For the whole 24-12 months output run of the GM J platform (finest recognised for the Chevrolet Cavalier), the Pontiac Division made available new J-Entire body autos for sale in the United States. 1st there was the J2000, adopted in fast succession by the 2000, 2000 Sunbird and Sunbird. The Sunbird trapped all-around right until the Cavalier obtained a main redesign for the 1995 design 12 months, at which level Pontiac altered the car’s name to Sunlightfireplace. Present-day Junkyard Gem is 1 of those early Sunfires, a top-of-the-line SE convertible with the optional large engine and manual transmission.
The Sunfire was an incredibly close sibling to the exact same-yr Cavalier (by the late 1980s, all the other US-sector GM divisions experienced dropped their J-vehicles, which meant no extra Skyhawks, Cimarrons or Firenzas), really tricky to distinguish from its in close proximity to-twin at a glance.
The base motor for the 1997 Sunfire convertible was the pushrod 2.2-liter straight-4 that run so many J-bodies of the 1990s. That engine developed just 120 gnashing, valve-floating horsepower, not considerably by late-1990s criteria. For a mere 450 further pounds, however, the 2.4-liter Twin Cam motor and its high-revving 150 horses could be had by ’97 Sunfire potential buyers. That is what is actually in this car.
This is one particular of the customers of the Oldsmobile Quad 4 family, while some fanatics will yell at you if you use that name to the variations that you should not have massive QUAD 4 lettering forged into the valve protect. This is the most potent motor at any time utilised in output Sunfires.
For 1997, Pontiac available a 4-velocity computerized transmission for no more price tag in the Sunfire convertible. Consumers of all other Sunfire types that yr had to shell out either $550 or $810 ($1,026 or $1,511 in 2023 dollars) for a two-pedal rig. That signifies that the consumer of this car or truck seriously wanted the five-velocity manual transmission (or just hungered for the $810 credit provided in the great print for takers of the manual).
A great deal of cost-free-respiration motor electrical power, 5-on-the-floor driving satisfaction and the open up skies above. What a pleasurable car!
This a person made it to virtually 180,000 miles.
For this car or truck with the Quad 4 underneath the hood and a clutch pedal on the flooring, the MSRP was $18,539 (about $34,584 nowadays). Its Cavalier LS convertible twin with the exact engine/transmission set up charge $17,365 ($32,394 now). This motor vehicle has a bunch of selections, such as the 15″ Rally aluminum wheels, so the out-the-doorway price tag would have been better.
The last year for the Sunfire was 2005, identical as the Cavalier. The remaining Sunfire convertibles rolled off the Lansing line as 2000 designs.
You’ll obtain a person in every single car or truck. You may see.
A awesome new way to worship the sunlight.
Let us hope Edvard Munch’s descendants received paid properly for this.