As it’s raining outside and there isn’t a great deal I can be getting on with I thought I’d start my Work In Progress thread. It’s for my recently acquired Diamond Black 1994 facelift mk3 Cavalier 2.5i 24v C25XE V6 CDX with all the toys. It’s a saloon with a manual gearbox and is going to become the focus of my attention for the foreseeable!
Here’s a snap of her on her original CDX alloys looking a little mucky to say the least…
Originally I’d been on the lookout for a C20XE GSI simply as I’d wanted one for such a long time and liked them when I was younger. Aware of the modding potential, and relatively low cost these days, I set off far and wide checking out cars seen in ads on the ‘net. After seeing lots of rustbuckets and knackered engines I happened to stumble across a healthy looking 2.5i V6.
Originally I had intended to steer clear of a V6 as I’ve already got a 3.0i 24v V6 Omega Elite (some of you may have seen her in Total Vauxhall recently: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=1972) and to be honest it can be a pain in the butt to work on. That said, other than the engine, this particular motor seemed to be just what I was looking for. Besides, the C25XE lump sits the other way around to the X30XE in the engine bay and there is loads more room to manoeuvre about.
Anyway, about the car:
I had to travel four and a half hours away for the car, but it was well worth it. The car had 110k on the clock, ONE OWNER FROM NEW(!), had been very well looked after and hardly driven at all in the recent past. The previous owner had recently suffered bereavement in the family and inherited another car, so the Cavalier had to go.
Not long before I bought the Cavalier she had been fitted with a new radiator, new alternator, new petrol tank and a new windscreen. In addition to this, the car had a genuine Irmscher boot spoiler (fitted at original point of sale), and a few years back had been lowered 35/40mm on Eibach lowering springs, and Koni adjustable shocks all round. Coupled with the best part of a year’s road tax and MOT I was very happy. Oh and then there was the stainless Powerflow DTM exhaust system…!
Additionally, as a CDX with all the boxes ticked, she comes fully loaded with air conditioning (recently regassed), full heated leather interior, black interior and fittings, electric sunroof, electric mirrors, Bosch alarm and immobiliser, all the stuff you’d expect.
As if this wasn’t enough, the previous owner gave me all FIVE original CDX alloys in perfect condition with brand new tyres on them, as well as a set of 17” 5 spoke BK Racing alloys, again with good tyres on. There was also an original Cavalier CDX sales brochure.
The bodywork is great on the car, original arches are in great condition, and overall there isn’t anywhere near the level of corrosion you would expect to see on a 1994 Cavalier. Few spots here and there need attention but I’ll address those later in this thread. Basically this is exactly what I was after; a really good base to start from with a lot of the boxes for a project car already ticked. Lucky I didn’t find that C20XE after all…
While she has been looked after in terms of service intervals, the car is getting tired and is in need of rejuvenation. That’s where I’ve come along hehe! Short term plans are to get her running in tip top condition as-good-as-new as I can get her, with some subtle and sensible modifications and adjustments along the way. Cavalier Turbo bodykit will become part of the exterior modifications.
Long term plans are fairly ambitious but should see a complete overhaul and rebuild of the car from the ground up. While this is a while away yet, the main thing is that everything I do to the car from this point on will be done as thoroughly as possible by myself using quality parts.
I’ll be taking snaps every step of the way so this thread will be very picture heavy, and I really look forward to your feedback as I go along. Welcome your advice, feedback and *gulp* criticism… hehe!
