How long until mk3 Cavaliers are rare?

[Gompo]

My Dad's last car up until about 2006 was a 1.8 Mk3, possibly an L-reg but cant really remember. He loved that car and gave it death, very often driving up the M1/A1 to Retford from South London (about 160 miles) in less than 2.5 hours - Regularly averaging 100+ on the 'fast' sections. He'd had it past 120, and would usually drive it in 4th for better accelleration. I made this journey with him once and admittedly he scared me shitless. Seeing as he kept it in 4th at around 100mph it was spinning something like 4.5k (anyone know for sure the ratio?). Also, the passenger door didnt shut properly where somebody had bent it outwards trying to break in. It was bloody noisey and GR9 for fuel economy, especially on his motorway runs. Was proper Autoshite though, missing a door mirror and, a wheeltrim, aerial and the previously mentioned dodgy door.

 

I drove the car once, and thought it was a bit crap. Admittedly I have very little experience driving biggish saloons (Saab 9000 and a Mondeo are my others, I think). It seemed to have too slow steering and was a bit wallowey.

 

It was stolen in the end, outside a betting shop in Hackney. Probably wasnt worth much more than its scrap value anyway.

[RichL]

I would definatley have one of these. Rarely see an early one round here, but there is an M plater parked around the corner from my house which seemed to be in regular use, but not seen it move for a few weeks and now has a flat rear tyre. Keeping my eye on it. First one I went in was my mates dad's 2.0GL, H744 YTV iirc. It was a couple of years old at the time I think, and I thought it was ace. Interior seemed so comfy with it's black velour and centre armrest in the back. He had it for years, eventually replacing it with an M plate 2.0 16V GLS which didn't last long at all. Always sounded rough compared to the 8 valver.

 

Another mate had one a few years ago as a daily, a mint last of the line N plate 1.6 which he bought from the Vauxhall dealer he worked at for peanuts because the owner traded it in thinking the engine was knackered. One water pump and 10K later he sold it. And regretted it...

 

Spotted a tidy V6 saloon parked up while on holiday near Bournemouth in September. Will I ever see one again?

[timmyteapot]

All late 80s stuff is getting rare now, Sierra for example, people just run them then scrap them and some nasty Korean dog eating blandobox replaces it as its got a 100 year warranty, yawn. I drive round in a similarly old and now extinct collection of 80s Citroens, park it at a classic car show and the usual "havent seen one of them" line comes out a plenty.

 

Always like the Cavalier (dont tell cavmad), especially the Mk2 as we had couple and have fond memories, my mates dad had a NEW 89 G Cavalier L in white which in itself was nowt special, BUT this was a 2.0i Version complete with dealer driving lamps, electric aerial and a car alarm and went like the clappers which to a 15 year old boy matters!

[vicsmith]

Still a lot around compared to anything else than finished in 1995 - Mk3 Fiesta and Sunny both ceased on the "N" (Okay, the Fiesta trickled on for a bit as the Classic) and they seem a considerably rarer sight than the Mk3 Cavalier, yet the Fiesta equaled it for simplicity and outnumbered it at the time, and the Sunny was a popular car that was just as tough. Cavalier numbers seem to be similar to Mk3 Golf numbers, but the Golf had the luxury of not being stopped until 1998. As others have suggested, maybe some people know when they're onto a good thing, if you want a nice modern comfortable car that`ll cruise all day at 100 mph, not feel like it`s going to fall apart and give sensible mpg but it`s clutch can be changed in half an hour where else are you going to look?

 

That slatty grille SRi looks a bit tasty by the way, don't remember seeing many in that nice pale blue.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

IMHO leagues ahead of the Sierra and Mondeo.

 

Sierra yes. It was good in 1982 but dated very badly and Ford never gave it a decent engine. Even the Mark 2 Cavalier was better in many ways.

 

Mark 1 Mondeo - no way. They were a great car - decent looking with vastly superior handling and ride, good engines and proper reliability. It was a step up from the Cav, as you'd expect from a car launched 5 years on.

 

4x4 Cavs had a problem with the centre diff which would not tolerate any significant difference in tyre size - putting a new tyre on one corner when the others had 2mm was going to damage it. Taking the fuse out for the centre diff immediately converted it to FWD and many owners fitted switches so that the 4WD could be switched on when it was needed. There was a bloke doing rebuilt 4x4 diffs iirc.

 

I didn't think Cavs had the Ecotech though....?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Peugeot 405 or Primera P10 FTW.

[Cavcraft]

IMHO leagues ahead of the Sierra and Mondeo.

 

Sierra yes. It was good in 1982 but dated very badly and Ford never gave it a decent engine. Even the Mark 2 Cavalier was better in many ways.

 

Mark 1 Mondeo - no way. They were a great car - decent looking with vastly superior handling and ride, good engines and proper reliability. It was a step up from the Cav, as you'd expect from a car launched 5 years on.

 

4x4 Cavs had a problem with the centre diff which would not tolerate any significant difference in tyre size - putting a new tyre on one corner when the others had 2mm was going to damage it. Taking the fuse out for the centre diff immediately converted it to FWD and many owners fitted switches so that the 4WD could be switched on when it was needed. There was a bloke doing rebuilt 4x4 diffs iirc.

 

I didn't think Cavs had the Ecotech though....?

 

 

Hmm, think I'd disagree with the Mondeo bit and would certainly rate the Mk3 Cavalier a better car, but then I'm a bit mental.

 

Some later Cav's (1994 on) had the Ecowreck, just the two litre ones though I think as the 1800 was always the 8V and I'm pretty sure the 1.6 were too. To be fair to the Ecotec engines the 2.0 at least are a decent lump with plenty of poke and I always thought that the 8V was such a hard act to follow it was almost impossible for GM to better it.

I actually think that's what happened to the Cavalier too. They were almost universally popular due to reliability and simplicity and although they were just a humble, basic family/rep mobile they found a lot of love. Something I think it's fair to say the Vectra never really did and a lot of people went off Vauxhalls after the Vectra was launched. Even I'll concede precious little they did after the Cavalier had been killed off was quite the same.

[The Moog]

Forgot that my mum had ex plod 1.6L K reg cav with Carb. Sure it had been tweaked though as it was proper quick. used to be able to drive to my 6th form in it and one day managed to do a superb hand brake turn into the top of the school road when it was it a bit damp. I am sure all the girls were well impressed*. This was the same time my mate were driving crappy Mk 1 & 2 Escrotes that could be started with their house key and they paid 2 quid for

 

*might have been my teenage imagination.

[Inspector Morose]

Managed to buy Mrs Patricks (Patrick Collection) fathers last car. It was a G plate 2.0 auto in blue with a blue interior. What a weapon that was! I have never known another car so suited to blatting up and down motorways. In my opinion the Mk3 is just about the ultimate in repmobiles; such a great distance car it's untrue.

[Station]

The early cars came in carb'd 1.4, mainly sold through miserly firm vehicle managers. The one I had was an SPi 1.6, which wasn't going to ever make me soil my undergarments, but reliable and solid it was!

I've seen loads in scrap yards where the manuals are still in the glove box, or scattered around it in the mud.

[AnthonyG]

Still a reasonable number around in West Wales, particulary the diesel ones. Also early to mid 1990s Astras and Corsas as well. Saw a K reg Corset yesterday (in Cambridge) with virtually no rust on it at all.

 

Things seemed to go wrong with European GM stuff from the Vectra onwards, maybe all the good engineers had left Opel by then?

 

I remember a Vauxhall dealer telling me in 2000 that the only cars he could sell at anything like retail price were the Corsa and the Zafira, with the odd 3 dr sporty Astra to a young lad, everything else needed 'money on the bonnet' to move on.

[Mr Lobster]

I remember a Vauxhall dealer telling me in 2000 that the only cars he could sell at anything like retail price were the Corsa and the Zafira, with the odd 3 dr sporty Astra to a young lad, everything else needed 'money on the bonnet' to move on.

 

Good to see that some things never change then...

[timmyteapot]

IMHO leagues ahead of the Sierra and Mondeo.

 

Mark 1 Mondeo - no way. They were a great car - decent looking with vastly superior handling and ride, good engines and proper reliability. It was a step up from the Cav, as you'd expect from a car launched 5 years on.

 

 

 

Always wondered what the big hoohar about the Mondeo was, ok they dont drive bad and are reliable, but christ they rust and the interior gets flakey and quite cheap looking, the 1.6 and 1.8 are a bit pedestrian, try finding one with a bumper thats not got gaffer tape holiding it together and the sills havent been plated.

 

Ive got a 94 Xantia which runs rings around the mondingo in terms of fit and finish and theres no rust to be found.

 

I would rather have a cavalier than a Mk1 mondeo as by that time they had alloys and airbags.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Managed to buy Mrs Patricks (Patrick Collection) fathers last car. It was a G plate 2.0 auto in blue with a blue interior. What a weapon that was! I have never known another car so suited to blatting up and down motorways. In my opinion the Mk3 is just about the ultimate in repmobiles; such a great distance car it's untrue.

 

Voxalls were great rep chariots. Years ago CAR did an article on the then new Astra Mark 3 where Russell Bulgin donned a double breasted and blatted a 1.4LS about 600 miles in one day, doing three motorway service station feeds. He had nothing bad to say about it, quite the reverse. It's when the chips are down and you have to put some real miles in that you work out what a good car is.

 

I used to rent a Mk 3 Cav and do the 600+ miles in a day going from Durham to Oxford and back. The Mondeo was much better at that though - quieter, more stable and as a TD, amazing on fuel. It just felt another generation on, just as the Cavalier Mark 2 was so much better than the Cortina.

 

Orses for courses, innit?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Voxalls were great rep chariots. Years ago CAR did an article on the then new Astra Mark 3 where Russell Bulgin donned a double breasted and blatted a 1.4LS about 600 miles in one day, doing three motorway service station feeds. He had nothing bad to say about it, quite the reverse.

 

I remember that! Great stuff!!!!

[droofer]

it is my cavalier on rr mentioned earlier in the thread, i took it as a px on a saxo i was selling(never usually do it, but helped the guy out),by now it should be sat in a scrapyard, as i dont need it, but instead it is still on the drive, as its really clean,i could weigh it in but i believe that they are rare,i havent seen one in yonks.(apart from mine)

[meggersdog]

My neighbour's son had one a couple of years ago.It failed it's MOT on chassis rot.According to the mobile welder who came round to fix it this was common.The chassis rail rots near or around the rear coil spring locating cup,quite an involved job as the cup needs to be removed,and probably why so many have been scrapped.Everything needs to be accurately measured beforehand so the spring sits right when it's done.Whether earlier cars suffered from this I don't know as his was an M.reg

[Pillock]

Same on early cars.... the metalwork didn't change one bit during the lifespan on the car, the "facelift" was just light clusters and grille. All the rust traps are the same and are the cause of most meeting the big claw. A bit crap really as it's clearly a case of poor design, nowhere else on the car rusts at all apart from sills, rear arches and rear suspension mountings so the metal and construction is clearly OK.

[trigger]

I remember working on a K plate 2.0i Diplomat model once, That was a gorgeous car with the full black leather interior and black paintwork, I wouldn't thought that there are many of that model left now.

 

A mate of mine used to have a white G plate 1.4 Chavalier once as well, that was a depressing heap of shite.

[scruff]

^^Pal from college had a 1.4 on a K reg in that horrible bland blue, he used it to start up his landscaping business and in short order fubared the cylinder head and the gearbox He must have spent a fortune on it and then got about £400 trade in against a Focus.

[M'coli]

The rear suspension rot problem was inherited from the mk2, this was mine:

[Negative Creep]

Starting to get rare already I think, don't remember seeing one since I got back.

[brammy777]

I made a point of attempting to count the amount of these things I saw yesterday, forgot I was doing it at 11am when I had seen 6, all late models bar a pretty smart CD prefacelift Saloon. So still pretty common here I reckon, managed to spot some rare models the other day!

[mr-reno-139]

think you will find that they now fetch £250 for export which means even banger racers have upgraded to vectras