Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

Joining the red Cav Auto as a commute companion now is my Saturn Blue 2.0 Turbo Mk4 -







59k miles, VX fleet for 10 months, then 1 lady owner,
200HP Z20LET/F23 5 speed,
0-60 in 7.5, 150+mph,
£25K odd new with the options,
FSH, all the receipts from the supplying dealer, all the MOT's, all the emissions sheets from the MOT's, the full monty, All the books, key passes and stuff in the wallet,
Proper 308mm brakes as std, aircon, fly by wire throttle, cruise control, electric power steering, electric windows, mirrors etc
Optional blue roof, Optional heated cream leather/side air bags, the icing on the cake was the rather rare and optional and working colour Satnav/4 disc changer/fuel computer/info display,
Windbreak still in the boot, 4 new tyres, New battery, Recent brakes and MOT. Original dealer plates front and back, Irmscher heater trim rings and front grille,
Decent rust free build quality and lots of factory sealing/wax injection, Lotus developed engine and also Lotus handling I am told,
Currently doing 35MPG average too and goes like the proverbial when required.

A bit of a tool really, couldn't resist it, especially with all the toys. Drives beautifully, very refined and quiet, goes, stops and steers impeccably, does everything really nicely.

It needed/needs -
A damn good polish on the outside - ongoing!
Maybe a visit to my dent man - has a couple of silly ones he could get out,
Some small touch ins, couple of chips and marks sorting - also ongoing,
The wheels restoring, as she parked by touch I reckon - booked in already at my local top man!
New front drop links - done, old ones were tired,
A working Aircon compressor clutch - done, fitted that without removing the compressor as it is fully charged with refrigerant - now perfect, even with the roof down!
Wiper motor self park - it didn't - done, repaired that, must steal the delay relay from my Dippy and get some new blades for it,
The front bumper removing and just a smidgeon of adjustment of the headlights up a bit, to stop it popping out of the side clips - done
Oil and filter - done - 5W30 fully syn Dexos of course, lots left over from the Monaro, takes a Cav oil filter too,
Wash out the stinky grey water from the washer bottle - sorted, fitted Insignia misting washer jets while I was in there playing wipers,
No boost gauge - borrowed a OBD2 Scangauge from my workmate, temporarily fitted that to see if all the engine parameters are well - they are, no fault codes, goes like stink, all torque, very smooth and nice and quiet,
Belts and rollers in a few months, brake fluid sooner,
I think it may need the "I" removing from the Irmy. grille and a tiny turbo badge from a mk6 installing.
Although I am loving the cream leather, I am not fully liking the bronze plastic coated centre console, may flock it something sensible.
Using and enjoying.

That is it.

Well done for bagging a weapon even if it is a ragtop, it'll be a good commute mule.

A drop top, just in time for winter!

Z20LET-equipped Mk4 Astras are ridiculously good value atm. Yours looks like a nice one. Bravo.

Great cars, my mrs has the astra coupe turbo 04 plate. Got a vxr turbo on it and full milltek. Goes well too.

Not a fan on the astra coupe. Hair dressers car!

I am a hairdresser

DiplomaXE wrote:I am a hairdresser

Well there you go, the correct car for the correct person

I dont think they are, great engine, big brakes, dirty cheap these days, allot of car for the money and can be tuned easy, diy remaps etc..

DiplomaXE wrote:I am a hairdresser

"Pete's Bowlcut Emporium"

you got it!
have some huge blunt scissors, will travel in said "hairdressers car" and cut anyone's hair for money!

Looks nice, keep looking at buying an astra coupe turbo. As said they have alot going for them. Nice looks and good engines

Nice buy Pete, been considering a Astra Coupe for ages but they all seem to be 2.2 which people tell me to avoid...

Unsure on the ragtop but looks clean mate

My mrs 2004 astra coupe is forsale as we speak. 68k, new vxr turbo fitted, full milltek.

Mikebmth wrote:Nice buy Pete, been considering a Astra Coupe for ages but they all seem to be 2.2 which people tell me to avoid...

Unsure on the ragtop but looks clean mate

MK4 2.2 - possible dodgy cam chains and massively cracked heads squirting coolant in my mates face put me off and the lack of a turbo didn't help, but it is the only way to get a coupe auto it seems, if so desired.

I looked at them all from 1.6 upwards, have driven a GSi turbo and that was nice, had to be full leather and all the toys and after looking lots I decided I didn't want another turbo coupe, have one already, it's called a Lotus Esprit. I wanted a convertible, hence the purchase. It's close to silent with the roof up, no rattles or squeeks and pretty damn good with it down, nice little turbo whistle and flufflily parp on the exhaust note. it's great. goes like stink, handles, steers and rides like a Lotus and is averaging 34mpg easily, that's before any long journeys. Found a few more things to perfect or sort out and loving the rust freeness.

I've often thought I'd like an Astra Coupe, but don't know enough about them.

This is turning out to be possibly the second or maybe the third best car I have ever owned, and have had 26 (I recently worked out!) -

To give it a small sprucing up, I had the wheels done, had it on the ex Cavvy white ST rims for a week so I could get to work if I wanted to use it, it looked ok on them, but the proper ones went in for a full refurb inside and out and repaint in shiny silver -






Another beautiful job from my local wheel fella. Shame I hadn't washed the car when I took the pics, too busy driving it I'm afraid!

Also swapped the fairly nasty std lumpy steering wheel with a minty plain black leather SRi one, plus a brand new black and silver centre console that is not nasty bronze plastic coated nastyness, along with beautifully flocked black console bits below it, as well as a triple switch traction control panel, new traction control/ESP loom wired in to make them switchable, for snow and rolling roads mostly -




Car is going really well. Drives so well and so many toys to play with. Done loads of little fiddly things to it, chiefly fitting an Omega wiper stalk and adjustable delay relay, rebuilt and uprated the gearlever shifter to lose the slop - now perfecto, sorted the mat clips, newer sat nav disc, gear oil, another engine oil change etc.

Been to my caravan in it for a swift weekend holiday, averaged 41mpg on the way up there not sparing the horses, usually does 34-35 commuting. All I could ask for really.
I can also report it is very stable albeit a tad windy at full chat with the roof down. I've fully tested it now.
With the traction control off it makes tortured smoke quite well too.

Good work Pete.

Very nice mate

Iv Had many zlet astras, if you get stuck with anything give me a shout

Takes me back to when I owned mine!

Can't beat boost with the top down

Cheers fella.
It's just really nice to drive and i'm loving all the toys.