GRM Project Car Hell: 1989 Pulsar NX SE vs. 1990 Chevy Cavalier Z24

Hey all.

My regular CL search today got me going on a whole "Ry's (Ry being me, of course) Project Car Hell" kick. I found a couple of cheap, oddball cars that, for some insane reason, I think could be fun as track toys. Both of these cars are SoCal specials, so no rust or anything like that to deal with. Here they are:

Car No. 1 - 89 Pulsar NX SE: Good condition, 1.8 DOHC, $900. Doing a little research, it seems that the CA18DE is actually a decent motor and makes good power for its displacement. Of course, the N13 chassis is anyone's guess. My google-fu was not strong enough to come up with any real information regarding modification or performance. I am thinking it is probably similar to its contemporary Sentra. Mayhaps this would be a really good beginner car in that it is dirt cheap, not worth anything, and if it 'splodes, no major loss...

Car No. 2 - 90 Cavalier Z24: I may want to do this one just for the mullet factor. It has the 3.1 V6, sweet 80's two-tone paint, and offset front license plate, all for $1000. I think junkyard dumpster diving could score some decent performance parts (not that I have actually looked this up, I'm just speculating), GM V6 swaps are all over the place, and a cameo by Vanilla Ice might be in the cards. Or I could just do the cheap-assed track rat thing and drive it till it 'splodes. Again, I don't think anyone would consider it a major loss.

So, which would you choose? I have no idea why I am doing this little exercise, but it has, inexplicably, captured my imagination.

Of course, what I SHOULD be doing, is looking into the 89 XR4Ti I found for $1250. But that might actually make a little more sense.

which ever is the nicer of the two. or three if you include the merkur.

go for the Cavvy if it's for a 5 speed.. they are fun little cars with a V6 and a stick.

There has never been anything cool about a Nissan Pulsar.

ddavidv wrote: There has never been anything cool about a Nissan Pulsar.

This must go in the magazine.

ddavidv wrote: There has never been anything cool about a Nissan Pulsar.

This, my friend had one in high school. It was terrible.

ddavidv wrote: There has never been anything cool about a Nissan Pulsar.

Agreed. I had to put a clutch in one. On the test drive, I was thinking what a funky, bland econobox....

Cavaliers actually have some pretty decent aftermarket support, or used to a few years ago. There is one good point to never making any real chassis updates for 14 years. I'd take the Cav.

Just to prove that there is a car for everyone, here is one redeeming feature for the Pulsar. The earlier ones were also available turbocharged, and I know turbo CA engines were used in other late 80s Nissans.

Stock Sportback

The better, Later model NX with the SR20.

And they all had T-Tops.

i don't know how you could not like a pulsar.

T-tops AND flip up headlights?!?!?!

and those diagonal tail-light slots.

i'm sure if you drove one of those 12-valve dudes with an automatic the excitement wore off quick. but the CA18DE ones are plenty zingy.

v6 cavalier is a recipe for cheap fast.

t3 + ford yellowtop injectors + FMIC + turbo grand prix computer chip = fun

The 3.1L Cavalier is the hot setup for local oval racing.
Of these choices, the Cavalier would win for the big engine in small car combo.
In years past I used to autox against a Sunbird that had the 3.1L and 5 speed. He did okay.

PS: I like the looks of that gen Pulsar.

I had the 12-valve dud with a 5-spd as one of my first cars and loved it. The fit and finish and interior were pretty nice for the time period. The seats were nice and bolstered, and who doesn't like T-tops? The same-era Cavalier is about the low point for interior quality in the history of the auto.

The Pulsar sucks by today's standards, but I had fun with mine at the time.

Wow, talk about a "toss-up". The Cavalier with a V6 has a 135 horses pulling a 2400+ pound car, the Nissan with it's DOHC 4 cylinder has 125 horses pulling a 2300 pound car....and the "wild card" Merkur.

Pluses for the Nissan are T-Tops and a removeable rear....trunklid(?) that can turn it into a smallish truck of sorts. For the Chevy? Cheap stock parts and probably several times more used parts in junkyards than the other 2 combined.

I'd go for the Merkur....for oddity and I prefer Fords over Chevys.

OP is right that the cav engine can be massively upgraded with junkyard parts. I think a 3.1/5spd coupe would run high 15s stock, but you could easily get it down to low 15s or high 14s with a top end swap from a newer car. Or a 3400 swap. Or, if you want even cooler and are ok with engine management challenges, 3500/3900.

You can get some nasty cams for those things...

Id go for the cav by a mile. Torque will keep you entertained while it's still relatively slow, and then when you mod it it will become semi-fast for fairly cheap.

Pulsar, because T-tops. Also, you can put in an SR20DE.

I'd probably hold out for a Merkur though. Nothing wrong with some RWD turbo fun.

Pulsar, because its unusual, because it's a 1.8 SE which is head and shoulders better than an XE, because you can take the hatch and t-tops off and enjoy the weather, and because the interior is really pretty decent.

and no matter how fast the Cavalier is, it still has a Cavalier interior, and nobody outside of the countryside thinks its even remotely cool. But depends on what you want, really.

/my opinion.

I would definitely choose the Pulsar.

There are very few cars that I would pick a Cavalier over.

Get the Z24 and then go here for tips http://www.v6z24.com/

60 degree V6 is one of my favorite engines.... you can see where I lean here.

I actually pretty well hate the 3100 and later ones. They are PITA stupid design where everything is in the way of everything else.

But i'd still take that cavalier over a pulsar. Now if it was a later cavalier vs an nx2000 i would shoot whatever i was drinking right out my nose at the idiocy of whoever asked.

Pulsar for sure! Why would you want a car that can be nick-named "Crap-olier"?

CA18DET powered the Nissan 180SX (240sx here) until the SR20 replaced it. Think there is mounting differences cast into the block (FWD vs RWD), but everything could be swapped over for a factory turbo charged solution.

go for the cavi. junkyard top end swap and boost it, stiffen it, and beat it. when it breaks, go back to pull a part.

i love me some GM 60*V6 engines.

www.60degreev6.com

and the interiors are a lot better when gutted, caged, and rhinolined.

and the interiors are a lot better when gutted, caged, and rhinolined.

Couldnt agree more.