That Sunfire again

[97sunvalier]

Some of you have seen the car most of you probably haven't. The car is a 97 sunfire with a cavalier front end conversion. Fully built 2.4L engine with 11.77:1 compression. The car is sitting on a custom modified set of struts and shocks with ground control springs. The rear wheels are 15x10 and the front are stock with 1.5" spacers, the 15x8or9 still need to be fabricated. The new parking garage has pretty good lighting so I went and took a few pics tonight, some were halfway decent.

[MrDanguy]

I was wondering if you'd ever come back.
What tire size did you go with in the rear?
Also care to share more info on your suspension set up?

[Jroc]

Its hard to make this car look nice, but I could see youre doing your best

[97sunvalier]

I was wondering if you'd ever come back.
What tire size did you go with in the rear?
Also care to share more info on your suspension set up?

225/50/15 on the rear. Its a hard size to find though, and pretty expensive for a 15" tire

The perches are gone from both front and rear. The front struts I cut the bottom mount off and moved it up the strut body 2" and re-welded them. welded new perches lower on the rear shocks. I am currently looking for some struts for the front that have shorter bodies but the same lower mount so I will have more clearance to the axle boots.

[MrDanguy]

I take it you're running Koni's?
I have D-specs... being that they're gas filled rather than oil... I don't think I can chop up the brackets to make the mounting point lower... shoulda went with Koni. >.<

[97sunvalier]

I take it you're running Koni's?
I have D-specs... being that they're gas filled rather than oil... I don't think I can chop up the brackets to make the mounting point lower... shoulda went with Koni. >.<

Honestly I'm not even sure what they are. They were red when I got the car but there aren't any adjustments on them, but if they were stock I'm sure they would have blown out a long time ago as low as they are.
You might still be able to do yours, grind slowly and don't weld a lot at one time or you will burn through the body of the struts. I wouldn't recommend going 2" though, because even with switching to smaller CV boots there still isn't enough space and they get shredded on the bottom of the strut hanging down when the suspension gets in a bind.

[MrDanguy]

Koni Reds? I don't think they make them anymore... atleast not for the J body.
I don't plan on dropping them 2 inches... maybe an inch at most.

I'm still weary about cutting / welding a gas strut... The guy at the machine shop cut them, with good results... it's the welding that really makes me nervous.

[HooWybrow]

225/50/15 on the rear. Its a hard size to find though, and pretty expensive for a 15" tire

The perches are gone from both front and rear. The front struts I cut the bottom mount off and moved it up the strut body 2" and re-welded them. welded new perches lower on the rear shocks. I am currently looking for some struts for the front that have shorter bodies but the same lower mount so I will have more clearance to the axle boots.

I find this hard to believe, sorry. Having gone through this myself, I know for a fact there is MAYBE an inch to gain there. I raised mine an inch total and the only reason it worked is because the axles are on such a ridiculous angle.

Regardless, car looks a lot better than it did last time.

[244Brick]

Looks good man.. your doing something no one else has and that's making a Sunfire desirable.

[97sunvalier]

I find this hard to believe, sorry. Having gone through this myself, I know for a fact there is MAYBE an inch to gain there. I raised mine an inch total and the only reason it worked is because the axles are on such a ridiculous angle.

Regardless, car looks a lot better than it did last time.

I can't use the stock boots at all, I have smaller silicone ones on that are pulled as far up on the wheel bearing side as I can get them, they are a huge pain in the ass. Maybe I got a little more out of it because of the different engine/trans combo. I have the ld9 with the isuzu trans, If I ever do it again I won't go 2" its too much trouble when you get a new axle and have to change the boot before you can even put it on the car.

Looks good man.. your doing something no one else has and that's making a Sunfire desirable.

Thanks man. I'm just doing what I can with what I have.

[MrDanguy]

Thanks man. I'm just doing what I can with what I have.

THIS equals the reason I do what I do.

[rice4life]

I like the back of the sunfire, **** the front, I like the front of the cavalier, I **** the back.

This is an awesome combo.

[97sunvalier]

I like the back of the sunfire, **** the front, I like the front of the cavalier, I **** the back.

This is an awesome combo.

I don't know why they didn't put them together like this originally. These lines were meant to be together and flow so much nicer than either of the original cars.

[gionni]

I like it !!!!

[azncav]

makes me semi miss my cavi lol