A few weeks ago I went to the CSCS 2018 Season finale (more robust coverage coming soon) and became absolutely fixated on a Cavalier. Yes, I said a Cavalier.
The Cavalier that captured a lot of my attention was as much a Cavalier as it wasn’t a Cavalier. But it was still more Cavalier than any race car ever needs to be.
As you can see the object of my temporary obsession looks like an ’89 Cavalier, but likely doesn’t share a single part with one.
These days second gen Cavaliers are really pretty rare, so to see one (even in Pro Mod form) threw me for a bit of a loop.
Fiberglass front end removed there’s nothing Cavalier about the power plant, chassis, or really anything else.
You’ll have to forgive me for being light on specifics for this post, I didn’t get a chance to speak with the driver.
I didn’t spy a blower on the car but based on the physical size of the heads I’ll hazard a guess it’s a big block powered car. If I recall correctly Pro Mods (if this is indeed a Pro Mod spec car) have no upper limit for cubic inches naturally aspirated, so, this could be 500 cubic inches or better.
Fit and finish this car was incredibly well done. Especially considering the source material for design. All of the necessary body lines were present, the door gaps were quite good and the lights looked real from about five feet out.
The builder’s even went so far as to replicate the factory Cavalier dash out of fiberglass, vents and all. That’s serious dedication to looking the part.
Even the two-tone paint job carried through to the door jambs, something that can’t even be said of a lot of the show cars I see.
Cars like this really make me wish I knew more about drag racing, it’s one rabbit hole I’ve yet to explore to deeply. If anyone more information on this car (including corrections) let me know in the comments below.
As stupid as it is for me to be obsessed over a Cavalier, and yet here we are.
That is insanely clean for a race car, nice find
Weird they they put a 3rd gen dash in a 2nd gen Cavalier.
Yeah, I paid enough attention to Cavaliers back in the day that this stuck out like a sore thumb.
Haha. I would have never known, never been in a second gen!