Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

Well, it's been 5 years now and still no further forward getting the cav back on the road for one reason or another..

I am wondering if it will ever happen currently.
Anyone else had any extremely long ongoing projects?

Hmm - Very frustrating isn't it.

Almost 2 years since I last drove mine

I have had every emotion along the way.
Excitement, frustration and generally being fed up.

I have been pushed forward by virtue that I am £6000 in.
It would be daft to back out / give up now.

I am not blaming Troy...
He has spent a long time getting the bodywork sorted.

My frustration is with the paintshop.
4 months and still no sign of the car coming back.

I ended up buying another GSI as I've not even started my resto & it's been 5 years.

4 months Robsey??! That's just bollocks, I would tell them to pull their finger out or take it elsewhere - unless they are doing it for free!

Yup - tell me about it

Nope not for free... but at a very favourable price agreed on the day the car was dropped off at Troy's original unit in July 2015.

Although I am not against paying full price if that is what was required.
Back on day 1, I was in day dream land, not realising that it would cost me more than twice as much to complete.
But then, a lot of the car is now new or refurbed.

If I could wind the clock back, I would probably have allowed the car to be scrapped, and save my self loads of cash, frustration and faffing.
But hey ho...

Aye, it'll happen one day (though house really is sucking the soul out of my finances).

It will indeed happen.
Just a matter of keeping things in perspective.

I still need to get mine welded... its been off road for over 7 years now. God knows what it will need doing to get an M.O.T

It is a little ironic, that almost as soon Gary starts a thread sharing his sadness at being Cavless,
His prayers are answered, and work starts in earnest.
Good times ahead.

For me and my jalopy, still no progress.

Still - good to have you back Gary..

HAIRIBO wrote:I still need to get mine welded... its been off road for over 7 years now. God knows what it will need doing to get an M.O.T

Remind me what needs doing to yours? Rear boot floor isn't it? If you can get it to me (in Jarrow), after the new year I don't mind having a look and making up some patches to plate it up to get it through a test.

As for what it needs now after being laid up for so long, probably a full set of fluids, discs and pads cleared up, tyres (you'll likely have flat spots now) and just generally a good going over.

In the first post, Gary mentions long ongoing projects.

Well - I do have another project that I have yet to make any progress on.
It is a 1983 VW Type 2 Camper van, but it is the latest incarnation designated Transporter T25 (in the UK) or T3 throughout the rest of the world.
Often referred to as the Wedgey or Brick due to it's very squared off body shape and angular front end.

The T number comes from the first digit(s) of the part numbers.
So all T25 part numbers start with 25######

Our van started out as a van - all 80's UK campers were built as commercial vans and then converted to campers by cutting in windows retrospectively.

Despite having a 1.9 solex carb engine, the VW flat four "df" waterboxer is only capable of about 55 horse power.
So not fast for a van weighing nearly 2 tons.

Anyway coming back to the chase.
The van used to be driven by the father in law until late 1990.
The cylinder head blew (blown out valve seat) and the van never moved again.

In June 2012 - after the father in law had died, I was asked by a teary-eyed mother in law whether I could save it from the scrapper.

A major project with a major emotional weight attached. I felt compelled to say yes as mechanics and electrics are very basic and simple to do.

Same as my Cav though, the underside is shot, and will require inner and outer sills, most of the front end, window frames and the whole tail-gate replacing / repairing.

Suffice to say - nearly five years later I have stripped the interior out, bought replacement front doors, a fuel injected 112 hp waterboxer engine and various other bits.

I just need to do the bodywork first before the "fun things" can be started.

What is stopping me?
Money currently being glugged-up by the Cav restoration and general lack of time.

I am also a bit lazy, because I don't have a warm dry garage or unit to work in.

Excuses, excuses - that is what caused my Cav to fall into serious decay.

Typical Rust...



The early days...


A tiny bit of progress

It'll come together one day Rob

Hopefully end up something like one of these.

As far As I know its just the boot floor seam, and the inner passeanger arch.

I was planning and getting the discs refured. And have a set of new wheels and tyres.

For some reason the car looses coolant when it stands.

Think it needs a proper good look at. if you ever fancy popping over one night maybe we could come up with a plan. and in return I'll help with your house funds?

Envoy CDX wrote:Well, it's been 5 years now and still no further forward getting the cav back on the road for one reason or another..

I am wondering if it will ever happen currently.
Anyone else had any extremely long ongoing projects?

Yes my granada, never on the road, want to get it painted, no spare cash lol

Those vans tend to be quite rot prone in many places don't they Robsey. I had to condemn an acquaintance's one as it was rotten virtually on every panel. I think someone they knew took it for spares or a project. I remember taking one look underneath and gingerly saying a few choice words under my breath. not sure the model but was the rounder one, the camper type but not split screen, Think it was about an old S plate. Still would be great to see your one back on the road. always good to see one cruisin down the road.

Ah - being a bit of a geek on these now, there were three phases of "Type 2" - or Transporter

Type 1 is the Beetle, and Type 3 is the Karmen Ghia.

So Type 2 -T1 is the early split screen bus / van from about 1959 to the early 70's.

Type 2 - T2 is the Bay Window upto about 1979.

Type 2 - T3 is the Wedge or Brick from 1979 to 1992. In late 1982 the rear mounted engine changed from air cooled to water cooled.

By the way - it is at this point that the Dub world did a Brexit.
In the UK only the model is called a T25.
Based on all part numbers starting 25#######.

The wordly wise of you will know that they made the T3 in South Africa until 2002.
And the T2 was made in Mexico and imported via Danbury Motors until about 2013.

The Transporter T4 and T5 were never counted as type 2, as they were now front engined vehicles.
History lesson over.

Corrosion - Yes the T3 / T25 is known to corrode very badly underneath (sills etc) and ALL seems. They more or less cured the corrosion isdue from about 1989... so very late models fair better.

As to when this will get done. Who knows.
The Cav is getting close, and the Vectra will need about £1000 of work doing before I can even think of doing the van.

And to be honest I don't really have the money, time or need for a third vehicle.