Back after a 10 year rest!

Show off your pride and joy! All Mk3 Cavaliers are welcome (please post only one thread per car)
chrisash86
Registered user
Posts: 209
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 10:13 pm

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by chrisash86 »

Hi justslater where did u get ur grill from I would like to my grill looking like that , is it off a gsi ?
Justslater002
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:01 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Justslater002 »

chrisash86 wrote:Hi justslater where did u get ur grill from I would like to my grill looking like that , is it off a gsi ?
Its a GSI grill indeed. Got it some years ago....i may stick an original one back on, but not sure yet. It came from good ol' ebay
Justslater002
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:01 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Justslater002 »

Image5348155_zpsiplyqgiz.jpg"/></a>
Image
Image
Image

After wiping the laptop and re installing everything, finally I can post some pics (though pointless) but hey, prof shes starting to get a little TLC. Kids liked the ride out even if it was only a brief one....they weren't so keen on the exhaust tone though!!......they'll get used to it I'm sure :D
Freya, the youngest, thought it was amazing when opening the sun roof....." look daddy, theres a hole in the roof" haha. Thinking about it, don't suppose there are many cars that come with such luxuries these days!
Justslater002
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:01 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Justslater002 »

Guess where???
Image
Image
Image
Image
|Finally, its back home!
Have to say, its been missed... It started with a lift from the wife and kids down to Heathrow on the Wednesday night where I met my dad for a freebie lift back to Norfolk. Kipped at the mates house who was keeping the car for me, and once the morning came, it was time of a quick trip to the local tire guys at Havens, where they sorted me out with 4 new black circles....nothing too flash as that would have meant another day in Norwich (which is no problem in itself, its a lovely part of the country) but whatever they could get hold of on the day that would do. Time to hit the motorway!
For the first few miles I took it easy (it didn't like revving beyond 3k for a while so thought it may be a loooong journey back at low speeds) but the more miles it covered the better it ran, eventually pulling reasonably through the rev range. It still needs the few ignition pieces changed in order to (hopefully) get it running smoothly like it once used to, but for now its certainly drivable. Once comfortable ( you soon realise how far we've come regarding everyday driving positions) it was a case of settling down, trying not to think of 'what happens if this ' or 'what happens if that' etc and enjoy driving the thing ! And that I did, once a quick pitstop revealed all temps and pressures were fine and with no leaks on the floor, it was time to really press on around the M25 and M4 and before too long, I was home. Its a nice feeling knowing its outside waiting to be used again. Hope the novelty doesn't wear off too quickly!
Overall, it was a good trip home and once I'd got used to the driving position, found it was still quite comfortable.
I've since discovered that the wet footwell from before was probably down to the fact that the carpets and mats were wet vaxed at the cleaners before i drove the car last After checking under the scuttle panel, all looked absolutely fine and clear, and there is no evidence of any water leaks...... and the rev counter that was working fine has as of today decided to pack up.....didn't take long for its first issue to crop up! I shouldn't be surprised really, the Astra is kind of the same....fix one problem, another arises! Speaking of which, i got the Cav back and found my brother fitting a nice shiny new welded manifold to the motor, ready for our trip to Goodwood breakfast club Sunday morning. I'd take the Cav, but its a 80s/90s hothatch meet so its only appropriate it takes a trip out.
Ive uploaded a small clip of driving the car back on to YouTube under JustSlater003 (I tend to waffle on, so apologies for that) In the future, ill do some more on actually driving the thing and on any of the issues i get round to undertaking in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq1wAJ1TBu0

If you can, Enjoy!
User avatar
Envoy CDX
Club Admin
Posts: 9652
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:51 pm
Location: Jarrow, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Envoy CDX »

Pretty cool - be nice to see how this pans out.
Check the Rules!

Raw 8v Power! - Bad Cav, Naughty Cav... Cav want's to do 90!

The How2 Index
Justslater002
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:01 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Justslater002 »

:santa Happy new (bit late I know) year to all fellow Griffin lovers! :raindeer
Hope everyones had a good festive season!

And with that, its over, and for most of us, back to work. For me, that means getting a new van. Something that I wouldn't have normally announced on here, but, it all ties in........kind of.
New van means releasing funds. Releasing funds means selling a car or 2. A Galaxy was one, and a Vauxhall is ther other.......but which one??


Not the cav.
Yet.
For now, theres a C20LET (if the price is reasonable) up for grabs! But this is no ordinary C20, it comes complete with a MK2 GTE!! haha
Must admit, the thought of shoving it in the cavalier had crossed my mind, but I'm rather fond of the lazy 6 cylinder, so I'll leave it alone for the time being.
Still, every cloud and all will, fingers crossed, mean that there will soon be a space to store the old girl to hold up and keep out of the winter weather, although (and I know its a sin with gritted roads) I've still found excuses to hop in and fire it down the road in a rumbling wake of noise and unleaded fumes! She's seen nearly 1000 miles since its MOT, and may she see many more. It shouldn't be a problem, its just a case of finding where the new small oil leak is coming from....(thought it was the sump plug but on closer inspection I thinks its running down from the rear of the sump)......and the fixing of the drivers window not working all of a sudden.....and the working out as to why the oil pressure reads slightly too low when at idle once warm.....nothing like keeping busy!
User avatar
Robsey
Club Admin
Posts: 10568
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:42 pm
Location: East Manchester

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Robsey »

Regarding your oil pressure at idle - do not get too paranoid about this.

It could easily be a tired pressure switch.

Many an old school Vauxhall tech will say "As long as the oil light only comes on when the oil is hot and the car is at idle, there is nothing to worry about"

Indeed the Astra GTE owners manual specifically mentions this situation.
Justslater002
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:01 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Justslater002 »

That's good to know, thank you. The light flickers on only when its at idle and up to fully working temp. Assumed it was connected to old/worn part(s) but thought id put it on here anyway.
User avatar
Robsey
Club Admin
Posts: 10568
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:42 pm
Location: East Manchester

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Robsey »

It is far more common with the combination sender / switches, as used to run the oil gauges.

There were batches of faulty units from the factory.

I would make sure that all wiring is clean and securely fitted to be sure.

If yours is just the simple switch for the dash light, then these are usually more reliable, but can still fail.
Thankfully they are not too expensive to replace.

Also give the car regular runs, incase it is a sticky pressure relief valve.

We have to remember that standing for ten years could cause things to gum up or stick occasionally.
iangsi
Club Admin
Posts: 1709
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 4:58 pm
Location: Bromley, Kent.

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by iangsi »

the oil light flickering could be slightly low oil level with the leak, the oil thinning a little when hot which is normal or a combination of the two.
Justslater002
Posts: 27
Joined: Fri Sep 30, 2016 6:01 pm
Location: Wiltshire

Re: Back after a 10 year rest!

Post by Justslater002 »

:cry
Soooo, time has come to put the car up for sale.....though i see it more like im giving someone else the opportunity to have the ol' girl, and give it that little extra tlc it needs.
Secretly, if theres little or no interest then i'll happily hold on to it, stick it away for the remainder of the year and get round to sorting the paint work and rear arches But at the same time, i said that about the GTE at christmas, yet that sold in hours (perhaps the cav is more desirable than a mk2 eh? lol)
The main reason(s) for sale are
1) Wife and kids don't really like it. Its 'too old' and too noisy (not that i often take notice of what they say....but i do get their point....
2) Like most people, time. With a new crew cab Renault Traffic, i find myself at work more and more, and therefore the cav spends more and more time just sitting under its covers, doing bugger all. Ive only managed 1600 miles since its MOT and they are mainly due to me bogging off to BTCC events or doing the 100 mile round trip to go karting

For these reasons, ive decided to give someone else the chance to give it a home and hopefully use it a bit more than me. I've done my bit, getting it back to a road worth state after so many years off it. It may have cost £1500 or so in doing so, but even at my age (35) it still takes me back to when i first got my hands on it. Its been great.

So if you happen to know someone who may be interested, then point them this way!
A good home is a must, just like the Astra
Post Reply