1983 Chevy Cavalier Hatchback

[StanGlover]

This is my first build in 15 or so years. It’s a vintage MPC Cavalier kit I scored from eBay for $13. Airbrushed in Tamiya Gloss White. I built it mostly stock but with the optional turbo kit, because I’m sure the real car needed it ? The windshield and rear window suffered from the infamous MPC “tire weld” so I installed the rear window louvres and made a new windshield from acetate sheet. I loved the bright blue plastic the kit was molded in so I left the interior bare, which is actually close to a real Cavalier interior color I found in a brochure online. The body paint is nowhere near perfect but it’s a lot better than the brushed paint jobs I did as a kid. On to the next one!

[slusher]

Looks Fantastic!

[espo]

Great looking Cavalier. Not something you see being built very often. Nice to see it done as a basic Showroom style.   

[cobraman]

Clean. As David said you just don't see one of these very often.

[Tom Geiger]

Looks great. I have one I built too. These kits haven’t been issued since the car was new but you can still find them super cheap.   It actually is a nice kit that goes together well!  

[doorsovdoon]

I like it, very nice. Looks like one of those kits where the box art doesn't inspire much but turns out to be a surprisingly well detailed model. The 1977 Monte Carlo SnapTite is one of them.

Edited September 8, 2020 by doorsovdoon

[StanGlover]

Thanks everyone! I was surprised by how detailed the kit turned out to be. I'm working on the AMT '77 Pinto reissue right now; it is a very crude kit in comparison. 

[ewetwo]

Looks really nice.

 

[youpey]

This brings back so many memories. great job on it

My old boss when I was in college had one judt like this we used to pickup stuff. 

[Husky1943]

Zack, you did great!  I really like it, and you don't see one of those every day.  Brings back memories

[unclescott58]

It looks great. I owned a real Cavalier for many years. It was a great, underrated car. It's fun to see a nice model of one. Good job. 

[Tom Geiger]

Back around 1998 I had just got my 65 Barracuda on the road after a long slumber in my garage. I drove to buy beer and when I came out there was a young guy looking it over. We got into a conversation and he enthusiastically shared that he was restoring a 1982 Cavalier.  That wasn’t exciting to me, but I said it was cool and encouraged him. I thought of the Cavalier as too new and boring to restore.

As I drove home I started to think. When I was 17 I was that kid. I was very excited about my 66 Valiant then, which was only an 11 year old economy car at the time. At least his Cavvie was 17 years old!  Times change and life rolls on! 

[StanGlover]

Great story Tom! I love it when people keep well maintained everyday cars on the road far beyond their intended life span, or take the time to restore a car no one else bothers with. A restored ‘69 Camaro? Cool, but everyone does those. A daily driven 1981 Plymouth Horizon in 2020? Please tell me more! I’m currently driving and slowly fixing up a ‘93 Mustang LX convertible. Everyone is fixing up the 5.0s, no one touches the 2.3s. It’s very slow but I still have a blast puttering around in it with the top down!

[Dave Van]

Well done! I bought a few of those kits to cut up for NASCAR modified.....but yet to build one!