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J-Body Show & Shine
Rainy Day Cant Dampen the Spirits of Dedicated Cavalier and Sunfire Tuners
As much as you might want to disrespect Cavaliers and Sunfires, these guys love their cars, and it shows. That is, after all, why they brought them down to a local drag strip for a Show & Shine organized by J-Body Club, with GM as the title sponsor. For those of you not up on your platform codes, J-body refers to Pontiac Sunfires and Sunbirds and Chevrolet Cavaliers, just as Delta platform refers to the chassis of 2004 and newer Chevrolet Cobalts and Pontiac Pursuits.
To tell you the truth, neither I nor a journalistic colleague that I spoke | | J-Body Show and Shine event highlighted GMs compact cars. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) |
with had very high opinions of Cavaliers and Sunfires coming in, perhaps owing to the less than stellar reputation for handling like a, well, low-rent econobox. That reputation is built on off-the-lot lease specials and beaters that have been beaten to parts-car reliability, but the cars at this show were from an entirely different planet.
 | | The amount of passion and care that owners displayed is amazing. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) | | />I have to admit that coming down to the J-Body S&S, the cynic in me was expecting lineups of primered & patched homemade body kits, and I wasnt entirely disappointed in that aspect, but the number of tight, impeccable tuning jobs far outstripped the handful of slightly sad but somehow hopeful DIY tuner kits that speak more of a tuners desire than skill. On the whole, there was no shortage of skillful modifications, | | Amber gauges, paddle shift manumatic function and sporty wheel are all a part of the new Auras interior. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) |
many featuring lowered suspensions with low slung valances, big spoilers and sound systems competing for aural attention in the field where all the cars were displayed. There were many Cavaliers and Sunfires lovingly and professionally modified, featuring everything from scissor doors, game systems, incredible airbrush paint jobs as well as any sort of performance-enhancing upgrade you can imagine.
Aside from all the personal works of devotion from local aficionados, | | This Cobalt SS might not be a J-Body, but its a relative in spirit, and welcome none the less. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) |
GM made an appearance with a collection of current and future vehicles, a sampling of what future tuner generations will be able to torque their wrenches on. Of particular note among the Waves, Pursuits, HHRs and Caddys was one Saturn Aura--it looked great and the interior was as impressive and refined as it needs to be to poach from entry-level import premium brands, giving me great hope for the Saturn brand--more on that later.
Meanwhile, just a few yards away was another car that left me a little stunned | | Keith Losiers Cobalt SS was one of the shows top models. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) |
and drooling, just as it did many showgoers at last years Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show, a Chevy Cobalt SS that was modified in just about every way conceivable from the rubber, up. GM sent out the Cobalt SS to a variety of tuning shops around North America to bring to SEMA and show the aftermarket world the potential of their new compact car.
This one was sent to Keith Losier of Niagara Falls, and he made pretty much every conceivable mod as well as a couple you might never have imagined possible. Yeah, its got the requisite 20-inch wheels and 20 profile rubber in anabolically pumped wheel | | Exactly how much power this supercharged and turbocharged Ecotec makes is not known, but its certainly a lot. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) |
wells, carbon-fiber roof, hood and quarter panels, more speakers than youd find at your local audio-video store, adjustable air-ride suspension, Lambo-style scissor doors, forward-sliding hood, complete custom, air-brushed fiberglass interior with only two seats for driver and one, centrally seated rear-seat passenger. While there may not be a ton of room for all your friends, the one that is lucky enough to sit in the back is treated to DVD or Xbox on one of the two 20-inch LCD widescreen monitors, which can also be used to monitor all vehicle systems and functions, since the entire car is wired through a Pentium 4 processor to monitor the torque curve or boost levels on the on-board diagnostics computer.
 | | Airbrushed dragon certainly sets the tone for this Cavalier. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press) | |
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