Project Red Baron - Gaz' Cav

[Gaz]

As it comes home tonight, I thought its about time i got a progress thread up, its nowhere near ready for the showroom yet but it shouldn't be long.

Its not booked into the bodyshop yet but ive come to a deal with my mate, i put a new engine in his van, he does my paintwork. May as well work to my strengths and save myself hours of sanding.

I'm leaving Manchester with the towtruck about 6pm tonight so hopefully should be on the drive by 9pm.

[Gaz]

I was back home for 9:30car on the back of the towtruck, if you need a car moving to or from the Manchester area, let me know and i'll give you his number (hes cheap)

Work starts in the morning

Its back, in the cold light of the morning, the gsi kit needs pulling off painting and refitting, there are a few things around the car that need some attention but its not rusty and its a cav, should be easily done for pv.




I really dont like the back end, it needs a turbo style one.





The interior is clean but its going to get a black dash. a computer and some other bits which i haven't decided on.

Ive got a boot off ebay to replace the rusty one thats on.

Going to have to live at the scrap yard for a few hours to get it upto standard.

cleaned the the junk out of the car, binned 99% of it
Removed the m3 mirrors (god knows why someone removed electric mirrors and fitted those but hey ho and put some standard ones on for now - paint is appalling but i'll get some more but they fill the hole for now.
had a look through the box of parts he gave me - a mint oil cooler a ecotec rocker cover 2 nearly mint sri fogs (you can actually see through the glass) a gsi rad and fan are worth keeping, the rest i binned - including a rusty set of airhorns

Had a proper look through the mot fail sheet and its bulbs and brakes, so nothing major.

The car when i got it had issues with intermittent starting, ecu light flashing, so ive borrowed a spare non immobilizer ecu for now, so i could check everything is working right without the chip/imbo getting in way.
Put new plugs in and a charged battery and put some fresh petrol with a bottle of discount octane booster (just to get any fuel that was still in the tank) and it started first time nice and cleanly, rather than having to turn it over a few times.
Went over to see some mates of mine who have a habit of collecting vauxhall bits for projects that never get finished and got a set of disks pads and callipers, im going to change the pads/disks/callipers ,as they have been stood and the disks are badly lipped. Plan is to pull the spare callipers apart clean them up with new seals and fit new pads with the newish disks so i can get it through an mot, so once its been done i can fit the vectra 288mm brakes, as they are basically new anyway.
Been round and changed all the blown bulbs, but numberplate light has no voltage so i'll have to check the fuses- anyone got any ideas

Changed the ignition barrel for one i found in the glovebox as the bloke told me it had jammed, so he'd drilled the middle out, but he didnt know how to put the other one in so a couple of mins were spent fixing that.

Im happy on how its running, im not going to be able to do anything till sun now, i just need to get the brakes sorted change the top mount and get it in for an mot.

[HAIRIBO]

I like the wheel and gearknob! Go well with the door cards. I'd hate to have to swap a dash it looks like loads of work I'd end up getting stressed and breaking bits.

[Gaz]

I'll do you a good price on them!

Ive done dashes before, its an ok job after youve done a few. Still a good afternoons work.

[HAIRIBO]

Ha ha, not after all the effet I wnet thro to get the Vectra three spoke with controls to fit. The gearknob and handbrake handel look nice but I've got a steinmetz one on mine to go with the bodykit. Other wise I would have been very interested.

[Gaz]

well ive not got much done other than sourcing parts

Front and rear disks - free
New rear calipers - free - had in the garage
Front pads £10
couple of taillight bulbs £1
top mount - free
"new" turbo boot lid £10.50 + a drive to chester
facelift tinted back panel - free - i got it ages ago as a spare for anita but as shes got a mint one im keeping this one

Needs a short brakeline at the back - ive got the kit to make my own

Hopefully it will go through an mot then i can buff it and get it in use.

[Envoy CDX]

Shouldn't take long.
I have to replace a sticky front caliper on mine sometime and get a set of load balancing valves in for the rear discs - keep locking the buggers up when I have to brake hard...

[Gaz]

replace, just get a seal kit, pull it off, knock the piston out replace the seals and clean the sliders.

About half hour a side plus bleeding.

[Gaz]

Picked up the boot yesterday from chester, guy gave me a set of carpets and a sunroof panel along with a back panel and some disks of anita

Todays progress
Terry came round for a few hours to help me get on with it, jobs were fighting with the brakes.

Stripped the fronts down and cleaned and rebuilt them- out of practice took a few hours. Managed to get one of the disk retaining screws off but the other had to be ground off (lot quicker than drilling and not an issue if you have to replace the disks). Then started on the back, disks were stuck on, couldn't get them off without knocking off shoes as per usual, disks id borrowed off anita didn't fit. so had to go out and spend £35 on a new pair. Needs a short handbrake cable but thats not the end of the world as it made getting the disks off easier.

Pulled the vectra spoiler off (a million times better) and solved the numberplate light/door buzzer not working, it didnt have a fuse- god knows but it was an easy fix. Thou i need to find one of the later ones that arnt such an annoying tone.

Had a good look round the car underneath, its solid but will need a couple of wishbones and bushes and such at some point, as they are showing age but not got any play in them .so im going to get a spare subframe and paint it all up with new bushes etc, its a good base but whoever sprayed it needs lessons on finish, its going to get resprayed at some point. as its just not going to be to my standard keeping as it is.

Oh to top it all off my windscreen on the vectra got cracked by a flying stone the other day, good job its going.

[sparzzy]

gary got a spare sub frame with new wishbones off the white gsi i broke.

[FoxyCav]

he probably wont be online till its dark Tim, be fiddling
i'm now in a ruddy queue to have my Cavs brakes done, as Gaz's are a bit more of a priority (ie they dont work at all )

[Envoy CDX]

Pulled the vectra spoiler off (a million times better) and solved the numberplate light/door buzzer not working, it didnt have a fuse- god knows but it was an easy fix. Thou i need to find one of the later ones that arnt such an annoying tone.

Got one here, 90 464 777. Drop me a PM and I'll sort it out for ya.

[Gaz]

gary got a spare sub frame with new wishbones off the white gsi i broke.

I would tim but its gonna cost me a few quid in shipping v's just getting some new wishbones, if you know of a cheaper shipping option it would be appreciated.

Got one here, 90 464 777. Drop me a PM and I'll sort it out for ya.

Send a pm in a min.

he probably wont be online till its dark Tim, be fiddling
i'm now in a ruddy queue to have my Cavs brakes done, as Gaz's are a bit more of a priority (ie they dont work at all )

i dont know if they worked at more than 2mph, but the state they were in i wasnt going to test them.

[Colorado]

Your really cracking on with it. Where is the lights on warning buzzer located? Mines got laryngitis.

[Gaz]

its the relay in the fuse box look for a tall one with strip holes in it.

[Colorado]

Thanks

[Gaz]

Todays progress,

Got a pair of spare of front struts to use for the 5 stud conversion, just gotta strip them down clean and paint them. cheers dan

Terry came round for a few hours.
Finished work on rear brakes, both sides have new disks, rebuilt callipers, new metal lines to the flexis and a new short side handbrake cable.

Cant get the handbrake to sit right so left it for now. then just need to bleed the system.

Squig popped round to donate some doorcards to the car without wood on and to have a nosey. cheers matey.

[Envoy CDX]

good progress
If the handbrake sitting wonky?

[Gaz]

just its either really high or binding the shoes, cant find that sweet spot, i might just change the other cable if i dont get any joy.

[Squig]

no worries on them cards fella... just quietly impressed with the amount of work gone in in such a short time. My hat is off too you, sir... or it would be if I wore one

[Envoy CDX]

just its either really high or binding the shoes, cant find that sweet spot, i might just change the other cable if i dont get any joy.

Aye, have to wonder if the long cable has stretched at all.

[Gaz]

todays job, went and bought some new soild fuel line as the stuff on is really showing signs of age.

making a list of bits i need, its BIG lol

[Gaz]

vboa sales thing in the morning, so im gonna be going down with squig to see what i can find.
just got another bonnet release cable off ebay- ive never had a cav where they work right, is this a common problem as i think it is?

[Squig]

Oooooooooooh yes.... I need Emma to open it while I play with the release handle

[Envoy CDX]

vboa sales thing in the morning, so im gonna be going down with squig to see what i can find.
just got another bonnet release cable off ebay- ive never had a cav where they work right, is this a common problem as i think it is?

Not really, all 3 of my cavs had no trouble with the release.