humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

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humbucker
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by humbucker »

C20letlad wrote:Yeah not cheap discs ! And the £350 for pads ! I made the brackets myself, you have to alter the legs to get the correct clearance for the calipers and yes redrilled Vxr discs
Interesting, cheers for the info. How did you alter the legs to get adequate caliper clearance? Did you need to get busy with your grinder? I haven't even offered my Brembos up to the car yet!
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by humbucker »

I opened up the Forge Motorsport actuator I bought to discover that it has the standard yellow spring inside it. According to the Forge website, the strongest spring offered by the company is red, followed by blue, yellow and green. Spring codes and their running pressures are listed as:

Green – 10 psi (0.7 bar)
Yellow – 15 psi (1.0 bar)
Blue – 18 psi (1.2 bar)
Red – 20 psi (1.4 bar)

It's safe to assume that I'll be swapping this yellow spring with a stronger equivalent part. BooOOOoost!

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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by C20letlad »

If you can get the discs first it helps a lot ! You will then see how they fit as they are massive discs
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by humbucker »

Contrary to what my lack of project updates might suggest, I have been carrying out quite a bit of work on the Cavalier - I'm just so tired at the end of each working day that I'm struggling to find the motivation to sift through all the photos I take each time I'm with the car! Must try harder...!

Anyway, you'll recall that I'm getting a full Lexan polycarbonate window kit complete with protective coating (to enable continued used of up-and-down functionality without scratching the windows). The kit comprises every window except for the front windscreen, which is a cost-option, but I'm not entirely sure that it's a road legal cost-option, so I'm happy to leave that for the time being. Another optional extra is to have a logo or graphic laser printed onto each window. Here are some examples, each measuring approx 40mm in width:

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I was mulling over my options, and I even considered the application of the Performance Vauxhall logo. Just as I was about to dismiss the idea and opt for no laser printing at all, I had a brainwave. Eureka!

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I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner! The club's website address! What could be more perfect?! Of course, it will be reproduced as solid black text, but it should look pretty good printed on each window, and it all helps to promote the cause. Hoorah! Artwork on its way to the manufacturer.
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by humbucker »

C20letlad wrote:If you can get the discs first it helps a lot ! You will then see how they fit as they are massive discs
I won't be using the OEM discs. Too pricey for my liking! I'll find some EBC discs designed for use on another car and drill 'em to suit.
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by James McGrath »

humbucker wrote:Contrary to what my lack of project updates might suggest, I have been carrying out quite a bit of work on the Cavalier - I'm just so tired at the end of each working day that I'm struggling to find the motivation to sift through all the photos I take each time I'm with the car! Must try harder...!
I know that feeling. The longer you leave it the harder it gets.
At the moment I'm trying to update my WIPs as soon as I get stuff done.

Nice idea on the club website on the windows by the way, good bit of PR.
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by humbucker »

James McGrath wrote:At the moment I'm trying to update my WIPs as soon as I get stuff done.
Yes, I think that's the only way to keep on top of it. It's one thing to shudder at the idea of propping eyes open with pegs and sift through photos until silly o'clock in the morning, but it's quite another to end up stockpiling updates. There's a danger that they'll never get posted! :lol:
James McGrath wrote:Nice idea on the club website on the windows by the way, good bit of PR.
Yup. Something I think we need to step up a gear. Although quite when there is time available to do so is another story, hehe! 8-)
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by James McGrath »

A while ago I was going to get the web address put on my number plates but chickened out at the last moment.
Wish I had now.
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by Telegram Sam »

Sounds like the DVLA might have to re-program their computer to allow for www.vauxhallcavalier.com as a substitute for K-regs etc. Might help confuse the trail for them what have committed traffic offences.
'91 H-reg SRi "130" manual hatch 8-valve non cat with mods
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by James McGrath »

Well it was only going to be in small lettering on the bottom but yeah, I was worried if it would be street legal or not.
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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by humbucker »

I've been doing loads of work on the cars of late, and my Cavalier's new Lexan polycarbonate window kit from Plastics4Performance arrived a few days ago, so I figure I should probably make an effort to try and get each of my project threads up to speed before I end up with a trillion photos to sift through. Here goes...

The good news is that the Cavalier was sold to me complete with a Coscast cylinder head and a receipt for a rebuilt F28 six-speed manual gearbox. The bad news is that it also came with an engine filled with enough oil to make OPEC stand up and take note. This became apparent as I drove across the Humber bridge during my drive home from the seller’s house; oil pressure was through the roof, and I discovered an already-filthy engine bay covered in lubricant when I lifted the bonnet following my arrival in North Lincolnshire.

Pic taken the day the car landed at its new home:

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Perversely, I was pleased to see that a loose-fitting dipstick had done its best to avoid serious engine damage by offering an exit route for oil that was desperate to break free. Sadly, what seemed like every visible surface was covered in copious amounts of once-hot fluid, leading me to begin a clean-up operation that has continued with the removal of pretty much every component surrounding the car’s engine.

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The Coscast-topped two-litre will also be removed as soon as I’ve cleared enough space in my garage. The engine will be replaced with a forged build based around a late 1990 C20XE block that I’ve managed to get hold of. What’s remarkable about this particular bottom end is that it has covered no more than a verified eleven thousand miles from new!

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Equally as pleasing as this revelation is the fact that the block’s previous owner had sent the part to famed Vauxhall engine builder, Steve Milton (aka steveboyslim), whereupon it was acid-dipped, deck skimmed, re-honed and furnished with a turbocharger oil return, new core plugs, ARP fasteners and expertly-installed under-piston oil squirters. During a subsequent conversation, Steve told me that he’s worked on hundreds of performance Vauxhall engines over the years, but he has yet to see another used C20XE or C20LET block in as good condition as this one.

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Fortunately for me, the fella that commissioned the work decided to move on to a new project and advertised the block as available for purchase before fitting it to his car. Nevertheless, I wanted to make doubly sure that the part’s cylinder bores were bang-on 86mm before ordering new pistons and connecting rods.

Off I popped to race car tuning firm, Zen Performance, in Earith, North Cambridgeshire. Zen master, Richard O’Sullivan, carefully measured each lip-free cylinder bore and confirmed that my refreshed Red Top block was every bit as good as I’d been led to believe it to be. He did point out a small amount of pitting in one corner of the head gasket mating surface, but it’s not enough to be worried about.

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I might get the head mating surface lightly skimmed when new pistons are in, just to ensure that the surfaces of all parts are 100% level, which will also have the effect of eradicating the slight pitting. This pic makes it look a lot worse than it is:

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Re: humbucker's 1994 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 (Turbo #2)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Oo, nice engine - lucky to get such a well built block.
Lowrider Dave.

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