MY 93 L CAV 1.8 LS

[GLC]

Thanks mate that's my old cav sold her on late 2010 it was my uncle who got me into cavaliers he had a mk2 CDi when I was a kid that got wrote off due to some pratt overtaking then he had a mk3 cavalier to funny enough that's how I've done it lol but love em they're fantastic cars

Sorry for the late reply back ! Yer it funny how a ramdom part of your childhood can influance you choice on cars later on though we did have a vauxhall chevette estate as are 1st proper decent car not long after i was born in 1983 an we had it till about 1992. An a £50 ex BT Bedford HA van for a time too. That was the 1st vehicle i can can remenber my family buying.

Great write up and pictures, quality work as well, many of the shots remind me of the trials with my own Cavalier. Your's is an excellent looking colour too, there's one I've occasionally seen around here the same shade, still looks very tidy.

Thank's ive seen a few cavaliers around the midlands in the same colour too which is good to see an a fair few metalic reds and metalic greys.
There an early mk3 J reg cavalier CDI hatch by me in white. Keeping an eye on that one. An there a unused very tatty K reg metalic blue exprssion hatch on the next street up from me too.

An more trials funny enough that you mention it tomorrow in the form of the dreaded MOT at 3pm. I 'd be liying if i said i wasn't worired. Fingers crossed an hope for the best etc. I let you all know how i fair in due course.

[GLC]

Well had the mot today and although it failed it didn't discrace itself etheir. As i had expected it was the rear brakes that were the issue.
Think it will be just a case of taking them apart, cleaning an adjusting the handbrake an we are back in business.
Did struggle through the emissions which is annoying as it's had x3 lamba sensors an x2 cats an the egr blanked off in my ownership an it still remains the same but there again with an engine on 190,000+ maybe it's to be expected. An they mentioned the rear brake pipes had some rust so have to get on that when the weather improves. Spent yesturday afternoon going over the cav an delt with a few rust areas that have appeared underneath in the last 12 mths some are going to need some welding in the next few years but i killrusted an restonechipped them for now an it keeps the mot man happy. An the front anti rollbar bushes look like they could do with replacing soon was surprised they didn't fail them but im not complaining as it saves me a few £££ at the mo.
All being well it getting looked over friday evening by a friend of my brothers to see whats occuring an should have a new mot in time for next friday when the current mot expires. Just gotta hope ive got enough cash for the brakes an for 6mths road tax as that expires the end of the month. Really need a job asap as it really stopping me making progress with the cav an everying else. Hopefully soon.

[GLC]

Good news as of last saturday morning i have a new mot. Rear brakes as i thought just needed adjusting an got my spare starter motor fitted too. Works an sounds like a starter motor now! Am off tomorrow to put 6mths tax on as it expires tonight too.
An im starting a new job thursday on a 3mth trial at long last! Good news for the cav as in the next few mths i can start
getting on with tidying up the bodywork an bits of interior etc that i've been wanting to sort out as i had planned last year.

[iangsi]

Good news on the mot & even better on the job

[terkin]

Good news as of last saturday morning i have a new mot. Rear brakes as i thought just needed adjusting an got my spare starter motor fitted too. Works an sounds like a starter motor now! Am off tomorrow to put 6mths tax on as it expires tonight too.
An im starting a new job thursday on a 3mth trial at long last! Good news for the cav as in the next few mths i can start
getting on with tidying up the bodywork an bits of interior etc that i've been wanting to sort out as i had planned last year.

[GLC]

Good news on the mot & even better on the job

Good news as of last saturday morning i have a new mot. Rear brakes as i thought just needed adjusting an got my spare starter motor fitted too. Works an sounds like a starter motor now! Am off tomorrow to put 6mths tax on as it expires tonight too.
An im starting a new job thursday on a 3mth trial at long last! Good news for the cav as in the next few mths i can start
getting on with tidying up the bodywork an bits of interior etc that i've been wanting to sort out as i had planned last year.

Thank's to you both i'll hopefullly start posting up some progress in the next few months if my new job goes ok. My cav did well in the ice an snow over the last three days got me 25 miles home saturday night in heavy snow when other people had abandon there 4x4!

[cavboy180]

Good to hear with the mot and good luck with the job eh?

[GLC]

Good to hear with the mot and good luck with the job eh?

Cheers for that much appreciated. My job is going ok so far, got alot to learn yet but hopefully im getting there. I can't wait to get paid the end of the month now as i should have some money for the vauxhall spares day in coventry on the 11th march all being well.

[GLC]

Been a while but sadly due to finding myself yet again without work. An one thing an another the Cav is sadly for sale. I've posted it in the for sale section asking £400 but if I don't get any joy on hear over the weekend I will be placing adverts on other forums an dare I say it ebay.

Hope everbodys cavs are doing ok.

[Envoy CDX]

Sorry to hear it's come to that. But understand everyone has priorities.

[GLC]

Sorry to hear it's come to that. But understand everyone has priorities.

Thank's Envoy CDX well had it listed on ebay for the last month an had some insulting offers made! Could have sold it to someone I know but there car history isn't the best if you catch my drift so I've haven't taken there offer. The good news is that I've still got it and thank's to my brother I've taxed it again for 6 months last week an im scraping the insurance payments. So im going to try and hold onto it.

Had a unexpected problem less than a hour after taxing it though I stopped at a petrol station put my last £10 in the tank an then used the free air machine to check the tyre pressures. As I wasn't stopping long I kept the engine running. As I was removing the drivers valve cap I saw plumes of steam from etheir side of the bonnet!

Turned the engine off and opened the bonnet to find antifreeze leaking down the drivers side of the radiator at a fair rate. So i was standing there broke, no credit on my phone as was out of minutes. An no RAC cover as I couldn't afford to renew it. Fantastic. After swearing alot I got myself togther and had a close look. Seamed that the top hose might be at fault. So refitted the my valve caps. Checked the expansion bottle it was low an decided that I had no choice but to go for broke an drive the 10 mile home. It got home fine it is a cav after all.

Checked everything over an found to my surprise that the radaitor had failed not the top hose as first thought. Which peed me off as I replace it about 3 an half years ago. The plastic casing had a hairline crack just below the top hose could have welded it up using a soldering iron but I'd always be fretting about it going again an besides my brother works at a motor factors so he has a staff account there so got a new one for it the next day and just gotta find some cash to pay for it at some point as I owe him for that now an the tax. I had some antifreeze left over from before so only had to get a 1LTR bottle to make up the diffrence.

It me and my brothers b'day sunday [we are twins] so friday night we are driving down in the cav it had to be really it done it a fair few times before to Bracknell to vist my best friend for a weekend which will be good. How im affording it I haven't quite sussed it yet but it happing just gotta get away for a few days. Looking forward to putting another 200 miles+ on the clock this weekend.

Doubt I have much updates in the near future but will keep you all posted as an when of course.

[Envoy CDX]

Good show! Cav radiator new is probably about £30 now so hopefully, his discount will have sorted that out a bit more.
Glad to hear its back on the road, I did consider this cav for a bit as a replacement for my own. Still, glad its being used again

[planetc]

An no RAC cover as I couldn't afford to renew...... Looking forward to putting another 200 miles+ on the clock this weekend

Might be a good move to have some cover for the trip, 200 miles is a very expensive recovery!

[GLC]

Good show! Cav radiator new is probably about £30 now so hopefully, his discount will have sorted that out a bit more.
Glad to hear its back on the road, I did consider this cav for a bit as a replacement for my own. Still, glad its being used again

Thank's I'm glad it's still here an being used again too just being skint with no work is really getting to me as I can't progress much with it at the mo but hopefully I can get somthing sorted soon.

Might be a good move to have some cover for the trip, 200 miles is a very expensive recovery!

Good point plantec but luckly my brothers RAC menbership covers us both even though he was only a passanger.

An talking of the trip the cavalier made it without any fuss the 100 miles to Bracknell on the Friday night and on the Saturday we went for a day trip to Brighton in it as well. Expensive place but had a nice lunch there an a pint though an walked round the place which is somthing I need to do more of as im unfit!

Total round trip of 415 miles and the car turned 172,000 on the way there too. Best weekend I've had in ages.

Found some tidy doorcards at a breakers the other day from a late spec GLS that will work ok with my SRI seats but can't seam to remenber how to remove the rear window winder handles for some reason?

Anybody help? Want to got back there tomorrow and hopefully get them if the car has't been weighed in by then!
Have also posted this question in the general tech section as well.

[GLC]

Got my rear doorhandles off ok! Just hope them doorcards are still there tomorrow intacted at the breakers and I get them off ok without any problems too. The front wipers keep hitting the bonnet too at full speed which isn't good so try and get some better arm's tomorrow while im there. Which my friend reckons is the problem though I think it's the linkages that want replacing? I can't afford too much at the mo so try the cheaper method 1st and see how I go.

If anybody lives over Derby way Albert Looms which is where im going tomorrow all being well has x 3 cavs in if your after anything. A GLS 1.8, CDX Derv. A 1.8 Classic with only 61k Shame it gray dash version for me and I wish I had the cash for the engine+box too with that mileage!

All hatchback versions.

[GLC]

Little update! The door cards I went back to the scrappy for last month weren't as good as I had hoped for. As someone has been heavyhanded at some point taking them off and had split them in a few places round the sides. I debated if there were worth the bother they said I could have them for £15. So I did but tbh I doubt I 'll use them but I did get some front wiper arms that I needed. Fitted them the same day but there still catching the bonnet so I'll have to admit defeat and buy some new linkages at some point. Have adjusted the new arms so they sit slightly higher for now till I get it sorted which might be a while.

Also got a good rear boot seal only took 4 years to find one! Had brought a new one a few years ago from my local Vaux dealer but was told it was the last one avalible so didn't want to fit it in case it got damaged. Bit pointless I know but it tucked away safely under my bed just in case. Same goes for my pair of headlamp protecters.

Also got some outer lower door seals as spares and a drivers indicator lamp. Plus a rear pair of seat belt clips as mine have always been broke where they clip to the rear seats. Just won the single rear seatbelt clip too off ebay last night. So hopefully soon I will be able to have all three sorted. Again only took me 4 years.

An also won the front piece of the dashboard off ebay as well that always cracks. It a secondhand part that is grey rather than black like mine. But as I've seen on this forum it can easily be painted to match or maybe I could get it flocked instead. Doubt I'll be getting fitted anytime soon mind as don't have a clue about the dashboard removal side despite reading about it in here before. An not sure when I'd be able to afford to get someone to help me but least I've got one now.

Also about 3 weeks ago my rear brakes started binding slightly an making an annoying squeeling at low speed. So took the rear hubs off and cleaned them all up with a wire brush. But although the rear brakes stopped squeeling I knew that I still needed to replace the main springs and locking pins for the rear shoes as they were in a poor state. Had tried to get them sorted at the beginning of the year but the aftermarket ones wouldn't fit as they were too big. So had to refit the old ones.

So I decided to get the bit's I needed from GM instead set me back just over £16 for the bits I needed. My mate Jim fitted them last Friday night bit of a pain and now the rear brakes are sharpe again and the handbrake is holding the car again so all in all a few hours well spent and another thing off my list before the next mot in Feb.

[GLC]

Not much progress other than I getting the horrible feeling history could be repeating itself! Let me explain last week the Cav refused to start at home. So got my mate Jim round in his Vectra and a jumpstart later it fired up.
Seamed that the battary was discharged for some reason but the alternator etc was fine. Maybe I'd left a light on but pretty sure I hadn't. But anyway one of the tappets started tapping badly and hasn't quitened down much. Then yesterday I started it up and heard a terrble knock from the engine so I'm thinking maybe the bottom end could be on the way out.

As it sounded like the original engine when I 1st brought the car when it had no oil pressure! This engine has done around 194,000 and I've done over 50,000 since I had it fitted over four years ago. I couldn't get a low millage engine when I 1st had it and had to settle for this current lump as I needed the car for work and the original engine was getting worse by the day.

So gunna see how things go over xmas but have a feeling I'll be needing another engine as with the millage this has covered it be better to just completly rebuild it if any stripping down is requried but budget wise it would be best to just try and source a low millage engine. Found one on ebay with a supposed 80.000 but the guy wants £160 which is £160 more than I have. An then theres the mot Feb and some front bushes will want replacing and maybe a touch more welding will be needed.

So fingers crossed I can get it all sorted out before Feb but maybe it may have to come off the road then for some more work and hopefully I have some more work to pay for it.

Merry Xmas to everbody.

[Envoy CDX]

Rebuild the engine, it was reliable till this point. Finding a good C18NZ is difficult as Robsey will probably tell you.
That engine on eBay for £160 has been there for over a year now.

[GLC]

Rebuild the engine, it was reliable till this point. Finding a good C18NZ is difficult as Robsey will probably tell you.
That engine on eBay for £160 has been there for over a year now.

Thank's Envoy CDX as you say it not easy to find a good engine 2nd hand for these given that the youngest of these cavs is 18 years old now.
Weridly my Cav been behaving itself this past week at the moment acept for that tappet for the 1st few mins so will keep an eye on it but I think a rebuild is on the cards this year as I doubt it self healed itself long term!
Just with so little cash still I have to hope it can last me a few more months at least.

Will get a picture up soon just to show it still here as well though there hasn't been any real change apart from some diffrent wheel trims.

[Envoy CDX]

I'd be tempted to check the oil pressure switch and connection too. Does the engine knock at all?

[GLC]

I'd be tempted to check the oil pressure switch and connection too. Does the engine knock at all?

Good point will have a look tomorrow. The engine doesn't seam to be knocking at all since that one day when it hadn't started last month? Weridly enough so not sure what to think but just have to keep an eye on it.

[Envoy CDX]

I'd be tempted to check the oil pressure switch and connection too. Does the engine knock at all?

Good point will have a look tomorrow. The engine doesn't seam to be knocking at all since that one day when it hadn't started last month? Weridly enough so not sure what to think but just have to keep an eye on it.

Drop the oil, check it for particals, give it some nice fresh oil 10w40 and a new gm filter. See how it goes.

[GLC]

[/quote]Drop the oil, check it for particals, give it some nice fresh oil 10w40 and a new gm filter. See how it goes.[/quote]

I hadn't long chanaged the oil on it. Did it in November and have barley done 2,000 miles yet . Money still tight though but I'll try and get another oil and filter asap.

Have been using Comma 15w40 oil due to the age and milleage of the engine for it as my brother gets it at a good price for me maybe a upgrade to the Shell oil instead he sells might be better as my old Fiat Tipo seamed alot happier with that. Used to buy the Castrol oil untill they started making the quanty smaller then started buying the Vauxhall oil then when the sump started leaking last year I went to the Comma.

My sump is still leaking unfortantly as can't afford to get it fixed and I don't think I've got enough skills / tools to tackle it myself as the exhaust manifold gets in the way. Have of course kept a weekly check on the oil and other fluid levels.

The Cav has also started making a sort of clunk from maybe the rear sometimes when driving the last few days. Had thought a spring had broke but measured the arch gap today and they seam even to me though my driveway isn't the best. So will be checking round to see if I can find anything a miss tomorrow.

[Envoy CDX]

I had nothing but issues when i switched to comma years ago. Asda for 4litre tubs of castrol for £12 at the minute. As for the sump around 30-40 quid will see you a new one. but i know what you mean about money being tight though. The 1.8's should only take 4litres anyhow. As for the exhaust manifold and downpipe are the bolts seized / rounded off?

[GLC]

I had nothing but issues when i switched to comma years ago. Asda for 4litre tubs of castrol for £12 at the minute. As for the sump around 30-40 quid will see you a new one. but i know what you mean about money being tight though. The 1.8's should only take 4litres anyhow. As for the exhaust manifold and downpipe are the bolts seized / rounded off?

Thank's for the tip on the Castrol at Asda! I'll have to get some then and get it changed. Haven't tried the exhaust manifold bolts yet but they are rusty so did spray round them with WD40 last night. Would have had ago at the bolts today but had to lend my cav to my brother so I can take his car for the Mot today at 2pm.

Had a quick look at the oil pressure switich too seams secure but couldn't get at it enough with my spanner to be 100% looks a bit of a pita job to do.

My Cavs Mot is due 3rd Feb. So I'll get it booked for next week. Gotta say im a worried man about how it's gunna fair. Still not sure what this noise is from the rear my brother think's it might be one of the rear shock rubbers maybe to blame. They are possibly 19 years old and all 4 shocks are very bouncy. Rears are £15 each for Monroe so not an expensive fix fingers crossed if that is the problem.