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ClimbnSink
Ejection Handle Pulled
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Greg
Some regular 80's japanese bike, the car looks like that funny generation of cadillacs(late 80's early 90's iirc) thought they were front wheel drive. Should have left the front seats in with nothing under, around or behind them.
asechrest
En-Route
Check out the gearshift sticking out of the front bumper. And agreed on the seats. Woulda' upped the cool factor.
PilotAlan
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PilotAlan
The car is a Chevy Cavalier (about a 1988).
Like Greg said, the bike is 80's universal Japanese motorcycle, although it looks vaguely Yamaha to me (I had a UJM Suzuki and Honda, and it doesn't look Kawi to me).
Like Greg said, the bike is 80's universal Japanese motorcycle, although it looks vaguely Yamaha to me (I had a UJM Suzuki and Honda, and it doesn't look Kawi to me).
asechrest
En-Route
Nice, thanks!
PilotAlan
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PilotAlan
No problem!
On second look, I almost certain the bike is a Kawasaki KZ1000. The dual front discs were rare back then, and the front forks and fender look very much like the non-police model KZ.
steingar
Taxi to Parking
It looks like someone had way too much time on their hands.
Stevel
Pre-takeoff checklist
+1
That looks an awful lot like my '80 KZ1000 did.
Pro'lly shouldn't oughta brake-checked that Cavalier.
PilotAlan
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PilotAlan
Or a Cadillac Cimmaron. Without original badging, who can tell?
The body had some different character lines, but most importantly the front clip and turn signal lenses had a different shape to them. More vertical and squared off.
vs
whwmsj6
Filing Flight Plan
Kawalier...
Kawallac...
Cadasaki...
Kawallac...
Cadasaki...
Ugliest thing I've ever seen on three wheels. 
asechrest
En-Route
Hah, nice!
I never would have spotted those differences -- I was just poking a little fun at GM; their marketing choices and badge engineering.
So given the gear shift handle, it looks like he kept the whole drive train from the front of the clipped Cav. I wonder where the gas tank is?
Hey, maybe this thread should be moved to homebuilts?
PilotAlan
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PilotAlan
And they deserve it for the Cimarron. An abomination.
I can recognize Cavaliers from small bits of intact body.
I spent several years as a Traffic Homicide Investigator, and it seems like every 2nd major crash involved a Cavalier. In the 90s and 00s, there was better than 50/50 that a single vehicle wrapped around a pole, down a ravine, or rolled in a ball would be a Cavalier.
Stevel
Pre-takeoff checklist
I can recognize Cavaliers from small bits of intact body.
I spent several years as a Traffic Homicide Investigator, and it seems like every 2nd major crash involved a Cavalier. In the 90s and 00s, there was better than 50/50 that a single vehicle wrapped around a pole, down a ravine, or rolled in a ball would be a Cavalier.
Any thoughts on why that was so?
A poor suspension that let the car get away from all but the most experienced drivers..........
Ps... Experienced drivers would not be caught dead in one too..
PilotAlan
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PilotAlan
I don't know for sure, but I would guess it was a cheap car disproportionately driven by people with the bad combination of the exuberance of youth, inexperience, and poor driving skills.
In addition, it was driven by adults who couldn't afford anything better than the worst used car due to serial inability to make good decisions.
denverpilot
Tied Down
What's always been interesting to me is that the Cavalier and Citation were so similar but where the Cavalier was awful to drive, the Citation was a tank that couldn't be killed.
Far more Citations made in hatchback form than in sedan form and the extra weight to the rear seemed to be a huge difference in handling on the similar frames and these front engine transaxle 80's beasts. That's all I can think of as to why the Citation wasn't as awful as its Cavalier cousin.
I know firsthand that Texaco used to buy Citations as Crude Oil Rep vehicles and they spent lots of time doing oilfield duty. A car with 3" of ground clearance, slamming down dirt roads. They kept going and going like Energizer bunnies.
Far more Citations made in hatchback form than in sedan form and the extra weight to the rear seemed to be a huge difference in handling on the similar frames and these front engine transaxle 80's beasts. That's all I can think of as to why the Citation wasn't as awful as its Cavalier cousin.
I know firsthand that Texaco used to buy Citations as Crude Oil Rep vehicles and they spent lots of time doing oilfield duty. A car with 3" of ground clearance, slamming down dirt roads. They kept going and going like Energizer bunnies.
Capt.Crash'n'Burn
Cleared for Takeoff
I had an XS 650 that had the same front end. I think Kawi and Yamaha got their forks and wheels from the same supplier.
True, but many of the bikes (like mine) had the mounting bosses for the second caliper so conversion to twin calipers was easily done.
ChrisK
En-Route
Do you live next to Duck Dynasty?
PilotAlan
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PilotAlan
All true. For the uninitiated, that's why 80s Japanese bikes are called "universal Japanese motorcycles".
They share many of the same parts, and are notoriously difficult to tell apart when the company logos are removed.
Capt.Crash'n'Burn
Cleared for Takeoff
Yeah, but I think you're right that its a Kawi, based on the gas tank. The gas tank is the one thing that is unique to certain models.
A poor suspension that let the car get away from all but the most experienced drivers..........
Ps... Experienced drivers would not be caught dead in one too..
Heey now! I had a 97 Cavalier Convertible, what other running rag top can you buy for $700?
N747JB
Final Approach
I think I'd move! It's a 3 wheeled abortion!
Looks like a mid 90's generic GM front wheel drive, could be a Cavalier, Lumina or maybe one of the Cadillacs, it doesn't appear to be a Pontiac or Buick version.
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I had a 6 cyl Citation given to me as a Company Car. This car was the most amazing 2wd drive car in the snow I have ever driven. I got home several times when many other fwd drive cars were in the ditch.
I liked that car!
-Skip
(and yes, the price was right. That helped!)
denverpilot
Tied Down
Our family bought that Texaco beast after it was offered out to be retired. It went over 300K and three different family drivers before it was sold, still running. I took it off-roading once and smashed the whole oil pan so it looked like it's been hit by a truck under there. (Dumb but I was a teenager and the folks acted like they didn't notice.) Never had to fix it. The smashed transmission pan made the next few tranny fluid changes "entertaining". LOL.
I think my "foster brother" (long story) had it up to over 125 once. Maybe 130. LOL.