Cavalier 4x4 & SRi similarities

[James McGrath]

my dad told me he scrapped an SRi 4x4 face-lift when he worked at a scrapyard in around '06-'07, I really don't know if they exist but he claims he put it on ramps and it was a whole 4x4 system, and it had 4x4 badges as well as SRi ones on the door and boot. Only logical explanation I can think of is a conversion.

The 4x4 was a model of it's own which ran from 1989 until it was axed in 1993.

It started out with a fairly low specification. In fact it was pretty much just an L spec with the four wheel drive system.
However, this was changed fairly dramatically in about late 1991 when the spec was given an overhaul.
It was given colour coded bumpers, silver insert trim stripes, a boot spoiler, and most importantly the same recaro style seats and wheel trims used on the SRi.

All 4x4 spec Cavaliers were fitted with the 2.0i 8V engine in either 115bhp (20NE & C20NE) or in 130bhp (20SEH) depending on year and buyer preference. The 20SEH engine is also the one used on the early SRi.

This meant that late 4x4 spec Cavaliers were essentially an SRi with a four wheel drive system, minus one or two features such as the headlamp washers and with a different steering wheel.
I can see how it could be mistaken for an SRi or could be made to look exactly like one with very little effort.

The 4x4 is an interesting model, dispute winning the caravan club's tow car of the year they never sold well, (just under 3,500 were sold in the UK) as such, they are now extremely rare with just 5 left on the road as of Q4 2019.

[SRiGUY93]

my dad told me he scrapped an SRi 4x4 face-lift when he worked at a scrapyard in around '06-'07, I really don't know if they exist but he claims he put it on ramps and it was a whole 4x4 system, and it had 4x4 badges as well as SRi ones on the door and boot. Only logical explanation I can think of is a conversion.

The 4x4 was a model of it's own which ran from 1989 until it was axed in 1993.

It started out with a fairly low specification. In fact it was pretty much just an L spec with the four wheel drive system.
However, this was changed fairly dramatically in about late 1991 when the spec was given an overhaul.
It was given colour coded bumpers, silver insert trim stripes, a boot spoiler, and most importantly the same recaro style seats and wheel trims used on the SRi.

All 4x4 spec Cavaliers were fitted with the 2.0i 8V engine in either 115bhp (20NE & C20NE) or in 130bhp (20SEH) depending on year and buyer preference. The 20SEH engine is also the one used on the early SRi.

This meant that late 4x4 spec Cavaliers were essentially an SRi with a four wheel drive system, minus one or two features such as the headlamp washers and with a different steering wheel.
I can see how it could be mistaken for an SRi or could be made to look exactly like one with very little effort.

The 4x4 is an interesting model, dispute winning the caravan club's tow car of the year they never sold well, (just under 3,500 were sold in the UK) as such, they are now extremely rare with just 5 left on the road as of Q4 2019.

Yeah I knew there were separate 4x4 models with the same engine as the 8v SRi but he insists it was a black face-lift SRi saloon, K reg and it even had the SRi pin-stripe interior. Like I said, I think it may have been a conversion or a 4x4 with all SRi bits on it because in all these years I've never seen a real one or even heard of one for that matter.

[Robsey]

It used to be very easy to dress any cavalier as an SRi.

Parts are harder to come by now, especially side skirts and body stripes,
Bumper stripe end-caps etc.

A reg or vin check against Vauxhall's EPC would have given the original specification.

[SRiGUY93]

It used to be very easy to dress any cavalier as an SRi.

Parts are harder to come by now, especially side skirts and body stripes,
Bumper stripe end-caps etc.

A reg or vin check against Vauxhall's EPC would have given the original specification.

It's still relatively easy to do if you've got the money for parts, certainly not cheap either. The Irish boys turn TD Cavaliers into SRi replicas all the time. I'd like to know where the keep finding all the fan blade alloys.

[Robsey]

Fan-blades were also fitted on '95 season GLS's. (According to my 1995 issue 2 sales brochure).
Aswell as Diplomats.

Surprisingly I have never seen an SRi with fan-blades.

I was going to SRi stripe the bumpers, but I couldn't get the stripes or end caps without buying complete bumpers online.
So I chose not to bother.
I have enough large car parts in my back yard to start calling myself 'Steptoe and Son"... 'Harold"!!

[James McGrath]

Surprisingly I have never seen an SRi with fan-blades.

That's surprising. They were standard on redtop SRis.

Yeah I knew there were separate 4x4 models with the same engine as the 8v SRi but he insists it was a black face-lift SRi saloon, K reg and it even had the SRi pin-stripe interior. Like I said, I think it may have been a conversion or a 4x4 with all SRi bits on it because in all these years I've never seen a real one or even heard of one for that matter.

Here's some photos of the 4x4 from my 1991 sales brochure:





The interior is identical to the SRi of the time.
Same goes for the facelift 4x4.

[Robsey]

Hi James,

Those are plastic wheel-trims,
I have just two in my spares bin.



I thought that the fanblades were alloys.?
As used on Diplomats.



In my 1995 brochure, the SRi has Motorsport / Cesaro style alloys.



And back in the very early days, I saw the late Expression alloys on some SRi's.

[James McGrath]

Sorry, my post was a bit confusing.
I've edited it.

[Robsey]

I didn't realise that the plastic SRi covers were also called Fan-Blades.

[James McGrath]

I didn't realise that the plastic SRi covers were also called Fan-Blades.

No no, they are not. Sorry I was just replying to you about the SRi having fanblade alloys and then back tracking the conversation and talking about the 4x4 looking like an SRi again. I can see how that was misconstrued.

I normally just call those trims "SRi wheel trims".

But the fanblade alloys were fitted to the SRi. They were standard on the 16v (redtop) and optional on the 8v (C20NE) SRi from the facelift in late 1992 until mid-1994 when the ecotec was introduced. From then on, Cesaro style alloys were used.

Do you have a 1993 sales brochure?

[Robsey]

Sorry James,
I only have the 1995 - Edition 2.



We picked up the brochure from the dealers, when we were first looking for a car to replace the Mk2 in 1995.

Many years ago there were links on MigWeb for about six or seven brochures from various years, but the links have long since become broken.

[James McGrath]

I've considered doing scans of all my brochures but I'm worried about copyright infringement.

As you probably know, there were 2 editions for every year from 1989 until 1995 plus an initial release brochure for 1988. So 15 in total.
First editions were released in Autumn the previous year (So 1993 Ed.1 came out in October 1992)
Second editions were released in Spring of that year (So 1993 Ed.2 came out in April 1993)

I have almost every edition, I'm just missing 3; 1990 Ed.2, 1991 Ed.1 and 1992 Ed.1.
One of these days I'll finish my tech spec write ups and then we'll have copyright over our own versions of the info they contain.

[James McGrath]

Anyway, back on topic:

Here is the 1993 model year SRI (Note the plastic wheel trims on the 8v):




Here is the 1993 model year 4x4 (Note the same wheel trims):




1993 SRi interior:




1993 4x4 interior:




As you can see, they are very similar in external appearance and the interior is identical.
All you'd need to do to make a 4x4 into an SRi rep is add fog lights, the side skirts, the red bumper inserts and the red door mouldings and of course some SRi badges.
Just a weekends worth of work really.

[iangsi]

I'm probably wrong but didn't all 93 on cars come with airbags ?

[James McGrath]

I'm probably wrong but didn't all 93 on cars come with airbags ?

I think it was from about April 1993.
So very early face-lift cavaliers had that three-spoke wheel in the pictures.

[SRiGUY93]

Anyway, back on topic:

Here is the 1993 model year SRI (Note the plastic wheel trims on the 8v):

[ Image ]


Here is the 1993 model year 4x4 (Note the same wheel trims):

[ Image ]


1993 SRi interior:

[ Image ]


1993 4x4 interior:

[ Image ]


As you can see, they are very similar in external appearance and the interior is identical.
All you'd need to do to make a 4x4 into an SRi rep is add fog lights, the side skirts, the red bumper inserts and the red door mouldings and of course some SRi badges.
Just a weekends worth of work really.

Wow, so the 4x4 did have the same pin-stripe interior as the face-lift SRi. Somebody must've stuck some SRi badges and kit onto the one I was talking about, this was about 13-14 years ago so my father's going off of memory. Wish he would of saved me a driver's seat for my SRi though.

I really need to read some of the old brochures, I have them all I think, or most of them anyway.

Regarding the original topic, I think it's safe to say there isn't many Cavaliers left, especially the higher spec models. Whilst speaking with my father earlier he told me when he was working at a scrapyard around that time he sent around a dozen SRi c20xe models and even more Ecotec ones into the crusher, 5 GSi Cavaliers (All but 2 were rotten and stripped) A good few Diplomat V6 and 8v, also CDX models of all engine variants too. When you think of that many in one location and excluding models like the LS, GLS etc, it is heartbreaking. He did manage to save 2 SRi's, one black L reg 16v saloon which was stolen by a joyrider a few months later which was also burnt out, and a white L reg 8v saloon which got broken for parts, he saved a 2.0 16v CDX saloon in Spectral blue (which also got stolen) and one white 1.8 Cesaro Motorsport hatchback which he sold on. Not to mention all the other Cavalier's he's had, I'd be here all day talking about that.

[Robsey]

I have almost every edition, I'm just missing 3; 1990 Ed.2, 1991 Ed.1 and 1992 Ed.1.

If you ever do scan these in James, I would love to see the 1994 Ed. 1 (March to September 1994), as that would be the brochure for our car.

Even if it is now nowhere near factory spec.

Maybe, I should re-photograph my car, if I ever complete it - as a before and after.

[Tobias_CDX]

Back in 2003 I downloaded a Cavalier brochure from April 1993.

Brochure

[thomas]

Nice brochure, appreciate that.

Noticed the alloys on the CD models therein are the same as those on the later model LS, like mine. All I need to complete the CD look on mine are fog-lamps, body colour mirror covers (which I'm getting round too as I've a new pair of them, as spares) and a chrome strip on the bumpers and side mouldings! Ferrero Rocher anyone!