Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

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James McGrath
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Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

As some of you may know, I've been looking for a new car for my Dad for quite some time.

Well, my quest is finally over, and this is the result.

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A 1993 L reg CD hatchback in satin red (72L) with grey Ascot velour interior!

My dad and I travelled up to Ipswich to get it in my LS and bough it for the bargain price of £325!! My Dad drove it all the way back with no problems.

It's only done 86,000 miles, been kept in a garage its whole life and been owned by an elderly couple since 1994.

It’s amazing how little is wrong with it. I had a good look underneath and all round and could find no rust at all. There is some slight bubbling on the rear wheel arches but it’s only surface rust and still solid. It still has its original number plates. The interior is perfect and looks and feels new. The fabric on the seats and carpets is so much nicer than my LS; really fluffy and comfortable. The engine is incredible, very smooth and certainly not what I’m used to in terms of power.

It does have its bad points. It needs some new rear tyres, the door impact trim on the drivers side rear is missing and it’s damaged on the passenger side rear, it needs some mud flaps, the eclectic aerial only goes up half way and that trailer has got to go!

Anyway, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves:


Practically no dents along the sides, a fair few scratches though:
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It does have the 4th alloy wheel; it's in the boot accompanied with a flat tyre:
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This will have to be sorted out, doesn’t look serious though:
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Trailer will be coming off very soon:
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No sign of rust in the boot:
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Are these MK2 Cavalier rear floor mats?
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All the original carpet mats are underneath some genuine Vauxhall rubber ones:
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Door cards are in great shape:
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Seats are still really nice and plush:
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I love these:
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Engine idles very well indeed and it was good on fuel on the way back home as well:
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Engine needs a good clean:
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I'll change this headlamp and get the headlamp rubbers sorted out next I think:
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Original GM glass all round:
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First thing to do is get some new tyres put on as one of them has a puncture and the other has only about 2mm of tread on it. After that I need to find some outer door trims. It has it's MOT coming up so fingers crossed everything will be ok and we can sell my Dad's old Honda Civic and this new Cavalier can enter active service!
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DiplomaXE
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by DiplomaXE »

That looks superb.
few little fixes and lots of reliable motoring awaits you.
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planetc
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by planetc »

Looking good :thumb
"No the temperature gauge doesn't work........
we've driven 150 miles today........
the heater went cold last Thursday........
they check the level when it's serviced don't they?"
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by iangsi »

Looks like a keeper to me :thumb
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James McGrath
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

Thanks guys. I've got allot of little jobs to do on her but nothing like what I've done on my LS.

I've already got some new GLS alloys, Thanks Ian (iangsi) they look great!

So now I can get some new tyres, then all I need to do is that door moulding and she will be ok to go along to the South Eastern meet up.
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Looks nice, good spec too.
Lowrider Dave.

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Cavalier342
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by Cavalier342 »

Very nice find. Bit of restoring and TLC will see it gleaming in no time.

I do have a set of CD alloys, all 5, if I ever want to sell them on, I'll consider you.
Previous:
China Blue 1989 Vauxhall Cavalier L 18SV
Kings Blue 1992 Vauxhall Cavalier LSi Auto C18NZ
Smoke Grey 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier V6 C25XE

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terkin
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by terkin »

looks good :thumb you will be bringing both cavs then?
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by jeffjeff450 »

The door strip your missing I do have that one but not the one broken.I also have a set of head lights if your interested, I have no idear how to get the strips off with out breaking them. Sorry about the wait to get back to you.
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James McGrath
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

jeffjeff450 wrote:The door strip your missing I do have that one but not the one broken.I also have a set of head lights if your interested, I have no idear how to get the strips off with out breaking them. Sorry about the wait to get back to you.

That's excellent because I can buy the left hand side one (the broken one) online but I cant find a Right had one anywhere.

I'm not sure how to remove them myself, maybe someone here will know...?
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by planetc »

Gaz suggested using fishing line a while back, like a cheese wire. I think that it's a good suggestion.
"No the temperature gauge doesn't work........
we've driven 150 miles today........
the heater went cold last Thursday........
they check the level when it's serviced don't they?"
terkin
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by terkin »

i used floss on mine :thumb
jeffjeff450
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by jeffjeff450 »

planetc wrote:Gaz suggested using fishing line a while back, like a cheese wire. I think that it's a good suggestion.
What about just using cheese wire!!!!

I'll give it ago.
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by jeffjeff450 »

James McGrath wrote:
jeffjeff450 wrote:The door strip your missing I do have that one but not the one broken.I also have a set of head lights if your interested, I have no idear how to get the strips off with out breaking them. Sorry about the wait to get back to you.

That's excellent because I can buy the left hand side one (the broken one) online but I cant find a Right had one anywhere.

I'm not sure how to remove them myself, maybe someone here will know...?
I'll have a go at getting it off and get back to you.
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planetc
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by planetc »

jeffjeff450 wrote:
planetc wrote:Gaz suggested using fishing line a while back, like a cheese wire. I think that it's a good suggestion.
What about just using cheese wire!!!!

I'll give it ago.
Not everyone has a cheese wire handy, lol
"No the temperature gauge doesn't work........
we've driven 150 miles today........
the heater went cold last Thursday........
they check the level when it's serviced don't they?"
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James McGrath
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

Right. I've bought quite a few new parts today.

I managed to get hold of a brand new genuine electric aerial for only £12 including postage!

I've got a new door moulding for the passenger side. (I still can't find one for the drivers side though)

I managed to pick up a couple of brand new original Carello headlamp lenses, left and right to replace the one with the hole in it.

Also amazingly I managed to find a set of brand new genuine Vauxhall gaiters/boots for the gear stick and the handbrake. :D
They will be going on my LS as that needs them more.

So I've now got most of the parts I need. the only major thing I need now is that door moulding and a couple of mud flaps plus a few minor bits and peaces, clips and so on, that I can pick up from the scrap yard on Wednesday with any luck.

I had hoped that I'd get everything done before the south eastern meet up, but it's that door moulding that is holding me back.

I swapped the alloy wheels around yesterday and it already looks much better. Hopefully I'll be able to fit everything on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

The CD had its MOT and major service at Hanford’s auto centre in Tonbridge on Thursday. It's quite pricy for a major service but we thought it was worth it as we have only just bought it and considering what a good job they did on my LS earlier this year which also had a major service.

Any way, here is the result:

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Passed first time! :D Ok so there are a few advisories , but nothing serious.

We did end up getting a few things done, list as follows:

New front brake discs
New front brake pads
New set of handbrake cables

After that cracking result I can get to work in earnest.
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by GLC »

Congrats on the mot pass. :D Hope my Cav LS does as well when the mot due in Feb! Dare I say it but you could try ebay for the door trim as there a guy breaking a V6 CDX on there at the mo. That should have the corret trim if your struggling to find one.
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by Envoy CDX »

Congrats on the pass. Sounds promising.
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James McGrath
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

Thanks guys.

I'm chuffed with it so far; even after the MOT, service, road TAX, insurance, new breaks and all the other things I've bought for it it's still only cost me under £1000 including the price I paid for the car itself!
Which in my opinion is nothing considering how much car you get with the CD. If you were to buy a new car of a similar spec today, you'd be looking at about £13,000.

GLC wrote:Dare I say it but you could try eBay for the door trim as there a guy breaking a V6 CDX on there at the mo. That should have the correct trim if your struggling to find one.
I actually tried contacting that person a few weeks ago. He said he didn't know how to get it off so he was going to ask his friend how to do it and then get back to me. That was about 3 weeks ago.

Anyway it doesn't matter anymore; I managed to find one at a scrap yard near Ashford!
It's called Ashford Vauxhall spares. Thanks to Ian (iangsi) for recommending it to me.
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by cavalier1990 »

Sweet 2.0 inj - enjoy!
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by chris.h »

thats one nice looking cavalier
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

In between all the rain and the freezing weather I've managed to get a few things done.

The first thing I did was swap the alloy wheels round. I decided to keep the 2 front ones as they were still in pretty good nick. But the one remaining rear alloy was in a bad state and the alloy in the boot was even worse. Lots of bubbling and the coating on the inside had almost completely peeled off:

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I got a set of 5, curtsey of Ian (Iangsi), (Thanks again Ian!) and picked the 3 best ones to replace the two rear wheels and to have one as a spare. After that one job it was already looking much better.

Next, I managed to find a brand now genuine Vauxhall electric aerial, which is probably one of the last ones left as I spent over a month trawling through the inner depths of the internet trying to find one until this one came up on www.preloved.co.uk for an amazing bargain price of just £12!!

I also managed to find a brand new door trim from genuine parts search, unfortunately only for the rear passenger side. That meant it was 1 down 1 to go but I couldn't find one anywhere for the drivers side.

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I actually got my mechanic Steve, at the Halfords autocentre in Tonbridge to fit the aerial for me when my Dad took it in to be looked at in preparation for it's MOT. I know, I know, but it was wet and cold and windy and my fortune teller advised against it and there was a disturbance in the force and there was this really big....

Any way after the car's mot pass I felt more inclined to get stuck in. So I decided to replace the cracked headlamp. I thought if I was going to replace one and inevitably muck up the headlamp alignment, I might as well do both. So I got myself 2 brand new genuine lenses one from eBay and the other from www.vauxhall-car-parts.co.uk both in original GM packaging.

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I got stuck in and as I had done it before on my LS, it took me a mere 45 minuets, pretty good by my standards of incompetence!
The new lenses come with new seals but they were only in strips and did not quite reach all the way round and left a gap, whereas the old ones were in a complete circle with no break. The new ones were also only made of foam whereas the old were rubber so I decided to use the old ones.

The clips that hold the lens on were easy to take off but pretty difficult to put back on. I needed my Dad to help me squeeze the lens and the lamp together so I could reattach the clips.

I also took the opportunity to correctly fit the headlamp rubbers, and it looks much better as a result.

During:
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After:
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I eventually managed to find a door moulding for the drivers side in a scrap yard as previously posted, and this is what it will hopefully look like once fitted.
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One last thing to mention is as the same time as getting the MOT, I also had the towbar removed.

Looking much tidier at the back now:
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This is the CD as it stands. It's now being used everyday at the delight of my Father who is now really enjoying driving it. :cheers

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I still haven't had the chance to give it a really good wash or a polish so that's high on my priority list, but I want to get that door moulding fitted which I'm probably going to get done at ELVA, (the same people who resprayed my LS) and perhaps get the front and rear bumpers reconditioned at the same time.

Part numbers for everything if anyone needs them:

Drivers side lamp lens: 90443746
Passenger side lamp lens: 90443745
Chrome top electric aerial: 90458928
Passenger side rear door moulding: 90312117
Drivers side rear door moulding: 90312118
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by humbucker »

Nice work, useful part numbers too. Not sure those rubbers are sitting properly though tbh, they should lip over the lamp, creating a seal. Yours are tucked under so water can still get in, although obviously they are providing infinitely more protection than none at all. Should look like this (note where the indicator and headlamp meet):

Image
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Re: Mike and James' 1993 Cavalier CD

Post by James McGrath »

humbucker wrote:Nice work, useful part numbers too. Not sure those rubbers are sitting properly though tbh, they should lip over the lamp, creating a seal. Yours are tucked under so water can still get in, although obviously they are providing infinitely more protection than none at all. Should look like this:

Yeah I tried to get them like that but the gap between the headlamp glass and the lower sill is really big on the CD for some reason. I managed to get it right on my LS.

I tried adjusting the headlamps so they would sit a little lower but they only want to stay in one position.

I wanted to get it absolutely right but it was getting dark and my Dad seemed happy with it.
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