1992 Chevrolet Lumina Eurosport Coupe

When it looked like my Cavalier was starting to go, I drove over to the automall here in town and started the hunt for something new. Every car that I have purchased prior to my ’94 Roadmaster has been a purchase of opportunity. I would drive around car lots until something caught my eye rather than deciding what I wanted and looking for that. The Lumina was exactly that kind of a purchase. It was in good shape but the paint had a lot of very bad swirl marks in it and it needed a little care. I needed a car, and that one seemed like it would do. It served me well for several years. By then end, it had some exhaust problems and the rubber boots on the rear shocks wouldn’t seal correctly and I got tired of fighting with it. If I knew now what I knew then, I might still have it. Who knows.

The Eurosport coupe really was a nice car. The 2.8L V6 engine powered it reasonably well. The car was of a sufficient size that I really think a V8 would have been better but it had that unmistakable early 90’s exhaust note that you could pick out a block away. My Cavalier had weighed 1000lbs less than the Lumina and it was also equipped with the 2.8L V6, and a 5 speed to boot. Power wasn’t lacking in the Lumina but, despite it’s NASCAR heritage, it was clearly a step down in speed and power. Standing 6’3″, I was starting to appreciate the perks of a large car.

The Lumina was also my last 2-door car. The doors weren’t as heavy as, say, my ’76 Chevelle Malibu but after a while, I got tired of heaving them open and closed and I had outgrown the days when I didn’t mind pulling the seat forward to stuff someone in the back seat. It was sort of a transitional vehicle between my sporty Cavalier, and my Intrepid. I got an exceptional trade-in for the Lumina as the used car lot that I found the Intrepid on was eager to have it on the lot and expected it would sell very promptly. That was the determining factor in getting rid of it and moving to my Intrepid.