My 1.8 LSi WIP

[Envoy CDX]

I won't disagree with you Gary.
Got to knuckle down and start getting her ready for PVS, little over a month to go.

Shouldn't be much to do
Passenger door
Central locking (plus lock assembly on drivers side)
Exhaust
+ whatever gems you've discovered on it.

[Adamw5433]

Long time, no reply (update)

I still have this cavalier.... Sat on my father inlaws drive.
The engine was pulled out about a week ago, and stripped.
Results of the strip:

Big end bearing stiff but rotating
Oil pick up pipe loose
Number 4 piston fried
Number 4 con rod scored
Number 4 shells destroyed
Number 4 crank position scored
Number 4, upper piston ring snapped and scored the bore
Number 4 bore scored
Crank shaft (number 4 possition) scored and burnt badly
Cam shaft slight (hot) wearing
Number 4 piston and conrod damaged
Various shells ruined
Tension pulley (rough when rotated)
Oil pump siezed
.....could go on and on....

The idea was to re-engine the cavalier with a donor engine.
However, i've found some structural rust.
Wiring behind dash (possible ignition wires) badly burnt.
Rear drums binding badly.
Central locking wiring / module water damaged


I've been off work for the past 7 months, and i am returning to work this coming monday.
Once i have an income again, i'll be looking for another road worthy cavalier.
Plan is to swap all the aftermarket parts over, scrap the current cavalier shell and other parts.
Re-invest scrap money into replacement cav.

Do a certain amount of preventative maintance on the new cav.
Underseal, strip back and repaint subframe if required, so forth...

So this W.I.P will probably be wound up as things progress.

Adam

[Envoy CDX]

Sorry to hear its worse than originally thought Adam, there are some good cavs coming up rather cheap at the minute, so hopefully you'll find yourself one of those

[Adamw5433]

Sorry to hear its worse than originally thought Adam, there are some good cavs coming up rather cheap at the minute, so hopefully you'll find yourself one of those

Thats the plan, Gary.
Just a case of getting back to work now.

Would love a V6 as i'm convinced the lowering kit i was sent, was for a V6.
Even lowered it sat high at the front.
However the insurance doesn't agree i should be driving a V6.

Maybe a 2.0L, would prefer to stay with a 8v.
However if a 16v ecowreck comes up at the right price it could be an ideal replacement.


Adam

[Adamw5433]

SHE'S BACK!!!

She stood unloved for 4 years, but shes slowly coming back.
I've invested in a unit to work on the Cav, and her sister (will explain)


PICS!

The unit (more space behind camera... Mondeo is mine)



Cav as of 11am 07 / sept / 2012 (tow truck still to arrange)











So the tow truck was arranged and she was moved 8 miles to her new home in my unit.
Pics not great, forgot digital cam, so HTC phone had to do

Here she is in the unit, before any attention.
Notice how grubby windows and bonnet are.



A lad 4 units down, allowed us to use his jet wash on her.
I thought, the grime would take a while to get off.
But it more or less slid off, all that wax and polish has protected her.

Bonnet off, notice how clean doors and glass has come up.





Wingws coming off to asses how legs and chassis are holding up.
VERY solid as it turns out.



So she still required a a C18NZ.
So a donor was sourced and flat bedded back to Darlington from Harrogate.





However on inspection of the shell and climbing under the new blue Cav, she is fairly mint.
Ok, she ain't perfect.

Water pump seal, leaking.
Clutch pedal mega-heavy.
Alarming rust on the roof.
Wind screen rubber, pulled out in corner. (repaired now)
Head light steamed up.

Could do with a service as she is running VERY rich.
Apart from that, could go for MOT.

So i now have 2 Cavaliers, one head ache (Mondeo), and still looking for a C18NZ for the red cav.... oops.

So i'll keep you all updeated as this WIP progresses



Adam

P.s. A big thank you to 'Ultra Spray' of Whessoe Road, Darlington.
For supplying the flat bed, and driver. Allowing me to pick the Cav up.

[Mikebmth]

Nice work Adam, good to see another Cav being saved from the dreaded crusher...

Good luck with the rebuild

[iangsi]

So a hatch & a saloon being saved nice & good luck.

[Adamw5433]

Cheers guys.

Turns out the Blue cav has a water leak from the water pump.
(spare pump at hand)
Theres a pin prick leak on the rad, so that'll be sorted soon - Rad from the red cav going it (it was new in 2008)
Engine is mis-firing after i dis-connected the battery, Could this be learning mode??

Some rust to sort out on the Blue cav, as with all cavs.
The dampers need to be inspected as she wallows a little.
If thats the case, G-MAX dampers from the red cav going on, for the test. Or OEM dampers if price isn't massive.

Not much more to do on the Blue cav.

Maybe a clean up inside.

Adam

[Adamw5433]

Blue Cav update

Well i reported earlier, there was a rust bubble in the roof.

One rust bubble (number plate for size comparison)


So i decided to tackle that.
Old paint taken off, cut back to the solid paint, then the steel was wire brushed, then the finer stuff rubbed down with a sanding bit on a dremel.

Results:


I rubbed the rust back to good metal, and rust treated the area. (forgot a pic of the reaction was cool though)

Once i got the rubbing down to good metal, it was time for a Zinc primer / sealer.
I applied a coat, allowed to dry for 6 hours.
I then applied the first layer of grey primer.

Rubbing back preparing for Zinc primer and grey primer


Thankfully the rust didn't eat too far back into the metal, this negated the need for filler.
I'm going to take the route of using the primer as a filler.
There is less than a millimeter to fill, so i'll add the primer up 2 coats per day.
Allowing for 6 hour drying periods inbetween coats should surfice.



Once the primer is built up, it'll be ready for rubbing back.
With very fine grit, to apply the top coat(s).

Work is slowing as i don't have a space heater, and my unit gets VERY cold.
Once i have a heater and good extraction going.
I can once again pick up the pace.

Adam

[GLC]

Glad to see you still have your hatchback cav and nice one on not breaking the other cav too. Good luck with both cars an lookforward to seeing some progress with them.

There a cavalier classic at a breakers yard in Derby with a C18NZ an box in it still with only 61k I reckon could be genuine and it is the hatchback version and the same colour as your too!

If you want there details here they are,

Albert Looms.

Megaloughton Lane.
Spondon.
Derby.
DE21 7ND.

Tel: 01322 673663.

[Adamw5433]

Glad to see you still have your hatchback cav and nice one on not breaking the other cav too. Good luck with both cars an lookforward to seeing some progress with them.

There a cavalier classic at a breakers yard in Derby with a C18NZ an box in it still with only 61k I reckon could be genuine and it is the hatchback version and the same colour as your too!

If you want there details here they are,

Albert Looms.

Megaloughton Lane.
Spondon.
Derby.
DE21 7ND.

Tel: 01322 673663.

Cheers for the tip.

Been told of a C18NZ in Newcastle upon Tyne too.
Its an GLS right hand drive.... from Spain.
Looks like the body is good, but you never know with imports.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

BAH!

I had to use filler as the primer technique was going to take too long and cost too much.

So on with the filler, as the silly plastic card they give you in these kits.


While the filler was curing, i was sat twiddling my thumb.... always fun, NOT.
So i was sat on my Corsa B SRi front seats come office chairs.
When the scrap alloys got my attention.
I rubbed one back on one spoke, primed twice, and two coats of top / color coat.

Test result / color match test.


Half decent color match, not perfect as the paint on the Cavalier. Is fairly damaged anyways. tree sap, ect...

The poor alloy has since been painted a different color on each spoke.
Red primer.
Cav (kings) blue.
Flame Red.
(Pug) Rolland Garros green.
Silver.

Once the filler had cured, i re-primered.
Allowed the usual time of drying / curing.

Then came the first color coat.


There some orange peel going on, got to flat it back again (done once)
Make sure the paint is absolutely flat, warm everything up... (unit gets really cold)
Then take a deep breath and go for the final coat.

Assuming all goes well, i'll be ready to color blend the paint. So there isn't a defined line where the new and old paint meet.

Adam.

[Adamw5433]

Looking like the Red Cavalier is going to be wound up and sold to another Cav enthusiast.
Once the red cav is sold / transfered to the new owner.
I'll be setting up a WIP for the Blue Cav.

Adam

[Adamw5433]

The red Cavalier, is still with us

However, the blue Cavalier isn't playing nicely.
Here's what myself and Envoy CDX (Gary), have been trying to cure.
Everything in the description has been replaced / renewed, only Lamba sensor to renew.

http://youtu.be/F9NkFvpXB6c

Adam

[Envoy CDX]

Standard exhaust required least. Did you manage to get the compressions checked again?

[Adamw5433]

No, going to invest in a compression tester on Friday.
Lamdba sensor ordered

Adam

[HAIRIBO]

Do you have a spare plastic insert that keeps the gear gaiter erect and in place?

[Envoy CDX]

No, going to invest in a compression tester on Friday.
Lamdba sensor ordered

Adam

Okey dokey

[Adamw5433]

Do you have a spare plastic insert that keeps the gear gaiter erect and in place?

Just got back from the unit.... oops
Will have a look around tomorrow.

Adam

[HAIRIBO]

No problm mate. And remember if you plan on fittina spoiler to the saloon, swap it for the one off my Cesaro as already has the holes etc!

Ok it's wrong colour, but if you can paint the roof you can paint a boot :-p

[Adamw5433]

No problm mate. And remember if you plan on fittina spoiler to the saloon, swap it for the one off my Cesaro as already has the holes etc!

Ok it's wrong colour, but if you can paint the roof you can paint a boot :-p

Roof is still in primer
Investment is slowing down, gearing for christmas shopping.
After new year things will get apace on the cav again.

Looking into buying a scrap value veccy B 1.8 (facelift) for 5 stud conversion and maybe engine swap.... but will see what pay packet brings.

[HAIRIBO]

I've got a set of 5 stud front legs

[GLC]

Hope you get the blue one sorted and be good if you keep the red one too as you have put alot of work into it in your ownership.

[Adamw5433]

Well myself and Envoy CDX got working on the suspension swap from the red Cav.
Now the red Cav never ever, sat correctly.
The front end was always sat high, compared to the rear.

However the front on the blue Cavalier, must be heavier.
Than the red Cavalier???
Both are 1.8 SPi.

So this is the blue Cavaliers front wheel / arch. As it sits at the moment.


More pics to come later, as myself and Gary (Envoy CDX) had to pop to Harrogate for some alloys.
Then drove Gary home.

Adam

P.s. Thanks to Gary for the help, teachings and food

[Envoy CDX]

Interesting day or couple of days even. finally starting to make some headway - definately need to start putting a shopping list together and then alot of jobs can be lashed off.

[HAIRIBO]

Alloys????