For All Vauxhall Cavalier MK2 Owners, Restorers..Check this out.

[0ldCh0d]

I happened to find this website by accident, after reminiscing about my Dad's old MK2 Cavalier SRi, which was a Y reg saloon, In red.  I remember the Recaro seats (With the badge) Trimmed in that black tartan(ish) type material. 

 

It was a good looking car & he had it for around 5-6 years,& apart from the usual service & wear & tear items, it never once let him down.

He then put it off the road with the intentions of restoring it.

 

However, as with all good intentions, he never got the time to sort it & eventually & sadly now with hindsight, he scrapped it (this was around 1994-1995)

 

Anyway, this may be of use or interest to some of you.

Apologies if this has been posted before.

 

.http://vauxpedianet.uk2sitebuilder.com/vauxhall-j82---cavalier-mk2-launch-articles

[Cavcraft]

Nice one, thanks. My dad had a 1.6SR as a company car, he got it earlier than usual as we were going on holiday. Had he held out a few weeks it'd have been an 1800SRi instead!

[0ldCh0d]

Nice one, thanks. My dad had a 1.6SR as a company car, he got it earlier than usual as we were going on holiday. Had he held out a few weeks it'd have been an 1800SRi instead!

That is what my dads one was, a 1.8 SRi.  I also remember he had an old pale blue Diesel mk2 cavalier hatchback, but i am unsure what size engine was in it..1.6?

[Bren]

I had a B plate SRI - the last of the mk2's with the slotted grille. Fab car.

[Tamworthbay]

My brother in law bought a mk2 Sri when my sister told him not to get anything sporty, he convinced her the Sri stood for super roomy interior. And what does this brain of Britain do for a living? Sorts problems on RR engines (brains but no common sense).

[I_am_Diesel]

My Dad had a 1.6D in 'L' trim. It was a mighty fine car that never went wrong and we did two trips to the south of France in it (with one Queen tape but that's another story). I learnt to drive on the road in it in 87. My Mum killed it one icy morning. I spent my formative years as a young RAF vehicle mechanic working on both petrol and diesel Mk2 cavaliers. A car very close to my heart.

[Cavcraft]

That is what my dads one was, a 1.8 SRi.  I also remember he had an old pale blue Diesel mk2 cavalier hatchback, but i am unsure what size engine was in it..1.6?

 

Yep, 1.6. Seem to recall they used the same block as the petrol engine.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Some random Mk2 memories.

A white Y reg 1.6 GL hatch rental I had for a week when I was 18, I couldn't believe how fast a run of the mill rep car could be- before this my hire car experience had been Cortinas, Ambassadors and a Carlton.

 

An A reg 1.8 SRi saloon pool car in metallic green , complete,with a burnt door pocket and trim where someone had dropped a fag in it. I spent about an hour one night racing a mate in his sorted RS2000- there was nothing in it, in fact the Cavalier was quicker through roundabouts, not as spectacular or fun but faster. This somehow depressed us both.

 

Second day in a new job in 1987, on the way back from Castleford a 3.4 XJ6 with the distribution director in the back and the engine lets go spectacularly, big hole in the block oil and shrapnel everywhere. Got recovered to a warehouse in Daventry where we commandeer the managers 1600 GL estate, I drop of the director and make my way home. A Hillman Hunter pulled out of a side road in front of me on the A5 , I wipe the front end off the Hunter at about 70 , the Cavalier is still drivable( in daylight) I'm so pissed off I grab the poor Hunter driver by the throat and make him sign a statement admitting all responsibility, fearing for my new job.

Next day I get issued with a company car, yes a red Cavalier 1.6 L hatchback (. 4 speed!) C965 SLO- I loved that car and picked up my oldest daughter up from hospital up in it and went on our honeymoon to Paris in it.

 

Years later MrsN had a red B reg SRI hatch which got stolen and crashed onto a roundabout whist being chased by a TVP dog handler in an Astravan. I came across it by chance and the Copper offered to let me thump the little toerag ! I declined- he looked about 14. The Cavalier drove home though when I refused to let them recover it- tough old things.

[Jerzy Woking]

I had an E reg SRi130 that I thrashed the bejesus out of for about 18 monthso, and apart from the rear box falling off, had no repairs to do at all (this was about 2000 or so). Only sold it because the (ex) wife was a snob and said we "needed" something newer. I still miss that car (now sadly scrapped).

[Asimo]

Brilliant cars, a real game changer. I was lucky enough to be paid to drive them for a couple of years, pretty much every version except the Diesel. I'd pay good money for a 2dr 1.8 SRi in red over black (my fantasy variant during that time).

Best alloy wheels ever!

[0ldCh0d]

I don't think I have ever seen a 2 door 1.8 SRi????...I thought they only came in 5 door hatchback or 4 door saloon flavour? At least in the UK anyway. But feel free to correct me if I am wrong however.

[dieselassist]

In the early 90's my old man had 'commandeered' my mam's 6 year old sierra, having previously destroyed the engine in his own Van (think it was a Toyota Hiace van!!) to 'stay on the road' as a self employed rep; working at the time in Northern ireland - brakes were needing attention on the sierra but the old man had little mechanical sympathy n managed to write off said sierra on the first day he had it - into a wall...

 

..back then, there was very little in the way of 'roadside recovery' or membership, n comprehensive insurance wasn't even in folk's vocabulary back then as it was either unobtainable or prohibitively expensive...  so it was whoever was in the salvage game n  in walking distance, was who you contacted...

...long story short, the old man ended up with an early SRI mk2 ;cavalier  - totally worn out n wearing huge width wolfrace slot alloys, after having to front a couple of hundred difference - the cavalier was like something out of 'Madmax' with a rallysport sunvisor n generally falling to bits - the seats were so worn out all the disintegrated foam littered the interior carpet, paint was flat n trim bits like the grill were broken - my mother hated it, n I honesty thought that'd be the end of their marriage - but that didn't come to later....

Myself n my brothers loved it; n honed it when given the slightest chance... I was 16, n bought my own car; a Chrysler avenger - a lowmileage sunseeker model (again from NI, originally) a rare car - my mother loved it, so she comendeered that to do her 'home help' nurse calls....

 

the sri just wouldn't stop, mechanically but suspension n brakes, n even comfort wise it was totally worn out - rear suspension failure - the axle coming away completely from its chassis mounting points n being in danger of completely spat out its rear by the car at anything over 40mph condemned it - she was able to trade it via the 'scrappage scheme'  (1k off new n recent 2nd hand motors) against a year old Daihatsu charade van - she got her best mate to follow her out to the dealership the day she was trading up - such was her paranoia that itd shit out its rear axle on the road.... 

the SRI's are great cars, even in worn out condition; back when she had it, even of it was in top nick it would have been virtually unsaleable, as insurance companies had such contempt for any car with an 'i' in the model name....

[dieselassist]

^I

don't think I have ever seen a 2 door 1.8 SRi????...

 

 

There was one for sale on Donedeal here in Ireland- a 2 door saloon SRI for ages; the chap would keep on relisting it; up until recently - looked totally abandoned - flat tyres n covered n moss, n clearly heavily rotted; think he wanted 2250 euros for it; if I remember correctly it was on UK plates, which made it even more unsaleable (apart from the price)... 

[0ldCh0d]

You learn something new every day. I never knew they existed in 2 door SRi flavour. Cheers diesel assist

[Cavcraft]

I'm 99% sure they didn't make a two door Vauxhall one, they were an Opel Acona GT I think.

[nisfan]

Having dailied one for the past week I have to agree, feels strides ahead to the jap stuff I've had/have, quiet , comfortable, good cornering and decent pace

[sierraman]

Loads in Europe, 2 door facelift 2.0 GSIs

[Arthur Foxhake]

I was given a mk2 sri about 15 years back, due to the £25 Yugo Zastava i had at the time shitting it's starter motor just before I was due to drive to cornwall from maidenhead.

We were at my mates dads house and he was on a ban for drink driving and his cav was just sat doing nothing.

It felt a fair upgrade to the Yugo and we were very happy to be given it.

Untill I pulled onto the Torpoint ferry and it overheated and dropped it's coolant everywhere.

The man collecting money came over and had a look and in the broadest cornish accent of ever said "I don't know too much boy, but I know you ain't goin' far in that 'un"

He was quite right as it turned out.