Cavalier: To Turbocharge or Not

[Asinity]

If the Regal GS doesn't do it for you, look into a Grand Prix GTP.

[Ach]

Look for a good used Cobalt SS supercharged. Lots of them on the used car market at very reasonable prices. Installing a turbo and converting a tranny will cost a pretty penny (maybe more than the car is worth) and leave you with questionable reliability at best.

[cdp326]

^ And with the supercharged 2.0L there's the Saturn ION Red Line as an option as well.

[454]

Originally Posted by Asinity

If the Regal GS doesn't do it for you, look into a Grand Prix GTP.

Yeah but then you have to wander through the abyss that is clubgp

[01sunfire01]

gm makes a superchager kit for the 2.2 in the cavaliers and sunfire but i would just get a cobalt

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Originally Posted by Suziebob

So, I'm a college student with my first car. I've realized that since I may plan on continuing my education for a while, the funds for a new Camaro or Caddy may not be available for... let's say a few product cycles.

I'm sitting here with a 2003 Cavalier LS Sport Coupe. Tuners have proven this is a more than capable platform. Let's just say right off the bat that I am not a tuner. I shopped Mustangs and Camaros when I was looking for a car, but at the time gas prices made a big V8 too expensive to own, and I think it's a sin to do a great car an injustice by driving it in V6 form.

So... I don't really know much about actually doing work on cars. I know how stuff works but I've never worked in a garage.

What I want your advice on is... should I get my car turbocharged? It would have to be done by someone else but I have access to some decent places. The car is an automatic, which presents some problems. We're going for maximum durability here.

Should I go through with this? Should I have it converted to a stick? Can anyone recommend a brand of turbocharger? Any info would be helpful.

It is silly to convert a Cavalier to a stick when the autobox still is functioning and stick Cavaliers are easily found

[pimpinaintez17]

www.turbosystem.com - Hahn Racecraft has a lot of experience with ECOtec motors and boosting them.


www.cobaltss.net or www.redlineforums.com have great info, i have an Ion Redline myself and love it. the cobalt ss/sc and ss/tc will not swap engines easily at all but you can go to the Hahn Racecraft website and they have a turbo conversion for the ss/sc if your ultimate goal was a turbocharged car.

[schmallz]

Cobalt Super Sport?

My parents just picked one up for my lil bro.

He's not quite sixteen yet, so I get to drive it every now and then.

Compared to my stang, it comes up short, but it is in no way dissapointing



30 MPG?
FWD Champ around the 'ring?
25,000?

Those brembos are nice too, makes me want to buy a pair or two.

[schmallz]

Originally Posted by 454

Boosting any car not designed for it originally is pretty risky. The only safe way to monitor this is with a tuner. The biggest issue you will see is predetonation or knock, as the increased heat within the engine from the compressed air from the turbo can ignite the fuel in the cylinder at the wrong time and cause major problems.

Any one just hooking up a power adder to their engine is crazy, it probalby needs a forged rotating asembly, new heads, valves, cams basic exhaust, intake and cooling upgrades, and a tune that can utilize all those goodies.

I've never had the urge to look under the hood of a cavailer, does it at least have a coil pack, or coil-near-plug set up? Pick up some high quality spark plugs for $10 a piece.

Once again, is the Car worth investing this much money in?

You can easily thow alot of money into one of these things pretty fast, how much power do others make from the 2.2? Is it enough for you, do you have a Horsepower goal? If you're like me, its not a number, just more.

You could be a boy racer like myself, if you're only looking at V8 pony cars then you must be, in that case you have alot of plans for your car, some of them realistic, some of them not.


Personally I want to keep my stang for as long as I can, I would probably look into a Fiesta or Aveo in 3-5 years(only if the Aveo looks like the Agile images i've seen around here, and eventually work my way up to a LaCrosse or MKZ or something.

Like I said with the Cobalt SS a turbo four banger can be one hell of an engine, but it just don't compare to a ~380hp N/A V8.

[CadiEldo67]

Originally Posted by 454

Ah no love for the Buicks! The ladies will the the comfortable and spacious interior....

Especially if you go old-school early 90's and get one with the lovely velvet like interior.

But I'm would recommend a Grand Prix GT/GTP hands down. The '97-03 still looks fairly recent (when compared to a Ford Taurus of that generation) and the possibilities are endless - oh and the fuel consumption isn't bad either.

[schmallz]

Originally Posted by Smaart Aas Saabr

It is silly to convert a Cavalier to a stick when the autobox still is functioning and stick Cavaliers are easily found

A Little off topic

I'm not knocking Saab, I think they are great cars, and I am relieved that Koningseg stepped up to the plate, is that how you spell it?

But do you know what S.A.A.B. stands for?

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by schmallz

A Little off topic

I'm not knocking Saab, I think they are great cars, and I am relieved that Koningseg stepped up to the plate, is that how you spell it?

But do you know what S.A.A.B. stands for?

The Name Saab actually is an acronym for the company's original name which was (Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget) back when it was a division of the Swedish Aeroplane Company.

[GMfan1111]

Originally Posted by schmallz

A Little off topic

I'm not knocking Saab, I think they are great cars, and I am relieved that Koningseg stepped up to the plate, is that how you spell it?

But do you know what S.A.A.B. stands for?

And I do agree Saabs are decent cars and they are also very resistant to hot wiring by car thieves due to the design of the floor mounted ignition

[schmallz]

Originally Posted by GMfan1111

The Name Saab actually is an acronym for the company's original name which was (Svenska Aeroplan Aktie Bolaget) back when it was a division of the Swedish Aeroplane Company.

Sad atempt at beauty

[454]

Originally Posted by schmallz

Sad atempt at beauty

What are you talking about?