cavalier performance questions...need help

hey guys...just to start i am a "noob" or w/e so bear with me please im 16 and i was wondering about the performance of a cavalier and how much money it would take to do some of those things to it...if i could get ur guys's input on this it would be very much appriciated...so heres the deal...i can get a 97 cavy from a guy i know...good condition for a $1000 it has like 90k miles...only its an automatic. im not sure if it is the 3 speed or 4 speed auto but i know its auto...also im not sure if its a 2.2L or 2.4L...i dont want to go to extreme with it and spend thousands of dollars...but could i make it decent with it being an automatic and doing pretty minor mods to it is my question?? if anyone has any things that are possible or any info for me that would be greatly appriciated...again im sorry for being such a noob but ive been reading all ur guys's posts and it got me interested...thanks

jon

kinda need to know if its a z24 or not/ z24 = 2.4l which has tons of mods. non z24 = 2.2l OHV which isnt worth modding unless you already own the car. 2.4l has much more potential.

So let me get this straight you are gettin a 97 cavi and thats all you know? Well i would tell you to hope that you have the 2.4 L engine bc those are way better... Sorry all you 2.2 owners thats just the way it is. But after that like everyone else does... Intake (i suggest AEM ram air) and thermal makes a pretty nice exhaust for the 2.4, aem also makes some pullies along with unorthodox racing, oh and engine mounts are a good investment too...

oh and don't forget the biggest tuner upgrades of all...
1. Ventshades
2. Euro tails and...
3. Blue headlights

yah i was hopeing it was the 2.4L im trying to get ahold of this guy to find out all the info but thanks alot for the info that u guys gave me it was very helpful

i hope some of u other guys will give me some input too...it would be greatly appriciated...thanks

kinda need to know if its a z24 or not/ z24 = 2.4l which has tons of mods. non z24 = 2.2l OHV which isnt worth modding unless you already own the car. 2.4l has much more potential.

2.2 isn't worth it eh? Hmm... i can get atleast 220 hp out of one and a 1/4 time of low 14's.. When a car is high 17's stock.. thats pretty damn good. Add a 30 shot of Nitrous.. well u can imagine from there. or i might pull somthing out my ass and swap a 3800 S/C...

i have a 2.4L auto, and with about 3,000 bucks in mods im a low 14 second high 13 second car. Then again my car has alot less miles on it.

Well i would tell you to hope that you have the 2.4 L engine bc those are way better... Sorry all you 2.2 owners thats just the way it is.

Because it has 30 more horsepower? Wow, aren't you shallow.

Because it has 30 more horsepower? Wow, aren't you shallow.

because it has 30 less HP, SOHC, like 12 valves, smaller displacement, lower redline, its a pushrod, not nearly as strong as the Ld9 or ecotec, doesnt respond well to mods. Hp isnt everything when it comes to engine performance, Wow, aren't you shallow.

2.2 isn't worth it eh? Hmm... i can get atleast 220 hp out of one and a 1/4 time of low 14's.. When a car is high 17's stock.. thats pretty damn good. Add a 30 shot of Nitrous.. well u can imagine from there. or i might pull somthing out my ass and swap a 3800 S/C...

i have a 2.2 worth modding. an ecotec :D. i didnt mean it wasnt worth modding, all engines are worth modding IMHO. all i was saying was if it was the ohv, the 2.4 has more potential is all. if he doesnt have a cavy yet than opt for a 2.4 instead of the 2.2 ohv. plus 30extra hp wont make a 2.2stock run 14. 30hp nos on that engine still barely equals mine, and i dont run 14, or 15 for that matter... yet...

yeah, you can get any engine up to 220hp and runnin 14's all day. but, how much would it cost to do that to the 2.2 compared to the 2.4? all you need is a 50 shot, bolt ons and a little time dyno tuning
and with all the same mods done to the 2.4 as it would take to to get the 2.2 to 220hp, it would be well above 220hp.

if you race a 200HP 2.2L OHV and a 200HP 2.4L LD9, with the exact same everything else besides the engines, the 2.4L will bea the 2.2L by a good amount.

I purchased a large bore short ram intake from www.rdfabs.com (http://www.rdfabs.com) for my 2004 Sunfire w/ 2.2L Ecotec . I have seen a major increase in HP along with a couple of updates to my exhaust system. I didn't think it would truly make such an impact, but I can definitely see it on the low end. Plus it is 100% stainless steel and will probably be around much longer than the car itself. It is the cheapest stainless steel intake I have seen around. It looks like a mirror under my hood. That and a nice diameter stainless exhaust and you will be runnin' awesome.

The intake is a good way to increase HP for a minimal amount of $$. Plus the polished stainless steel really dresses it up under the hood. It is polished like a mirror. I definitely would recommend it for anyone. :thumbsup:

I have a '46 Plymouth also and am thinking about having the install a custom stainless exhaust on.

S VanHorn

I purchased a large bore short ram intake from www.rdfabs.com (http://www.rdfabs.com) for my 2004 Sunfire w/ 2.2L Ecotec . I have seen a major increase in HP along with a couple of updates to my exhaust system. I didn't think it would truly make such an impact, but I can definitely see it on the low end. Plus it is 100% stainless steel and will probably be around much longer than the car itself. It is the cheapest stainless steel intake I have seen around. It looks like a mirror under my hood. That and a nice diameter stainless exhaust and you will be runnin' awesome.

The intake is a good way to increase HP for a minimal amount of $$. Plus the polished stainless steel really dresses it up under the hood. It is polished like a mirror. I definitely would recommend it for anyone. :thumbsup:

I have a '46 Plymouth also and am thinking about having the install a custom stainless exhaust on.

S VanHorn


Ryan, Chris and Adam are the Shiat! Salutations local syracuse J-body member! I have not crossed paths with you yet, but i'm sure you heard that Ryan had a shop built right next to his house out in Port Bryon and is almost done. We just have to finish wireing up the lights and building the office and run the heat. I haven't been out there in awhile, so i am not sure of its real status. But def. awsome work they do and the quality of product is A+Plus!

i have a 2.2 standard and my freand has a 2.4 auto. my has alot more miles and i wup him up and down the track all the time he has about the same mods as me the only one is i took my cat out and hat a pipe weldewd in place of it.

if you race a 200HP 2.2L OHV and a 200HP 2.4L LD9, with the exact same everything else besides the engines, the 2.4L will bea the 2.2L by a good amount.


WRONG!, if you race a 200HP 2.2L OHV and a 200HP 2.4L LD9, the 2.4 would NOT beat the 2.2 by a good amount. they will probably come damn close to a tie, ya know, since they're both putting out the EXACT same amount of horsepower

remember it isnt all about hp.... the trannys on both engines are different

WRONG!, if you race a 200HP 2.2L OHV and a 200HP 2.4L LD9, the 2.4 would NOT beat the 2.2 by a good amount. they will probably come damn close to a tie, ya know, since they're both putting out the EXACT same amount of horsepower

a 2.4 will have more tq. more ci = more tq

WRONG!, if you race a 200HP 2.2L OHV and a 200HP 2.4L LD9, the 2.4 would NOT beat the 2.2 by a good amount. they will probably come damn close to a tie, ya know, since they're both putting out the EXACT same amount of horsepower

do you know nothing of engines besides HP? Engine design has more to do with a cars speed than HP numbers. LD9 is 16 valve compared to 12. DOHC compared to SOHC. 5,600 RPMS Max HP as compared to 5200 RPMS max HP. The Ld9 makes its Torque MUCH LOWER in the rpms than the 2200. Theirs many many things that make an engine fast, HP is just one piece of the puzzle.

so like i said before, it would come CLOSE to a tie, the 2.4 woudlnt win by a GOOD AMOUNT

no it would win by a good amount. Id say atleast a car length. Just because the 2.4L has such a broader and more useable torque band. YOu have a slow car that doesnt mod well, get used to it and face the facts.

although the 2.2L eco with current manny-tranny if had same hp would own a 2.4l lol. just thought id start another arguement. i already own every 2.4 ive raced (3) so far. i credit that to manny vs auto though.

i think its just on how some people drive for the most part. ya you have more horse power but ive beat hondas alot around were i live mostly because everyone thinks there cool if they have a honda. but it has to also do with the way you shift and stear the car. so a 2.4 with alittle more horse power doesn't always mean something.

no it would win by a good amount. Id say atleast a car length. Just because the 2.4L has such a broader and more useable torque band. YOu have a slow car that doesnt mod well, get used to it and face the facts.

damn dude, no need to be a dick about it, i could give a shit less about MY car, its a cavalier, im not gonna try to make a cavalier, or any 4 cylinder "fast", and by a good amount i thought you wree talking like a block, like if i race my cavalier against my 86 plymouth reliant, that would be a good amount, a 200 hp car isnt gonna beat another 200 hp car by a block or so,

Bah ive got a 2.2 ecotech and before i spent about 4 g on a stage 2 rsm supercharger i was kicking almost every cav i raced (my car is an 04 though) and btw witha manuel you know off about half a second so its not surprising that you win against your buddy. Nitrous is fine in a car as long as your careful and not using it to pass cars on the highway LoL.

Bah ive got a 2.2 ecotech and before i spent about 4 g on a stage 2 rsm supercharger i was kicking almost every cav i raced (my car is an 04 though) and btw witha manuel you know off about half a second so its not surprising that you win against your buddy. Nitrous is fine in a car as long as your careful and not using it to pass cars on the highway LoL.

half a second? no try .1-.3 tenths of a second.

Bah ive got a 2.2 ecotech and before i spent about 4 g on a stage 2 rsm supercharger i was kicking almost every cav i raced (my car is an 04 though) and btw witha manuel you know off about half a second so its not surprising that you win against your buddy. Nitrous is fine in a car as long as your careful and not using it to pass cars on the highway LoL.


hey, you have a s/c ecotech? looking to do that same thing myself. Have you done other engine mods or are you running just with the s/c kit rsm sells? Is'nt the stage 2 5400 not 4000? what is your suspension set up? exhuast? etc?

i wanted to know of a good suspension kit something that wont bottom out my car when i hit a bump. do any of you know any good brands for a good price. off topick but just wondering

i wanted to know of a good suspension kit something that wont bottom out my car when i hit a bump. do any of you know any good brands for a good price. off topick but just wondering

you're right. that's why you start a new thread.

[QUOTE=redz245speed] Well i would tell you to hope that you have the 2.4 L engine bc those are way better... Sorry all you 2.2 owners thats just the way it is. ^
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YO jon...dont even worry about wether or not its a 2.2 or a 2.4 cuz |
unlike this guy ----------------------------------------------------

ive got a modded 2001 2.2 auto and i outperform modded z24's

sorry redz..."thats just the way it is"

WRONG!, if you race a 200HP 2.2L OHV and a 200HP 2.4L LD9, the 2.4 would NOT beat the 2.2 by a good amount. they will probably come damn close to a tie, ya know, since they're both putting out the EXACT same amount of horsepower


dude...HP is not everything...its the design of the engine and tranny thats do all the work...i got a buddy that owns a 2001 celica gt with 130 horse and he whoop'd the crap out of a 1988 mustang gt 5.0 HO with 360 horse power...i would know cuz i was the one that owned the mustang....so just cuz they put out the same horsepower doesnt mean they are even...remeber that.

one is going to have more torque than the other. One will weight more than the other... the LD9 will whomp ya ass... this is comming from an OHV owner. I will accept the enivitable.