richbraith Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Hi everyone Not posted a lot on here in the couple of years I've been a member, so I've been spurred on by my good friend JohnK to contribute something after the collection mission we had to Beckenham for his Citroen ZX the other day. So I thought I'd talk about the three cars in my current fleet, some of which you'll have seen before and two have been owned by other members of this forum (including John, because he owns everything on these pages at some point). That's my 1995 Cavalier 1.8 GLS with JohnK. I should clarify that John is one of my closest friends, but our friendship can be somewhat tempestuous as characterised by the fact we're both a bit waspy at times...Fortunately we've reached a stage where we can both tell the other exactly what's up, but it wasn't always the case. And this car caused a major misunderstanding.I acquired it in rather strange circumstances in October 2015. It was bought as part of a group purchase everyone but me was paryt to until the moment I was presented with it, as part of the car group I was in at the time. They thought I deserved a Cavalier. Well, doesn't everyone? I've had five of the things before, and had had a disastrous Calibra experience earlier the same year.Not long afterwards, the group imploded spectacularly. Mud was thrown, and some of it involved the Cav. The same weekend all this happened my dad died, and this thing was my transport to hospital where I arrived just too late to say goodbye to a man I, in all honesty, didn't feel much connection to. I started to feel like the Cav was more of a curse than a blessing.I drove it as my daily for a few more months, the MOT expired, and I put it away in the garage and drove my Renault 19, more of which later, instead. During this period I met a chap in a white BMW E34. A couple of months later, JohnK wanted a daily. I wasn't using the Cav and suggested that if he could get an MOT on it he could winter daily it. In the meantime, I bought his Fiat Tipo, but that's another story.Some months later we were given notice to quit by our landlord. With no bond to return, we were stuck. I told John that I needed to sell that Cav. As I predicted, he bought the car on a first refusal back basis. I'd driven the car whilst it was on loan and realised absence had indeed made the heart grown fonder. It was with a heavy heart I took his money.He seemed to like it too. He had ideas to improve it as it was a bit tired, which involved a B204 sleeper conversion at one point. I was a bit excited by that. "I'm never getting it back" I thought. But I was happy enough knowing where it was.Then on 1st April 2017, he sold it to cms206. I genuinely thought this was an elaborate date related hoax. But it wasn't. He needed to shift it and thought I didn't have the means to buy it back (I didn't, would have found them). Gutted was an understatement. I may* have voiced this.We didn't fall out for long though.Fortunately I got it back four months later, after an epic journey to Scotland which involved selling another forum member a Micra. The holes in the boot had been made to vanish! The bushes had been done and it felt like a different car.It's been my daily for a year now and I've grown to really love it. The mileage has jumped from 157k to 172k in this round of ownership. I can't imagine driving anything else dailySo that's my Cavalier. Shep Shepherd, JohnK, Ohdearme and 15 others 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 jumpingjehovahs, Burnside, D Spares & Tyres and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floatylight Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Still miss my Cav which I pxd in 2000 for an expensive but shite Pishat Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk chaseracer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 My apologies, that's actually RobT in the Cavalier pic. Sorry Rob, I didn't mean to insult you. My eyesight is not great! RobT 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 So, Renault 19.I bought this in June 2014. It's a 1.4 TSE with the Energy engine. It was an ebay win at £375. I absolutely adore this car, it's a life partner.it had one giffer owner from 1990-2011, then was sold to a member of his social club on his retirement from driving/death (can't quite remember). I had a loan to buy it from the friend who later bought our house and saved us from cardboard city, as my Astra DTi had just lost its T. The second owner went to work in it and didn't maintain it, so I had some catching up to do on that. But it drives wonderfully, and who needs PAS?The remote central locking still works! The elec sunroof and passenger window don't. But the central locking does. Don't forget that.The seat covers are ripped and one day I'll get around to effecting a repair on. And the OSF wing is a slightly different shade after a neighbour hit it whilst reversing.I'd hesitate to call it my favourite...hmm. Burnside, timolloyd, Dirk Diggler and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 Dirk Diggler, Junkman, JohnK and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 1994 Fiat Tipo, Silvio.Bought from JohnK, initially borrowed like he did with the Cav. Named after Signor Berlusconi as I'd driven it for three days before realising it had been evading tax. Scruffy as hell with a leaky heater matrix. Could dispense with a modern BMW 3 Series (I proved this). Raw power and very chuckable. Eventually the leaky matrix became a water feature and I sold it to Captain Slow as a project. It was driven away, at which point both my wife and I shed a tear. She's not even a fan of the other old cars, I think it was because this one had a name.There's a story, but yes he came back. Over a year ago, and I haven't done anything with him since other than take him from the barn he spent the winter in to my mate's yard. In this six mile journey, he broke down at least five times.One day he'll come back. JohnK, jumpingjehovahs, Burnside and 4 others 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy18s Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 I do like a Tipo in 3dr,looks like an Uno thats been enlarged by 150% on a trip through a printerI bought a black 3dr for my then partner from Prees Motor Auctions (remember them Billy ?) who passed it on to her sister once we split...Car obviously got trashed,never to be heard of again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramz7 Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Surely the rear passenger windows on a 3 door Tipo are some of the largest ever made, they're huge!I miss my 19 ever so much.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeordieInExile Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 I love the little kink in the Tipo's rear window. Proper Italian flair that, making something not dissimilar to a house brick in shape seem stylish and hip. richbraith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 7, 2018 Author Share Posted September 7, 2018 Surely the rear passenger windows on a 3 door Tipo are some of the largest ever made, they're huge!I miss my 19 ever so much....That one of yours drove so well, that's one of the nicest cars I've ever driven for distance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Micra you say? K11 by any chance? Silver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 I did enjoy my time with that Cavalier I must admit; a very dependable and reliable car. I remember bringing it away from Rich's house in October 2016 which was interesting. It has had a lot of love and affection over the last 2 years though and it drives so much better now than it did back then, even with 20k more miles on her! But yes, it has definitely tested our friendship this car, hasn't it?! The Tipo is a really good car too and I'm glad it made its way back to you. Really needs to be sorted sooner rather than later though. I have very fond memories of the collection of this car, as we spoke about on Wednesday on the way to get the ZX, Matthew and I brought it back from Hull on a warm Saturday afternoon, I was driving the Puma and we were listening to Danny Howard on Radio 1 and each time the 'Push the Tempo' jingle came on Matthew and I would shout to each other 'Push the Tipo' - both with a faint glimmer of hope that we hopefully wouldn't have to push it at any point! Good to see you've put a thread up mate, you just need to make sure you keep it up to date now. Junkman, richbraith and Skizzer 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobT Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 What work did you have done to make the Cav drive much better? Just wondering if mine needs the same stuff attending to as I'm a bit neglectful of it really. Never have managed to cure the uneven idle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnK Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Check the reg on the MOT history Rob and look at the advisories for the 2016 MOT. It's had all of that work donePlus track rod endsNew exhaustTiming belt And a few servicesDecent front tyres which improved grip etc. It feels VERY tight to drive now. RobT and richbraith 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 8, 2018 Author Share Posted September 8, 2018 Micra you say? K11 by any chance? Silver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 8, 2018 Author Share Posted September 8, 2018 I did enjoy my time with that Cavalier I must admit; a very dependable and reliable car. I remember bringing it away from Rich's house in October 2016 which was interesting. It has had a lot of love and affection over the last 2 years though and it drives so much better now than it did back then, even with 20k more miles on her! But yes, it has definitely tested our friendship this car, hasn't it?! The Tipo is a really good car too and I'm glad it made its way back to you. Really needs to be sorted sooner rather than later though. I have very fond memories of the collection of this car, as we spoke about on Wednesday on the way to get the ZX, Matthew and I brought it back from Hull on a warm Saturday afternoon, I was driving the Puma and we were listening to Danny Howard on Radio 1 and each time the 'Push the Tempo' jingle came on Matthew and I would shout to each other 'Push the Tipo' - both with a faint glimmer of hope that we hopefully wouldn't have to push it at any point! Good to see you've put a thread up mate, you just need to make sure you keep it up to date now.Seeing Silvio there looking clean has reminded me that he needs to live again! I must get him sorted out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbraith Posted September 8, 2018 Author Share Posted September 8, 2018 What work did you have done to make the Cav drive much better? Just wondering if mine needs the same stuff attending to as I'm a bit neglectful of it really. Never have managed to cure the uneven idle.Rob mine has an uneven idle too...I think it might just be a Family II engine thing. It's always been like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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