah I have no interest in 'pimping' the car out as a lot of others in my age cohort do. My goal is to make it at least slightly better than it is now in terms of ride comfort and handling since I do a fair bit of driving. I don't subscribe to the whole 'put on an ebay intake and get 50hp' bologna that my younger brother does.
I've got a feeling I'm going to be driving it for a bare minimum of 2 more years; I've got one year to graduate since I attend half-time, then assuming I find a better job within 6 months of graduation I still have loans to pay off. I'd strongly prefer to be debt free before taking on a vehicle loan so the cheap to operate cavalier will probably be around for a little while.
In the mean time I'd like to at least make it a little more pleasant to drive.


I paid $0.87/gal for gas when I was in college...I still pimp out my rides and like some bass. In fact I have some old school Miami bass in the car right now.

as for letting Wal-mart do your tires, ask if you can see some work they've done, or at least make sure that you can take it back if you aren't happy with the balance. WM gets a bad rap, but if the guys working there are competent you should be okay.