Hello all - new member, but the end of my beloved Cavvy?

[hants_al]

Hello everyone, another new member here, and I'm looking for some words of comfort and advice as to whether to restore, sorn or scrap.... It's heartening to see several new members have signed up of late and that cavvys are still being bought and sold even though the last ones left the production line 20 odd years ago.
I've rarely checked into this forum and have only just singed up which I think must be a testement to the design and build quality of Cavaliers along with their reliability and ease of repairs. I've been driving them since 1988 when my folks replaced their old Cortina, bought my first Mk3 in 1992 (an F reg 1600 L) when I was a just a lad of 24(!) with 100,000 on the clock (ex rep-mobile) which I ran till 1998 and 220,000 on the clock. When looking for a replacement a local second-hand dealer had a 3 year old (95/N - one of the last ever built!), ex-lease, in CDx trim with the X20XEV, again with 100,000 on the clock, and it has been mine for the past 17 years. I ran it as my main (only) car until 2006 (again, something like 220,000 clock) and since then I have used it as a knock-about, run-about, dump-running, dog-walking type of car. It's now at 260,000 miles and runs sweet, having had a re-furb head and gasket about 4 years ago - I couldn't quite face the thought of scrapping it then. Apart from a few batteries, 2 water pumps, an alternator, a few cam/crank sensors, a rusty petrol tank and the head gasket it has been truly faithful.

Anyway, after several years of friendly and sympathetic MOT's, this year I got the slow head shake and the sorry look from the tester. I had fitted new rear springs/shocks/bushes a few weeks earlier (solid subframe suspension) as these were very doubtful last year and I had been alarmed just how much rust there was in the area and on the rear chassis legs.

Basically the upper spring seats and mounting area are shot, but also the subframe mounting points on one side - in fact one edge of one of the "inverted "U's " which hold the subframe in place has let go on one edge as its mount has crumbled.
The car also needs other work - the downpipe has started to split where its goes into the flexi-joint, the front wishbone rubbers/bushes are poor (I have a new pair of wishbones ready to fit), there is some rust around the front subframe mounts, and one of the CV boots has seen better days.

I love the car to bits, and it has pretty much proved to be more reliable than the two cars which I have replaced it with (firstly a Saab, then a Volvo) and I would be heartbroken to scrap it. I'm mechanically minded (it's pretty much all home maintained) and of an age where I'm able to spend a bit of money to get it restored as long as it is done well, and then keep as an "middle age boys-toy", "early retirement project" or just an example of how well built cars used to be.

At the moment it's an old banger, but will cavaliers become classics in another few years? Is it worth doing anything with? As my MOT man said, if I wanted a Cavalier as a classic in a few years to come, a rusty 260,000 mile one is not the place to start from! At the moment it is sitting in the yard of the MOT station (the MOT has now expired so I would need to scrounge a trailer to recover it) and apart from keeping it on the side of the drive, I have nowhere to store it medium/long term for a "future" restoration. So, do I scrap, restore, or SORN and store?

Having read through a lot of posts on this forum I note one member in Oldham is reagrded as an expert in welding the spring seats but that the chassis rails and subframe mounts are a bit of a challenge. A trailer trip from here in Hampshire to Manchester would not be out of the question for my beloved Cavvy, but are there other options?

Any other ideas? All comments welcome.

Thanks for listening to my sad tale ;o)

[Robsey]

Whether to repair, sorn or Scrap.?
I have just had to deal with the question myself.

It was up to the wire for our old girl...
But literally a fortnight ago we decided to keep her and pay to get her welded up.
All being well, work will start in a couple of weeks.

When you think how much it would cost to buy a second hand modern box of electronics with bland looks,
it makes sense to spend less than half as much on a partial restoration.

There isn't much out there that is as reliable and full of character as a Cavalier.
Plus cheap and easy to maintain and obtain spares.

As a point of interest - mine too has wafted it's way past 250,000 miles.
Your situation sounds very similar to mine - so I will be unashamedly biased, and say get it fixed.

Troy in Oldham will say that anything can be fixed and to any standard.
The guy is a welding genius, and thankfully very close to where I live.

If you love the car as much as you say, then it really is a no brainer.

[btcctroy]

Troy in Oldham will say that anything can be fixed and to any standard.
The guy is a welding genius, and thankfully very close to where I live.

"Genius" well I doubt that, but anything can be done.
There's vehicles on the road 3 times the age. In this day and age economic repair comes into the equation, if it costs more than the cars worth to repair then what is the point.
If it's sentimental and it does everything you expect of it then surely any value is worth saving it.
Once gone the particular vehicle can't be replaced.

[Lowrider Dave]

Tricky position to be in, if you have the money and it can be taken off the road to lightly restore then I'd go for it, but I do love renovation projects! It's done a fair few miles and those welding points will have to be done well and not a simple plate over job, getting correct parts will be the start of it. Personally, I'd look at other cavs for sale with the view you are not going to get much change from £1k for a good refurb off all the rotten parts plus a good going over the rest of the car eliminating all rusty spots. Of course, all moot if the engine isn't 100%.

[Envoy CDX]

Welcome!
Sad story indeed. As above really, it all depends on how much money you're prepared to throw at something really. Don't get me wrong- I love a good restoration thread But, can you find someone to tackle it local to you and to a good standard?