Think of it as the Indy 500 of J-Body events. No, it's bigger than that. Think of it as the NOPI Nationals of J-Body events. It's the International J-Body Bash, and it takes place every summer in Youngstown, Ohio.
What began with 23 cars in October '98, now draws hundreds of cars for three days of J-Body bliss. On Friday, participants tour the GM factory in Youngstown where the J-Body is produced before heading to the Quaker City Raceway quarter mile for burnouts and bragging rights. On Saturday, there's the car show, which is always a favorite, while Sunday's schedule is left open. The crowds generally spend the morning hanging out with their new J-Body buddies before packing up and heading home.
As the director of the J-Body Organization (JBO), which is open to owners of Chevrolet Cavaliers or Pontiac Sunfires, Tim Schilling can't believe the J-Body Bash has grown to more than 200 cars in only four years. "When I first thought of starting the Bash, I just wanted to bring people together that had the same interests as I did in the J-Body," says Schilling. "Now, I'm just trying to figure out how we're going to handle 200 cars."
"There are so many J-Body enthusiasts out there," says Chris Laverty of Charleston, W.V. "The aftermarket still doesn't know how many of us there are, but they're getting the hint." Laverty is one of four JBO members attending the 2000 SEMA show to speak with companies and promote the J-Body in the aftermarket.
This year's Bash was the largest to date, with 240 J-Bodies at the car show, ranging from restored examples to complete customs, and more than 400 attendees. "The car show on Saturday is the best part for me," says Ed Kline of Ocean City, N.J. "Getting to see everyone prepare their cars and push them to look their best-it's great just to mingle with other J-Body owners."
Quaker City Raceway also left attendees with many smiling faces. A Quick 8 event was held with qualifying taking up most of the day's racing.
Much excitement also occurs at the pit lane dyno, where many J-Body owners put their cars to the ultimate test. Some even breaking into the mid-200 hp range. "I'm glad to see we could add some more flavor to the event with the dyno," says Ryan Cooper, who helped bring out the dyno. "Many people were happy to have it."
As night falls, most of the J-Body owners could be found raising hell in the hotel parking lots of Boardman, Ohio. "Last year was big, but this year we've virtually taken over the whole block," says Jeff Perrotta, a Youngstown local.
The J-Body Bash is only one aspect of JBO's umbrella, which is growing rapidly. In late 2000, the registration section at www.j-body.org reached 2,000. Now, a year later, the registry has more than 4,000 J-Bodies from around the globe including Europe, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. At press time, the JBO Web site contains an extremely active message board, chat rooms, photo galleries of shows and events, the fast-growing owner registry and much more.
As the event came to a close, it's clear the Cavalier and Sunfire are major players in the sport compact market. We're sure as thefollowing of these cars grows so will the J-Body Bash. See you there next year.
1996 Chevy CavalierWhat if you could be a part of somethig different and still be completely unique? That's what many ask Joe Kenefic of Ft. Wayne, Ind. when they first see his TRD Cavalier.
Designed in Japan for the badge-engineered Toyota Cavalier, the TRD bodykit on this Cavalier is the only one in America, giving this car a one-of-a-kind appearance. "A lot of people think it has to be something else, that it can't be a Cavalier," Kenefic explains as we drive through the country roads of Ohio. "The exterior makes it unique, but they don't make the kit anymore, so if the car is in an accident, that aspect of the car would be gone for good."
Body color mirrors and handles give the car a uniform look, the side skirts are molded in and the adjustable bar of the wing is polished to complete the car's peerless persona.
Kenefic assembled the engine, which puts 200-plus dyno-proven hp to the ground. Mantapart did much of the machine work, custom-fabricating Quad 4 rods and machining the block to accommodate a Quad 4 oil pump. A higher wrist pin location is used on the Wiesco pistons to complement the longer rods as well. The cylinder head is ported and polished with a three-angle valve job to bring the top end up to scale. Helping the engine breathe is RSM Racing's ported intake manifold, 62mm throttle body and cold air intake. For a quick kick in power, a 125-hp shot Nitrous Express system makes its presence known. Other engine mods include a Mantapart underdrive pulley, 5Zigen exhaust, an LT1 fuel pressure regulator and RC 270cc/min injectors.
The TRD Cavalier sprints through turns with KYB struts and Ground Control coil-overs. Stopping? Not a problem with massive 13-inch front and 11-inch rear Baer Racing brakes fed by Baer stainless steel brake lines. Putting the power to the ground are 17-inch Team Loco wheels wrapped in Bridgestone rubber. Other suspension mods include an Addco rear anti-roll bar and Freedom Design upper strut bar.
Kenefic is far from done with this project. A Batten-built race engine sits at home waiting to be installed. "It's turbo ready and so am I," says Kenefic. "This is only the beginning for the only TRD Cavalier in the United States."
1996 Pontiac Sunfire GTThis Pontiac Sunfire is a step ahead of the rest. At first glance, the car looks almost untouched, except for a set of chrome
16-inch TSW Blades wrapped in Yokohama AVS Sport tires and a mean quad-tipped dual exhaust. To the trained eye though, there's more to this J-Body.
"I spent numerous hours dreaming up different mods for it," says Dave Kalcz, a sales representative from RSM Racing in Mississauga, Ontario. "It took me two years of research and testing before I found RSM."
The brake kit is the first modification on Kalcz's list. Fabricated by RSM, the kit provides 12-inch rotors all the way around clamped by PBR calipers. The design is made specifically to fit within a set of 16-inch wheels. Accompanying the brakes in the rest of the suspension is RSM's front and rear strut tower bars and Addco front and rear anti-roll bars.
Urethane bushings are used as well. Keeping the car grounded are KYB struts with B&G lowering springs.
With the suspension to his liking, Kalcz began focusing on the engine. A Pacesetter header is bolted on for better flow, with a Saber muffler releasing the tone. Finally, a Centerforce dual friction clutch transmits the added power to the tarmac. With the bolt-on mods in place, supercharging the 2.4-liter powerplant became necessary. "I was very specific about it," Kalcz explains. "A/C had to work, reliability was key, it had to pass emissions and, of course, it had to look good." A Vortech turbine and custom-fabricated kit now provide some serious boost for the Pontiac. To keep up with the forced induction, a larger fuel pump now resides in the fuel tank. For a final touch of speed, Kalcz relies on a 50 shot NOS nitrous system. "We're estimating about 210 hp at the wheels before the nitrous," says Kalcz. The black and yellow interior is now host to a full line of Autometer gauges and a Momo steering wheel.
Although the car has yet to be tested at the dragstrip, it turned a 1:31.58 lap at Cayuga, topping out at 103 mph. This J-Body is breaking a lot of barriers and will surely break more as Kalcz dreams up more mods.
1997 Chevy Cavalier"You're never too old to have fun," says Rick King, owner of this "stock" Cavalier. "I'm 55, but I wanted to be a little different."
King's Cavalier is also a little different. First there's that custom ram air hood, then there's its 13.88 at 99 mph timeslips and the fact that the engine's internals are completely stock. Like we said, different.
The car has only been driven to races since King bought the Chevy three years ago. "I have made more than 700 passes with my Cavalier," says King. "I keep good notes on all my runs, so when I go back the next week, the car is set up to run its best."
Under the hood, is an AEM short ram intake, an RSM Racing ported intake manifold and a Pacesetter 4-2-1 header. Giving the car a better sound is an Imco muffler. Look closer and you'll notice the Nitrous Express solenoids for the 100-hp shot wet system lining the firewall.
Keeping the car firmly planted are 225/50R-16 Kuhmo tires in the front and 205/55R-16 Goodyears in the rear. Otherwise, the suspension and chassis remain untouched.
The interior features Autometer gauges-nitrous pressure and air/fuel ratio-mounted to the A-pillar.
Everything else is stock. The final shocker: It's a four-speed automatic. "Most sport compacts are sticks, but remember, I wanted to be a little different," says King.
1991 Chevy CavalierCurtis Walker didn't plan on attending the fourth annual J-Body Bash."It was really Scott Abrahamsen [Walker's driver and friend who helped him tune the car.] who finally convinced me to go," Walker says as we walk through the staging lanes at Quaker City Raceway. "Texas is a long way from Ohio."
The suspension was project number one on Walker's '91 Cavalier. He decided Tokico struts combined with Eibach lowering springs were the best bet. Then he turned his attention to the brakes. The fronts are from an STS Cadillac with 11.5-inch rotors, increasing the surface area from the stock Cavalier's. The rears are from a Pontiac 6000s with 10.5-inch rotors.
To build the engine, Walker called upon Arlington Automobile Machine to help bring this Zed24 to life. A turbo Grand Prix six-cylinder engine block was chosen, with the crankshaft remaining stock. Forged Ross Racing pistons and Crower SB rods let the engine withstand the abuse of the turbo. A 2.8-liter cast-iron cylinder heads with a port, polish and five-angle valve job increase performance throughout the entire powerband. Crower cams and Crane lifters finish off the top-end modifications.
For boost, a Garrett TO4E with a 60-trim Turbine is put to work, accompanied by a Spearco intercooler, just visible behind the front fascia. Other mods include a GReddy blow-off valve, Bosch injectors and a Haltech E6A with GM DIS module to better control the engine's every move.
Once at the J-Body Bash, Abrahamsen takes the wheel and pulls a 13.810 at 98 mph while running 8 psi of boost. "We're not at 100 percent, but the car is gripping really well," says Abrahamsen, jumping out of the car. "The racing slicks are making a huge difference." Through qualifying, this turbo Zed24 rules the track, but it wouldn't be in the Quick 8. "I blew the start," says Scott. "I let the rpm get to low and that's all it took. There'll be other races though."
Although there's no trophy for this Turbo Cavalier, it's a highlight for many attending the Bash.