Cavalier 4x4

[sierraman]

Does anyone remember the Cavalier 4x4, not the GSI but the 2.0L saloon one? Haven't seen one for years

 

Thinking back they did a similar thing with the BX and the 405?

[cpjitservices]

According to Wikipedia

 

made available was a four-wheel drive system, fitted to a 2.0iL model (8 valve SRi spec) and on a version of the GSi 2000

[Ghosty]

4wd BX/405 sounds like a homologation model to me.

[Guest Hooli]

I recall they ate transfer boxes unless you had four identical tyres & swapped them regularly to even the wear up.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

i drove a demo one from Vauxhall, it was very basic , steel wheels etc and from memory had GL/CD gearing not the lower SRi type. It certainly wasn't fast and I only ever drove it in the dry so just felt like very slightly faster 1.6 L.

In the UK I think the BX and 405 were only sold as carb 1.9s and possibly only as estates.

The most notable thing about the 405 was that it had Citroen suspension on the rear only. Aimed at caravaners I think. Not sure if Mi16 4x4s had the green spunk rear end or not.

Ford got in on this Repmobile 4x4 stuff on Sierra mk2 face lifts of course with all wheel drive Twin Cam XR and Ghia instead of just the proper V6s of earlier Sierras.

[somewhatfoolish]

I think the BX 4x4 had endemic 'transfer box made of cheese' issues.

[Cavcraft]

The GSi versions ate transfer boxes, mostly due to incredibly 'fiddly' tyre problems. Basically, you pretty much had to have matching tread depths all round the car and I knew of at least one owner who had Vauxhall themselves (as opposed to a dealer) tell him if he blew a tyre out somehow, then to replace all four.

The 'standard' 4WD Cavaliers must be incredibly rare now, I assume GM and PSA (amongst others) thought they'd better join in on the supposed booming market for all wheel drive cars, and I bet most manufacturers wish they'd not bothered, as I don't reckon the market place truly demanded it.

 

BX transfer boxes were notoriously weak, someone on BXP was looking into having them remade with something more durable, I think. Even the exhausts for the BX 4x4 were stupidly difficult to source.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

There was a conversion where you could have a switch on the dash to disengage the centre diff and have FWD only, switching the 4x4 on when you needed it.

[Lacquer Peel]

4wd BX/405 sounds like a homologation model to me.

 

There was a minor craze for non-performance oriented four-wheel drive versions of regular saloons and hatchbacks in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I don't think a 1.9 petrol 405 GL 4x4 is a homologation special.

 

Weird 4x4 cars of that era sold in the UK off the top of my head, neglecting far eastern cars - 

 

VW Golf and Jetta Syncro

405 GL4x4

BX 4x4

MB 300 4Matic

Ford Mondeo 4x4

 

There are many more strange foreign ones, AX 4x4 anyone?

[Joey spud]

I worked at Talbot/Pug dealer Rochester Motor Co when the 4x4 405 came out and it was a rare car and we only sold a handful.

 

I do remember that they got recalled early on because when the petrol tank was full and the car was carrying passengers the propshaft could rub on the plastic tank with obvious hilarious results.

It was a right sod to fit the modified part too as some silly bugger had put a diff and prop in the way.

 

Also recall you could pull a 20 amp fuse on the Cav/Calibra 4x4 to drop back to 2wd,which was handy for towing them.

[Split_Pin]

For sale complete, 800 bangers in my local breakers in Muirhead. Also a vid of it running on their page Muirhead Auto Breakers:

[sierraman]

Golf Syncro, remember those, completely pointless.

[Volksy]

I did a clutch on a 405 GL 4x4 many years ago. Absolute twat of a job, transfer box is essentially behind the block, which had to come off first, heavy Ba*tard too. It did have the Citroen Suspension on the back, IIRC it was a sinker, like early Xantias, so looked like it had a boot full of concrete when parked up! 

 

A mate had a Cav GSi 4x4, which he used to brag about "Best handling car evar etc etc", until one day the exhaust came off, whilst under it, I pointed out that it would probably handle much better if it had a prop fitted. 

 

Ford did a low spec Sierra 4x4 IIRC, GLS?

 

 

As for the others, Golf etc, they all have their uses, I spent a lot of time living in the Alps, where they were ideal, remember there was none of these SUV/crossovers in those days, your choices were either a Land Rover/Patrol/Land Cruiser, or a Panda 4x4/Suzuki SJ410 none of which were overly refined.

[sierraman]

For sale complete, 800 bangers in my local breakers in Muirhead. Also a vid of it running on their page Muirhead Auto Breakers:

Get it bought Iain! Collection Fred!

[Dick Longbridge]

The non-GSi Cavalier 4x4 was a rare car when new. They're virtually non-existent now - that G plate one above is a cracking find. 

When my GSi failed its MOT on gopping rot around its rear legs, I needed a road-legal car ASAP. My teaching assistant at the time was selling her 11 year old Cavalier 4x4, and I bagged it for £50. It had a short MOT itself, but was only intended to be a quick stopgap. She lived on a dairy farm, so the 4 wheel drive was needed due to poor access lanes. I don't think she ever had much issue with the car. It was actually pretty tidy for an eleven year old Vauxhall!

I only kept it a few weeks and even though it was perfectly behaved, I hated it, as I was still mourning the loss of my old GSi. 16v redtop vs. 8v was never going to cut the mustard to be honest, and the gone-off milk smell which the Cav stunk of, didn't help much. 

I sold it to a local VX nutter, who, surprise surprise, buggered the transfer box within a few weeks, then promptly scrapped it. 

I bet the majority on her prefer the 4x4 rather than the GSi?! 

 

 

[timolloyd]

I think there was more demand in Europe and US for 4WD saloons and the like, earlier than the UK. The E34 5 series came in 4WD flavours but I don't think was ever sold here?

[Volksy]

I think there was more demand in Europe and US for 4WD saloons and the like, earlier than the UK. The E34 5 series came in 4WD flavours but I don't think was ever sold here?

 

I'm pretty sure the E30 3 series could be specced as a 325ix with gave it four wheel drive.

[Split_Pin]

Get it bought Iain! Collection Fred!

£800 for a very ripe Cav is a no from me. Very interesting car though.

[Guest Hooli]

I think there was more demand in Europe and US for 4WD saloons and the like, earlier than the UK. The E34 5 series came in 4WD flavours but I don't think was ever sold here?

 

Pretty sure I used to know of a Dr in the Peak District who run a 525x.

[timolloyd]

Pretty sure I used to know of a Dr in the Peak District who run a 525x.

I stand corrected. They were always quite rare though?

[Guest Hooli]

I only ever saw that one & I remember having to find out what the 'x' meant.

[fiatdaft]

Those cavs also have irs, and a crap boot, c2.0se 115 bhp if I remember correctly.

 

 

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[Pillock]

Later, the 2.0i 4x4 Cavalier was "SRi" spec but it looked far more basic at launch - grey bumpers, same wheeltrims as an L, same cloth trim as an L. In fact the only thing it seems to share with the SRi was the gearbox, and the only thing it added to the L was a rev counter and the extra driven wheels.

 

 

 

Presume they added the coloured bits and alloys later on, as shown in that red one.

[Pillock]

BTW, the fiddly transfer box problems are still alive and well on anything VAG with the Haldex system (as opposed to Quattro) - get more than a couple of mm difference between your tyre tread depth and it'll wind itself up.

[Split_Pin]

I remember the advert for the L4x4 was a toddler walking and then encountering a steep gradient and going on all 4s and making an easy ascent.

 

I guess 4wd as a performance aid was too expensive for cooking models like Sierras and Peugeots back in the day?

[fiatdaft]

BTW, the fiddly transfer box problems are still alive and well on anything VAG with the Haldex system (as opposed to Quattro) - get more than a couple of mm difference between your tyre tread depth and it'll wind itself up.

Vauxhall didn't help by using the power steering pump to drive a pump for the 4x4 system.

 

 

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[Dick Longbridge]

Later, the 2.0i 4x4 Cavalier was "SRi" spec but it looked far more basic at launch - grey bumpers, same wheeltrims as an L, same cloth trim as an L. In fact the only thing it seems to share with the SRi was the gearbox, and the only thing it added to the L was a rev counter and the extra driven wheels.

 

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Presume they added the coloured bits and alloys later on, as shown in that red one.

Mine was fairly late on a K. SRi wheeltrims and SRi type seats, but slightly different fabric. Similarities ran out there. It didn't handle like an SRi or GSi either- was more like a comfy sofa.

[Squirrel2]

The Haldex systems use a clutch in front of the rear diff. and the car is FWD until the electronics detect wheelspin and engage rear drive.

Early systems used a viscous coupling between front and rear leading to the tyre issues mentioned. The first generation Freelander is a classic case of this with the first cars in particular prone to weird tyre wear and wind-up if the coupling gets bodged.

 

Squirrel2

[fiatdaft]

Freelander runs some drive to all wheels permanently does it not?

 

 

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[dollywobbler]

Freelander runs some drive to all wheels permanently does it not?

 

 

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Nope. FWD only for the most part, even if the propshaft is actually fitted. 

 

I remember Top Gear doing a test of these everyday 4x4s, proving that they didn't really offer any tangible benefit over the 2WD version most of the time. As a fad, it didn't last very long, though no-one told Subaru...