Need Cavalier Info picking up my first one tomorrow. Please help.

[weirdALJR]

I am going to pickup a 2003 Cavalier tomorrow to use as a work commuter. About 25miles a day. First of all it is a 2003, with a upgraded exhaust, some custom paint gfx and some neons I beleive. Has a lot of miles (120k) and a cracked rear bumper cover. 5 speed manual. Otherwise looks nice and he sais it runs great. I think I am getting a very good deal on this at $2500 what do you guys think? Also is there any known problems I should look for before I drive off in it?

Any info appreciated, do you guys think this is a good cheap car for me to drive to work?

Thanks,
Al

[-Jayson-]

personally i would never buy a modified car, yeah the price is low, but so will be the quality of the car. Im willing the bet that car has suffered a hard 120K miles of hard ricer abuse. Id seriously look for something else if i were you.

[Demongrowl]

All i can say is wow. I bought a 2003 5 speed manual last year. It was the base model though, not the Ls or anything. It was in decent condition. some paint dings from driving and stones flying up, but other than that, great, and only 34k miles. but I paid around 8k for it. I would be very suspect of getting such a great price. Also, i would watch out for the neons, because i found out i was not ready for them on mine and had to take off the ones i put on because i kept getting a dead battery. Now a few times was me being forgetful, and a few times being drunk. But yeah, thats a very very low price! I would deffinatly ask if your mechanic can look at it first.

[MrR0b0t0]

Actually, thats about a very good price for a 03 base. I would expect to get maybe 6000 for, at the most. I could probabley find one on ebay thats sold for less with less miles on it.

[JStumpalump150]

well....it is a good price for an 03 but 120000 on an 03 is not good, at most it should have about 50000 give or take a few thousand

[weirdALJR]

Hey got the car today guys. Ran well, drove it 100+ miles. Has stock exhaust with a differnt tailpipe. Cracked rear bumper cover I am getting replaced.

My first questions are about the guy painted the inside center console area and door panels. Ity is chipping bad, comming off very easy, should I just chip it all off or buy new door panels and center console?

Rest of car is very clean inside. Check engine came on, so I actually gave the guy $2300 after I saw this problem. I drove it for about 3 hrs today ran fine, even at highway speeds up to about 75mph. I got it to 90 just to check it out and I had some shaking in the center of the dash, other then that car ran fine and has good pickup and acceleration.

I still think I got a great deal at $2300, what do you guys think? Also any suggestions about my problems?

[JStumpalump150]

well i think check engine lights just come on at certain mileages so you have to take them to the dealership and pay them money to turn titoff,but that is just my theory as for the paint, it might not be a bad idea to try and chip it off just to see what it looks like before you pay for new ones, and if it looks like crap then buy new ones

[my99cavy]

Originally Posted by weirdALJR

My first questions are about the guy painted the inside center console area and door panels. Ity is chipping bad, comming off very easy, should I just chip it all off or buy new door panels and center console?

well if you can get ALL the paint off then I would say just do that and then you would be saving yourself some money. but if not all the paint will come off and under the paint looks bad, then I would just get replacements. take some pics of the inside and outside of your car and throw them up here.

[my99cavy]

hey if your looking for a new bumper heres one on ebay for $170 bucks http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/03-05...QQcmdZViewItem

[weirdALJR]

Thanks for info,and I will get some pics soon.

I found a bumper from a body place that I know someone at for $125 new, and I can have them check prices on other interior parts for me but I want to make a list of them all. Anyone know where I can get a diagram of all the interior parts or a list of there names? I know I would need the door panels, and a center console, the dash it painted and air vents, but do they come together as one peice?

ANyone know where I can find all this info and names of parts?

[my99cavy]

well there is the center console

there is the dash bezel most should come with the vents in them

dont know if they painted the dash vent bezel </IMG>

^now not all these are your specific year but just to give you an example

[indyextremecustoms]

Originally Posted by JStumpalump150

well i think check engine lights just come on at certain mileages so you have to take them to the dealership and pay them money to turn titoff

the service engine soon light come on if a sensor goes back so take your ride over to autozone and ask them to run a test. It is free...more then likly its probably the o2 sensor cause when i bought my 03 cavalier with only 35k on her it went out thhe same day lol. nothing major there..miles are very very high for that year but you got it a a hell of a price. and autozone can turn the light off for you too...

[indyextremecustoms]

there is some stripper you can get from wal mart called airplane paint stripper. it comes in a spray can and works awsome... just spray down the peices that you want to remove the paint from...wait about 2 mins and then hit it with a water hose... it will spray right off...