94 cavalier 2.2 automatic 4cyl

[kamakasi]

what are the best performance mods for this car? i want it to get up n go faster but i cant find much for it. i dont want to spend THAT much money but want more speed. i cant find a full catback for it but maybe u guys know where to find one for this year n model of this car. Please help me find one

thanks
Kamakasi

[Ghost-CAVy]

Originally Posted by kamakasi

what are the best performance mods for this car? i want it to get up n go faster but i cant find much for it. i dont want to spend THAT much money but want more speed. i cant find a full catback for it but maybe u guys know where to find one for this year n model of this car. Please help me find one

thanks
Kamakasi

dude...my advice would be to sell that year and go newer...its not worth supeing up a cav that old when its not a z24

[4dr92cavi4cyl]

Originally Posted by Ghost-CAVy

dude...my advice would be to sell that year and go newer...its not worth supeing up a cav that old when its not a z24

I MUST disagree! The 2nd gens are great, some are more reliable then the 3rd gens., and like Hondas, everyone has a 3rd gen. Though the Z24 was great having a six cyl., but repair costs & gas are cheaper on a 4 cyl.

Kamakasi,

If you love your car, and have visions of the way it could be, who cares what year or model or make it is. It might not be worth it to someone else, (who can afford a car payment AND mods) but if it's your car, and you want to make it original, it's worth whatever you want it to be. However, resale value is crap, Kelly's Blue Book is a joke. But if you don't want to sell it, who cares about resale value.

I have many great ideas for mine, besides swapping for a LD9 (2.4 Twin Cam), flip the engine 90 degrees and make it a rear wheel drive 4 cyl. just have to rig up something for the tranny. Wouldn't be cheap.

Performance: First thing I would do is cut that factory muffler off and get a big oval type, straight through racing style muffler (I have a Naxos one piece 7" tip, nice, warm, mean sound) Then go to RD Fabs and get a WAI (warm air intake) or make your own intake. Next step, get the throtle body bored from the stock 52mm to 59mm. (RSM Racing or find a good machine shop) Then maybe a set of bigger injectors. I wanted to switch mine over to 5-speed, but after smoking numerous 5-speed 4 cylinders I think I'll leave the auto. They have to shift twice before you hit second!

The 2.2 OHV is a little short on power, but they can pull the car very well, even up hill! They are realiable too. I'm sure a 30 shot of spray will help!

For the exterior I'm looking to do a headlight conversion, nothing major to keep from modding the hood, I'm visualizing a set of two projection lamps on each side, import looking. Maybe some M3 style fenders, and the front end lowered about an inch. There are couple body kits out there, not too expensive either, do a search here, I saw a post a couple weeks ago and there were some links to a site or two.

Keep it original, I love the 2nd gen j-body look, especially the 4-door.

[Ghost-CAVy]

dude..i understand about visions of your car...but it still isnt worth putting money into THAT year cavalier...its not worth anything and by now its got to have a crap ton of miles on it...so if your serious about your car you would have to swap the engine...instead of going thru all that work and money it would be cheaper to just sell it as is and get newer...and cmon buddy...your talking about how ppl might not have money to afford a newer car...if you can afford to mod a 94 2.2 cavalier...then you can afford a 95-99 cavalier...you can get one with less then 100,000 miles and for less then 3 grand

[Ghost-CAVy]

and dude...good luck makin your car a rwd...hope you win the lottery so you can make that happen without having to spend as much money as you would if you were to buy a new car altogether.

[angel_iz378]

Originally Posted by 4dr92cavi4cyl

I MUST disagree! The 2nd gens are great, some are more reliable then the 3rd gens., and like Hondas, everyone has a 3rd gen. Though the Z24 was great having a six cyl., but repair costs & gas are cheaper on a 4 cyl.

Kamakasi,

If you love your car, and have visions of the way it could be, who cares what year or model or make it is. It might not be worth it to someone else, (who can afford a car payment AND mods) but if it's your car, and you want to make it original, it's worth whatever you want it to be. However, resale value is crap, Kelly's Blue Book is a joke. But if you don't want to sell it, who cares about resale value.

I have many great ideas for mine, besides swapping for a LD9 (2.4 Twin Cam), flip the engine 90 degrees and make it a rear wheel drive 4 cyl. just have to rig up something for the tranny. Wouldn't be cheap.

Performance: First thing I would do is cut that factory muffler off and get a big oval type, straight through racing style muffler (I have a Naxos one piece 7" tip, nice, warm, mean sound) Then go to RD Fabs and get a WAI (warm air intake) or make your own intake. Next step, get the throtle body bored from the stock 52mm to 59mm. (RSM Racing or find a good machine shop) Then maybe a set of bigger injectors. I wanted to switch mine over to 5-speed, but after smoking numerous 5-speed 4 cylinders I think I'll leave the auto. They have to shift twice before you hit second!

The 2.2 OHV is a little short on power, but they can pull the car very well, even up hill! They are realiable too. I'm sure a 30 shot of spray will help!

For the exterior I'm looking to do a headlight conversion, nothing major to keep from modding the hood, I'm visualizing a set of two projection lamps on each side, import looking. Maybe some M3 style fenders, and the front end lowered about an inch. There are couple body kits out there, not too expensive either, do a search here, I saw a post a couple weeks ago and there were some links to a site or two.


Keep it original, I love the 2nd gen j-body look, especially the 4-door.

yeah what he said. LOL. If you really love ur cavy and want to be original, go for it. EVERYBODY has a honda or even a newer cavy but we 2nd gens have to stick up for what's not rice. i've had my car 8 years and couldn't imagine driving anything else. i have a kit and wing on it and planning a whole slew of mods including a bmw headlight conversion, relocated gas door, shaved door handles and rear tail lights and the big finish...vertical doors...on top of a candy paint job. i know, expensive but to me it's worth it to have an ORIGINAL car. i may get another car later for a daily driver (tranny's still kicking w/ 200k on it-engine replaced tho w/ 60k+)
I also concure w/ "...auto. They have to shift twice before you hit second!" I love coming off the line a full car length ahead of the rice. the lower gears are bigger and quicker
All in all, as far as performance mods go, u really just have to find the little things that are fairly generic, even 10 hp is big when u only starting off w/110 stock.. If the cost of fixing ur cavy over and over again WHILE ur hooking it up is too much, then go ahead and find something else, but if u love the damn thing sooooo much, then BY GOD BE ORIGINAL!!!

[4dr92cavi4cyl]

^
Finally, someone agrees with me!

Originally Posted by Ghost-CAVy

if you can afford to mod a 94 2.2 cavalier...then you can afford a 95-99 cavalier...you can get one with less then 100,000 miles and for less then 3 grand

ok dude...

Who CAN afford to mod their car, fortunatley for us parts for these car are cheap, cause they are old. Anybody who has money will pay too much for parts that can be made cheaper with patience, research, and some good conections in machine shops. Why pay RSM $300+ to bore a TB when a local machine shop can do it way cheaper. And yeah, RWD conversion is unrealistic, but it's the thought that counts. An LD9 swap out wouldn't be too bad though, like I said, if you have patience and some good friends you can do it cheap. If I had an aftermarket shop do the swap I could Imagine the cost around a few grand, but I could do it for under a grand. It's just an idea for now.

If I sell my car I'll get $800 for it, then I'll need a loan for $2-3k, then find a 3rd gen. that probably has problems for only $3k, and change insurance, then get new tags, pay taxes, and of course fix all the stuff that's going to break in next three months, like any used car. Now I'll have payments, plus I'll be payin' full coverage insurance due to the loan. I've went from payin' almost nothin' to a few hundred $ a month. NOW how am I gonna mod this thing?

That couple hundred bucks a month can go toward the 2nd gen!


I know what's good or bad on my car, I've had it for over five years. I know what it's worth to ME! About $6000, cause that's how much I have invested in it already, mostly in maintenance. It's in good shape for 200,000mi! Why sell what you know is good for something you know nothing about. Making payments and repairs at the same time sucks, I had to do it with this car and it wasn't that bad, but a newer car is gonna cost more to fix.

[KJRich]

I don't have a second gen, but I also think you should fix up what you like. Its not like ANY (1st, 2nd, 3rd gen) of them are gonna be worth money 20 years from now.

[lexxxx]

i agree BIG time, i have a 90 2.2 5 spd with a 161,000 miles on it and i luv it to death. most of my mods are home made but work real well. i had my throttle body bored and my head port and polished for like $150 for both at a machine shop here. a freand hoocked me up. noticed a big diferance in horsepower. i beat hondas alot in my town. they look all suped up with there stickers and cool paint job, and fuel injection. but my stock white cavi kicks there ass. i say if its yours its nobody elses and that makes it special enough to mod the shit out of it. yes i do wish there were more mods but life is tuff. the older you get the less people want to play with you.

[lexxxx]

here are some good mods man hope you use them well


1. crane cam $138.88
crane cam rockers $169.99
2. edlebrock head $582.88
3. motormounts $70.00
4. magnaflow Exhaust $150.00
5. wai $50.00
6. port and polish $100.00
7. throttle body bore $100.00
8. Holley Red Electric Fuel Pump $95.99
9. Acel 8.0 Ml spark plug wires $26.88
10. Bosch platnum plugs $20.99

2nd gen beating 3rd gen priceless

thats just the tip of the iceburg for mods i forgot another easy one is a high flow cat. these prices may vary depending on where you live. hope these help some what.

[cavi_93]

where do u get a wai for $50?

[CavLCD128]

y would you want a WAI? i thought the whole point of CAI was because colder air is better for the engine, err...faster....better performance or something??? thats y they have coolers for turbos

[blopop]

Dude just buy a 95-98 cavalier z24 thats gonna realy worth it..oh and u wana do somtin thats realy gonna make a huge difference?? dont get a auto!! it suxxx cuz the transmition is electronic so its takes more time and bla bal im not an expert on that..but i know 1 think..my 2.2 can pwn a z24 auto just cuz its auto..get an straight pipe...header and air intake(gonna cost u...maybe 500-600 expept if u go on fancy magnaflow exaust system(about 1k!!) dont try to do enthin with ur car...and like i told u..just if it wasnt automatic...ud have seen a HUGE difference at low rpms(lets say...0-40/50mph) oh and somthin else...get a new clutch if u buy a new car!! stage 1 will do the job for u, beter shifting = less speed lose!

[4dr92cavi4cyl]

Originally Posted by blopop

..oh and u wana do somtin thats realy gonna make a huge difference?? dont get a auto!! it suxxx cuz the transmition is electronic so its takes more time and bla bal im not an expert on that..

Please...read over your typo-infested-text-message-style post at least once before clicking submit.


I'll admit, it's much more fun driving a 5 speed... but you have to be consistent, with your launch, shift points, shifting speed and accuracy, and you'll still have that moment of zero power to the wheels between gears.

Sure, there's a little lag in auto launches, but there's a little trick for that, that is nearly as fast as a "perfect" 5sp launch. NO gap between gear shifts, in fact, an auto can gain some speed while shifting. Plus, it's much harder to break something with an auto since it IS electronically controlled, as oposed to missing a shift and over revving or grinding gears or killing your clutch, etc.

In a nutshell: 5 speed is fun, but automatic consistency is BULLET PROOF!

BTW, my 92 3sp automatic transmission has "turbo" stamped right on top of it, did I get something special?

[driftking8732]

more power to u guy for doing what u want, i mean if you want to do it do it, for example i have a 98 cavalier and all my friends are like blah blah blah buy a honda or anything else but the cavalier, i just dont listen to them, and now they kick themselfs in the but butt when they see me rape rsx type s all day long with no prob, so just go with what u want it is your build. just a sugestion to the racing muffler, just go to a exhaust shop and put up the money like(300 - 500$)depending on the car, while your at that pick up a header for like (150 - 250$) just prices ranges) along with that racing style muffler get better peformance and better sound