I bought her in 2006 from someone from Vauxhall Owners Network. I'm only the third owner, the person before me bought it from the police.
There's alot of over spray on her on the radiator in the door shuts etc. She does have the 150mph speedo, i know she has a sunroof but will explain that later. I did get pulled over once and the copper said it had come up as an old police car on his computer. Here's a pic of her in the original advert.
I went up there to look at her then bought her and drove her back. I remember it to this day how she drove, the power and the noise compared to the old 8V I had before. I was a happy chappie.
When I got her home I did some maintenence work to her, changing oils and doing timing belt to make sure everything was spot on. After that I just kept cleaning her and using her every day. After a few months I took her to a rolling road event and I got my ugly mug in the Total Vauxhall magazine for the first time! She pulled 189.9bhp and 191lbf torque, I was pleased with that. The chap at the rolling road suggested with his experience that the car has been remapped for the extra power as I knew it hadn't been cammed as I checked when I did the timing.
After a few months the clutch went when I was driving around, I was a long way form home so the car had to be recovered back to my work so I could fix it. The guy who come out to recover it and is in the picture was trying to tell me it wasn't a Cavalier and that it was a Carlton instead.
Once it was recovered back to my work I stuck a new clutch in and I was off again. 
I fitted Cavalier diplomat leather seats and a GSI front grille after this I regularly maintained her and kept her clean while still using her every day. She got parked up over 2 years due to myself having a life threatening illness. She was parked in the same spot outside the house and someone tried to take her.
That was all the damage they done they never managed to get into her so just had it repaired, I can't remember but I am pretty sure they never caught the people that did it! Once I had recovered I got her MOT'd and started driving her around again and keeping her maintained and clean again as she had been stood for so long.
After I had driven her around for a bit I decided it was time for 6 gears. I got an F28 and a pot type flywheel pretty local to me which was ideal that was my Saturday job. It all went pretty smooth just a few things needed modifying which I do have some pictures of but I can't remember what they were for so when I do I will post them up. I had the driver's side engine mounting sent off to be custom made to look a bit nicer which I still haven't fitted yet
I welded the bolts to it to keep it all in place. The driveshaft spacer as you can see is custom made, that is the only picture I have, it was spot on and a nice tight fit. I should still have the picture I sent to the engineering company to get it made if anyone wants a copy but I will double check.
Once I had finished I took her for a road test and I couldn't believe the difference, it was like driving a completely different car. I was a happy chappie.
The reason I had chosen the Pot type flywheel was so that i knew the idle would spot on.After a while I was keeping an eye on the bodywork and the rust as the tin worm started to come through. I done a deal with my work colleague about getting the rear archers done and the tops of the door shuts on the back as when it rains it leaks sometimes. While he was getting on with that we noticed a few rust spots underneath the rear windscreen so decided to get that done too. When the rear windscreen was took out the roof needed some attention as well, after this we walked round the whole car as I wanted to do some other bits as well but this was going to get done at a later date but as were doing all the other work it might as well get done at the same time. So..............a full re-spray it is then
as the front panel needed sorting out, underneath the front windscreen needed doing and some areas around the sunroof. My colleague said with the other odds and ends by the time they masked up the rest it would be quicker to paint it and wouldn't cost me much more to do it. Whilst he was busy with the welder and the grinder I got busy with the engine, although their was no actual problems with it I decided to take the heads off whilst it was off the road to save me doing it in the future. I was glad I did because the head gaskets were well and truly cooked, it was an absolute miracle that they remained sealed as when I pulled it off they fell to bits and they were brittle hard! On the rear cylinder head there was a piece missing on the face so I sorted out another head. I have replaced almost all gaskets and seals along with a new genuine thermostat at £96
It looks nice and shiny a new water pump, timing belt kit, alternator (Vectra one), oil pressure switch, fan control switch and a radiator which had to be re-manufactured as I could not source a new one which cost £240. I also have got a set of G cams, 4 bar fpr and an enlarged throttle body. At the moment the engine is back together apart from putting the cams in, timing it up and putting the inlet back together. As for the bodywork it is almost ready for paint just sorting out a few buts with the roof. As I said earlier about the sunroof in the ex-police car when we took the headliner down we saw that it had a new roof skin put on so explains why it now has a sunroof as it doesn't look like the original roof which was a bit of concern if I'm honest
I need to get a new exhaust for as when she was sat the rust got to it quite bad. Which was a shame as it was new when i was ill. The pictures I have put up are the only ones I have at the moment but I will take some more in the week for you when I am back at work. hope you enjoy.
If think off anything else i'll put it up in the mean time. Thanks all for your time.
click on the pic for the vid.
