Help me out here - BUY MY SHITE (Cavalier)

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Alright gang, as most of you know i've got this old cavalier, i've been pissing about with it for ages and now its in a state where i feel its ready to go to a new home. Its a 2.0 8v Automatic.

 

 

I bought it off some lad on R-R, pretty much to save it from the scrapyard. Shouldnt have bought it really! The head gasket had gone and it was steaming like a fuggin 1930's cargo ship. I've done the head gasket and replaced all the stem seals and other seals and gaskets at the same time. Also fitted a new cambelt, new head bolts and topped it off with a new set of Bosch HT leads to cure an annoying misfire. Obv its got fresh oil and coolant too. Now the engine runs supa sweet as only a Vauxhall 8v OHC can do.

 

 

The only bit of significant rot on it was the RH rear arch and door bottom.

 

 

I've chopped all that rot out and welded in new steel.

 

I paiunted it myself with aerosols - used those colour-match jobs from a paint factor and proper lacquer. I'm pretty chuffed with the results, now it looks like this:

 

 

Colur match is 9/10, you'll see it if I point it out to you but i dont think its possible to do much better with old cars + aerosols. Plenty of waxoyl blattered in there too so the rot should not be back anytime soon.

 

I've machine polished the paintwork:

 

I must say it looks proper tidy. Its come up really nice and the colour (rioja red) looks great on it.

 

The interior is tidy:

 

And the engine bay is as you would expect really, nowt much to look at but no horrible leaks or bodges:

 

It did have hand controls on, but I've taken these off. I think you can infer from those that its had a fairly cared-for life, its had 3 owners and has a dealer sticker from Northwich in the back window so its a local car. It passed the MOT this week (needed a rear wheel brg and a patch under the rear NS sill) so has a ticket till March 2012.

 

Bad points:

1) I dont think i've got the code for the radio

2) passnger elec window does not work

3) Theres a fuggin infuriating little intermittent tap in the top of the engine on tickover. I'm fairly certain its a hydraulic tappet registering some displeasure at being disturbed when I did the cyl head. The oil is new and I suspect a good caning for a few miles up the M6 would silence it. However theres no tax or insurance on it so i cant do that. The engine sounds sweet as a nut when its not doing it so i'm not too worried about it, but you've got to mention these things havent you.

 

Thats it really, its a nice old thing but at the end of the day its a cheap old motor, not really an enthusiasts car, so my target market includes a high proportion of fuggin morons sadly. If any shiters can make use of it i'm realistically after £500. i am gonna start hawking it round the interweb for £575 soon so we'll see what happens I suppose. PM me if you are interested. Cheers!

[pogweasel]

Nice work b01z, bet it's reasonably nice to drive (gearbox aside)

[garycox]

That looks great, and well worth the money with all the time and effort you've put into it.

[mattblack]

That looks super sweet, always satisifing to take an unloved "banger" and get it looking nice.

 

Interesting to see you got got good results with the coulor matched aerosols, as I'm planning on tidying up the grot on the front arch of the Rover at some point.

[Cavcraft]

Pager not needed this was always going to be the first thing I clicked on!

 

Lack of available folding stuff means I'm out unfortunately. I might, however, know someone who'd be interested so will pass details on.

[ashmicro]

Ace job there, Bol. That came up a treat, and your 1337 welding skillzorz are superb. As you say the ticking is probably just a depressed tappet. Buy it some flowers, take it out for a meal etc., to cheer it up.

[Guest]

The autoboxes on those Cavaliers must be alright, I believe the Espero auto is the same one and those are absolutely brilliant.

[HillmanImp]

Would be a great car for someone that as its had all the work done. Looks ace too.

 

However with it being a 17 yr old Cav i suspect you are going to have to put up with a bunch of t'interweb trawling inbreeds offering you peanuts for it and asking questions that they heard 'Jezza say on Top gear about BHP and gay mexicans'. Good luck with it.

 

Are there any enthusiast groups for these yet?

[nigel bickle]

Yo testes,

 

Wanna swop with an Alfa 146 -needing a clacking variator & head gasket. I cant really be arsed with it.

 

Runs nicely -for around 4 miles before it steams lie a good un.

 

Shout if its of interest

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

Are there any enthusiast groups for these yet?

 

There's an owners club, though I think it's just a forum. They're good cars, much better than the dismal Mk3 Astra but don't seem to have as large a following.

[Station]

That colour is my most favourite car colour, it's like plum-ier than burgundy. Such a shame these cars are disappearing from the roads now.

[Shep Shepherd]

Are there any enthusiast groups for these yet?

They're good cars, much better than the dismal Mk3 Astra but don't seem to have as large a following.

 

Driving this 78,000-mile 1993 1.8 Colorado recently (as showcased on the 'eBay Tat' thread) convinced me of the mark 3 Cav's worth:

 

(random Volvoage FTW)

 

Make mine a CD

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I like the twin badges.

[Guest]

I like the twin badges.

 

Indeed. The best way to make the most of a phase 1 bonnet and a phase 2 grille treatment.

[Shep Shepherd]

I like the twin badges.

 

Apparently, the previous owner of the car replaced the original bonnet (which had rusted at the front) with one from a pre-facelift model. Not that that you'd be able to tell from the colour match, though

[Cavcraft]

Aye bit random that. 'K' plate is on the turn too and that seems to have facelifted bumpers and whatnot.

 

Probably VXON (Vauxhall Owners Network, formerly Cavalier Owners Network) is the best place to advertise it I reckon, there's a lot of Cavalier fans on there.

[Station]

Are there any enthusiast groups for these yet?

They're good cars, much better than the dismal Mk3 Astra but don't seem to have as large a following.

 

HEY! Astra mk3's are great. I'm not sure on five door vs three door, as the 5dr was made in Ellesmere Port and the 3dr was made in Germany. I can account for 3dr build quality, but I've heard a little bit about 5dr build quality being occasionally iffy?

 

There was cavweb, which then transformed into VXON, a boring, mostly Omega and mk4 Astra owners club.

 

The mk3 Cav seems to be non-prone to rust, it's the only car I've had that I knew would fly through an MOT with zero maintenance. Where all these made in Luton?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

I've owned a couple of Astras, they were both horrible to drive.

The Cavalier was quite pleasant in comparison, but maybe I was just unlucky with the Astras/lucky with the Cavalier?

They do rust a bit on the sills, mine had some seamless* repairs.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've not had a sniff of interest in this, not even been offered a busted playstation or Mk1 Civic in exchange! Looks like its going to be hanging round fr a while.

 

 

 

 

 

I might stick it on the road myself and use it for a month or two just to see what its like.

[pogweasel]

HI M8 SWOP 4 STOLEN XBOX 40 RICHMONDS & A METHADONE SCRIPT. COLECT 2NITE.

[Guest]

HI MATE MY MATE RUNZ A HIAB COMPANY CAN U GIVE US A LIST OF TIMES WHEN UR NOT IN THANX GAZ

[Cavcraft]

DO U WONT CORSA B WIV NO MOT AN SPAZZAMATIC GBOX IN PRT ECSHANGE? AS LEXHUS LITES AND V. NISE ALOY WEELZ.

 

By the way decent ones like this can do quite good money on eBaY though obv. it's a right old lottery putting stuff on there.

[Guest]

Would you do straight swap for a Horsey Horseless? No MOT, but it should go through no problem, I just haven't got round to it. Will need to be recovered on trailer. Cheers.

[RedSparrow]

HAOI M8 IM LUKIN 4 A SIYERA COSWUTH HAV U GOT 1 4 SALE?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

No but I would swap it for one of those big scaffolding frame things that they used to have on 'Celebrity Squares' for the celebs to sit in.

[RedSparrow]

I have one of Roy Walker's old ties if that's any good?

[Lankytim]

HI M8 I WILL DEFFO HAVE THIS. CAN U COLLECT ME FROM CREW TRAIN STATON AT 4AM TOMRW MORNIG. I WILL BRING CASH AND WILL NOT MESS U ABOUT

 

WILL U TKE £200 DEPOSIT, ND I WILL PAY U THE REST NXT MNTH/ I AM WAITING 4 A CHEQUE FROM CASH MY GOLD.COM AND MY GIRO AND MY NANS PENSION.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

TELL U WOT M8 HOW ABOUT U GIV ME £200 & I GIV U A DRAWING OF MY C0CK WIV A FLOWER GROWIN OUT OV IT

[Lankytim]

WULD U ACEPT A PORTIBLE TOILET STOLEN FROM STAFFORD TOILIT HIRE + A TEXTETEXT TV WIF NO REMOT KONTROL.

[Guest]

Hi, I'm looking for a car for a charity rally I will be participating in this summer, it's called "Bangers 2 Barnsley" and we are looking to pay no more than £50 for the car. We're on the FEAR NO BEER team and we're a real bunch of crazy guys with some stories to tell! For example, in 1998 I was found guilty of a series of "peeping Tom" offences. Anyway, it's all for charity, so don't be a stick in the mud! Give generously.