1980 Vauxhall Cavalier Sportshatch V8

[5potjacko]

I've snooped around this forum for a while now and seeing as I've got my car back this weekend, I thought I'd start a project thread. I love retro cars and I also own a 1990 Audi 90 2.3 SE as well as a BMW 635CSI Manual.

 Many of you will probably recognise the car from beeing on ebay a couple of years ago (think theres a thread on here about it) so you'll all be happy to see it getting sorted!

 I bought the car on ebay in October 2012 ago requiring 'a little work' Turns out it needed rather a lot! It had a Rover 3.5 V8 conversion done in 1991 by a company in Oxford which has since gone defunct! The car sounds great and I was sold as soon as I heard it! Stainless exhaust system was pretty much the only rust free part of it! Anyways after almost 18months at my local garage (getting work done on the side) its back! All road legal and MOT'd.

I have loads of parts for it including a manta checky recaro interior in black, new front chrome bumper and a rare front splitter. It needs a lot of love... but the sound it makes means I love it! Fook load of welding, new parts and rewiring took place. I'm a member of the manta forum where I've had some good help.

Anyways a few pictures.







Its got an uprated rear axle and uprated front brakes (apparently) and I'm not sure what they're off. Also has some very nice dishy weller steelies on it.

New parts include;

New Battery
New Coil
Full serivce, plugs oil filters etc
New fuel pump
Recon fuel tank
Fuel lines
New front shocks
Ignition barrel
New headlights
New cills (inner and outer)
Recon brake servo and new cylinder
New thermostat and temp sensor
New exhaust gaskets
loads of rewiring and probs more that i can't think of!


Some of the progress photos from the garage whilst it was there. Repair work to the rear drivers sill, front inner wing, work to the passenger side sill and large hole(s) to the brake servo area. The sills have all been renewed and waxoiled.








It still needs the rad recoring as it isn't flowing right at all and the car starts to overheat after 5-10mins. Thats next on the list when I've saved some pennies! I would've just bought a new rad but I've not got a clue what the one that is on the car is off. The garage reckoned it was an american rad. Any ideas guys?

[grifterkid]

Now that is ruddy excellent...

[5potjacko]

Jan 22, 2014 15:02:51 GMT grifterkid said:

Now that is ruddy excellent...

Cheers mate, I think it's going to be a special car when its all sorted!

Heres a couple of cheeky pictures of my other cars.

Audi 90 2.3SE 10valve (Daily driver)


BMW E24 635CSI with manual box (not dogleg)

[qwerty]

All your cars look great. Love the colour of the Cav!

Also like the look of the Cortina in the background.

[5potjacko]

Cortina belonged to the previous owner, think he had a few too many projects on the go including that cortina (and an e36 323i I gave him as part of the deal) to get this one done.

Found the thread about my cav when it was for sale...

retrorides.proboards.com/thread/105086

[Mark]

Love your 635. I'd like a manual 6 someday.

[Deleted]

Great project that cav didn't look too bad in those first picture, but just a bit of a crusty bottom, BM is my favourite model and l'd have one tomorrow (monel allowing) Audi looks very clean, got a 94 Audi 2.6 V6 coupe i'm driving over here in Germany, should start a thread about it realy...
I'd take the rad out go to breakers and wander around looking for something similar and retro fit that

[5potjacko]

Jan 23, 2014 9:47:46 GMT @moore said:

Great project that cav didn't look too bad in those first picture, but just a bit of a crusty bottom, BM is my favourite model and l'd have one tomorrow (monel allowing) Audi looks very clean, got a 94 Audi 2.6 V6 coupe i'm driving over here in Germany, should start a thread about it realy...
I'd take the rad out go to breakers and wander around looking for something similar and retro fit that

    Extremely crusty bottom... £700 worth of crusty bottomness! Actually got my BM up for sale now as it happens. Too many cars and not enough space.

As for the Cav, I got the rad out 2 weeks ago, and its been refurbed by Kempston Radiators in Bedford, ready for pick up tomorrow! Quick tidy up and paint fo the rad mounts and general area and I'll be putting it back in the car and then I can actually drive it!

[5potjacko]

Finally got a chance to do some work on this today. So thought I'd strip the crappy plastic manta front bumper and start sanding down the front end and the radiator mounts.

So I started with this...

And then stripped it down to this..

Started working on stuff like this...

Removed the pointless (and unconnected) light washer motors. Started stripping off crusty paintwork.

And then mocked it up to see briefly what the nice chrome bumper and trim will look like...

And in the engine bay I started sanding down the rad mount...

So hopefully tomorrow I'll get the mount fully sanded and painted and get the front valance in primer so that I can then fit this...

Once I've worked out the wiring I can finally drive it on the road for longer than 5 minutes!

[5potjacko]

So now looking like this.. (anybody notice the red Vauxhall badge as well?)

[5potjacko]

Haven't updated this thread for ages due to 2 different job changes, a house move and just general life stuff! I managed to get the engine dressed up a bit during the summer, crinkle painted the rocker covers and added a new dressy set of plugs and leads. Even managed to bolt in the manta recaros I've got. Still haven't driven the car due to timing issues (which should now be fixed! and I should be picking the car up from the garage very soon! In the meantime.. a couple of shots.. not much but its progress

[WheelsonCanvas]

Nice to see this one progressing! Wanted to do the same to my Cav coupe a good few years back, and I will own one eventually, although BIVA makes me generally uncomfortable about heavily modified stuff these days. Hope you enjoy the drive when you get it sorted

PS have you still got the 635 as well? Another of my favourite cars, although mine was a 628. Thought the dogleg box was horrid! Must be far nicer without.

[Speedle]

Awesome beastie this sir! Great colour too! Bet it shifts nicely!

[5potjacko]

Sold both the cars at the start of this thread as I lost my storage for the 6 series and needed a diesel for work (really didn't want to sell my 90!) The noise that the cav makes is just brilliant. When I get it back I'll make a video of the noise.

[WheelsonCanvas]

I'll look forward to that

[Midas]

Jan 22, 2014 14:13:21 GMT 5potjacko said:

Its got an uprated rear axle and uprated front brakes (apparently) and I'm not sure what they're off. Also has some very nice dishy weller steelies on it.

Aren't they Manta GTE vented fronts with ATE calipers?

[orangecords]

Superb sleeper!

[5potjacko]

Oct 19, 2014 20:31:57 GMT Midas said:

Jan 22, 2014 14:13:21 GMT 5potjacko said:

Its got an uprated rear axle and uprated front brakes (apparently) and I'm not sure what they're off. Also has some very nice dishy weller steelies on it.

Aren't they Manta GTE vented fronts with ATE calipers?

You know your mantas if you are right (I do hope so) I didn't have a clue! The brakes are actually good but I was thinking of upgrading them in the future.

[5potjacko]

Oct 20, 2014 19:51:00 GMT orangecords said:

Superb sleeper!

I love it. Looks a sack'o curse word but when people hear it and see it going along they just stop and stare! Love cars that can do that.

[Midas]

Oct 22, 2014 9:30:53 GMT 5potjacko said:

Oct 19, 2014 20:31:57 GMT Midas said:

Aren't they Manta GTE vented fronts with ATE calipers?

You know your mantas if you are right (I do hope so) I didn't have a clue! The brakes are actually good but I was thinking of upgrading them in the future.

My memory is hazy to say the least, however I did spend quite a lot of time making stuff from the bigger Vauxhall/Opels fit on the front of my Kadett C back in the day.