Toyota/Chev Cavalier

[001 Neville]

Does anyone know anything about these? I was asked at the weekend if anyone is interested in one for sale with a GM2.4 engine. Is this the same 2.4 engine fitted to the Omega A at one time or a Yank engine? I thought this was just a Japanese model that had bagged the Cavalier name in NZ before Opel, since the Cavalier name was used for the Opel Manta/early Vectra models in UK.

[020 Brad]

It is NOT a Toyota. It is NOT an Opel. It is a GM Chevrolet Cavalier.

Stay well clear of this GM abortion/monstrosity. You have been warned


I don't have first hand experience myself, but have heard from mechanic friends that these things are not good cars.

[001 Neville]

I had no interest in it personally, Brad, but thanks for the warning. Was just curious whether they had grabbed the Omega 2.4 engine from the Opel parts bin which could have had some value. I don't like the rest of the shape anyway! F'ugly as Chad would say!

There seems to be some Toyota involvement, to sell the cars in Japan and get round their import taxes, or something like that.

[021 Chad]

Yes Fugly indeed!
I do have some experience with these though, funnily enough.

Most of these are Brazillian or Michigan made from what I've seen. The motors are actually strong, affectionatly known as the 4-4 or just ECOTEC, one of our members is using one of these as the basis for his Manta 400 project. The 4-4 however is not an Opel motor, it is very loosely based on the 'Family 2' 2.0 ECOTEC (X20XEV) head and block, the similarity however stops there as the mill was developed in the US as a separate project.
There have been some very successful projects for this motor as a base for some intensive big HP tuning. The motor by itself is tough, the electrics however are what lets it down.

The Chev cavalier as a whole is a comedy of electrical errors, if its electrical then chances are it's broken or breaking.
HOWEVER, I work with an ex mechanic who is now our machinery engineer. He has owned an early 90's cavalier for over 10 years and he reports that in this time it has given him not trouble what so ever. He even bought a spare motor to keep just in case, but the time when it would be needed has just not come. Even in standard guise these motors have a very strong torque curve and are actually a joy to pilot, attached to an under developed (truly american) sloppy handling, electronic mess of a chassis is mainly what lets it down.

To put things in perspective. The Chev Cavalier has a woeful resale value thanks to it's tempermental nature.
The GM 2.4L ECOTEC motor that powers it however is still in production and made it onto 'Wards top 10' engines for 2010. Not too shabby.

[020 Brad]

I don't think it's the same motor Chadwick. Though it does raise an interesting point as to the origion of the later chain driven "ecotec" motors and the development of these early beasties.

The motor that powers Cavaliers in 1995 was the Quad-4 engine, with later vehicles being powered by the LD9, which is a dirivative of the earlier motor. According to Wikipedia, the Quad-4 was a chain driven 2.4L engine, with 16 valves, a cast iron block and alloy head. It was developed in... 1987.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Quad-4_engine#LD9

Another interesting engine that I never knew about was the GM/Cosworth joint venture that is the Cosworth Vega. Could this engine be the C20XE in it's earliest form?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1975_ ... ega_Ad.jpg

The ecotec engine that was supposed to have been derived from the Opel Family 2 engines, didn't come about until the late 90's and to me, shares more with the GM motors above that the C20XE.

[168 Derek S]

good luck to who ever is going to put one of those motors in a manta

[002 Lindsay]

a few of these in Nelson one badged as a Chev and the rest as Toyotas,a couple of years back the local sparkie had one in workshop which for some reason had backfired in the injection system some how and did a lot of damage,plus a bit of a fire to cap it off,but it was fixed and its still about.he said it was a yank motor in it?

[001 Neville]

... one of our members is using one of these as the basis for his Manta 400 project....

One of the Opelforum members? Not heard anything about that so far

The GM 2.4L ECOTEC motor that powers it however is still in production and made it onto 'Wards top 10' engines for 2010. Not too shabby.

Is this the one used in the early Isuzu MU? (what a name, mystery utility! )

[168 Derek S]

C24NE went into the Vauxhall Frontera, its a 8V CIH motor, not the same as the one in the American Cavalier, the C24NE is the one that also is used in a Manta conversion to get it like a Manta 400
@ Chad = Maybe this is what the guy you mention above is doing?

[021 Chad]

Sorry I was a little mistaken,
The newer american 2400cc ECOTEC motor is derrived from the 2200cc ECOTEC that you'll find in the newer model Opels. This is the motor that Anthony K was planning to use in a Manta 400 replica build (http://www.opelforum.org.nz/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=345&hilit=manta+400&start=15).

The 'QUAD4' was an older motor developed solely by GM USA (Oldsmobile to be exact). Structurally the QUAD4 is a strong motor, it's most powerful stock version put out 190Hp in NA form it is the electrics that makes them a real issue. They were replaced by the ECOTEC range in 2001.

Here is a neat comparrison piece, a rather neat read:
http://www.rodandcustommagazine.com/techarticles/0812rc_gm_quad_4_ecotec_ford_zetec_duratec/index.html

[001 Neville]

Ok, haven't heard from Anthony K for a couple of years, so don't know where he's at with that project.

[168 Derek S]

I tracked down Anthony K's thread, been pretty quiet on how things went, sounded like he bought the 2.4 engine...
the 2.2 on the thread with the supercharger is the same Z22SE that's in my Holden Astra 2.2 Sri (not the same motor thats in a 2.2L Holden Vectra)
my understanding is the 2.2 is designed ground up as FWD only. So engine mounts are a problem when thinking RWD.
wonder how Anthony K got on in the end?