My 86 Wagon! The Dragon! - First Generation Forum

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My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Wednesday, November 05, 2014 10:13 PM
Hi, im will. after writing off my 04 Golf, and inhereting a tacoma, i stumbled on this beauty on kijiji (canadian craigslist)


Shes pretty awesome for a car the same age i am! Originally purchased in texas, spent her life rolling behind an RV bouncing back and forth between Texas and Alberta. Some nice folks got the rv and moved to the east coast. I had to go see if she was in as good of shape as the pics show.


Totally Stock interior, shes an RS with cruise (currently not working) and air.


Stock gauge cluster (in MPH). Im wondering how hard a swap would be to the digital Z24 cluster, if its easy or do i gata do a bunch of splicing

came with a bunch of spare parts, owners manual and original window sticker

the 2.0 tbi, i think its an LQ5, backed by a 3 speed auto
over the winter im going to start workin on her. This weekend she goes to futureshop to get a deck installed.

oh, and like everyone else here, i need belt seals

Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Thursday, November 06, 2014 4:16 PM
Nice looking ride.

I think the dash swap is relatively easy. But I have never done it and there are guys on here that have so I'm sure someone will give you the complete lowdown on what needs to be done. Can't really tell from the pictures but if you need grey seat belts I may have a set.






Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Thursday, November 06, 2014 8:43 PM
Neat find and if you have any ?s in regards to that engine specifically I can answer most if not all of those.I have tackled a lot on mine from suspension,to the fuel system,tbi,exhaust,ect.If you do the oil pan gasket please ask for some input as there is a technique to do it 1 time right and be done.I won't ramble on more as I could easily write a short novel.Nice color and that cluster is just like mine.Your cruise not working may just be the switch on the stalk but,that is just a quick comment.R



Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Friday, November 07, 2014 10:02 PM
SWEET '86 Wagon you have here!

I hope you get as much use and enjoyment out of yours as i have mine these past 12 years and counting. I'm sure you have or will see the many posts I've had on here over the years boasting of my '86 CS.....

The wagons are the rarer of the breed and the RS versions are even more so. Only 6,252 RS wagons were made in '86 - barely loosing out the Convertibles for the bottom spot on the production chart that year!!

Take care of her and enjoy having a very rare car my friend!!



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Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Saturday, November 08, 2014 6:00 PM
That is MINT !!! espicially for new brunswick!! Glad to see another maritimer on here!
I'm jealous! can't believe I didn't see that on kijiji. I've got an '87 wagon, and '86 z24 for parts if you ever need anything.
I also have a few 5-speeds and leftover 3.4 swap stuff. Also have a incredibly rare '87 z24 hood I'd love to sell to someone that'd actually do something with it.
I'm located in Truro, Nova Scotia so send me a message if you're ever looking for parts! I have a lot left over from when I finished restoring my '82 hatchback last year.
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Sunday, November 09, 2014 3:30 PM
Cody, Too bad your not closer or I would take a few of those parts off you hands. I looked on a map to see where you are and it is quite a haul from Massachusetts to Truro Nova Scotia. Shipping from Canada to US is crazy expensive.










Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Sunday, November 09, 2014 3:33 PM
Awwwww, heck - you been needing a good reason to drop the top and go on a nice long cruise anyways John!! Hahaa!!




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Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014 9:44 AM
Thanks for the compliments guys! im really lookin foreward to diving into this project!

I did check out the 2nd gen forums thread about installing the digital cluster, but it seemed to point out the differences between the base line dash and the z24 dash. The RS has the same general dash shape as the Z24, just wondering if i gata hack and install wires to make all the gauges work or are the wires just hangin out? very least id love a temp gauge!

Cody, that Z24 hood sounds inticing, specially if its one of the awesome ram style beauties! got the connecting airbox and all the tubing? and in that stack of parts got any decent 4 door window sweeps, the front doors are pretty harsh, driver side has a nice 3-4 inch chunk MIA.

anyone offer any ideas about my climate control fan knob? shes pretty rounded inside and doesnt seem to want to go back in place or stay on.
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014 6:26 PM
I'll take a look on my wagon to see if the door sweeps are any good. Do you need a bumper as well? I see yours is hit in the front, I have the stock one just like that on my wagon currently, but I'm 90% sure I have another Z24 bumper somewhere as well.
The hood needs some work as while it was in storage the rear corners took a beating but it's fixable. My motor sticks up and need the hood modified to fit, so I'll never be using the z24 hood and I'd rather see it go to someone that'll use it then sit around for years unused. There's not too many people into the old j-bodies around here anymore haha. I also have two digital dashes i forgot to mention in my other post(one out of a 87 hatch, and other one is out of my 86 z24 coupe parts car..Both worked when taken out, but have since sat in storage for a while haha).
Trying to offload as much as I can so I have room for datsun parts haha

IIRC though, in Peticodiac(spelling), there's a decent junkyard I was at a few years ago when I needed parts for my 90 z24, and they had about 6-8 cavaliers/sunbirds. Might be worth checking out since Petis not TOO far from St johns. Mind you I really dont remember my way there as my buddy showed me, but might be a good lead haha.



and 87Conv, I'd even give you a smashing deal, but that's why I never really advertise my parts (trust me, I still have more than I should leftover haha), is Shipping is just waaaayy too much of a hassle. I only sell my parts local
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Thursday, November 13, 2014 5:33 PM
Nice Car!




Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Friday, November 14, 2014 6:31 AM
Hey, that interior matches my Fiero!



Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Thursday, April 30, 2015 10:29 PM
not sure if its happenin to everyone else but i cant see the images at the start of the thread, so here they are again:

My swanky 1986 Cavalier RS wagon









As for an update, i took a rip in january to visit fellow J-body enthusiast Cody for a parts run, and while up at his treasure trove of j-body parts, i got to see the purple people eater in person!

what a machine! And i scored visors, the seat belt buckle cover that was missing, a 2nd dome light for the trunk area and a factory strut tower brace!

It was a brutal winter and the dragon didnt get the lovin i was hopin, but finally got down to work on er last weekend. I ordered a window sweep off ebay, and its in fantastic condition, lil bent from whoever pried it off, but a lil hammer n dolly work will fixer. unfortunately i believe it to be a later j-body piece, the one i got stops at the mirror, where the one on the car continues under the mirror. I also only had one speaker working so started pokin round that issue, driver side front speaker was toast, and the rears were non existant! so im messaging cody for another road trip to get a side mirror and a plug to wire up my birthday presents

Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Friday, May 01, 2015 3:05 PM
That wagon is sweet - can't believe how shiny the factory paint is!





Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Thursday, July 02, 2015 8:27 PM
Been a while, busy busy, finally got the wagon on the road! Stereo wired, window seal modded to work, roof racks trimmed back (universal unit could also fit on a caprice classic, massive overhangs) took her to her first music festival last weekend, held up great! heres a snap of her with my rooftop missle on

Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Thursday, July 02, 2015 8:59 PM
Like the window tint!!! I would on side note refresh those steel wheels with some fresh paint and polish those trim rings for a WOW factor imo.My recommend for any metal polish I use Blue magic metal polish cream sold like everywhere and it not only shines,but protects like a wax and they will bead water all day long.In addition to that use some latex gloves unless you like black goo from polishing the trim rings and use a clean cotton cloth to remove the (black residue) then go back over to remove the hazy stuff with a chammy.I will say old bathroom towels work the Best for removing wax or polishes over the generic stuff sold today.



Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Friday, July 03, 2015 4:24 AM
Sweet wagon... I have a 90 the same colour and same roof. It has more problems then good parts but it had what I wanted and the $70.00 price tag was hard to argue...
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Friday, July 03, 2015 8:01 AM
as usual ron you are a cornucopia of knowledge! I plan on painting the rims, was gonna do it last week but my muffler decided to let go, and that was an issue that needed to be fixed. I will definately scope out that polish, cause my plan is to shoot the steels an accent color to pop against the grey, plum crazy purple metallic! with the wheels freshly painted the beauty rings back to mirror finish and those fat tires glossed up, she'll really turn some heads
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Thursday, July 09, 2015 5:00 AM
Nice to see another wagon getting on the road, looks good!


• 86 Skyhawk wagon : 2.0SOHC swap, Megasquirt, 20SEH cam
• 93 Sunbird sedan : 2.0SOHC, Microsquirt, ported head, 10:1
• 88 Sunbird coupe : 2.0SOHC, turbo project car, giant tires
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 9:00 PM
Finally got around to doing the wheels
with the stock 13's off the car i put her on my old golf winters, a set of 15's with 195/55/r15, i love the height but i didnt dare drive it cause i thought it woulda rubbed




I'm missing a center cap so i shot one wheel center black

Doesnt look too shabby


Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Wednesday, August 12, 2015 4:29 AM
I have 16 inchers with very little rubbbing. 16 x 6 rims

the stock 13 inchers are 24 inches across, so if your 15 inch tires are a size that will give you that height, nothing to worry about.
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Monday, August 17, 2015 9:17 PM
awesome! might put em on in the fall, i realize the back pair on the 13's are pretty bald.

The other day i was talkin to a buddy and he asked if i was ever gonna fix the bumper. I will once im ready to paint her. But it got me thinkin, is the impact strip something i can remove from the bumper or is it all one piece?

Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Tuesday, August 18, 2015 4:42 AM
If you mean the rubber piece that meets with the "belt" that runs along the sides of the car, that should come off the bumper...at least it would on the SkyHawk as I've considered removing it on mine.
Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Tuesday, August 18, 2015 11:18 AM
The bumper cover on your particular wagon is a one piece unit. However it is separate from the header panel and lower valance panel. Your bumper looks kicked out of place pretty badly so I wouldn't be suprised if you'll need the whole front bumper assembly to smooth things out. Any bumper of any bodystyle '84 to '87 ought to fit just fine.

Nowadays they make the front of a car with nothing more than a front bumper and hood that looks like is something more than it really is.They don't even use a cowl panel now..... Not much character like in the good ole days. Of course the lack of panels means they can slap them together more quickly and make their money.



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Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Tuesday, August 18, 2015 9:40 PM
I am mega tired and will do a complete step by step to removing and reinstalling a oil pan gasket and the materials and gasket sealer to fix this permanent when I am nto well Tired!!!.I was trying and arthritis is kicking me hard and well I am just tired.I was trying but,the wine is kicking me and my shoulder is killing me tonight.Wed is better and done.



Re: My 86 Wagon! The Dragon!
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 8:55 AM
Thank you Ron Love! i jacked up the wagon yesterday and notice some oil on the crank pully and asked ron for the solution. I notice on Rock auto that the oil pan gasket comes in 4 pieces? says its for the base motor , which im assuming is my 2.0 LQ5?
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