Man Buys Chevrolet Cavalier, Parks Car, Dies, Hero Finds It Years Later

1989 Chevrolet Cavalier
20 photos

Photo: eBay seller bodywork1111

The Cavalier wasn't necessarily the most successful Chevrolet model in history, but the refreshed generation introduced in 1988 posted strong sales with nearly every new release.

The first iteration launched in 1988 and was a surprising success with over 322,000 units, while the 1989 model year saw significant growth, mainly due to the coupe. The GM brand sold over 376,000 cars, with the coupe accounting for over 227,000 units, up from just 158,000 the previous year.

Sales slowly declined over the next few years, finally dropping to 225,000 cars in 1992. The generation ended in 1994, when Chevrolet sold about 282,000 units.

A 1989 Cavalier ended up on eBay a few days ago courtesy of seller bodywork1111, who says he recently pulled it out of a garage where it had been sitting for years. The car has a sad history, as it was driven home by its first owner, spent only a short amount of time on the road, and then was parked in storage.

It sat in the same place for years, until the owner died. Humanity almost forgot that this Cavalier existed, so the car spent more years in the garage, until the seller discovered the vehicle and took it out “to save it from being left to die.”

You don’t have to be a die-hard Cavalier fan to know that this example is still solid, and the owner says all the parts are still on the car. It makes sense, considering the original owner parked the car in his garage and forgot it existed, so this Cavalier was never a donor for another project.

The Cavalier retains its original parts, and the Chevrolet-installed 3.1-liter engine is still under the hood. It’s unclear whether it starts and runs, but considering the vehicle has spent years in storage, it will likely need an overhaul before it can get its wheels rolling again.

This Cavalier looks surprisingly good and the first thing it will need is a good wash to determine what needs to be repaired and what needs to be replaced. A good mechanic should be able to decipher more information about everything that is going on under the hood, so contact the owner, discuss all the details and arrange for an in-person inspection to get a clearer picture of the car.

This 1989 coupe seems like an easy project for someone looking for an affordable everyday car that isn’t necessarily brand new, but it will certainly be interesting to see how high the bids for this one go. The owner has listed it on eBay with a reserve, with the fight starting at $200, although the reserve won’t allow the car to sell for that low price. The digital fight will end in four days, so fingers crossed that this Cavalier finds a new home before it’s too late.

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