M is for: Mingebag, misery, Murco, M53

[Cavcraft]

I think it's injection, probably MPi, but I haven't even looked under the bonnet yet. Anyhow, I've completely eclipsed this purchase by scoring just about the most horrible car ever. More of which in an hour or so.

[sporty-shite]

I've completely eclipsed this purchase by scoring just about the most horrible car ever

 

Fuck me, it must be bad for you to say that.

[Shep Shepherd]

My secondary school headmaster had a Cavalier very similar to that, albeit in 1.6 guise

[ProgRocker]

Top bombing, Billy!

 

Glad to hear that the 1.4 Cav isn't exactly a slouch. Petrol engines were GM's trump card in the 1980s and 90s though, weren't they? Fairly bog standard engines capable of almost 'sports car' performance.

 

In the 90s an ex-girlfriend's parents had a BEIGE G reg Cavalier hatchback.  'L' spec wheel trims, not sure  if was an L or standard. Could have been a 1.4. Vauxhall were a bit shy on advertising what engine it was on the bootlid unless it was a 1.8 or larger! Maybe on request of fleet managers to downplay 'company car envy'.

[Pillock]

My grandfolks 1.6L didn't have the capacity on the bootlid.

[Cavcraft]

They made a 2.0L too which (I think) didn't have a badge on it to give it away. They were (I seem to recall) pretty badly spec'd and intended for the company car, market who loved them.

[HillmanImp]

Were they always quite fast or have Vauxhall done the same as Porsche did with their 'racing' roadcars by removing stuff like the radio and the electric windows? I seem to remember Vauxhall often removed the rear arches on these.   

 

I cant see the rear arches from your photos, but appreciate the fact that they are the right way up. 

[The Moog]

I had my mums white ex plod 1.6l.

 

When I was 17 it was supercar fast! handbrake turns into the carpark impressed the hunniez. had mangled dash where a huuuge whole had been hacked for the radio.

 

I hearted that car...

[r.welfare]

The 1.8 and 2 litres had a capacity badge on the back if it was an L or GL, I'm sure.

 

This is rare-as and an ace buy. I assume this and the 1.4 405 were intended to capitalise on <1400cc company car tax breaks, just as the 1.8s of the mid 80s did. Presumably Ford never bothered as there was no suitable engine in their broom cupboard - IIRC the 1.3 died in '85. Must have been seriously grim.

 

One of my dad's mates had a 1.3 base Montego in the early 90s, in beige.

[trigger]

They made a 2.0 L 4x4 too, I always found that a strange trim spec, a basic model with a 4 wheel drive system.

[phil_lihp]

Presumably the early base-spec unbadged ones were what became the Envoy on later ones?  My father had a 1993 1.7TD Envoy as a company car for 3 years, first brand new car we'd ever had.  It was just as basic as the Mk1 Fiesta it replaced apart from having a temperature gauge and driver's airbag.  Nasty itchy cloth seats too.

[r.welfare]

I've got a Fast Lane group test with the 4x4 somewhere. Stacked up surprisingly well against the 80 Quattro and 325iX which were both getting on for 50% more expensive.

[RoadworkUK]

Here's a thing: My brain is telling me that Cavalier MK3s, unlike Sierras, didn't carry any engine size designations on the bootlid. Is that right or am I an arsehead?

 

Undercover keep 'em guessing 1.4 sounds like a right laugh.

[bub2006]

My J plate 1.6 L said cavalier L on boot lid. The k plate 2.5 said v6 on boot lid and the L plate said 2.0 GLS on Bootlid. My uncle had a 1.8 which was written on boot lid and that was a L plate too. I think the later ones just said 16v on boot

[ProgRocker]

Cavalier 2.0i L spotted in 2012 but is still on the road I think.

 

Vauxhall Cavalier 2.0i L by ProgRocker77, on Flickr

 

Must have had '2.0i' on the bootlid. I quite like the idea of a basic car with a pokey engine.

[cort16]

This is a saloon isn't it? Where do I put the carpet samples?

[r.welfare]

Anorak fact - prefacelift Ls had 14" wheels on the 1.8 and 2.0i, 13" on other engine sizes, but the wheel trims are the same design on both.

[New POD]

Got a set of 14 inch alloys in my shed off a mk2 Lxi mk3 expression and astra mk3 artic.  In miseryside

[Pillock]

The basic 4x4 wasn't an L I don't think, it was a model all by itself devoid of goodies. That only lasted a few years and the fancy-pants GSI2000 4x4 took over.

[Cavcraft]

I think the basic one was a 2.0NE (or whatever the 'non-130' engine was called) but at least they seemed to outlive the sub 500 yards managed by most GSi models!

[mat_the_cat]

Help! I'm fancying a Mk3 Cav now! Maybe memories of late-night drunken journeys in the back of a taxi?

[wackywacerwill]

It would of been criminal for you to not have picked this up right on you manor. May it bring you many smiles.

[New POD]

The basic 4x4 wasn't an L I don't think, it was a model all by itself devoid of goodies. That only lasted a few years and the fancy-pants GSI2000 4x4 took over.

 

The first Cavalier 4x4 in 1990 had the 130 BHP 8V SEH, the GSi bodyshell with IRS, and the rest of the car was.... definitely  L.   14 inch steel wheels, 195/60/14 tyres (as per the 1.8L) grey bumpers, L interior trim.  If it wasn't for the 4X4 badge it would have been the perfect Q car.  A mate, bought a 2 year old one for just £1000, because his Japanese Boss, was told by HQ to return to Japan and "sell the company car for whatever you can get". 

Apparently he bought it cause "it snows a lot in Yorkshire, you'll need a 4x4"

I am still jealous that I've never driven one.  

[Pillock]

I did find a brochure on eBay that suggests at launch it was a pretty povo looking affair with L trims and placca bumpers like you say. It was just labelled the "Cavalier 4x4". Didn't realise the GSi had a different shell though. Was the later 4WD one a GSi badged affair or was it a Turbo?

[r.welfare]

There was a GSi 4wd and the Turbo was facelift only I think. Was the 2wd GSi independent in the rear too?

[Jim Bergerac]

Check this out (from Alan Gold's Flickr photostream):

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47381765@N04/6792638767/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47381765@N04/6792632789/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/47381765@N04/6792619803/in/photostream/

 

Neat how it has the 4x4 badge on the steering wheel.

[garbaldy]

YES!

The legendary* 1389cc Mk3 Cav. Billy U R winnar.

 

I was not up on Vauxhalls and never thought they would stick such a small engine in a large car,  many years ago I had my eyes opened when I sold an rx7 and the guy turned up in a cav with A frame to tow it back to wales, we got talking me expecting it to be a 2 litre but no it was a 1.4 and he said he tows all the time with it

That encounter opened my eyes and got me looking at Vauxhalls

 

Top buy and I wonder how long before its sold

[Cavcraft]

It's actually surprising me (performance wise) as the days go by, it seems really nippy. Anyhow took the dog for a walk down the river today so went in the Cavalier, sadly minus camera hence crappy mobile 'phone pictures...

 

 

 

Strange things:

Headlining drooping above windscreen.

Central locking a bit erratic, sometimes open n/s/f door, sometimes n/s/r, but never the two together.

Boot doesn't open at all.

Heater revs up (and down) when you put the indicators on, loose fan belt?

 

It has 13" wheels, which, being a sad anorak bastard, makes me happy as that's what it should have, so hunt on again for correct wheeltrims.

[red5]

Dead body wedged boot lock closed.

 

Loose fan belt or alternator phase failed. Check da amps man.

[skattrd]

That  looks all right Billy, and the wheels don't look too small either. The bonus with13" wheels is that if it does need tyres then they're damn cheap, unlike moderns with 17/18/19 inch jobbies.