At $7,500, Is This 1986 Chevy Cavalier Z24 A Dashing Deal?

Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Chevy Cavalier wears antique car plates, which seems somehow incongruous considering the car’s humble origins. Let’s see if its price tag proves equally surprising.

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Whether it’s a black tie ensemble, Neoclassical architecture, or Tiffany jewelry, elegance never goes out of style. That’s probably why yesterday’s achingly elegant 1948 Bentley Mark VI Sports Saloon resonated so thoroughly with all of us. We are, after all, classy AF. The Bentley’s $13,950 price also proved to be in a class of its own, earning the stately sedan a solid 84 percent Nice Price win.

Bentley has always been a brand for people with discriminating tastes and ample wallets. Chevrolet, on the other hand, has long strived to fulfill the needs of the common individual. Even the company’s fanciest and most well-equipped models tend to undercut the competition and, aside from a handful of special models, have been built in vast numbers.

This 1986 Chevy Cavalier Z24 hatchback is one of the Bowtie brand’s cars for the people and was only the second FWD car the company ever offered. The Cavalier nameplate was borrowed from GM’s British subsidiary, Vauxhall, and in return, that brand received its own—albeit more European-ized—version of the model. Opel also received the car, although it continued the Ascona name. In fact, GM’s J-Cars would be sold on every corner of the globe under various GM brands and, oddly enough, under others like Toyota.

The line was originally designed to replace the Vega-based Monza, with the two-door and hatchback being the direct descendants. Additional four-door, wagon, and convertible models expanded the Cavalier’s reach and appeal, and overall, the lineup proved a success for Chevy.

Remarkably, the hatchback—arguably one of the original Cavalier’s best-looking models—was among its least popular. Sales of the three-door trailed those of the two-door by more than 75 percent year after year, and when the Cavalier saw its first significant redesign in 1988, the hatch was kicked to the curb.

That makes this car one of the more rare Cavaliers, if such a thing could be claimed. Its Z24 package, which includes model-specific bodywork, wheels, and suspension tuning, along with the top-of-the-line 2.8-liter V6, four-speed stick, and a digital dashboard, makes it one of the most interesting. That port-injected engine sits sideways under the hood and sends its 120 horsepower to the front wheels.

According to the ad, this clean-title Cavalier’s original owner passed away, and follow that, their family sold it to the present owner. The car sports a mere 71,245 miles on the clock, with the explanation for so low a number being that it sat unused for several years. Under the present owner, it has gained a new exhaust and some sensors and received a tune-up, whatever that entailed.

It’s now described as a “turn-key” car that looks great and works well, save for the A/C, which is out of order, and a leaky moonroof. All the important stuff still seems viable, though. The fluorescent dash appears to work without issue, and while the moonroof may leak, it doesn’t seem to have had any impact on the interior, which looks time capsule fresh. A bit of headliner sag does give away the car’s age and the limits of its relatively cheap build.

On the exterior, both paint and trim look to be in great condition, as do the handsome wheels wearing new Michelins. The only fly in this Cavalier’s ointment is a missing title. According to the seller, the state of New Hampshire, which is where it is currently registered under antique car status, doesn’t require a title for a vehicle of this age. The seller reassures that they will provide all the necessary paperwork to transfer ownership. If it’s going out of state, a new title will likely be generated anyway.

To do that, however, any interested buyer must come up with the seller’s $7,500 asking for the car. That gets a great condition edition of what was originally a less desired body style, with the most desirable trim package. How weird is that?

What’s your tale on this Cavalier Z24 and that $7,500 price tag? Does that seem like a good deal on such a big blast from Chevy’s past? Or is that too much to relive the mundane ’80s?

You decide!

New Hampshire Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Nick Willis for the hookup!

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