My 46k 2.0 LS Cavalier

[3cav3]

I managed to get the old girl booked in for a test a bit earlier.
Almost wish I hadn't bothered, finally needs a bit of welding near the rear spring, and a few bushes etc. Garage has quoted about £300 with parts and labour including the mot fee, so not too bad.
Will hopefully be back on the road this week.

[3cav3]

It's now passed, another year of motoring ahead with almost no electronics to go wrong.

[Robsey]

Congratulations on the pass.
Happy days!!

[vexorg]

How bad was the rusted area?

[3cav3]

Apparently not too bad, will have a look at the weekend, as I was short of time I had the garage do all the repairs. Suppose as this is the first time it's been welded its not to bad for a 27 year old car.

[James McGrath]

Congrats on the pass!
It's very common for rust to develop around the rear spring seats.
Don't think anyone looking at the history would be worried or surprised by it.

[ilovedmymantas]

Congrats on the new mot

27 years without a weld is good going, my spring seats fell to bits at 25
The uppers are a perfect trap for water because there's a gap between the water deflector and the top of the arch, easily solved by filling with silicon. Wish I'd known that sooner!

matt

[vexorg]

Are these the two square channels that the springs sit under?
Can water get in there?

[3cav3]

Due to being flat out busy I only actually collected the car last night. Drives wonderful. However there was a slight grumble coming from the engine bay. After listening all over with a stick of wood pressed to my ear I believe this is coming from the water pump. I'm guessing being stood has dried the bearing out?
Even though it's only about 15k since the vauxhall dealer changed it, it's probably about 7 years ago so for piece of mind I plan on fitting a full cambelt kit. Does anyone know if the water pumps for my 1.6 diesel van that I've got will fit or do I need a different one. The engine is an 8v 2.0 .

[vexorg]

Post a photo of your diesel water pump

[3cav3]

Only picture I've got is on page 3 or 4 of my MK2 Astra van project.ill have to dig the pump out.

[Robsey]

Looking at EPC..

The 2.0 litre Cavalier water pump will not fit the 1.6 diesel and vice-versa.

Early 2.0 petrol = 90 272 361 ( upto 14608700)
Later 2.0 pettol = 90 444 123 (from 14608701)

Early 1.6 diesel = 90 295 077 (upto 14498630 manual / 14503756 auto)
Later 1.6 diesel = 90 295 078 (from 14498631 manual / 14503757 auto)

[ilovedmymantas]

Are these the two square channels that the springs sit under?
Can water get in there?

The bits I meant are shown here viewtopic.php?f=21&t=14042&start=150

matt

[vexorg]

Ah, trailing arm part, not the body.

[3cav3]

To be honest I haven't climbed underneath to have a look yet at what they actually did. My knee trouble has flared up bad, plus I haven't had time for anything as I'm still in the middle of gutting and redoing my entire house. It started off last year with just fitting a nice meter cupboard and has snowballed from there. Bar the kitchen it hasn't been very expensive, just very time consuming but for an estimated £5k outlay by the time I've finished ( over £3k on the kitchen) the house should be worth £20k-30k more. Very worthwhile, plus I get some where nicer to live until I sell it and start all over again with a detached place that doesn't have selfish neighbors.

[3cav3]

Finally yesterday I got around to taxing her and took it for a proper drive. I now remember what I love so much about driving cavaliers. The water pump seems to of silenced itself, however I will still be changing it as soon as I get chance for peace of mind. Hopefully restrictions will continue to ease and I can start taking it back to shows in the not too distant future.

[Robsey]

Excellent news.
Good to have the old girl back on the road.

Just a distant dream for my car at the moment...
But it would be nice to get the car out and see some of "the gang" again in late summer.

Enjoy!!

[3cav3]

Very undecided about what the future holds for this Cav. Since moting it, unfortunately it has become an expensive garden ornament, over £800 this year even without putting any petrol in it. Nowhere to drive, even if i had the time or motivation. Beginning to doubt that life will ever return to normal.
The eefing pikeys keep coming around wanting it for scrap?!? No matter how many times i tell them to f@#k off. Lack of use certainly isn't doing it any favours. Yet I've never owned a car so long. Checking the mot of my white one I sold, the new owner doesn't appear to be looking after it that well, I don't really want to sell this one and have the same thing happen. Time will tell.

[Robsey]

I am sort of in a similar boat (without the pikeys).

Although at present mine only costs me the monthly insurance premium. Not tax, no MOT and no fuel.
I am only a named driver on our other car.
I need to keep the Cavalier or else lose my 20-odd years of no claims bonus.

I feel your pain...
It is that tricky fight between listening to your head or following your heart.
If I was laying out as much as you, I would have to follow the harsh truth of my head.
Sell it whilst it has an MOT - it is worth more that way.

But - for me 26 years of ownership would make parting with the car a huge wrench...

[3cav3]

To be fair £300 of it was down to the mot and not having time to do it myself. I think it would be a lot less of an issue if the car wasn't just so good. In the next couple of years the rear edges of the sill will need some repair work but apart from that nothing else that I can see.
I think it really hasn't helped by spending the last 18mths on and off in lockdown, as a result I'm just lacking in motivation for almost anything. Having a bad reaction to both jabs then still not getting proper freedom is a kick in the teeth on top aswell. The first day we were locked down was the actual day of my 40th, I had big plans to celebrate this milestone, something which I've still not been able to do.
Before I make any concrete decisions I will see if any shows actually start back up and take it from there. Running 4 vehicles is getting expensive, particularly when 2 of them spend most of their time just sitting there. The cav is the best part of £25 a month to tax and the Jag is about the same. The van is about £20 a month aswell, at least the panda is only £30 a year.

[3cav3]

For the first time ever last night, the old girl failed to start. I went to the local petrol station as they actually still had some petrol but no diesel. I'd like to add this was in an attempt to get my wife who's a key worker in to work as all our vehicles have all but run out, rather just hording it in the tank like half the country seem to of done,however they only had E10, so decided not to risk it.
When I tried to leave the forecourt the cav just popped and farted. Pulling the plug leads off then drying, cleaning etc and giving a spray of wd40 got her going again. Has anyone got any recommendations for a source of a good quality set of leads, plus a dizzy cap and rotor arm?

[Robsey]

For HT leads, I just go to my local auto factors.
Just be sure to have the correct leads to match your distributor cap - with or without centre pin.

I have never had too much hassle with leads except that some tend to snap the plug caps off when trying to pull them off the plugs.

Usually ambient condensation / damp are the root causes for non-start issues.

Again - if you have a reliable auto-factors, then you could get your cap and rotor from them.
Last time I got new parts was about four years ago, when I was buying up half of Febi or Bosch in order to refurb my car. - 90% of that was done via your favourite online auction site.

[3cav3]

Due to total brake seizure on my wife's panda and the garage letting me down the old girl had to be pushed into daily service. Over a thousand miles in 3 weeks, without missing a beat, just proved to be very thirsty as was mainly back roads. Pleased i'd had it mot'd otherwise I would of been stuffed.

[Robsey]

Yes that is my opinion of Cavaliers. A bit thirsty by modern standards, but usually very reliable.

As for the Panda... it is a Fiat.
Fix It Again Tomorrow.!!
Tee hee.

[3cav3]

Yes that is my opinion of Cavaliers. A bit thirsty by modern standards, but usually very reliable.

As for the Panda... it is a Fiat.
Fix It Again Tomorrow.!!
Tee hee.

In the case of my wife's Panda it's F I A T A T ( FIX IT AGAIN TODAY AND TOMORROW). The black one has been nothing but trouble since I bought it, the yellow one before it was written off was just a dream.
I really want to trade it in, however used cars have gone so expensive, so will have to keep getting the spanners out for the time being.
With the Cav I've found on a long run 38mpg is more than possible, however for the last few weeks I doubt it's achieved 20mpg, on expensive super unleaded aswell. The biggest bug bear I've had though is the thought of all the crap off the road spraying up under the arches.