Regular readers will recall the excellent ‘Retro Cars at the Rock’ events that took place at Rockingham Speedway last year, but in case you missed them (and the round-up reports that followed), allow me to enlighten you: our esteemed editor, JJ, invited Retro Cars writers, photographers and readers to wheel their modified classics down to the Northamptonshire motorsport venue for a celebration of all that is great and good about the automotive scene that we inhabit. Better still, track taster sessions were available for those who wanted to attack the asphalt in their pride and joy, and all attendees were able to enjoy a celebratory lap of what is claimed to be Europe’s fastest racing circuit.
The first of these get-togethers took place in March. Ordinarily, my trusty Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4 would spend this time of year tucked up in the warm, enjoying hibernation, and readying itself for the summer show season, but testing its abilities at the track in the company of a wide range of retro rides was too good an opportunity to miss. Unsurprisingly, a fresh tax disc (remember them?!) was stuck to the inside of the car’s windscreen as soon as the date for the first ‘Rock’ outing was announced.
At this point, you might be wondering why I’m waxing lyrical about past events. Well, aside from doffing my cap to all those who turned out for these fantastic gatherings, reminiscing serves to demonstrate that my car has – for the first time since I’ve owned it – been taxed all year round. And that means that I’ve been making good use of it in all weather conditions!
In spite of being caked in the muck that the roads of rural Cambridgeshire have thrown at it in recent weeks, this great Griffin has performed brilliantly. Indeed, I’ve loved every minute of being behind its leather-clad steering wheel. That doesn’t mean that I’ve been unable to find time to tinker, though; I’ve recently replaced the car’s original coil pack with a brand new GM/Bosch part. Other ignition upgrades include NGK Iridium spark plugs and uprated leads, while all fluids and filters have been changed with genuine service parts (including a dump of the car’s Getrag F28 six-speed transmission juice).
As far as the Vauxhall’s exterior is concerned, not a lot has changed since my last progress report (mud aside!), although I’ve introduced a subtle styling update in the form of a de-tangoed rear end. This simple modification can be applied to Cavalier Turbos and GSi2000s due to the fact that the taillights of both models feature a standalone orange insert. Using a soldering iron, the part can be carefully broken into pieces and removed through bulb apertures, resulting in a clear, smoked lens that looks infinitely better than its earlier factory state. Nice.
While at the back of the car, I noticed a number of hairline cracks that had appeared in the lenses of its decorative boot panel. I’m not sure if they came about through over-tightening of neighbouring bolts or simply as a consequence of the panel’s old age, but I’ve managed to source a replacement with lenses that are in ‘as new’ condition. The painted section of the panel could do with a fresh coat of Satin Red, but I’m probably just being fussy. At the end of the day, I’m pleased to have been able to get hold of this rare item. After all, with so few Cavalier Turbos produced – and an incredibly low number of surviving examples on the road – genuine model-specific spares are becoming increasingly difficult to find.
At the front, brand new genuine GM headlamp wiper arms (key components of an almost entirely useless period cost-option) join the new lights that starred in my last update, while a horrible cut-and-shut boost hose has been ditched. The offending pipework must have been chopped by a previous owner in order to accommodate a hastily installed dump valve, but careless hacking had produced splits in the factory rubber. My Poppins-esque box of bits provided me with a solid stand-in, and it was soon making itself at home beneath the Cavalier’s bonnet.
Meanwhile, a coolant dump encouraged me to change the car’s discoloured header tank with yet another brand new replacement part. It has improved the look of the engine bay no end, an area that I’ve cleaned thoroughly with a range of degreasers, detailing brushes and cotton buds. Yes, you read that correctly. Cotton buds. It might sound extreme, but the results speak for themselves, with hardly any dirt to be found around the Turbo’s two-litre, sixteen-valve, C20LET powerplant.
Keeping grime off of the outside of the car has been an altogether different kettle of fish, with my spirited drives around the awesome A149 Norfolk coast road allowing a layer of agricultural, industrial and coastal fallout to form over the Cavalier’s otherwise spotless bodywork. This must have come as something as a shock to a car that usually spends its winters tucked up in the dry, and it registered its disapproval for fast-road fun in the cold by emptying its battery of charge and refusing to fire up for another round of seaside sprinting. Attempts at gentle persuasion failed to rectify the problem, leaving me with no choice but to – yep, you guessed it – pick up a genuine GM replacement part. It’s a good job that I’m in possession of a Vauxhall parts desk trade card, eh?!
With the new battery ensuring that the car is behaving itself, I’ve been able to start planning the build of my other Cavalier Turbo 4x4. The bottom line is that this second Satin Red stunner will be the subject of an extensive restomod project, with big power and a range of trick styling modifications to boot. Whatever the outcome, you guys will be the first to hear about it as I document progress in the form of regular magazine and forum updates. For the time being, however, I’m off to rid Turbo #1 of road grime before the ol’ girl begins to feel neglected and throws another hissy fit!
Rear light(s) before de-Tango time:
Soldering iron cutting through the orange lens insert:
Tadaa!
Replacement rear boot panel with perfect lenses:
No fuss, OEM+!
Engine bay shot taken before the installation of the header tank and pipework:
New header tank:
Header tank in place and full of fresh GM coolant:
Cut-and-shut boost pipe (complete with Collins Performance dump valve and hose splits!):
Old and new alongside one another:
You can never have too much F28 juice!
Genuine GM service parts used throughout:
...well, almost!