1994 Cavalier LSi C20NE (was C18NZ) Work-horse

[btcctroy]

does look nice! so far

[Lowrider Dave]

Good work Robsey, I'm all for being thorough with a rebuild.

[Robsey]

I don't know about me being thorough.

Troy has done the hard bit.
It just doesn't make sense to put tatty number plates on a shiney bumper or tailgate.

[btcctroy]

Wheels lol

[Robsey]

We shall see.
I am always keeping one eye on the red bank balance.

[Robsey]

Getting a little closer.

Just missing door mirrors and bumpers by the looks of it.

[Lowrider Dave]

Ooo, exciting!

[Robsey]

Woohoo progress has been made.

The Cavalier is back in the hands of Troy.
Here it is at his unit.
Now I can truly believe that I will be bringing her home some time next week.



Then it will be down to me to finish any interior fitting-out and any new project installations.

[Lowrider Dave]

Woo!

[Robsey]

A Cavalier mini meet in Oldham.


My cav 90% rebuilt..
Troys BTCC replica behind in the distance.

Point of advice.
When you tap out the main sub-frame bolt holes. Remember it is a 14mm fine thread.
In July, I tapped it with an M14 coarse tap.

When Troy was torquing up the two big bolts, both felt like they were getting ready to strip.

So it will be a subframe off and then helicoil the two m14 bolt holes.

And just to take the mickey.... I had bought a set of pads for the front discs in July. At the time the pads were found to be for the bigger LET callipers.
So I bought a set for Vectra-A with 1.4, 1.6, 1.7D, 1.8 and 2.0 engines except LET.
Troy tried to fit them today...and they were the same size as the LET ones from July.
Bugger!!



I apologise for the very worn old disc pads.
See the difference in size compared to the pad below it.

[James McGrath]

Ohh, now that looks nice!

Looks like you have the same brake pads as my LS.
The EBC part number is DP940
I've never known the correct GM part number for them.

[Robsey]

We were talking about the paint.
It is meant to be polar sea blue, but in certain lighting it does not look purple enough.

But in other lighting you can indeed see the deep lustrous purple coming through as it should.

Almost like a westminster blue...
There are some minor imperfections, but it does look very nice and shiny.

Nothing that the cut and polish won't fix.

And - colour coded mirror casings.

[cavalier1990]

We were talking about the paint.
It is meant to be polar sea blue, but in certain lighting it does not look purple enough.

But in other lighting you can indeed see the deep lustrous purple coming through as it should.

Almost like a westminster blue...
There are some minor imperfections, but it does look very nice and shiny.

Nothing that the cut and polish won't fix.

And - colour coded mirror casings.

Had same issues with my brake pads, seems the "correct" pads are too small therefore must have larger calipers on mine.

I think your paintwork will take on a good light when it starts to age a wee bit. I've always noticed that with new paint jobs, they sometimes just look too colourful and shiny so you when light hits it in different ways it can look at bit off or mismatched.

[Robsey]

It looks nice, so not unhappy with the paint.
I am more annoyed about the sub-frame bolt blunder.

Ah well - you live n learn.

[James McGrath]

Had same issues with my brake pads, seems the "correct" pads are too small therefore must have larger calipers on mine.

Which one of your cars was that?
I'm trying to get a better picture of when Vauxhall made the transition.

[James McGrath]

While we're talking about brakes, have you ever thought about upgrading the brakes to 2.0i spec now you've got the C20NE engine?

[Robsey]

Envoy CDX recommended that to me when I fitted the engine.
He also recommended rear discs on anything above 100 bhp.

I haven't done so because the car stopped fine - when I hadn't worn the pads down to the bond layer - lol

Oh - and because I am lazy and didn't want to faff on the floor..

[James McGrath]

There's always the half way option as well.
That is to fit 1995 spec 1.6/1.8 front brakes and leave the rear as it is.
They have slightly bigger discs and pads, most difficult thing would be to change the callipers.

I only ask because I'm considering it myself on the LS.

[Robsey]

I am sure it is not too difficult to upgrade to the later bigger pads and callipers.

The tricky part is bleeding the brakes properly afterwards.
Until this weekend, the fluid pipes have never been touched on my Cav.

I had a massive issue years ago, when I changed the pads and shoes all round.
Somehow I got air into the system, and could not get the brakes to bleed effectively.
At one stage I thought it was the master cylinder... which at the time was stupidly expensive.
Eventually I had to have the car towed to the garage where they resorted to pressure bleeding it.
apparently all other methods failed to get the air out for them either.

So that said, I have been wary of touching the fluid lines ever since.

Troy on the other hand is confident that he will be able to sort the brakes fully.

It is having new flexy pipes front and rear, and new rigid pipes on the rear trailing arm to hub sections.

Sadly today, it was reported that the sub-frame main mounting bolt holes could not be heli-coiled due to insufficient nut depth.
To troy is having to cut out the old ones, and weld in new captive nuts.

So close but still so far away. As someone said a few months ago.
Cavaliers just do not want to be fixed. At least not for long.

it was planned for me to fit the interior on Sunday (29th Jan), but it is reported that the car is jacked up to a height that would make it unsafe for me to be bogging about inside the cabin area.

I am quite frustrated at my own lack of input - I have too much conscience, so feel like I am dumping on Troy all the time.
hopefully be out of his way soon.

[cavalier1990]

Had same issues with my brake pads, seems the "correct" pads are too small therefore must have larger calipers on mine.

Which one of your cars was that?
I'm trying to get a better picture of when Vauxhall made the transition.

That would be the 1994 1.8 LS

[James McGrath]

So close but still so far away. As someone said a few months ago.
Cavaliers just do not want to be fixed. At least not for long.

I do find it uncanny at how you can just leave a Cav with it's respective set of problems for ages without anything else going wrong.
However, as soon as you try to fix a problem, something else will inevitably break.
Put a group of Cavaliers together and they synchronise with each other so that when you fix something on one, a problem will instantly arise on one of the others.
It's like the number of problems reaches a certain equilibrium and woe betide anyone who tries to upset that equilibrium.

[Robsey]

My sentiments exactly.
By the time the Cav is fixed, the wife's Vectra will be needing a new dual mass flywheel, clutch and front end suspension repairs.

Not sure if something is bent or the roads are particularly poor, but I have had a few loud bangs from the front suspension on uneven roads during the winter.
(Mainly the east bound A57 Snake Pass just short of Derwent Valley).

On a lighter note - reports are that the steering arms complete with adjusters and track rod ends are on the Cav, along with front flexi brake hoses.

New pads (141 × 48mm) to be fitted soon.

From my side - more faffing with my radio facia surround. Still needs more work before a potential summer installation.
Up to then it will be a trusty sc303 for my musical delectation.

[Metallicav]

After watching this thread since it was announced that the car would be brought back to its original glory if not even better
It's looking stunning now so can't wait to see it all washed and dust free.

[Robsey]

Thanks..

It isn't concourse, but is looking really nice.
Not complaining at the stupidly low price I paid for the paint job.

Especially as the paint-shop lad stripped out all glass, and prepped and dressed the whole body before respraying.

I believe Troy's plan is to have the car in for MOT in the middle of next week.
This has been made tricky by virtue of my weakening the main subframe threads.
Parts not fitting, parts going missing.
You name it, it has happened.

Fingers crossed...
We can't afford for anything else to go the shape of a pear.

Hopefully - it will be totally finished, interior aswell by mid-March.
But I will try and get some pictures up as soon as I can take it on my rural routes in the Wirral.

[Metallicav]

I can imagine that things have gone wrong in there many, I've seen a few from your updates but i'm sure it's going to be much more resistant to the weather and road.
The changes such as the headlights and other upgrades being an improvement over the standard and not mention that seeing the car start to come back together has been a major inspiration to get off my backside and start working on mine which had been stood for months, almost becoming the equivalent of a source of free mods for the time being.