My Mk1 Cavalier.

[Cavboy80]

I've recently joined the forum and thought some of you would like to read my ramblings about my beloved Cavalier.

Having owned it since June 2002 this has been to a few shows mainly in the east of england over the years.

This is a summer/ dry day used car, whilst it's not an exotic it's a car that'll never be sold and i want it to last long term.

The backstory is that i'd just sold my Mk2 Escort and wanted a Mk1 Cavalier as i'd looked the shape and wanted a break away from the few Fords i'd owned (Anglia, Mk1 Escort, Mk2 Cortina, Mk4 Cortina and Mk2 Escort)

This even though it's a local Norwich car was in Lincolnshire with its 2nd owner , he's never used it in the 4 years he's owned it and it sat in his sisters garage literally gathering dust.

It was advertised in Autotrader and i got it for £475 having chipped him from £525.

What i'd bought was a two owner car that had at the time 33K FSH from the main dealer every piece of paperwork from new. The paperwork was 5 inches thick !!

Over my ownership i've just improved and tinkered with it, a refresh rather than restoration as that would take something away from it. It's not mint, it has a blemish here and there but can hold its own.

The interior is totally original, outside new front wings were fitted and the wheels blasted and painted. The spare is yet to see the road.

Underneath the 'swan neck' chassis sections were replaced as they had started to rot. This area has seen off a few Mk1s as Vauxhall placed a drain hole in the inner wing corners and these drain into the neck section. Being triple skinned with no drainage water just sits and rots from inside. These though have had holes drilled in the floors directly into the section and Dynax flooded in.

The engine is standard except an unleaded head and Acuspark ignition, the rest of the mechanicals are as Vauxhall intended.

I'll add more information as time goes on but you've got a potted history.

 

NOW PHOTOS.

 

 

 

 

 

[Cavcraft]

Well in! There's a bit of love for the Mk1 on here.

[lesapandre]

And a 2-door. Never seen one before. Peach.

[Spottedlaurel]

Have seen it myself, and possibly spoken to you as well. It's a delightful car!

[barefoot]

I don't think I remember seeing a two door.

 

Beaten to it!

[Pillock]

Oooof! Awesome, that's one hell of a looker.

[timolloyd]

These are ace. IMO they've aged better than the equivalent Ford. What spec is this?

[mk2_craig]

Welcome. What a beauty!!!

[D Spares & Tyres]

Not autoshite.

 

Proper classic car.

 

Have envy.

[Jim Bell]

Shitting Nora.

 

A 2 door?!

 

That's fangtastic.

[0ldCh0d]

When I was around 7 years old (1987 to be exact), A neighbour in my street had a maroon cavalier mk1 5 door. It was his pride & joy, & he was always, always out doing something to it every weekend in the summer, not because it was a shed, far from it, the car was immaculate.

 

One weekend, The neighbour spent the whole Saturday removing & respraying/restoring the rostyle alloy wheels.

 

It was that Saturday evening that I will never forget. In the early hours of the Sunday Morning, I was awoken by the sound of a car alarm going off in the street outside my bedroom. This went on for around 2 mins....then the alarm went all wonky sounding.

 

I got up & went to my window & saw flames shooting out of the passenger side of the neighbours car...I immediately ran out of my room to go downstairs to wake my Mum & Dad to tell the the neighbours car was on fire.

 

When I got to my Mum & Dads room door, my Dad had also been woken up by the alarm & was on his way out of the room to get the house phone (No mobiles back then...well for us anyway) to phone the fire brigade.

 

By the time the fire brigade arrived, the Cavalier was well alight & it was destroyed when they put it out.

 

It turned out that someone/ people, had stolen the 4 newly refurbished rostyle wheels, left the car sitting on bricks & then set fire to it.

 

The neighbour was quite upset (obviously). I remember it sat outside in the street for around a week afterwards, covered with a tarpaulin.

 

It freaked me out at the time, I had never seen a car on fire before, let alone outside in my street. My mum & Dad's hallway was stinking of acrid melted plastic & rubber (If you have ever smelt a burned out vehicle, you will know the smell I am talking about) for about 2 days afterwards.

 

 

Sorry to detract from your Minted cavalier Cavboy80, It is just seeing your one made me think of the neighbours one.

[fordperv]

That is beautiful

[adw1977]

That looks lovely, and added rarity value as a two door (which were only available in the bottom of the range L spec).

[egg]

My experience of being in these as a kid was the gear lever had a massive throw at a strange angle....do I remember correctly?

 

Lovely car.

[quicksilver]

Welcome along. Having seen this fine car in the flesh at FOTU I can confirm it is indeed lovely. Must be very rare being a 2-door.

[wuvvum]

Lovely that. Seen it at a few shows over the years. I had a Mk1 Cav myself a few years back - yellow 1.6L 4 door, nowhere near as nice as yours.

[HMC]

Wow what a stunner. It's like a manta has taken off its tracksuit and changed into a tank top. Never knew such a thing existed.

[ProgRocker]

Very nice. Absolute peach. Never have seen the car around Norwich but I think I may have seen it at a show.

[warren t claim]

My experience of being in these as a kid was the gear lever had a massive throw at a strange angle....do I remember correctly?

 

Lovely car.

You are indeed correct. The gear lever had that Vauxhall feature of being angled towards the passenger side, something they continued up until the Omega.

 

EDIT. Unless it was the 1300 which had the Viva gearbox.

[Roostybroon]

That is gorgeous.

My first car after passing my test was a yellow 2door Mk1 (WSA779S). It was a rare thing back in 1994 let alone now. All my mates took the piss as they had Novas and Mk3 escorts but everyone wanted a go in the Cavi when the snow came.

[r.welfare]

Vauxhall were the kings of plaid trim in those days. Lovely car.

[Parky]

That looks so nice. I hope it has plenty of rust protection!

[Sudsprint]

My uncle had a pale green 4 door 1600 Cavalier. After his Hunter it felt low slung and almost exotic by comparison. I remember the gear lever seemed to dominate the interior. It was pretty much the last decent car he owned.. 

[Magpie215]

That is gorgeous.

My first car after passing my test was a yellow 2door Mk1 (WSA779S). It was a rare thing back in 1994 let alone now. All my mates took the piss as they had Novas and Mk3 escorts but everyone wanted a go in the Cavi when the snow came.

Likewise 1990 passed test first car mk1 cav 1.3L WND740S......slow AF lol

 

Edit to add my uncle had the 2.0l sports hatch....was a bit more pokey

[sutty2006]

Love it.

 

I have Mantas.

 

Not all vauxhalls are shit.

 

Well done sir.

[spartacus]

A proper surprise when I got to the pictures, I've never seen a two door either. That looks really good, I'll like that simple interior too.

Welcome aboard.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

These were so much better than the Cortina. Sweet ride.

[Cavboy80]

Thanks for the kind words and warm welcome. To answer a few questions.

The 2 doors only came in L trim level, either 1300 (plucked from the Viva/ Chevette) or 1600 CIH. Mine is the 1600 version with the cranked over gearlever as egg remembers. Though when the box was out a friend made a bronze bush to remove the standard slop in the linkage so now it's a nice taut select.

The colour is Ember Red with Black Plaid interior, the only extras fitted are the dealer fitted Radio (Phillips MW) Front mats and Mudflaps all round. The car had Protectol rustproofing from new (there's a sticker on the rear window) and i've bi-annually gone underneath keeping it clean and checking any dodgy areas.

According to the Cavalier / Chevette club there are only 5 2 door Mk1s known to survive (one is a late special edition that's in Ireland) and 1 1300. This is an Antwerp built car, i've been told that all 2 doors were built there though how true that is i don't know.

The 1st owner wanted one in either Pale Green or Regatta Blue, this sat in the Kings Lynn branch and he chose this instead.

[omegod]

Mum had a 2 door for years BGD 917S , long gone, i remember we had a nightmare job trying to find a relapcement rear quarter glass and that was in the 80s 

[Skizzer]

Wow, that’s a honey. Two doors were rare even when new.

 

Mk1 Cavaliers are grand things. I recently had a drive of this one, a recently revived S-reg 1600L that a friend is trying hard to sell to me, and was impressed with how well it steers.

 

 

Plus LOTS of scarlet tartan inside.