Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

Lovely looking motor there mate.

Looks super that, Top job as always

Just realised I don't have any decent photos of how she sits at the moment.

The only thing I've had done since last updat8ing is the exhaust, I still need a new fan belt as it's squeaking like hell in the cold. Looking back at the history I see it has never been replaced. So presumably it's still the same belt that it left the factory with!

New exhaust:





I gave the old girl a quick wash down today and took some snaps:














Finally She's getting dangerously close to 40,000 miles.... Why an I so worried about that?

Looks great. Hope to see this at Billing in June (or is it July?)

Thanks mate.

Yeah I was thinking of taking it to billing this year.

Looking very neat indeed, and all set for the Hillsborough screen-test too?

Passed her MOT today!

No advisories and good emissions too.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) - 0.69%
Hydro Carbons (HC) - 80 ppm

Very good mate! Seeing as the weather is lovely today I'd be celebrating that with some

Congrats on the CD passing James. Glad to see you efforts rewarded with a 1st time pass.

Hurrah!

Any updates on this James, Do you want to sell it?

Super89 wrote:Any updates on this James, Do you want to sell it?

I've got to write updates for all of them. I've got quite behind on my WIP threads lately.
Nothing exciting with this one, just general maintenance, as I don't use it that often.

I don't know about selling it. Even if the price was right I'd have to think about it.

Look forward to the updates, PM me a price if you was willing to sell.

Looks like a really good example of an older CD model there, good find! Take it that's original arches? I got one like this the arches were still pretty clean and kept them good by cleaning out all the mud that collects up behind them; something many owners forget to do. Mud holds moisture against the arches. I'd say rust is more of a problem on the later MK3 as I have had both and the metal doesn't seem quite as good as on the earlier ones. Does CD model have air con?

Unfortunately they aren't entirely original as they have been repaired. If you look back at the first page you'll see it had some quite bad rust on the sill and lower arch when I bought it.

The only model to have air conditioning as standard was the Diplomat. However it was made officially available as an optional extra on the GSi, CDX and Turbo models.

You do occasionally see air conditioning on other models though, I've seen it on an LS for example, but these weren't made officially available and are probably specially ordered imports ordered from Opel and branded as Vauxhalls or have been retrofitted with the system.

James McGrath wrote:Unfortunately they aren't entirely original as they have been repaired. If you look back at the first page you'll see it had some quite bad rust on the sill and lower arch when I bought it.

The only model to have air conditioning as standard was the Diplomat. However it was made officially available as an optional extra on the GSi, CDX and Turbo models.

You do occasionally see air conditioning on other models though, I've seen it on an LS for example, but these weren't made officially available and are probably specially ordered imports ordered from Opel and branded as Vauxhalls or have been retrofitted with the system.

Apologies James I happened upon page 2 of your thread first time round, never seen the work you done on the arches on page 1 but have now had time to look through the first parts. Good work, looks very smart, the Early Mk3 looks better than later one, and that's coming from someone that owns 2 later ones!

Well it's been a long time since my last update on this car. Mainly due to not doing anything out of the routine.

I'm basically just using it for pleasure jaunts and going to shows though it has been used more than I would have liked and it's not reading just over 45,500 miles.

Anyway, I thought it was looking a bit sorry for itself the other day so I gave it a wash and a good inspection to see how it was holding up.
Prepare for a gratuitous amount of photos:












I was beginning to get paranoid about rust as it's been sitting out in the open while in my ownership and I know how earlier Cavs can rust.
Thankfully it's not looking too bad, compare these to the ones I took when I first got her on page 1.

Nearside sill, don't ask me what that green stuff is, I've no idea:




Offside sill and floor pan:




Passenger floor pan:




I have to say though the exhaust is looking no way near as good as it did. I swear it looked brand new last time I checked




Slightly out of focus rear spring seat, thankfully looking almost the same as 2 1/2 years ago:




Only patch of rust I found was this surface rust on the drivers floor pan, any suggestions as to what I should do about it?




Anyway. Don't have any plans for the ol' girl really, though I ought to get a few things done:

I'd love to be able to get the manual levelling system working again. This was almost completely removed by the previous owner for some reason. I need all the tubing for it and a set of adjustable shocks if I can find any.

It needs a new axillary belt as this has been squeaking for quite a while now. This has the 2 belt setup with a separate belt for power steering pump and alternator, not sure which one is the culprit.

The number plates are looking very tired. The rear one at least is the original dealer plate from 1990 so obviously I'd like too keep it. What I really need are replicas based on the originals if anyone knows any companies that do this let me know.

Another thing I'm really annoyed about is the rear badges have lost their shine and turned black. How the hell that happened I've no idea.

Needs a good polish and a few other detailing bits.


Here are some extra bonus picks to end on

Do your other 4 Cavaliers feel lonely when you're taking photos of the 5th one? lol.

Looks good, those steel exhausts rust for fun, all mine always did, looked shiny on day one, few weeks later they looked like they've seen years of life.. Just how they are.

Cavalier342 wrote:Looks good, those steel exhausts rust for fun, all mine always did, looked shiny on day one, few weeks later they looked like they've seen years of life.. Just how they are.

Scary to think it was over 2 years ago that I put it on.
Where the hell did that time go?

Mine looks the same James. Fitted a full new GM system on the expression around 2 years ago i think.. They still last a alot longer than non GM items, Sound and fit much better.

James McGrath wrote: Only patch of rust I found was this surface rust on the drivers floor pan, any suggestions as to what I should do about it?

Scrape/chip loose rust off with a flat blade screwdriver or similar, checking for holes as you go, splash some dinitrol or similar on it, then give it a coat with matt underseal so you can keep an eye on it.

She's looking real nice there, James.

Finally found some of these things!




Took me ages to find the right size, but eventually got the right part number with a bit of help from ecat24.

Before:




After:




Yay! A full set at last!

It's all about the finishing touches ! That's really nice that bet it's a real time warp to drive.
Any little rust patches like that need wire brushing/ scraping back to good steel and treating with a rust converter, I use built hamber hydrate 80 (very good stuff) and then coating with a top coat to protect it - lots of options there but stone chip or dinitrol works well.

Thanks. Yeah it does feel really nice to drive.
I do feel a bit guilty driving it sometimes though, especially if I'm going to work along country lanes with loads of potholes.

Did another minor job the other day.
The off side front fog lamp was pointing up into the eyes of oncoming drivers. No idea why, it's been like it since I got the car and by the looks of the fittings I wouldn't be surprised if it was like it form the factory.
Probably should have done it ages ago but better late then never. Up until this point I simply avoided using them.

Difficult to make out clearly I know but it was pointing right up in the air:



While I was adjusting it I found this
Big piece of sheet lead:




I though it might be a little more serious but all I needed to do was use the adjuster; about 20 turns later the lamp is no longer blinding oncoming traffic:



I have to say, using them at night, these fogs are allot brighter than the lamps on the Diplomat, V6 or CD manual and they really do help illuminate the road immediately in front of you very well.


One thing I have always thought was odd is the way the sidelights work.
I've noticed they have an intermediate setting when the engine is switched on.

Here the sidelights are on with the engine off.
(Sorry about the blurry image)




And here they are with the engine on, clearly much brighter:




And for comparison, here is the dipped beam:




Does anyone know why the sidelights get so much brighter when the engine is on and why it is only unique to Pre-facelift Cavs?