Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Show off your pride and joy! All Mk3 Cavaliers are welcome (please post only one thread per car)
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Indeed Robsey, first off is fit switches and fit the fag lighter console back in with now volt meter, usb plug and camera wiring feed. The get rear arches replaced, get arches, bonnet, door mirrors, parts of early sri bumper and grill resprayed. Install DRL into bumper along with fog lights, then reassemble bumper and fit. Fit leather interior. Grow old and bitter disgracefully.
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Robsey
Club Admin
Posts: 10569
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:42 pm
Location: East Manchester

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Robsey »

lowrider dave wrote:Grow old and bitter disgracefully.
I don't believe there should be any other way.

I am well on the way to old and bitter...
And I do not do anything gracefully.

:fight
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Robsey wrote: I am well on the way to old and bitter...
And I do not do anything gracefully.
'tis the natural order of things... :)
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

At long last I got time to fit the ashtray/fag lighter section back into the car with the extra electrical components I’d added - in previous posts you will have seen a USB port installed and carefully filled the edges and resprayed the whole cover so it looked stock. I also reversed the fag lighter so the wiring was on the other end - the photo below show shows this. This is because the road camera I fitted is powered by a fag light connector and I didn’t want it hanging out of an open console looking untidy. I connected everything up but nothing worked - very frustrating, so I tried things individually and both battery level and camera worked but the USB didn’t. Having spent so much time installing it I did the only practical thing: I butchered the crap out of it by cutting it with wire cutters and throwing it in the bin. I hate electronics. The cut off stub of the USB can be seen in the pic below.
Image


The mess of soldering iron, phone to test USB port and various crap that seem to accumulate as I do a job.
Image

In place with working battery volt meter.
Image

And road camera.
Image

I had previously run the cable up round the back of the dashboard and up through the A pillar and head lining to make it a tidy install. The wire then drops down and plugs into the camera.
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Envoy CDX
Club Admin
Posts: 9652
Joined: Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:51 pm
Location: Jarrow, Newcastle Upon Tyne

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Envoy CDX »

Looking nice, I am going to have to read this from start to finish again I think.
Check the Rules!

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

The How2 Index
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

An update? Honestly, like you care?!

*apparently* now I’m a Admin I have to be more professional in my approach to forum usage.

Nope - I made that bit up. You’ll get the same rubbish from me regardless what honour* they bestow upon me. (Little to they realise I’m leaving the forum to follow my motorised wheelbarrow fetish.)

As I am a fussy git and hate to have stuff ‘not quite right’, the rear wheel arches have been on the cards to be rectified ever since I got the car - now just over a year ago! Happy Birthday Archer!
Image

Searching produced a handful of garage who did ‘repairs’ but none that wanted to do any real bodywork above bolting on a new plastic bumper - a lazy profession I have little respect for. Luckily I perservered and located a small garage about 10 miles away who replied to my email without resorting to patrionising or bullshit speak. I visited the establishment and was pleased to discover 3 minis (proper ones not the gay ones) in the unit. The guy (Joe) who works and owns the business showed me around, chats were had, inspection of the Cav was undertaken and dates were arranged. All very easy and genial.

The offside rear arch.
Image

The nearside including comedy door mirror.
Image

I ordered up a set of inner and outer arches plus a set of sill for Joe to use, this ensured that the right parts were ordered and also means I could get the earliest date for welding work.

I left the car with Joe for 2 weeks before managing to go and pick Archer up. Both Joe and his father had done an excellent job blending in the new metal, respraying and protecting the inner arch areas. He even cut back some of the back of the arch where I pointed out some surface rust I was afraid would eat through to the strut/boot area.
Image

The newly sprayed area was polish into the surrounding paintwork.
Image
Image

They also nicely removed the annoying towbar that was a dead weight. I will use this to weight down the dead bodies of hookers when I throw them into the harbou...andI'vesaidtoomuch..
Image

Colour-coded door mirror.
Image

Colour-coded bumper inserts.
Image

Debadged arse. More on this in a later episode.
Image
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Mk3alan
Registered user
Posts: 632
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:40 pm

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Mk3alan »

That looks a super job, colour looks spot on!
Would be well worth purging the joint between inner and outer wings with anti corrosion wax to ensure it stays good.

Alan
User avatar
Robsey
Club Admin
Posts: 10569
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:42 pm
Location: East Manchester

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Robsey »

Yup looking good.
And an amazingly quick turn around.
User avatar
ilovedmymantas
Registered user
Posts: 1201
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2013 2:54 am

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by ilovedmymantas »

Looking nice :thumb
" It's not rust. It's age-related patina " ;)

1980 vauxhall cavalier MK1 1.6L, 1982 opel manta berlinetta 1.8s, 1985 opel manta 2.0 gte, 1990 cavalier 2.0 gl ,1994 cavalier sri x20xev

-1995 cdx x20xev

---------------
Matt
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Thanks chaps. More updates soon.
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Since buying the car I have always felt a ‘resistance’ when driving, a brief inspection to the front saw me making a mental note to renovate the front callipers and replace the discs.
Thinks were put into action sooner than I expected when driving home from work the ‘resistance’ got heavier and a grinding noise appeared. Fearing the worse I got off the motorway and stopped at a car park - the rain turned to steam as it hit the steel wheels. Better let that cool down then! Seized piston.

A 5 minute drive took me to my garage where I gave it half an hour to cool off, then set to work taking off both calipers and packing them up to be sent to Big Redd who specialise in caliper refurbishment. I already had on the shelves a new set of Mintex discs, pads and fitting kit waiting for a future date - which is now sooner than I expected. I spent the follow days, wire brushing the front struts on both sides and giving them a lick of paint. Normally I’d prefer to do it properly and powdercoat them but this is a daily runner and one coat of paint is sufficient really.


Attack!
Image

Note the pinched rubber of the piston gaitor by the caliper body - this is where I believe the piston seizing problem stemmed from.
Image
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
James McGrath
Club Admin
Posts: 2894
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:35 am
Location: East Sussex

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by James McGrath »

Looks like they have done a good job on those wheel arches, looks much better. :thumb

Good work on the callipers too.

Are those pre-facelift bumper inserts?
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

James McGrath wrote: Are those pre-facelift bumper inserts?

Well spotted Lord McGarth, yes they are. My standard GLS bumper doesn't have spaces for fogs but I bought a pre-facelift bumper that did. Once other bits have been attended too, then I will add the bumper with newly wired in fogs and DRLs. Of course this might change as I was offer last week a CDX bumper...so this plan remains up in the air at the moment. Getting the brakes bleed and car back on the road is the priority now.
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Nothing rarely happens smoothly or straight forwards when working on a Cavalier - and removing the old brake discs proved this, at least it was only one side that the retaining screw had stuck solid requiring ‘persuading’ with a drill.
Image
Image

I could not fit the new discs as I realised that I did not have any spare retaining screws - although I thought I had. It would take a day or two for new screws to arrive, so I decided I would do a little clean up and wire brush the legs in preparation to slapping a bit of paint on them. This revealed an original leg sticker!
Image

A further clean revealed impacted crap in the grooves of the lower arm, this was cleaned out and thus blackly decorated the garage floor.
Image

These were the old discs with a bit of wear. But as I had a new set already waiting, these will be airborne as they fly into a large skip at the local dump - along with the towbar.
Image

I painted the legs. Just a cursory dab of black paint after wire brushing and cleaning parts up. Normally I’d like to do a more thorough job but it’s a daily runner I really don’t feel the need.
Image

With the arrival of new retaining screws in the post I could add the new Mintex discs.
Image

A furtive and coded knock on the front door saw my mule hand over the drugs I ordered.
Image

Hold on! This isn’t the Colombian finest I expected! Oh well, it’ll have to do. Big Redd (http://www.biggred.co.uk/) remanufacturered the calipers by stripping them down, cleaned and coating with a premium coat of black and reassembled with new pistons, seals, etc. They did my V6 calipers and I was very pleased with the cost, speed and quality of the work.
Image
Image
Image

Two new brake hose/banjo screws
Image

New stuff in place. Now to bleed them. But first I need to replace the leg to brake carrier bolt which rounded off as I tried to take out. The VX Stealship wanted £15 for a bag of five, but a Facebook Cavalier page user has coughed up a pair for the price of postage.
Image

A few photos from the arch repairs.
Image
Image
Image
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Mk3alan
Registered user
Posts: 632
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:40 pm

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Mk3alan »

Bet the old girl is lapping up all those new parts and attention!
Looking good.

Alan
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Thanks Alan.
I've got a bleed problem, I've bled the system a couple of times but the pedal is very soft, almost non-existent. Hopefully mate will come round Wednesday and help me do it again, in case I'm missing something. Yet more days off the road, so much for a daily runner. I managed to drop the 2.5 tonne jack on my big toe too - a few choice words were said and I can feel the bed of the nail detaching...not a happy man.
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Robsey
Club Admin
Posts: 10569
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:42 pm
Location: East Manchester

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Robsey »

I had a similar issue with my brakes many moons ago.

If way too much air gets in, then the only fool proof way to bleed the brakes is to use a pressure bleeder.

I am sure you know that the brakes also need a good 100 or so miles to bed in properly.
User avatar
James McGrath
Club Admin
Posts: 2894
Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:35 am
Location: East Sussex

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by James McGrath »

Lowrider Dave wrote:I managed to drop the 2.5 tonne jack on my big toe too - a few choice words were said and I can feel the bed of the nail detaching...not a happy man.
Ouch!

Cavaliers have a way of punishing all those who dare mess with their equilibrium.
User avatar
Mk3alan
Registered user
Posts: 632
Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:40 pm

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Mk3alan »

I've pressure bled all our vehicles for years and find it works well - although I once blew the entire contents of the Cavs master cylinder through!
But it still bled through ok once I had fluid back in!

Alan
User avatar
Robsey
Club Admin
Posts: 10569
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:42 pm
Location: East Manchester

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Robsey »

That is the issue with pressure bleeding.

It is very effective, but very thirsty / wasteful on the amount of fluid that you use.

But as said above - pressure bleeding is the only method that my garage can find that guarantees a good pedal action every time.
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Interesting, thanks - if I cannot sort them today with Dan, I may well invest in one.
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Big thanks to Dan S (Migweb) who came out for some mincing and sorted out bleeding the brakes.
He didn't spot the brake calipers that I did not put on upside down and on the wrong side of the car at all, that never happened. :)
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Robsey
Club Admin
Posts: 10569
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:42 pm
Location: East Manchester

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Robsey »

We are all .... err -
human.

We have all made mistakes... or not in your case.

So I presume the car is now fully sorted and minced.
Excellent.
:cool
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Yeah, all good once we swapped round the calipers - they bolted straight on so I didn't question the fact the bleed nipple was at the bottom - you can even see it in one of my pictures above - luckily Dan spotted it after 10mins, then all was plain sailing and now Archer rides again!

I've had some CDX alloys I bought sometime ago waiting for refurb but never sure if they would be buckled or slightly off, so a chance encounter with another set of 4 for £65 inc p&p means I soon will have 8! I'll get them balance tested at the local tyre shop as they know me (that 'cavalier' bloke) and then bung the best 5 in for refurb at a local specialists.

Front CDX door cards have been fitted after sorting out the sluggish electric windows. The rear door cards need adapting to manual winders and the leather interior needs fitting. A CDX bumper turned up yesterday in the post, so Archer will soon be bestowed with working fog lights and a set DRL which will run off a switch in the cabin - centre console for those that may remember by recent attack on internal plastics.
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
User avatar
Lowrider Dave
Club Admin
Posts: 2993
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Southampton
Contact:

Re: Lowrider Dave - 1994 GLS (Archer)

Post by Lowrider Dave »

Just came back from a drive down the motorway I'm still getting a wobble at over 60mph. Tracking and balancing have been done, the new discs are on flat and run true. So what's left? Bearings? CV? Lower arm movement? That balancer thing on the drive shaft?
Lowrider Dave.

Archer 2.0 GLS
Post Reply