Image courtesy coconv
Some people might say we’re stretching it a bit to consider the Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 a candidate for the Class of 1986. Some people might even go so far as to say we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel, and it’s only April – what’s next, the NUMMI Nova?
On the other hand, some people have a genuine appreciation for the Cavalier and in particular the Z24. Conceived as a sort of little brother to the Camaro Z28, the Z24 bowed in late 1985 as a 1986 model year car after much delay. Though Chevrolet produced a “sporty” Cavalier before 1986 – the Type-10 – the Z24 was not its direct replacement; that duty fell to the Cavalier RS, also new for 1986. Both the RS and the Z24 used the F41 sport suspension, but where the 120hp 2.8-liter multi-point fuel injected V-6 was optional in the RS, it came standard on the Z28, as did a four-speed manual transaxle, rally wheels and full-body ground effects for that sporty look. Another major difference between the RS and the Z24: the RS could be had in five different Cavalier body styles – including the convertible – while the Z24 could only be had as a coupe or hatchback. Not until 1988 would Chevrolet make a Cavalier Z24 available in the convertible body style. With a few different engines, including the 3.1L V-6, the Z24 remained the top Cavalier through the 2002 model year.
While it was no world-class sports car, and in fact was laughable in the face of much of its competition, Chevrolet sold gobs and gobs of Z24s over the years, so there must have been some sort of attraction to them. So let’s hear it from you: To the fans of the Z24, what made them attractive and what will make them collectible? To the Z24′s detractors, what makes them unworthy of a space in your garage dedicated solely to 1986 vehicles?