Pimp My Z24

My name is Kimberly…

When I went to University, I had no car for my 1st year there…in Texas…

So, before I went back to school in the fall of my 2nd year, my grandmother decided to help me get my 1st car, as it was very difficult living off-campus, playing on the Texas A&M University Softball Team, and going to school with no vehicle.

So, we started looking that summer in Ontario, Canada.

My father and I would scan the Auto-Trader, and different car lots all over our region. What did I want?

Well, I looked at Jeeps (they’re cool for a college student), Firebirds, Thunderbirds, Camaros, Z-24s…you know, cool cars! Now, this was back in 1996.

My dad wanted me to look at other cars too, like plain Cavaliers, etc. He’s a GM man, so cars that were not General Motors vehicles were TOTALLY out of the question!

It came down to it that the Cavalier Z-24 was my favorite!

Why?
Well, it was automatic, safer than some of the other sports cars, and I would get a better insurance rate. Also, I thought they just looked great at that time! The body shape was nice, the interior was great and sporty, and the bottom panel, that was grey at that time, made that car what it is.

So, now I’ve narrowed down my search, looking only for Z-24s that were in good shape…My dad always believed in buying used cars that were in stellar condition, instead of buying a new car, as they depreciate the minute you drive them off the lot!

None of them were making me too happy…They had cigarette burns in them, were in bad condition, had dents or dings, I didn’t like the color, etc. etc. etc.

I kept seeing this one Z-24 in town that would drive around that was “souped up” at that time. It had an amazing sound system, a fabulous candy-apple paint job, it was maroon (like my University colors), it had dark tinted windows, white decals on the windows, light-covers…It was rockin’, to say the least.

I always loved this car, and would see it drive around often. I guess in the back of my mind, that’s the car I was comparing the other Z-24s to.

One day, we saw that great car driving beside us, yet again, on one of our local streets, and what did I see? A For Sale sign in the window! At that moment, I knew that car was for me!

We called immediately when my father got home from work, and made an appointment to come look at it later that evening. It was all I wanted it to be…It even smelled good…LOL…

Thing is, my dad was really impressed with this vehicle too! He just didn’t really want to admit it to me fully…LOL…I was SOLD, but trying not to be too over-zealous as to ruin the deal.

Now, all the while prior to this point in time, my father was still scouting around the used car lots for appropriate cars with low mileage that made sense, and that I would still like at the same time. So, he finds a Cavalier, not a Cavalier Z-24, but a Cavalier.

Of course, I was not totally impressed, but I went and looked at it the day before, nonetheless. He just couldn’t believe that just because of the little, grey sports strip at the bottom of the Z-24, I was so taken by that car…

Back to my car…We huddled around in a circle, at the maroon Cav Z-24 owner’s home, and pondering whether to buy the blue Cavalier that I didn’t like the day before, or this awesome car in great shape (this car was actually being used as a show car at that time…) that I loved, we decided to put the offer in.

Needless to say, the guy took that offer and agreed to have our mechanic look at the vehicle prior to purchase. He needed just to unload the car since he needed the money for something else.

* Not only that, we found out the guy that originally bought the car new, moved to Texas, and that the owner at that time bought it from that man in Texas (and I went to school in Texas…all very neat to me, of course…It was fate, right?).

The mechanic said it was in stellar condition…Even the motor looked amazingly clean. Again, it was a show-car…

Yeah…it all worked out! Really, I got the car of my dreams at that time…

Over the years, my car, has been through it…I went to school not only in Texas, but in Louisiana, in Iowa and married a Texan, all the while, my family is still in Canada…My husband’s mother’s side of the family is in California, so we are ALL OVER THE PLACE.

Ruby, as we affectionately call our Z-24, is still around and been through it all. She is 2 new engines later (long, long story that will be offered in a future post…watch your mechanic closely!!!), but she is still standing, and still looks like she’s in great condition. She’s never been in any accidents, and is now officially 18 yrs old!

Why do we still hold on to Ruby?
Honestly, we hear that question DAILY! It’s actually amusing to us now…It’s like a challenge every time someone asks us that!

We LOVE Ruby. The Z-24 from this time will, no doubt, be a classic car, as it is still a good-looking vehicle. The new Z-24s have the side, under-door sporty panel, but it has now been manufactured the same color as the vehicle, instead of the classic silver-grey color that makes this vehicle what it is. It’s just not the same.

Secondly, it was my first vehicle, our first vehicle (for my husband and me together), and my grandmother helped me get it…She is no longer with us…

We just have a passion for her…

What’s the Point?
Even our mechanic has told us this that we use for our other vehicles…There would be no point, practically speaking, why we need to fix her up…She is now a recreation vehicle in our minds, as we have another great and reliable vehicle we love, that we use daily now.

However, the whole point of this entire website/blog, is the fact that she needs a serious “Pimping”. She needs a new paint job, new parts in the engine, new interior…Basically, a COMPLETE overhaul!

We want to share the entire process with you…
We want your input and great ideas…
We want you to share your Z-24 obsession and stories too…

Ruby’s been there for us throughout college and up until this point…Instead of selling her for $150 for scrap metal, she can be so much more now…Really “Pimped Out”! She deserves it, and she’s worth it to us…

Some of the work we’ll do ourselves, some of it, we’ll have a mechanic do…but it shall be done! This will be an ongoing project that will be very much worth it in the end.

Have you noticed other Z-24 lovers? They’re the ones that see your little, classic Z-24 and give you that cool smile when you drive by…or that come over and tell you what great condition that car is in, even to this day in 2008…18 yrs later, it’s still a great-looking vehicle.

We look forward to sharing this process with you and hearing your advice and ideas!

***

Share with us your Z-24 Obsession by Commenting in the Comment Box Below!

I hope you will really enjoy how we Pimp My Z-24! Until next time…

Happy Z-24ing,

Kimberly Edwards

P.S. What can you do for your Z-24 today, that is cheap and helpful? Get a car shade…This will prevent that heat in your Z-24 from cracking the dash, steering wheel and fading the interior. This one is custom cut for the Z-24s from the years 1982-1994:

Technorati Tags: Z-24, Z24, Cavalier Z-24, Cavalier, General Motors, vehicles, cars, used cars, pimp my ride, pimp my car, souped up car, soup up, car sunshade