Zel's Motoring Adventures...Volvo, Renault, Rover, Trabant, Invacar & A Sinclair C5 - Updated 13/11.

[Zelandeth]

Battery feed picked up via a sensible fuse.  

Then routed round the engine bay out of the way of everything.

Before terminating at a relay to switch the coil feed.  Bit of a rat's nest, but does the job and is all labelled to save the next person to work on it any head scratching.

Result is the car running by far the best it ever has in my custody.

It's still unhappy on a trailing throttle as I think the idle circuit in the carb just isn't pulling its weight.  As soon as the engine is under any sort of actual load though it's now perfectly smooth and pulls very well.  Put your foot down and it will rocket off down the road at an incredible rate of knots to be honest.  

I didn't realise how flat it felt before, but it is now as happy to rev as a Fiat/Lancia twin cam engine should be.  Back in 1980 this must have felt bloody quick.

With some more testing done this morning I decided it was time to take a brave pill and try to drive it back home.

...Which it did with absolutely no drama whatsoever.  So it has now been deposited back at the Six-Cylinder household with instructions to find someone in the know to give the carb a proper going over.  I reckon once that's done it will drive spot on.

Really is a lovely thing to travel in.  Irrespective of if you're gently wafting, or really pushing on on a twisty road.  It's precisely as happy doing either.  Why can't they make cars like this today?

[PhilA]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Why can't they make cars like this today?

Because their market research shows that people want a supercar/video game experience driving to Sainsbury's.

Very important dropping the kids off at school feels like driving the Nurburgring.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, PhilA said:

Because their market research shows that people want a supercar/video game experience driving to Sainsbury's.

Very important dropping the kids off at school feels like driving the Nurburgring.

I beg to differ with their research...a racing car is a horrible place to be anywhere other than on a track!

Then again, I might just be strange.

[PhilA]

6 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

I beg to differ with their research...a racing car is a horrible place to be anywhere other than on a track!

Then again, I might just be strange.

No. I miss being able to choose either a sporty car or a basic one or one that is squishy and comfortable; choosing a car to suit they type of work it's being purchased for.

Nowadays the racing, child carrying, shopping trolley Nurburgring at 55mpg appears to be the most basic. Also, the concept of the GT has seemingly become "fit hard seats, a quick rack, over-assisted brakes and big wheels with skinny tires", which is not GT, that's Hot Hatch.

I don't want a Swiss army knife vehicle. I want to ooze along in comfort and silence, understanding this will yield unwieldy body roll and sub-par cornering, coupled with moderately sloppy gears and comedic fuel economy.

At least the French and Italians managed to combine perky handling and comfort well.

[Zelandeth]

New addition to the fleet.

 Not really car related, but it has wheels at least!

Basically I've been keeping my eyes open for something slightly less hassle to take the dogs for a run than the C5 as getting that out is kinda a lot of hassle.  Plus having suspension will be highly welcome given the state of the paths around here.  See also things which make the C5 less than ideal.

Needs a good service and some decent tyres fitting but looks like it will serve the purpose well.  This is the only bike I've owned this side of 1995.

That did at least a couple of thousand miles under my ownership, so owes me absolutely nothing.  Not expecting anywhere near the same levels of quality from the latest acquisition but it looks like it should do the job it's intended for just fine.

[Zelandeth]

A few things have been going on today.

Step one was helping Six Cylinder collect some Saab bits.

The Caddy is quite useful for jobs like this.

Then however some rather more exciting news regarding my own fleet happened.  

After the Saab was dropped off, it made sense to pick the Cavalier up from the Field.

Which fifteen minutes later magically appeared at my house.

My original plan had been for the BX to move on first, but transport for that is still pending a confirmation date so we now have an excess of beige.

So shortly things can continue with regards to improving things.

The missing tailpipe will be a simple enough fit for now.  I had this bit of pipe still sitting around from when I was messing around with the system on the Jag.

Which happens to be exactly the right diameter, length and even has a swadged end so I can clamp it straight on the existing pipework.  All I need to do is add a hanger and then this can stay as it is until I track down the correct silencer.  It does actually sound quite pleasing at idle but I suspect it will be boomy when actually driving.

Sadly with the weather forecast this week being in the 30s for the rest of the week I can't see me getting much done.

[LightBulbFun]

2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

A few things have been going on today.

Step one was helping Six Cylinder collect some Saab bits.

The Caddy is quite useful for jobs like this.

Then however some rather more exciting news regarding my own fleet happened.  

After the Saab was dropped off, it made sense to pick the Cavalier up from the Field.

Which fifteen minutes later magically appeared at my house.

My original plan had been for the BX to move on first, but transport for that is still pending a confirmation date so we now have an excess of beige.

So shortly things can continue with regards to improving things.

The missing tailpipe will be a simple enough fit for now.  I had this bit of pipe still sitting around from when I was messing around with the system on the Jag.

Which happens to be exactly the right diameter, length and even has a swadged end so I can clamp it straight on the existing pipework.  All I need to do is add a hanger and that can wait until I track down the correct silencer.  It does actually sound quite pleasing at idle but I suspect it will be boomy when actually driving.

Sadly with the weather forecast this week being in the 30s for the rest of the week I can't see me getting much done.

Woo! I have been wondering when the Cav would come home as its been at the FoD for a while now so I am very pleased to see it home at long last!  

I am very much looking forward to seeing you sink your teeth into this one! as I very much enjoy the very methodical and proper approach you take to recommissioning vehicles  

[Daviemck2006]

The cavalier is pretty much the exact cav I would love to own. I love these cars, I had a sportshatch and then a 4 door back in the day. Once you have this fettled into a fine example and are moving it on I would be very interested in it if its affordable for me.

Sent from my SM-T585 using Tapatalk

[Saabnut]

I *think* somewhere in my shed I have a sill and a new starter motor for a Mk 1 Cavalier which you would be welcome to. God knows where though, will keep an eye out when I get back home.

[beko1987]

Fab, Custard can live again! (well, live better than it does now)

 

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, Saabnut said:

I *think* somewhere in my shed I have a sill and a new starter motor for a Mk 1 Cavalier which you would be welcome to. God knows where though, will keep an eye out when I get back home.

Definitely wouldn't say no!

I'm pretty certain that the sills will absolutely need some attention once those nice shiny chrome covers are removed.

[Mrs6C]

16 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

 

Snap!

 

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, Mrs6C said:

Snap!

 

There's your challenge @Zelandeth😂 Fotu with that exact combo next year? 

[Zelandeth]

6 hours ago, beko1987 said:

There's your challenge @Zelandeth😂 Fotu with that exact combo next year? 

In my head the target is to have it on the road and enough of the bugs shaken out of it to indeed get it to FotU next year.  Which feels reasonable.

Fixed something this afternoon.  Of course I have my priorities absolutely straight...

Before:

After:

Edit: Few additional thoughts/investigations...

This is going to require pretty immediate attention before it makes me tear my hair out.

Especially as I've ascertained that several of those wires are live.

The tape holders need to go.  They just aren't right for a 70s car.  Likewise the 80s gear knob and gaiter.  The gaiter I can probably live with, but the gear knob is just wrong and looks totally out of place.

Done a bit of a check over things to see what works and what doesn't.

Heater fan is non functional, which we already knew.  It is drawing power but not running so is probably seized up.  It looks like access to this isn't bad actually as it's all in the engine bay.

On the same topic, the temperature slider is also seized up.

Several dash lighting lamps are out.

One of them in the instrument panel, the rear window demister switch and the clock are out.

Speaking of the rear window demister switch, I was kind of surprised to find that the indicator tab on the switch to show it's on is purple...I was expecting white, maybe orange or green...but not...purple.

Random detail, but it pleases me.

Likewise on the topic of colour, my camera really can't pick it up but the main beam light on the dash is a really nice ultra saturated deep blue.  In fact all of the lights on the dash are very, very vibrant (in a way that sends CCD based cameras running screaming in terror).  It's pretty much useless trying to photograph the red ones, they just turn out magenta.

Yes I'm going to geek out over the dash... it's an aspect of automotive design I've always had a big interest in and I greatly enjoy seeing examples like this where a designer has managed to inject a little flair into what is actually a very basic panel that could have been utterly boring and still worked just as well.

Ignition light has an intermittent contact and occasionally won't work until you tap the dash.

The windscreen washer pump doesn't.  Wiper blades are precisely as shot as you would expect.

The clutch release bearing is quite unhappy.

 

Yes, that is also how well this car starts.  

Some very 1980s carpet covering the speaker holes in the parcel shelf.

I will be wanting to put some decent speakers in there anyway...so the fact someone has already hacked some holes in there in my mind is a really good thing given it means I can do that guilt free.

I've had a couple of people suggest folks who might be able to have a good shot at sorting the dented doors, so will see what sort of quotes they give me.

[dave j]

Great to see the Vauxhall badge in its new home! 

[PhilA]

Wow, you have achieved correct horror B movie banshee wail right there.

Does start nicely though. I recall most GM engines of that era tending to.

Phil

[barrett]

Looks good. What's with the auto badge on the boot??

[Blake's Den]

Love it!

My grandad's last car was a green 2 door MK1 cav with the 1256cc engine. It has long since left this world. When the heater was on it always used to smell of takeaway food for some reason. My grandad used to say that there was a little Chinaman living inside of it - different times!

[Zelandeth]

5 hours ago, barrett said:

Looks good. What's with the auto badge on the boot??

It was originally an automatic.  I believe it suffered a gearbox failure at some point and rather than find a replacement auto box they fitted a five speed manual from a Manta.

Quick job today was to bridge the broken bit of the vent line from the fuel tank.  Oddly just one bit had gone crispy and shattered, the rest of the tube is perfectly pliable.

Apparently this worked as the boot (and by extension the entire interior) no longer stink of fuel.

I have also got into the back of the heater blower and drowned it in penetrating oil.  I suspect I need to pull it to bits and clean up the bearings directly, but will see if this helps tomorrow.

I notice that I'm missing the rubber boot from the back of both headlights.  Anyone still got any of these floating around in a box somewhere?

 

I noticed something...or rather noticed the absence of something in the cabin.  Not actually missing, rather something the car just has never had.

Here are the grand total of your driver controls.

Nothing down here aside from the radio if it was still there.

Figured it out yet?

No rear fog lights!  Welcome to 1978 I guess!

While they are all holding air, the tyres definitely won't be going anywhere near the road beyond possibly a walking pace trundle round the block.

Changing those was already in my plan anyway.

[PhilA]

Yup, the run-out models featured a really tidy* dealer solution.

(Picture shamelessly stolen from SWAA)

The mk2 in '81 had them in the rear clusters by default.

[Zelandeth]

Well that has to be the easiest heater blower I've ever pulled out from a car.

One Philips screw inside the housing after the cover has been unclipped.  Took a minute tops to get out.

I've left it sitting with the rear bearing submerged in penetrating oil to see if I can get it freed off.  It will actually spin under its own power now, but only slowly.  It's quite rusty so may be beyond help.

I have also drowned the linkage for the air distribution a d temperature controls in penetrant too as they are quite well jammed up just now.

Found the first apparent bit of "interesting" bit of historic wiring...wonder what this used to do.

Something quite interesting (if you like finding off all details) I spotted today was this detail between the windscreen and dash.

That triangular textured section is actually part of the windscreen seal itself.

Couple of better photos from today when I wasn't trying to dash out and back in because of the heat.  

Really doesn't look untidy from the offside.

Have had a couple of folks who have advised they could help with the state of the doors on the nearside so hopefully have a quote for sorting that out.

With the worst of those dents out and the paintwork on the front valance sorted it will look quite presentable.

Aside from the seats and headlining needing a good clean the interior is in surprisingly good shape.

The sound deadening having dropped and the marks showing historic water ingress point at some corrosion on the battery tray, though that shouldn't be too hard to fix.  Plus even after sitting outside over winter there was no real sign of damp in the car (aside from in the boot) shows very little water is actually getting in.

Everything in the back looks good - though I'll really need to get rear seat belts installed.

Probably going to be the car which makes me get a wet and dry vacuum cleaner as the front seats are crying out for it.

Definitely looking forward to getting to drive this car now... though we're still a ways from that.

Hopefully will actually have something useful done shortly though.

[mk2_craig]

6 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Found the first apparent bit of "interesting" bit of historic wiring...wonder what this used to do.

Often some stray cables on an auto that’s been converted to manual. Leftover from inhibitor switch wiring perhaps?

[beko1987]

If you think it'll cope with 2200w you welcome to a borrow of my big numatic for a few weekends? Need to get some stains out of mums hallway first but after that it'll be free storage 👌

Otherwise those einhells in the blue Vauxhall at the FoD are wet vacs, a decent spray bottle of solution and appropriate brushes then just suck them dry. Welcome to one of those too as they'll only stay at the FoD all winter not doing alot. They don't spray water though, only suck it up. And your ears may start bleeding after a while

[4wheeledstool]

After a root around in my spare bits, the only rear door rubbing strip I can find is for the wrong side. 

There is someone breaking a blue one on ebay at the moment - might be worth getting in touch.

[Zelandeth]

24 minutes ago, 4wheeledstool said:

After a root around in my spare bits, the only rear door rubbing strip I can find is for the wrong side. 

There is someone breaking a blue one on ebay at the moment - might be worth getting in touch.

Thanks for looking!

 

Had half an hour spare this afternoon for a couple of simple jobs.

Surprisingly the blower motor does seem to have freed up, so that was reinstated and left to run for half an hour or so under careful observation.

The bearings are definitely a bit grumbly so it will ideally want replacement, but it's working for now.

Seems to be shifting plenty of air even on low, though both speeds do now work.

While staying in the vicinity to keep an eye on the blower to ensure it didn't burst into flames I was successfully able to free off the temperature blend flap in the heater box, so the temperature control now works properly.

I've confirmed that it does action supply hot or cool air properly depending on the position as well rather than just the lever moving and doing nothing.

I think a new set of heater hoses should probably be on my shopping list.

Mmm...crusty.  Though after 44 years I think we can forgive that and say they've done their time.

Think in the interests of reliability I'll be looking to change all of the coolant lines.  I need to pop the aux belt off and check to see how the bearings in the water pump sound, as something is making a bit of noise, most noticeable when the engine stops.  Reckon it's either the water pump or the alternator.

Spotted this light in the boot somewhat at random.

Though I haven't the foggiest idea where it's meant to be switched from.  I can't see a switch in the boot and the wiring just vanishes into the main loom.  It doesn't seem to be tied to either the headlights or main interior light circuits as far as I can tell.

The windscreen washer bottle is predictably full of pond scum so has been removed from the car and been left with a dishwasher tab in it for a few hours in the hope some of it can be loosened off.

We'll see how that comes up.

 

[High Jetter]

6 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Though I haven't the foggiest idea where it's meant to be switched from.  I can't see a switch in the boot and the wiring just vanishes into the main loom.

Tilt switch in one of the hinges?

[Zelandeth]

1 minute ago, High Jetter said:

Tilt switch in one of the hinges?

That's what I'd have thought but I definitely can't see one or any wiring in areas that would indicate one.

[High Jetter]

4 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

That's what I'd have thought but I definitely can't see one or any wiring in areas that would indicate one.

Just saw this image on a coupe for sale on car & Classic. Maybe the lead running into the bootlid is the key?

[PhilA]

Might be grounded by the movement of the lid springs.

[PhilA]

3 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Just saw this image on a coupe for sale on car & Classic. Maybe the lead running into the bootlid is the key?

Electric boot release on the ragtop, from memory.