In this video, we'll talk about Chevrolet's front wheel drive performance offerings in the late 80's and early 90's. The Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, Beretta Z26, and Lumina Z34.
@@Damone7653 OK, we bought an 88 new, our first new car. drove it for nearly 20 years, 340 thousand miles trouble free, til my youngest daughter wrecked it, I've said to my wife a thousand times, that's the one car I would love to buy new again.
Affordable sporty cars that can fit the whole family. I had 4 adults and myself in my Beretta GT several times. I also knew a single mother of 3 who drove a Lumina Z.
@@74MaverickMan Strange how times change in the sense that the Beretta/Corsica were considered almost mid-sized back then, and yet a modern day Corolla is now about that size.
I bought the Cav Z24 new in 88. Had the blue one with digital gauges. A great car that got a lot of looks (for the time). Will never forget those sweet checkerboard patterned wheels.
In 1989 I wanted to buy my wife the Cavalier Z24, "really for me". She insisted on the 1988 Celebrity station wagon with the 3rd seat and the 2.8 V-6, she won out. It was a super family choice car, as we put 245,000 miles on that 2.8 engine untill we sold it in 2004 for junk. Always have listened to the wife since 1988, sigh!
Mom had the 89 blue convertible with the digitial dash...until the digital died and was plug-n-play swapped with a brand new analog type. Those digital clusters were notoriously bad and the dealers knew it.
I owned three Z-24’s back in the 1990’s. An ‘87 5-speed, ‘89 automatic and a ‘90 automatic. The factory exhaust was a huge restriction on these cars. Dynomax used to sell an upgraded cat-back system that would really wake these things up and give them a throatier growl. We consistently saw as much as 5 tenths shaved off 1/4 mile times after install. My ‘87 was the quickest and ran a best of 15.5@89mph in the 1/4 mile. Slow by today’s standards, but held its own for what it was in the early 90’s
These cars are so underrated, especially with manual transmissions. I had an 88' Z24 in the early 2000's and the car was a lot of fun. It's a shame that there is barely any aftermarket support for these, parts are getting tough to find.
When a co-worker bought his '88 Z-24 new, nothing was available. By the 1990s, the list had grown to just struts, springs, suspension bushings, and a K&N air filter - all of it went on my then-new '94 Sunbird LE V6 MT. With a 17" wheel fitment, that car the epitome of driving a 'slow' car fast back then.
I think that the third generation all came with a 4 cylinder engine, but the Z24 it was different and chain drive. Not that sure but this engine is very well engineered ! @@andrewdonohue1853
@@MarvinHartmann452 The "Z" was only available in '85 as an '86 MY car. The first year for the 2.8 in the Cavalier was as an option in the '85 convertible.
My second car was an 86 Camaro RS with the 2.8l lead slug! I remember wanting a Beretta so bad when they came out! The late eighties and early 90s were the era of the fwd sport coupes and hot hatches, before trucks took over.
My father bought a Lumina Z34 Eurosport coupe new. Silver, red on the mouldings, boomerang rear spoiler, auto w/console shift, that thing was reasonably peppy 👍. It served him well for 10 yrs. And since the 90s I've never seen another one like it.
Love these 80's front drivers. My first car in 87 was an 86 Z24. Wrecked it then got an 87 Shelby Charger GLHS. I remember it like yesterday. Ran both at Englishtown NJ. Z24 16.01 and the GLHS 14.87 both bone stock. Both were great fun cars for their day. Best was smoking the LG4 cars with both and some tuned port f-bodys with the Shelby. Times were good. Thanks for the memories.
In the early 1990's my buddy and I raced one hot day, 95+ degrees, my 91 Pontiac sunbird LE 2-door 3.1v6 5 speed vs 85 omni GLH turbo. My v6 ran 16.0-16.3 and his best in the GLH was 15.999! What a day!
I personally always loved the ‘90s Chevy FWD Z models. I’ve owned two Beretta GTs. One was an ‘89 with the full digital cluster, the other was a ‘92 with the W26 package (GTZ suspension with the Beretta Indy wheels). I also had a ‘95 Z26. They were all high mileage winter cars but they were awesome. I also had a 1991 Lumina Z34, which as a teen was my dream car. Absolutely loved that car. Only one I never got was a Z24 Cavalier. Best part though is the exhaust note of that old 3.1 MPFI V6. Even with the muffler rotted off they sounded amazing. There is no other V6 anywhere that sounds like that engine.
I loved this video! I bought one of those new in 1989 a z24. it was my first new car! I was 26 years old at the time. And as you can imagine at that age being so excited of having your first brand new car!! Man the memories it brings back to me! Mine was burgundy red with grey interior. The engine was the 2.8 multiport injection. For its time it was a very peppy quick little car! I definitely had a lot of fun driving it, I was living in Chicago at the time, I drove it to California and Arizona a few times during the times the I owned it. I put almost 200 thousand miles on it, until I started having issues with the computer and ignition, the water pump started to leak so I had to replace it, also problems with the air conditioner too much to mention! So it sat on the side in front of my house for about a year before my nephew offered to buy it. I ended up giving it to him, he put it in his garage to work on it, and after almost a year, got it fixed. Then he sold it, and that was the end of it. Boy! I miss the car now! To me it’s still looks great after all this years! To me the best years of that model was 88 through 92! I enjoyed this video! Thanks for sharing!😎👍
The Chevy Lumina Z34 was my all time favorite next to the Cavalier Z24 and Breatta Z26. Back in 2006 I had a used 1993 in black exterior with grey interior I was 26 years old at the time. The 3.4L twin cam V6 overheated and cracked the block. I wanted to put a 3800 V6 to replace it, but no funds and hard times didn't make it any better.. Had good times in it.
Great vid! I grew up in Detroit and remember seeing these literally everywhere. Of all of these models, the Beretta GTZ was my favorite- from a performance standpoint. HO Quad 4, 5MT and firm suspension.
Geez does this bring back memories! I had a black 89 Z-24, 2.8l, 5 spd, digital dash! What a car back then fresh out of college, I cut the muffler off and added one of those "monza euro-type" twin outlet mufflers from J.C.Whitney that you could see right through! It sounded so good. Thanks for sharing this!
I've owned an 86, 88, 93 and 97 Z24, and a 1996 Sunfire GT. All great cars, but my favorite was the 86. Mine only had a 4 speed manual, I didn't think they offered a 5 speed. Had the digital dash in the 86 and 88, which was so cool at the time. 100% functional, too. Clutch replacement took all of 3 hours in the garage on jack stands.
Had an 88 Z24 with the 5 speed. One of the most fun little cars I owned. Sold it with nearly 150,000 miles and it still drove tight. I could never get the cruise control fixed though.
My high school girlfriend had a 1988 Cavalier Z24 hatchback! Was a cool car at the time and having gf with a car before me was awesome! I even took my driving test in it! Brings back memories. Love it!
When I bought my first car in December 1985, I got an '86 Cavalier VL because that's what I could afford. I had planned to replace it with a Z24 after 2 - 3 years, but my mileage would meant I had negative equity, so I kept it until it was written off as a total loss after I was run off the road. I wanted a Beretta GTZ when it came out, until the Achieva SCX appeared. I test-drove both and really enjoyed them, but decided they were still a little too expensive for my budget. Eventually, I created a faux Z-24 by buying a '94 Pontiac Sunbird LE coupe with the V6 and manual transmission in February of 1994 and modifying it with 215/45-17 tires on 17x7.5" wheels, Energy Suspension polyurethane control arm & stabilizer bar bushings, Tokico HP Blue dampers, and Eibach Pro-Kit springs in April of that year. That Sunbird wasn't as quick as those Quad 4-powered cars, but was a serious corner-carver after my mods. Slipping by law-enforcement officials unnoticed was probably easier than it would have been in those Z-cars. I had it for 9 years - of all the cars I've owned, that the one I miss most.
I was at university when the Z24 came out and they were very popular. I always liked the look of the Z24 and Z26. Great memories back to simpler days and more interesting cars. Thanks!
I ordered a brand new '87 Z24 hatchback,2.8 V6/5 speed,blue on blue.Added Stage 2 Hypertech chip,160 degree thermostat,Crane cam,3 inch Flowmaster exhaust. Surprised a lot of new and old V8 muscle back then!
I had a '91 Z24 and a '93 Z34, both 5-speeds, back in like 2001-06. Both were fun cars, not fast, really, but really nice driving cars and sounded GREAT for V6s. I always LOVED the Z26s and would've loved to have had one, but they were never very common and I never ran across one with a stick.
That 93 Z34/5 speed that you owned was and is extremely rare. I think less than 500 were made that year with the Getrag 5 speed manual. 1993 was also the last year for a 5 speed in any W body.
@@jiggity76 Really? I knew they were fairly rare just in general, because most folks didn't really want a stick in that kind of car, but I never knew that particular car was rarer than the rest of them. Cool! I've had a few pretty rare GMs over the years, because I decide I want a weird one and search them out, but I didn't think that one was an especially wild one. I should've held onto it.
@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney The Lumina Z34 and Euro 3.4 sedans were allocated the most for the LQ1's. The Grand Prix was second, and lastly the Supreme. GM offered the Getrag 284 from 91-93 in the Prix and Z34 but only up to 92 for the Supremes. For all 3 lines, 1992 and 1993 were the lowest production years. They made quite a few 5 speed cars for 91-92. What color was it?
@@jiggity76 Black. I thought the Z34 was the only W-car available with a 5-speed, that's cool about the Pontiac. By 'Supreme', do you mean Olds? That has to be the rarest by a lot, right?
@@The_sinner_Jim_Whitney Yup, Cutlass Supreme. They're very rare with the 5 speed. I do have a bud who has a couple of them though. In my car groups, another bud also has one.
Had a red ‘92 z24 w/5spd from ‘95-‘02. Tinted the windows and hooked up a boomin’ system in it. Sharp looking car, especially after it’s been waxed. Good times with it back then.
I am an absolute sucker for all things Z24. To me, it is the epitome of what a car should be - sporty, fun to drive, and give the feeling of having a powerful car while still being affordable. I have owned three - a 1988 I got in 1996, a 1986 I bought in 1999 and a brand new 2000 I bought in the summer of 2000. All were awesome cars and brought me a feeling of pure joy mile after mile. Pure lightning in a bottle - there will never be anything like it again. And ever since 2002 when I sold my 2000, I have wanted that back in my life again. Truly awesome cars in looks and performance.
When I got married in 89 our first car was a 84/85 Cavalier. Just a basic four cylinder and three speed automatic transmission and a/c being the only option. It got us by for a few years until we had to buy a 4dr car when the babies were born. I don’t remember doing anything to it other than basic maintenance.
The second car I bought was a blue 1989 Z24. The dealership sold me this new car with a check engine light burning bright starting less than 100 miles into owning it. Even with that beginning I did love this car. It took a great deal of time for the dealership to correct it. A couple of years later they went out of business. It wasn't the most reliable car I've owned but it was the most fun when it cooperated.
I had a blue Z24 convertible and my wife had a Z24 drop head coupe. I enjoyed starting both of them in the morning to the closest I'd ever get to the sound of a V12.
Correct, people often forget about the Euro 3.4 Lumina sedan. Only made from 92-94, all had Medium Slate Gray cloth interiors, and all were automatics. They were even lower production numbers than the Z34's. The also only came in White, Black, and Bright Red.
My co-worker had an 88 Cavalier Z24 in black. I always thought it looked cool. I was rockin' an 89 Riviera at the time so it would've been a pretty big downgrade for me. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
You're right about the Beretta. I saw them everywhere in the 90s, then in a blink they were gone. I always loved their tail lamp panel, but felt a huge let down when it didn't light up all the way across. Such a design oversight.🤦🤦
I buddy of mine bought a brand new Cavalier Z24 in '87. It was red w/black interior and the digital dash. It was a sharp car! I had a '92 Lumina Eurosport that was fun to drive, comfortable and nice looking
I had a 1994 Z26 in teal with the V6/Auto. It was my car at college. I still love the wheel design for those cars. Totally 90s. I can also say that I learned what torque steer was in that thing. You had to keep ahold of it. Make sure you're out of a turn before pushing on it. It was fun though it did have some pretty bad quality issues. One time I was at a gas station and getting back into the car, the pillar mounted door handle came off in my hand. I had to get in via the passenger side until I got that fixed. Shortly after that, the turn signal stalk came off in my hand. It was still attached via the wires, so when the dealership I took it to attached it back, there must have been some kind of short because every time I used the left side turn signal, smoke would come out of the steering column. I eventually got tired of these types of issues and traded the car in.
Always liked ( and probably still always will ) the Chevy's Z cars 4:54 Thanks for using my pic . The car was not mine but was in the neighborhood for so long that it was a kind of shock to me to see it for sale
Fun video (as is your accent - somewhere northeast?). It's always entertaining to my Brit eyes to see the parallels across the pond. Over here, we had similar early 80s Cavs, but the sporty Vauxhalls (obvs Opels under the badge) were more the Astra (smaller) and Nova (smaller still). I feel like we had some very similar wheels to those Z24s though - they're definitely sparking childhood memories!
Ive always loved these since i was a kid, along with the pontiac sunbird as well (since my mom had one) i eventually ended up buyinh a '94 sunbird 5 speed which was an awesome car!
Man makes me miss my Beretta. I had one before my EX blew the engine sky high, because she got mad at me and wanted me to leave relationship. That was the end of the relationship with my car and my ex that did it. Was a very good car to me. My buddy had a z34 lumina that one day we went over the speedo and before we knew I we must have been going 120+++ and went from one town to his home town in 15 minutes it was a 29 minutes drive 😂😂😂😂. He scared 😱 the crap outta me but it's one memory I never forget and we talk about all the time😂😂😂.
Man i miss my 92 Cavalier Z24 3.1 5 speed. I put in intrax lowering springs with KYB shock's, white 17 inch Konig 5 stars. I owned it around 98 and the only aftermarket upgade parts company's were making was for inports
These cars look great. I was a teen that just came from Cuba in ‘94. And I was used to the classic old American cars that you still see there. When I saw these cars, I thought they were from the future!! ‘90’s cars were awesome looking!
Loved mine and miss her a lot. I've owned 3, 90 auto z24, 89 manual z24, 94 auto z24. My friend was also into them, owning a 92 Corsica, 93 manual z24, and 96 auto z26. Ppl say slow, but 8-9 sec to 60 is normal for a 68 Shelby gt350 ... So all in perspective. And a great exhaust note from those v6s.
As a side note to my original post, since the cavalier, to cobalt, are all the same platform, I've always wanted to see someone take a first yr z24 hatch, and put in the k members, running gear, engine and the rest from the full fat turbo ss for 260 hp. That would be a really fun daily.
I have the last year made Z24 Cavalier Conv. just turned 27K. It is an automatic, I bought it from an old lady 9 years ago with 8K miles. I would rate the car a 9 outside and a 10 inside!
Own a 85 Type 10 with a 4 spd Manual.Alloy who's Factory sunroof in yellow gold.Sister had it 1990 -98 then I bought it.Its all orig except the radio.You bet garage kept and restored Alot on it.A extremely FUN car to drive.Mileage 205k no oil burn or leaks.The 1st gen stuff was the best,but some may disagree that's ok too.
When I was a kid these were everywhere. Hell even when I was a teenager. Gettin old. My sister and her husband had one of those Luminas. Early 2000s they were popular as $500 (probably less back then) junkers. A lot of kids in HS without a lot of money cruised em. The later 90's cavaliers were EVERYWHERE back then. Along with the pontiac version (Sunfire?). They were very popular cars up until 2015ish
I was in my 20s in the 80s and was so tempted to buy one of these. I could actually afford any one of these cars back then with my wage. Today i can forget to ever afford a new car today
I was about 10 or 12 yrs old. I befriended this kid who lived across the alley from me. His older brother who was in high school had a Beretta Z26. I loved that car. Unfortunately, I never owned any of the Z. Which I never understood why Chevy didn’t continue moniker. Then next moniker was SS. They could carried both trim levels. GM isn’t the smartest car company. While I was in high school my dad owned a 4 door Lumina Eurosport. I eventually bought 2 door Lumina Eurosport. I bought the Eurosport because many of Z34 or GP GTP’s were beat to shit. It was black with burgundy interior. I put dual exhaust and rims on it. That thing sounded similar to 5.0 Stang. I always thought about putting a Norstar V8 underneath the hood but didn’t have the money. Several years later Chevy finally did it to front wheel drive Monte SS. I always preferred the 02 body style of FWD Monte over the later body style.
We bought a new 88 Z24, our first new car as a young family, we drove it forever, 340 thousand trouble free miles, it got wrecked, it was still a good car.
I had an 87 Firenza GT 2.8W 5 speed & my father bought a new 94 Sunbird GT 3.1T 5 speed I couldnt believe how much they refined the chassis over 7 years ... compared to the 94 the 87 was a wild animal ... they had removed a lot of its seat of the pants personality , the torque steer was gone ... 1st gear low ..you stood on the 87 & the right front wheel headed straight for the ditch lol
When it first came out, the Z34 badge meant something. It meant a 3.4 liter dohc 24v V6(210hp) for the Lumina Z34 coupe. Nice car but I would have preferred the Lumina Euro 3.4 sedan.
the dreaded x code engine . They had issues with vacuum and fluid leaks at the intake , timing chain issues , headgasket issues and generally a terrible engine to work on . 3 hours to change an alternator , you had to go in through the passenger front wheel
@@donwarrington4916 I think you meant to say timing BELT issues. They did use a chain and belt but the chains were very durable. I myself have 2 cars with this X code engine. They've proven to be very reliable and I can get the alternator out now in about an hour.
@@jiggity76 The technicians use to love seeing these cars .As you mentioned they all figured out the shortcuts ....lol a majority of what I saw were alternators , vacuum leaks on the upper intake and headgasket leaks ....
Back in the day: had a 1988 cavalier z24 and a 1991 as well!! The exhaust noise was the bomb 👍👍 than had a 1994 Camaro z28 in forest green and than a 1996 Camaro ss!! Love the CHEVROLET CARS back in the day. Nevertheless now in 2024 I own a 2024 C8 and a 2024 Malibu 😆 those Chevrolet cars was so much fun back yesterday!!
I had an 87 Olds Firenza GT hatchback Loved that car ! 2.8W 5sp muncie *when Gm replaced the 2.8 W with the 3.1T they detuned the tranny so car wasnt faster * my 2.8 failed at 70K & unwittingly I dropped a new 92 Z24 3.1T in on the old ratio trans ..... holy crap ... I recommend it the 3.1T is essentially a stroked 2.8W
I had a torch red 93 Z34 Lumina, one of the most comfortable cars I have ever owned. It was decently quick for the time as well. I ended up trading it in for a new 95 z28 Camaro.
I had a 95 Z34 Monte way back then, I remember it being a pretty nice thing to take trips in and it used to make a buddy of mine so angry when it would walk his Z24 cavalier just because it felt so slow compared to the cavalier.
My first two cars were 89 Z24s, then i moved on to a Monte Carlo Z34 and finally a Camaro Z28....but like you i always wanted a Berertta, especially a GTZ, sadly never happened
3:28 The Cavalier ended production in 2004, and was replaced by the Cobalt for 2005. You're a few years off. My uncle and I each owned a Beretta GTZ - his was a white '91, Quad4 version, and mine was a flame-red '93 with the 3.1L. The Quad-4 was a little bit lighter and faster. I absolutely loved mine. Shame some jackass had to run a stop sign and smacked it hard on the front left, just in front of the front wheel, totaling it. This was back in 2000. If it weren't for that, I'd probably still own it today.
