SRi 16v W.I.P. (lots of pics)

[Colorado]

Looking good nice job.

[Greig Sri]

Had a busy day today working on the Astra then trying to get prices to paint the Cav.


Over the last few days the front suspension started to knock. So ended up having to replace the A.R.B links, typical you touch something then they need replaced not long after.


Next job on the Astra wos change the sump and new oil.


Thay were nice easy jobs for once.

In the afternoon I went to get prices to paint the Cav. The first place I went to were not intrested in touching it. Only wants to do small jobs, even thou they have ads saying re-sprays. But I did book in the Corsa for the bumper, wing ,bonnet and door to get painted. The 2nd place I went to about painting the cav, the guy said he would like to see it. So he came round on his way home from work to have a look. He said I have done a good job on the rear arches and that the car is in good nic for its age . He said would be about £2000 to paint the car to a very high standered . A bit more than I wos hoping to pay, but I know his work and you cant fault it. He did say that he wos not going to turn down work and the price is open to a bit of haggling. So ive got a list of things that he would need off or done to the car be for it can get painted. So ill get on with that this weekend. Also going to see a 3rd place tomorro about a price.

Greig

[Colorado]

It is a lot but between £1.5 and £2k is about right for a full respray. When they did the Turbo they did everything except the bonnet and roof which were had already been done and it came out at £1.5k although there were some rust repairs and a couple of new panels involved. But i insisted on the best quality lacquer+ paint for it as i found out in the past with the colorado that cheap lacquer doesnt last as well. As when it was repaired after its accident the bonnets lacquer went funny after a few years and needed a lot more polishing to get a good shine. Sometimes you can see cars running round with different shaded panels where the repaired part hasnt had the durability of finish as the factory paint. In the end when the Turbo had been done i got them to redo the bonnet with this time decent paint and lacquer. I wouldnt like your SRi to suffer the same fate. Good work on the Astra by the way!

[Greig Sri]

Its looking like ill be paying about £2000 for the respray. I can get it done cheaper but the finnish will be poorer and I just dont want nothing but the best. If I got a cheaper job done it would be a waste of cash. As I would feel sick when I looked at it.

Greig

[Colorado]

It is worth it in the long run especially if you never plan to sell it. Are you going to replace the sidestrips and badges?

[Greig Sri]

I dont plan to ever sell the car. Ive got new brand new 3- 'SRi', 1-'VAUXHALL' and 1- 'CAVALIER' badges. I got new red inserts for the front bumper but vauxhall no longer stock the rear bumper inserts .Im going to try and get new front and rear griffin badges this week. Im having to reuse my side trim as I was quoted a stupid price for new and the parts man at vauxhall said it looked like they were no longer stocked going by what his computer said. So the red trims im stuck with will need a bit of TLC to bring them back to bright red again.

Heres what ive been up today.

I took a disc off the Cav to mark up the discs that im fitting to the Astra. I got them drilled and fitted on to the Cav to test my holes. The first disc I did needed a bit off filing to fit but the next disc fitted on first time.


I striped more off the Cav. Heres the boot striped but needing cleaned up.


So Ive got every thing off the car now but this bits on the rear doors. Can someone tell me how they come off?


Ive spent ages rubbing off the sticky foam tape stuff from the car, spoiler etc. Just need to clean it off the back of the side trims and thats the end of thay crap job.


So the car is now just about ready to send for painting (when ive sorted out the cash).
Ive also started looking for someware to store it when its all finished. As its in my dads garage the now and cant stay there full time.

Greig

[Colorado]

I am not sure how that piece of trim comes off. Is there any screws hidden if you take the internal piece off?

[Greig Sri]

Todays jobs started off with the Cav. Wos a very easy job ,just picked up the new griffin badges for it.

Then moved on to the Astra. I fitted the new seals that I picked up earlyer ,to the vectra calipers that im putting on it. Another easy job!


The calipers are all ready to fit to the car now.

Up next wos the Corsa. It needed a new thrust bearing. Gearbox off job and in this car its a nightmare to get at. Took me 5 hours to get it changed with some help from my wife. She dont mind getting her hands dirty.


Old bearing wos very ruff to turn so hope that it works fine now.
Just need to set the gear linkage when I get a new bolt to tighten it up. I rounded the old one off trying to get it off.

Thats wos it for today ,but more car stuff to do tomorro.

Greig

[Colorado]

Your always busy!

[Greig Sri]

Your always busy!

Aye, never a free minuite and busy again to day.

Started with the corsa. I got a new bolt for the linkage ,so got that set. Started the car, put in the clutch and it works no screaming bearing.

Then moved on to the Cav. I took off one of the front wings.
This is what I found some surface rust.


I got it all off and painted also painted the inside of the wing.


I pulled off the door seals and found that the front ones had silicon round them. I spent ages rubbing most of it off.

Ill get some silicon remover gel tomorro to get rid of the rest of it.

Going out to the pub with my mate the night so will probley have a late start on the car on Sunday.

Greig

[Greig Sri]

Forgot to say I got off the triangle bits from the back doors. Thay pull off from the back end of the door and slide off towords the front of the door. I found that the one I tried to remove last week had broken clips and wos glued on.

Greig

[Colorado]

Good stuff. I wonder if you can still buy them new?

[Greig Sri]

I hope so, but if not ill glue it back on again. I didnt go near the car today to hung over so no updates on it.

Greig

[Greig Sri]

Heres the new badges ive got for the car. I did notice that if a line up the rear badge holes the badge will sit 90 deg to the right. Been made wrong ,ill just cut the pins off to fit it.




Ive had this for a wile now, Its a vaux towbar.



Im not sure if im going to fit it tho. Im in two minds, handy when foke get to close to protect your car. Then its been a long time since ive needed to tow anything.

Greig

[Colorado]

Where did you get the transfers for the boot? And the grille griffin?

[Squig]

fit the towbar... mines been worth it's weight, in tip runs, helping mates move house and picking up a shed this weekend. Worth the stick some mates gave me... past tense as the cav out accelerates most of them.

[Gaz]

Where did you get the transfers for the boot? And the grille griffin?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Vauxhall-Cavalier ... 240%3A1318

[Greig Sri]

The transfers came from e-bay like Gaz says and the Griffin badges came from vaux. I will be reusing the trinagle trims on the rear doors as the bits are no longer stocked at Vaux.

I think I will fit the tow bar . Ill get the ball bit and cover colour coded when the car gets painted (did that on my Vectra) The main bit will get galvansised, wont cost me a penny as a family member works there.

Greig

[Greig Sri]

Today I went to the local scrap yard and he had a cav in a M reg 1.7td gls. So I got a few bits including the trim bits I wos needing that Vaux no longer sell.
He also said that another cav is coming in next week. Im hoping its a gray interior as Im needing some of the bits.

In the afternoon I did some work on the Astra. I fitted in a boost gauage and a boost control valve.



With out the valve fitted the turbo made 0.75 bar of boost and when I had finnished it wos at 1 bar of boost.
I still need to play with the fuel settings. Ill do that over the weekend sometime.

Greig

[Colorado]

Thanks i have ordered a set for mine. Still busy on the Astra!

[Greig Sri]

Still busy on the Astra!

All ways busy on one car or another, but not on saturday tho. As I wos recovering from a night out in Aberdeen on Friday.
I wos working on the cars today. I got the other front wing off the Cav and sorted out any rust. Got it all under sealed and the wing back on.



Then it wos the Astras turn. I adjusted the diesel fuel pump settings to suit the boost valve. Took the car out for a test drive and what a diffrance. Now a lot faster and dose not need thrashed the same to keep up with fast moving trafic , wos well worth doing Just need to get the V6 brakes on it now.

Greig

[Colorado]

Thats what i like nice and thorough. I just got my bonnet up this weekend after a struggle. I am booking mine in for the roof in May.

[Greig Sri]

Todays car jobs involved a lot of running around. Started out by getting my dads car (it has a tow bar), then out to my mates yard to get his car trailer. Next stop my in laws to pick up the Corsa. The Corsa's battary wos flat so I had to take the trailer off the car ,so I could get it next to the Corsa to jump it. Got the corsa on the trailer and out to the bloke that is painting it.



Ive found out that the Corsa's tracking is out by miles. Needs checked and adjusted, might still be some bent bits to fix

I returned the trailer to my mates yard and on the way back in to town I stopped off at my local factors to ask about my bonnet and get some brake fuild.

The only job done on the Cav was to put some silicon remover on the silicon and left it on for hours. It rubbed off very easy when I went back to it.

While the remover did its stuff I went to the local breakers to get some stuff for the Astra and Cav. I left some of my tools there, because I started talking to the bloke and left with out picking them up.

That wos my car jobs for today. More car jobs tomorrow.

Greig

[Greig Sri]

Ive been a busy boy again today. I fitted the Vectra V6 brakes on to the Astra.

Here are the old brakes under the wheel. Ive put a white line to see the outside edge of the caliper.




Here are the brakes on.



Not much space between the wheel and caliper.


The brakes look masive in 15" wheels and are working well.


Ive also been trying to find a new bonnet for the Cav. Went to Vaux and asked how much one would be. It should cost £130 +vat ish, but when the parts man checked vauxhall stock it shows none in stock . I cant get a copy one as Hadrian pannels only have early bonnets. Not looking good for getting a new bonnet and I need one very soon for the respray.

Greig

[Envoy CDX]

You could get the prefaclift bonet and lead fill the recess for the badge?