Collecting Cavaliers: Detroit enthusiast embraces 1980s General Motors cars

While just about everyone a pristine Bel Air, a Mustang Mach 1 from a barn, or an unmodified Supra, what about the common but underappreciated vehicle models that have somehow survived the test of time?

I recently came across a winter photo taken near the Teton Mountains of my mom in her then-new 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier two-door coupe. She and my dad bought that car from Axtell Chevrolet in Logan, Utah about the time I was born, and they rode it proudly through the Rockies for several years before trading it in for a bigger celebrity.

Mom and Dad were at the forefront of automotive technology at the time, as 1982 was the first model year for the Cavalier. The car was supported by General Motors’ “J-body” platform and went on sale in May 1981 with only one engine choice: a 1.8-liter L46 inline-four that could be mated to either a four-speed manual or a three-speed transmission . -speed automatic transmission. The J platform was widely used during this time for other rebadged Cavalier variants such as the Buick Skyhawk, the Cadillac Cimarron, the Oldsmobile Firenza, and the Pontiac Sunbird.

Forty years later (yikes, that hurts to type!) my mom has long since moved away from the General Motors family (she currently divides her time between a recent model Acura sedan and a Lexus convertible). But just as we’re seeing in other parts of the collector car world, the market for 1980s and 1990s cars — even the Cavalier — has picked up momentum.

I caught up with Spencer Strucienski, a collector from Detroit who is an avid enthusiast of these types of cars. Spencer and share a similar passion for General Motors ’80s boxy styles. His current collection includes a number of unique nostalgic cars from the era, including a Pontiac Grand Prix and an Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan – a vehicle affectionately referred to as a “Dustbuster van” for its iconic wedge shape.

Below is a 10-question Q&A session with Spencer about what it’s like to be a 1980s and 1990s GM collector.

The van “Dustbuster”.

How many vehicles have you had?

Spencer: I currently own 52 vehicles in 15 years of driving. They are vehicles ranging from model year 1983 to 2018.

Which vehicles are in your current collection? What is a daily driver, or do you cycle through it?

Spencer: This changes monthly, but currently I have a 1986 Chevy Cavalier CL, a 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix SE, a 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix STE, a 1993 Chevy Cavalier Z24, a 1995 Oldsmobile Silhouette, and my daily driver — a 2012 Ford Fusion SEL. . None of my old cars are driven during the winter months, so the Fusion takes over the day-to-day tasks. But when the weather warms up, I cycle between cars; they usually ride them for one to two weeks at a time.

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Pontiac

What first sparked your interest in 1980s GM vehicles?

Spencer: My dad was a Mopar guy, but somehow I became a dyed-in-the-wool Ford fanboy as a kid. Two of my aunts had Tempos when I was growing up and for whatever reason, I was in love with them and always wanted one to be my first car. Before I got my driver’s license, I cycled through my neighborhood and “Tempo Spot.” Oddly enough, I still have all these photos I took years ago saved on an old laptop of mine. Anyway, fast forward to me as a 15 year old in high school auto shop. We had a 1993 Chevy Cavalier RS ​​with a 3.1L V6 donated to our shop. My auto shop teacher decided we were going to fix it up and sell it to buy tools/supplies for the shop. My 16e birthday was coming up, and i drove the car to my mom and she said she will buy it for me as my first car. I wasn’t very excited because I wasn’t a big fan of GMs at the time. But that Cavalier has piqued my interest in old GM FWD cars. The 3.1 V6 was very powerful in that car and it was incredibly reliable in the five years I owned it; taking me to and from high school and eventually college. Rust finally made it in, but he still walked and drove to the junkyard. I owe a lot to that car because I think my life would have been very different if I had gotten a different car.

What are some of the unique features that vehicles of that era had (digital dashboards, the glove box with the Grand Prix combination lock, the Cimarron Symphony Sound audio system, things like that)?

Spencer: I’m really big on all the digital displays, like the 88-91 Cutlass Supreme gauge clusters, info center/compass displays in the Grand Prix’s and Bonnevilles. Basically, all gimmicky stuff that doesn’t add much to the car, other than overwhelming nostalgia for what it was like to live in the 1980s. Quirky steering wheel controls in the Pontiacs were great too. I still get a kick out of naive people worrying about the buttons flying all over the place when the “airbag” deploys. I think we are entering the era where people don’t realize that not all cars had airbags back then. In terms of safety, while many people find them annoying, I also liked the motorized seat belts of this era. I’ve owned a few Tempos and I like that feature.

Old GM gadgets

I noticed you recently had a Cavalier shipped from California to Michigan. What made that vehicle so desirable and what are your plans for it?

Spencer: This was a bit of an impulse buy. As I get older I have less and less patience for rusty vehicles and when this car showed up on the marketplace I couldn’t look away. It’s a very option-packed car in a cool color combination – it’s only a few options less than a Cadillac Cimarron. Fortunately, the seller was super chill and patient with me setting up the shipment and paying it online. I never even spoke to the guy on the phone – we did the entire transaction over text. In today’s society, some people are likely to cringe, but it worked for me! I’m very happy to have the car now, it’s a California car and it shows. The underside is as clean as can be, just the way I like it.

What are one or two of your dream cars – within your current “range” or well beyond?

Spencer: This is a tough question because I’m a simple guy. I actually own all my dream cars at this point. I really like this era of FWD cars and own almost everything I wanted. Still on my bucket list is a Dodge Omni GLHS and Dodge Charger (the FWD Omni based version). I know, they’re Mopars, but they’re so 80’s and I love it. GLHS’ are sold at a high price due to their desirability and the chargers are incredibly hard to find.

If you had to make a prediction, what do you think is a currently undervalued future collectible?

Spencer: Unfortunately I don’t think many will appreciate these eras of cars, at least the normal everyday cars. I think they might appreciate to a very low five digit once availability is almost impossible to find, but it depends on the car. Generation X and millennials don’t seem to be doing as well financially as baby boomers who can afford to pay six figures for classic muscle cars. Gen-X and millennials enjoy these cars from a nostalgic point of view, but not too many of them have the disposable income to pay high prices for these cars. Also the shift in electrification that I feel is slowly killing car culture.

Chevrolet Cavalier from 1982

Are specific parts for these vehicles difficult to find?

Spencer: All the vehicle specific parts are starting to get hard to find – body parts, interior parts, etc. Mechanically, I haven’t had much trouble finding parts for my cars. For example, my 1993 Cavalier Z24 has sat for almost 20 years – it needs a lot of random bits and pieces that can really only be fixed with a junkyard donor car, but they just don’t show up in yards anymore. Also, front struts are very hard to find for these cars. Those are really the only parts I had a hard time finding.

What community resources are available to someone who wants to get into this niche?

Spencer: Facebook groups are definitely the best resource for someone trying to access this community. I am a co-owner of the Classic GM FWD Society, which focuses on every 2001 and older GM FWD vehicle. We have built a community of over 15,000 members since 2015 and we are always willing to help people with their related vehicles. Other clubs like Underappreciated Survivors and Malaise Motors are also great for showing off your rides. There are also more targeted groups depending on your type of vehicle, such as the Cimarron Owners Club, First/Second Gen J-body, 5e Gen Grand Prix owners, Club APV (for the Dustbuster vans) and many more if you want a more specific club.

Grand Prix of Pontiac

What’s your favorite period-correct 80s or 90s song or album to blast while you’re tripping?

Spencer: I make it a point to listen to period correct music when I drive my old vehicles. I don’t have a specific song or album I like, but I’ve put together an 80s playlist on Spotify that I listen to often. Since the recent Cavalier is a 1986, I listened to the GTA: Vice City soundtrack while driving it. I love getting into the mood of the times when driving my old cars, so it’s definitely something that helps me enjoy my cars even more. I also put together a ’90s R&B playlist for when I’m riding my ’93 Cavalier or ’95 Olds Silhouette.

Dustbuster van

It was great to catch up with Spencer about his love affair with 1980s GM cars.

Incidentally, the Chevrolet Cavalier survived two more generations after my parents’ and was sent into the sunset after 2005. (Worth noting: The Cavalier nameplate still lives on in other parts of the world. It’s currently being sold in Mexico as a rebadged version of the Chinese-built Chevrolet Monza compact car).

Did you or a member of your family own a 1980s General Motors vehicle? Let us know in the comment section. And if you’re ready to jump in and join Spencer on a journey into collecting cars from the 1980s slump, check out the listings on ClassicCars.com and the auctions on AutoHunter.com.

This article, written by Tyson Hugie, was originally published on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.