Tommy's A-series Misery - Resuming normal programming

[Matty]

Lovely things. Drive really well

[danthecapriman]

Just been reading your road trip posts from a few months back, great stuff 👍 Love the fact you did the head gasket in a car park and carried on with the trip too! Try doing that with a modern car.

That Cavalier though😍 can’t wait to see more about that one. It actually looks really good from the pic.

[ProgRocker]

Bloody well love the mark 1 Cavalier. Good luck!

[Tommyboy12]

Started my festive break by completely ignoring my new steed and fixing a multitude of sins on my white Mini that were leftover from the NC500 in October. I've not touched a single car for maintenance since then which is depressing...

Included in today's agenda was a headgasket change (the one I fitted in Scotland was kinked and had corrosion so was only ever a stop gap), a new manifold gasket that I failed to replace in Scotland despite it separating into multiple pieces, a new primary gear oil seal and clutch plate to replace the clutch that was ruined by a failed oil seal, a new oil pressure relief plunger and spring, a fuel pump blanking plate to remove the obsolete and non-functional mechanical fuel pump, and I also melted some metal together to take out the slack in the clutch arm and replaced the clevis pins with an aim to have a pedal that does more than nothing until the last 1cm of travel.

Back together now and running again but alas my work is not done. While I took the slack out of the clutch mechanism I apparently took so much slack out that now my clutch is permanently disengaged and the car won't move... I have to shorten the plunger rod for the slave cylinder a little to make up for all the slack I took out elsewhere. Productive day though!

I've also now realised that the two dents in the side of a Cavalier must be from a close brush with death at the crushers. It's the marks from a forklift driving into the side of it which align with dents in the floor.

 

[Andyrew]

42 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

 It's the marks from a forklift driving into the side of it which align with dents in the floor.

 

It was JCB with forks on the front.  The fork had to be tilted right back as the paddock the car was put into is on a rather steep incline. 

 

[Tommyboy12]

So today I've spent the morning working on the Cavalier trying to remove most of the door damage. They were never going to be perfect as there's creasing in the swage line but they're a lot straighter than they were. I am quite impressed at the thickness of steel used in them. They certainly took some welly to get them moving.

 

[Zelandeth]

That's made it look a thousand times better already!

[3VOM]

Couldn't move it at the FOD

[JMotor]

Waay better with the dents pushed out. 

Should be not to bad to sort the remains of the dents now? As the doors look soild. 

[Tommyboy12]

It needs a more professional hand than me with a couple of blocks of wood and a crowbar but the doors are very solid still yes. They should respond well to some proper panel beating.

[sutty2006]

Those doors look 78.5693% better than beforer. Huge improvement! 

[Tommyboy12]

Since acquiring the Cavalier I have learnt that parts are a bit thin on the ground. Not surprising and I have certainly had to deal with that before with other cars. One challenge has been the exhaust section that is currently straight piped. Don't get me wrong. I like a fruity exhaust but I don't think it's really needed here.

I have been back and forward with a Polish exhaust company to check dimensions but it seems the Opel Ascona B exhaust should fit. As such this has turned up from Poland. Build quality is top notch.

I have also sent the brake calipers off for refurbishment. That'll cost me a few quid but at least means I can trust the front brakes when fitted. The pads that came with the car are for the wrong model but I've managed to find the correct size. To make it even more complicated and difficult to find parts the brakes on my particular car were only fitted for 1978 and 1979. Fun of the chase I guess!

[Zelandeth]

That would explain why I was struggling to find the right brake bits then!  Still glad I found that one caliper on eBay (thanks to someone on here I think) and pounced the moment I realised it was a match.

Exhaust looks correct.  Only reason I stuck the straight bit of pipe on was that it did a great job of filling the cabin up with fumes without it!  I think the pipe actually made it louder rather than quieter...seem to remember the bit I stuck on there was stainless though so probably worth keeping around. Might Be Useful One Day...which is why I still had it.

Out of curiosity, who have you sent the brake parts off to?

[Tommyboy12]

Bigg Red for the brakes. The exhaust isn't really a problem but I thought I would be worthwhile fitting the real deal. It was only £32 delivered!

[Zelandeth]

40 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

Bigg Red for the brakes. The exhaust isn't really a problem but I thought I would be worthwhile fitting the real deal. It was only £32 delivered!

Same place I was aiming for then.

The pipe on there isn't even fitted really... it's wedged in place and zip tied to the mounting point.  So probably wouldn't still be there after a test drive!

[tooSavvy]

...... Anyone following, err, 'modified' Cav on RR 🔨🍾

[sharley17194]

so when we taking this on the right of passage to scotland? Does this mean i need to find a similar 1980s car....

[Tommyboy12]

5 minutes ago, sharley17194 said:

so when we taking this on the right of passage to scotland? Does this mean i need to find a similar 1980s car....

Finish your purple 1100 and take that

[sharley17194]

I was thinking something more achievable 

4 hours ago, Tommyboy12 said:

Finish your purple 1100 and take that

 

[High Jetter]

Delay the trip until April then? 

[sharley17194]

We have some time set aside in october for the annual autoshite trip, plans are yet to be drawn

[Tommyboy12]

Absolutely baltic weather round here today but decided to do some car stuff. I poked the Cavalier for a bit. Fitted the boot badges now I had some clips turn up for them.

Fitted the exhaust. Turns out the hangers for the mid-section weren't attached so it's sitting a bit low. I have ordered some new hangers (they're doughnut shaped) as the ones fitted are very perished.

It took me a while to send off the calipers so im still waiting for them back from the refurbishers. Once they are back I'll rebuild the brakes before I get the car in the air for a tickle with the welder.

I have also continued my trackcarification of the Mégane. I previously fitted a stupid big intercooler. Now I've fitted a blow off valve. I also cleaned the disgusting k&n filter that was already fitted. It was black and oily and full of dust and crud. Now it's red again and coated in air filter oil. I know they just suck up hot air but the original intake is missing and for the track I would rather have the sound of the inlet 😅

I still have a set of cup pack suspension with lowering springs to fit and an exhaust. I'll get round to it at some point.

[Tommyboy12]

The calipers have arrived back for the Cavalier. Very impressed with the service from Bigg Red. They arrived with them on Wednesday and they're back in my hands on Friday.

Unfortunately I don't have time to fit the brakes this weekend but I should get time next week.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Found this in the photo stash, taken by my Grampa at the workshop in Charcon when he was working there in the early-mid 1980s. Looks to be the same colour as your Cav.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Found this in the photo stash, taken by my Grampa at the workshop in Charcon when he was working there in the early-mid 1980s. Looks to be the same colour as your Cav.

An early, white one. bASe?

[AnnoyingPentium]

7 hours ago, High Jetter said:

An early, white one. bASe?

Quite possibly, but I'm not sure. It wasn't my Grampa's car but belonged to a colleague or something I'm sure. My Grampa had a red Mk1 with a black vinyl roof though.

[Tommyboy12]

Looks nice that! Got the same grot around the front panel as mine except that car was significantly younger back then 😅

I'm hoping to get front brakes reassembled this weekend. I have a few hours allocated. Fingers crossed it's enough time!

[adw1977]

DVLA say it's yellow and untaxed since March 1985, when it was less than eight years old.

The wheels and side moulding indicate that it's a GL and DVLA say it's a 1.9 engine, which makes it the top of the Cavalier saloon range at the time (GLS spec being for coupes only at first).

There were no base Mark 1 Cavaliers as such, L being the lowest trim level.

[AnnoyingPentium]

37 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

DVLA say it's yellow and untaxed since March 1985, when it was less than eight years old.

Photo was taken around 1982-84 if I were to hazard a guess. So it didn't have long left, even then.

[Tommyboy12]

That's a shame but there really aren't many of these mk1s left.

I did manage to finish off the exhaust this morning. All mounted with new mounts.

I tried to make a start on the brakes but it turns out the discs are held to the hub with spline bits. Which I don't have the correct size for. They're also guaranteed to strip when I do get the right size bit. Not looking forward to that job.