Learn me J bodies

Learn me anything i need to know about all of the 4 banger powered models. Auto trans info as well as stick, this is for a girls first car and I might be able to get a running one for free but I don't know E36 M3 about it. Also how competent can they handle when stock? junk yard upgrades ect. Yeah I never thought I'd ask about J bodies

on a side note, I'm watching the movie Swordfish and DAMN Halle Berry is so hot

Do you mean the Chrysler Lebaron ?

If so what year and such , hard top , turbo ? Paul B

Sorry, J body of the Chevrolet/ Pontiac variety

Donebrokeit wrote: Do you mean the Chrysler Lebaron ? If so what year and such , hard top , turbo ? Paul B

I am pretty sure a Leberon was a K car?

Run away.

My one and only GM experience. 1997 Chev Cavalier. Must have been a Friday or Monday car. It had a tech wrap sheet a mile long by time I traded it in from my Mazda.

That said my mom's 4 door auto rust bucket lasted 10 + years.

A.

I wouldn't take a free one, unless it was a mint early style Z24, and then only because I would find it humorous.

Blitzed306 wrote:

Donebrokeit wrote: Do you mean the Chrysler Lebaron ? If so what year and such , hard top , turbo ? Paul B

I am pretty sure a Leberon was a K car?

FWD LeBarons were H and, later, J-cars. They were K-based, but weren't completely interchangeable with their K forefathers. The Daytona was a G-body, also K-based, but also not 100% interchangeable. P-cars (Shadow and Sundance) were derived from he G-platform. L-bodies (Omnis and Chargers) were not related to the K and predated the ubiquitous Mopar platform. Sorry for hijacking the thread.

Moparman wrote:

Blitzed306 wrote:

Donebrokeit wrote: Do you mean the Chrysler Lebaron ? If so what year and such , hard top , turbo ? Paul B

I am pretty sure a Leberon was a K car?

FWD LeBarons were H and, later, J-cars. They were K-based, but weren't completely interchangeable with their K forefathers. The Daytona was a G-body, also K-based, but also not 100% interchangeable. P-cars (Shadow and Sundance) were derived from he G-platform. L-bodies (Omnis and Chargers) were not related to the K and predated the ubiquitous Mopar platform. Sorry for hijacking the thread.

No problem, you REALLY know your mopars my friend

Back on topic. I LOVE the first gen Z-24s. My wife had a 2.8 liter Citation and it could take 305 Camaros stoplight to stoplight. The weak point was the auto transaxle. It was toast at 55,000 miles.

I have owned several.

They are basic, 80's design FWD cars. There are lot's of bad ones out there, but there are so many that there are also no shortage of good ones.

Base model 2.2 pushrod motors are OK for what they are. They actually move along pretty good. Some blow head gaskets. The 2.4 Z24 makes 150/150, goes much better, and still gets great MPG.

They are for the most part reliable, but simple, basic and cheap cars. Lowering springs can be had (like anything else for the J body) for peanuts, and they handle OK on good rubber, but are no sports car. If you get it to handle, it will ride like E36 M3.

Our family car was a 99 Z24 for almost 10 years, and 240k

My MIL's base 95 car was dead reliable until she traded it in on a new 03, and my 00 Z24 project/commuter car was perfect for 4 years, and over 100k

My first car was a 94 Cavalier handed down from my mother. It had the 3.1 V6 in it and at the time I thought it was great. It wasn't fast by any means but it wasn't terribly slow either. They're pretty crappy cars but we had ours in my family for ~8 years and I don't ever remember anything major happening to it. Just kept up with regular maintenance and it was fine. Most used ones will be completely trashed, but they are very cheap to fix up.

I put bigger wheels with big fat tires on it when I was 16 and thought it handled well enough.

A wise man once said: "There's nothing more expensive than a free car !"

Chebbie_SB wrote: A wise man once said: "There's nothing more expensive than a free car !"

I disagree, I got a FREE 94 BMW 318i and all I did was put a wheel bearing in it. almost 7 thousand miles later it has not cost me a penny besides gas tires and oil

In reply to Blitzed306:

You would agree that yours may be a rarity?

These are not the J Bodies you are looing for:

1980 Mirada

1980 Cordoba

1981 Imperial

I saw a cimarron today. Other than that, I am no help.

Chebbie_SB wrote: In reply to Blitzed306: You would agree that yours may be a rarity?

Oh yeah, I'm shocked every time it starts

my wife has an 02 that she bought new. basic 2 door 2.2/auto cavalier. 140k+ later it still takes her back and forth to work every day. i've driven it to florida, virginia, chicago, northern michigan, and everywhere else. it never skips a beat and is as reliable as the sun coming up every morning.

great little beater commuter car that returns 32+mpg. they are not the noise E36 M3 boxes most people who have never driven one or drove a 1984 one think they are. typical of any bargain basement car the interior is mostly hard plastic or hard cloth, but who cares they are cheap and hard to kill.

i can not comment on handling because coming from any of my massive vehicles it feels like i am in a go kart attached to rails.

I agree with most of what's been said.

My first running car was an 87 cimarron. Little did i know at the time that that was the best j-body ever built. The motor was trashed and i never fixed it, many regrets.

Subsequently i got into k-cars and then looking back at j-bodies, i found they are not quite as simple, but they dont do anything better, they break more (turbo k's notwithstanding), they fall apart more, they arent as cheap (hard to believe), etc etc. Basically the only ones i'd pay a dime for now are an 87-88 cimarron or an 86 z24 or 89-90 z24 convert.

The later ones with the 2.4 were pretty zippy, all things considered.

The thing i disagree with is that the 2.2 moves ok.. unless its a 5spd its one of the slowest damn things around. If it IS a 5spd it will feel like a 16 second in first gear... only. Not so much the others.

Id get the 2.4/5spd and put tires and springs on it and very little else.

Had a 2000 Sunfire GT, 2.4L auto. Never gave me any trouble for the 60K miles or so that I had it.

You can try j-body.org too. That was THE Cav/Sunfire forum when I had mine.

Edit for hotlink:

they are good cars- simple to fix and parts are cheap. they aren't fast and they aren't flashy, but if it's still alive today it's one of the good ones.

Before my current Subie, I owned a 97 Z24. I had no complaints with it. The 2.4 with the 5spd is a fun combo that ran well for me for the three years I had mine. Gave me 28-30 mpg highway on most days maybe 25 around town.

Moparman wrote: FWD LeBarons were H and, later, J-cars. They were K-based, but weren't completely interchangeable with their K forefathers. The Daytona was a G-body, also K-based, but also not 100% interchangeable. P-cars (Shadow and Sundance) were derived from he G-platform. L-bodies (Omnis and Chargers) were not related to the K and predated the ubiquitous Mopar platform. Sorry for hijacking the thread.

The first FWD Lebarons were K cars both 2 and 4 door, later they went to "K based" H body for the 4 door and J body for the 2 door. The 4 door later went to the AA body.

Ok threadjack complete.

The only thing I can say about my 99 is that it is dead reliable. In 4 years I've put in a radiatior, front brakes, and a valve cover gasket. The ABS is a bit sensitive to worn tires. i keep cheap snow tires on it all year and as long as the tires touch the ground it has been unstopable everty winter. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/reader-rides/265/

My only complaint aboiut J-bodies is the seating position and seats. I find them extremely uncomfortable. Too low, and it doesn't feel as if you sit square to the pedals (at least in the ones I've driven).