My mk3 cav project

[chrispyduck83]

So about a year ago i purchased a mk3 cavalier directly from vauxhall in my hometown, it was one owner only and had been serviced there its entire life. It was just traded in for something new. I drove it around untill the mot run out to get to know the car and any problems. But just before the mot ran out the Clutch release bearings collapsed on its original clutch that had covered 144.000 miles (not bad huh). So the car has been parked up since. I did decide at one point to sell this and was on ebay for a short time where somebody had won the auction but then did not contact me about the car (so annoying), but ive taken it as a sign and decided to get this car back on the road, Now some of you may not agree or like some of the things im going to do to it , yet some of you might, but I am happy to take any advice or suggestion or help on finding part etc, she needs abit of work, poor old girl, and chances are some of you il be hitting you up for anything you have for sale, i already have spare wings and lights and bumpers but there is loads more ive changed my mind on, so anyway here is the car, My friends have named her Zulu so it has stuck. Shes a 1.7td and im looking forward to the challenge. Ive always restored Fords and driven vauxhalls so its time to swap it and give the cav some love.

The plans are, To put it on coilovers
Recaro Front half leather seats
Get the rear seats re dressed in leather and the recaro fabric in the centre
Recover the door cars with recaro fabric
not sure on wheels yet
gsi (if i cant find one) front bumper
Sri Side skirts
Angel headlights
Full respray in Porsche Agate metallic grey
Looking for anyoine can let me know how you can fit pod gauges in the space under the radio, i believe it has something to do with a calibra but let me know!!

This is so far, there is loads more i just have to long a list

[Cavalier342]

Welcome to the forum.

Looks like that's been parked in that spot for a good while, wings and doors can be found and replaced easy enough, as long as the sills and suspension areas are still solid, it will be a good project to work on.

The Calibra Turbo gauge cluster, if you can find a working one, fits in the slot, can't remember if you have to drill a hole at the back of the slot for wiring or not, I had someone fit one for me once, just a few wires for power/illumination for the volt gauge, and you need an oil pressure sensor for the engine to have the oil gauge working.

[Robsey]

Assuming by pod gauges, you mean the standard "Calibra" gauges, then these are still knocking about.

As Andrei said, you will need a combined pressure sensor / switch unit.

The sensor-switches are quite cheap now. Approx 20-odd quid on ebay.
Remember to get one for a Calibra, Astra MK2 GTE, or Frontera.

If fitting those, you may feel that they are mis-matched to the speedo clocks.
Almost all pod gauges have white or pale grey dials, whereas most dash clocks are black.

Wiring is indeed very simple - 4 wires, and I am sure that I have written a basic How 2 quite recently.

I am the last to comment about making sweeping changes to the car, having done almost every non-performance related modification at one time or another.

Looking forward to seeing the transformation begin.

[MrSteve]

Looks a pretty decent car to start work on- just make sure you have got *lots* of Plus-Gas available as sitting on grass won't have done the nuts and bolts on the underside much good!

And if you want to throw the old coil springs my way I wouldn't say no...

[chrispyduck83]

Thanks for the welome boys, She hasnt been parked up too long, they only part so far i can find that needs welding which was an advisory on the last mot is a small patch on the sill, But as we all know soon as you start knocking and cutting a small patch turns into a complete sill so fingers crossed.

Ive got spare wings and bonnet But i will need the rear reflectors for the boot. Or do i just delete them?? oppinions on that one, but then it would look more like the pre facelift.

As for the gauges yes the standard calibra ones, its not so much the dials i want but more the unit so i can fit after market ones and go digital with them.

As for the springs steve for a small postage fee whatever ones are in decent condition i can send your way not a problem. There is so much to do on this car, So far this week i have ordered the complete clutch kit, new clutch cable (because why not) and already taken the front subframe off to be powder coated. Shes not on the grass anymore but at my friends lock up so i need to buy an air compressor so i can get some grinding and sanding wheels so i can start on the shell. soon as i get a extra few minutes i shall upload some more photos and with the parts ive got so far

[Robsey]

as we all know soon as you start knocking and cutting a small patch turns into a complete sill so fingers crossed.

Indeed, and don't forget, if the outer sill is bad, then chances are that the inner sills will be needing attention too.

I will need the rear reflectors for the boot. Or do i just delete them?? opinions on that one, but then it would look more like the pre facelift.

I went the other way. I have a facelift LSi, which had no reflector panel.
I fitted the panel, which needed holes drilling through the hatch skin.
Since then I have fitted two reflector panels. Maybe I am unlucky, but it doesn't seem to take long for the psuedo light-extension reflective parts to start cracking again.
If you want hassle free, you could go reflector free, and re-fit at a later date if you do not like the reflector free look

As for the gauges yes the standard calibra ones, its not so much the dials i want but more the unit so i can fit after market ones and go digital with them.

I have a set of Calibra gauges, that I am converting to digital.
Only because I have the Astra GTE digi-dash, so analogue white dials look very out of place. And the digi-dash gauges are very vague.
I am keeping my displays with LCD or yellow LEDs to match the existing illumination as close as possible.

Also be aware that the Calibra dial windows are only 40mm (1 1/2") across, therefore a little smaller than the usual aftermarket 52mm (2") diameter dials.

new clutch cable (because why not)

After my restoration, my clutch was stupidly heavy to operate despite having only 30,000 miles on that clutch since changing my engine from C18NZ to C20NE.

It turned out that my cable was indeed damaged where it passed through the bulk-head.
A new cable brought a lovely easy to operate clutch pedal. Sweet!!

Looking forward to the progress report.
And well done for tackling this yourself.
I wimped out of the cutting out snd welding repairs. I got someone else who knew what he was doing to do it for me.

More expensive, but at least I know it should last for many years.

[chrispyduck83]

Thanks for the encouragement. I know its not going to be straight forward task i guarantee its going to show some nasty rot somewhere. If it does'nt i will be shocked!!

Good info on the pod gauges, im sure i can do something to adapt them to fit. Good luck with your project sounds good, Im hoping to get it finished for next years show season. Thats the plan but lets see if it happens, im in no rush to get it done. I want it done right. The process off stripping it to bare shell at the moment so i can fully get to the body work, Its pretty much rebuilding the whole car but without any major engine work thank god, its all cosmetic and handling.