humbucker's 1993 Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo 4x4

[humbucker]

How does the saying go? “It never rains but it pours?” Well yes, that’s very true, but this particular idiom fails to mention the fact that GM coolant happens to be the flooding property in question... bah!

A week on and no loss of fluid to speak of. So far so good:





I thought I was safe in the knowledge that my leaky matrix pipe days were well behind me, and so I turned my attention to the recent judder that has developed (see my previous posts). The unpleasantness seemed to occur under load, although it didn’t really correspond with any particular driving style or condition. I decided to replace the key ignition components in the hope of nipping it in the bud.

Incidentally, I still wasn’t 100% convinced that a mechanical failure wasn’t causing the problem, but replacing plugs and leads etc. was an easy enough solution if my earlier hunch had been correct. Besides, as an added bonus it formed the basis of an early service interval! No harm done etc.

Bought a new set of Iridium plugs:



Old ones looked healthy, nothing to worry about here:



Old and new side by side. Mega amounts of life left in the old ones tbh:



Popped the new plugs in, removed the standard HT leads (despite them only being a few hundred miles old) and replaced them with the Magnecor KV85s that were on the car a few months back. I then removed the dizzy cap and swapped it with a newer one, complete with black cap cover. The old one didn’t want to come off too easily, and it registered its disgust by snapping into two pieces!





The coil is brand new, but I did put my spare in its place in order to eliminate it as the problem. Both items checked out OK, so I returned the new item to the engine bay. I also checked and tightened all the airflow hoses. Unfortunately, I was getting the following error code when the car fired up:



This was a bit of a red herring tbh, but I changed the dizzy itself to be on the safe side. Error codes went away and I decided to take the car for a run down to the supermarket. These were the dying days of a two week holiday that had been spent painting and decorating my house, so I was really hoping that everything would be magically cured and I could kick back and relax before heading back to work this week.

Fate had other ideas, however, and the judder returned with a vengeance. Now less of a judder and more of a thududududud that intensifies in volume under load (although the frequency doesn’t change in accordance with travel speeds). Think of the noise of motorway slip road rumble strips and you’re half way there:



It sounds mechanical and is coming up through the floor/transmission tunnel. Forum feedback suggests prop bearing or txb failure. Fuse 19 was pulled and the sound persists, but as TurboDan points out, the transfer box internals – as well as the propshaft itself - are still rotating even if they’re not engaging in 4x4. I guess I’ll be checking those items over asap. Will remove prop and test drive again to see if it’s a bracket/bearing if nothing is obvious upon further inspection.

As if I hadn’t had enough disappointment for one day, I pulled up at the supermarket and the coolant level warning light lit up the dash as I drove into the car park!



It was the new matrix pipe that I’d put together; the joiner was doing a fine job, but I think one of the jubilee clips could have done with being a bit tighter, resulting in one end of the hose popping off of the joiner. Not the end of the world, but a shame that this episode is costing me a fortune in lost coolant! I followed the steaming trail left in my wake while the engine cooled itself down.

Strategically dumped Cavalier Turbo. All this and Clubcard points too:



This way to the leaking Vauxhall. Follow the arrow or the anti-freeze, your choice:



I was able to use the trail to guide Mrs Humbucker when I requested that she brought me a screwdriver (I couldn’t bring myself to fork out £7 for the pack of wibblepoo they were offering in the supermarket!). The Brothers Grimm would have been proud:



Aaaah, so that’s where it began:



Pre-diluted coolant. Never leave home without it haha!



Went in the store, bought lots of things that didn’t resemble screwdrivers, tightened the clip and topped up the coolant as soon as Mrs Humbucker arrived, then pootled off home (juddering loudly as we went). Back at the ranch, I jacked the car up and had a look underneath. Not much to report at this stage, but I did manage to destroy an ABS sensor which was an unexepected ‘surprise’. As AstraDan pointed out a while back, the bracket has been pushed out a bit due to corrosion, so I fiddled about just in case it was making contact with the ABS teeth and causing the judder. Managed to rip the sensor in two while doing so! Ever wondered what the guts of one looks like? Wonder no more:





Anyway, that’s another item to add to the list, and needless to say that the knocking noise isn’t ABS related! We have the Eastern Region North Norfolk Coast Run taking place this weekend, so I’m hoping I get a chance to check under the car before then as I’ll be gutted if I miss the meet. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, I will leave you with this pic that appeared on the club Facebook page when I was spotted out and about recently. Nice.

[humbucker]

Aha! Knackered centre bearing! Off with the prop...

[georgeg93]

Such a savage looking car mate, I remember my Dad having one of these when I was a bit younder but I think it was slightly earlier than yours but really similar, perhaps yours is a facelift of the same model? I'm not sure but it was one of my favorite cars he ever owned and I'm not sure why.. They always seemed so over shadowed as there were Astra's and Vectra's everywhere and the odd Calibra but I never remember seeing many Cavs . There is one V6 one for sale near my and it has been for ages but I keep having to hold off from the temptation and stick to 4 cylinders .

[Smiler]

Brings back happy memories of my old white 'K'-reg Cavalier 4x4. Mine was just a none-turbo 8valve so a bit underpowered but still fun once you got it up to speed. Sadly rusty rear arches, a sudden massive transmission vibration, four bold tyres and lots of other tired bits meant it was replaced with the Cortina in my sig.

[grifterkid]

I need to pop my eyes back in their sockets, roll my tongue back up that just hit the floor and place a soft cushion over my groinal area...!!!!!!!!

This car is just INSANELY good... It is just stunning!

[humbucker]

Oct 1, 2013 18:59:21 GMT georgeg93 said:

Such a savage looking car mate, I remember my Dad having one of these when I was a bit younder but I think it was slightly earlier than yours but really similar, perhaps yours is a facelift of the same model? I'm not sure but it was one of my favorite cars he ever owned and I'm not sure why.. They always seemed so over shadowed as there were Astra's and Vectra's everywhere and the odd Calibra but I never remember seeing many Cavs . There is one V6 one for sale near my and it has been for ages but I keep having to hold off from the temptation and stick to 4 cylinders .

Thanks for the kind words fella. The Turbo 4x4 was only ever in the facelift range of cars from 92-95. It was preceded by the GSi2000 which was pre-facelift only (but also came in 16v 4x4 guise as an option from the factory). They are great cars, that perfect balance of just-enough-electronics-to-provide-toys but not dependent on electronic trickery to the extent of later vehicles. The V6 is also a very capable car, as demonstrated by the black one in my earlier post, but chasing big power out of them is a super-expensive game, so something like 220bhp is all that is realistically achievable without spending big bucks. That said, they're torquey as hell with an Omega lump thrown in them

Oct 1, 2013 19:16:23 GMT Smiler said:

Brings back happy memories of my old white 'K'-reg Cavalier 4x4. Mine was just a none-turbo 8valve so a bit underpowered but still fun once you got it up to speed. Sadly rusty rear arches, a sudden massive transmission vibration, four bold tyres and lots of other tired bits meant it was replaced with the Cortina in my sig.

It's strange to think that the 8v 4x4 is one of the rarest Cavaliers out there. I'm still not quite sure why they ever introduced the car; the odd pairing of huge technological advancement and poverty-spec trim seems totally at odds with one another. I wrote about one in the last issue of Total Vauxhall mag that has been turned into a capable Autocross car, although the 8v lump has been ditched in favour of a V6. Nice!

Oct 3, 2013 16:01:28 GMT grifterkid said:

I need to pop my eyes back in their sockets, roll my tongue back up that just hit the floor and place a soft cushion over my groinal area...!!!!!!!! This car is just INSANELY good... It is just stunning!

Thanks, it's nice to hear such great feedback! I should have posted this work-in-progress thread up much earlier than I did haha!

[humbucker]

I was having a nose around the local antiques emporium and spotted this Haynes manual tucked away on one of the store’s bookshelves. The cheek of it! Antique? A Mk3 Cavalier?! Needless to say, the princely sum of £1.50 was too good to ignore, and this ‘as new’ edition is the perfect backup for my well thumbed copy. Besides, you can never have too many Cavalier Haynes manuals (even if you don’t own a Cavalier!).



I managed to get the propshaft removed in advance of last weekend’s Eastern Region North Norfolk Coast Run and, sure enough, the centre bearing is totally fubarred. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the vibrating noise has disappeared entirely thanks to the removal of the prop:





Front-wheel drive is better than no-wheel drive, and the good news is that I was able to get the car up to Snettisham Beach without any hassle. Furthermore, we had an entirely dry day. In other words, the leaky coolant issue seems to be a thing of the past! Bingo by jingo! I would have been disappointed to have missed out on a catch up with the guys, so I'm glad that things went according to plan.

We met up at Snettisham Beach and took a leisurely drive over to Hunstanton where we rewarded ourselves with ice cream and a wander. Once done at Sunny Hunny, we continued along the coast road to Wells-Next-The-Sea for fish and chips by the quay, and then hotfooted it over to the Muckleburgh Collection (the UK's largest privately held military museum). A fun drive along the narrow, twisty A149 back towards Gramborough Hill National Trust beach/nature reserve followed. We finished the day with a cuppa at Cookie's Crab Shop in Salthouse (named by TV chef Rick Stein as the best place in the UK to buy fresh crab). It was an excellent day, despite the difficulties some had in getting to the meet point, and a few pics can be found below:



My car parked up at Snettisham Beach. Phew, what a scorcher!



The Three Amigos!



L-R: James McGrath’s Diplomat, NickSRi’s plod squad SRi, my 4x2 Turbo hehe. Unfortunately, there were a few casualties en-route, and the Colorado family were nursing a seized caliper in a layby somewhere near Ipswich while Maracus was piloting his Astra following the ill-health of his Turbo:





Twisty coast road ftw:



Parked up at Wells-Next-The-Sea:



Nick’s SRi appeared to have morphed into a tank by the end of the day:





All the pictures from the trip, including those taken at the Muckleburgh collection (and those detailing Nick’s frequent brushes with the law), can be found at the following link. Do check it out if you’re thinking of planning a similar outing, or are just interested to see what the dash of Nick’s police spec Cavalier looks like:

www.cavmk3oc.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=12687

While at our final destination, James pointed out that I appeared to be missing a headlamp wiper blade. Disaster! I have no idea where it has been lost, and I can only hope that I have a spare kicking around in the garage. Doh! The car’s late 80s/early 90s cool factor will be taking a serious hit until I can get this almost-entirely-useless optional extra replaced! Another one for the ever growing list of outstanding jobs scheduled for the coming weeks:



Back at the ranch, I noticed that the boot panel was sitting proud. Further inspection revealed two missing bolts. They must have made a run for it with the headlamp wiper blade! I rummaged around in the garage until I found a suitable replacement, taking care not to overtighten ‘em and ruin the otherwise mint reflectors:



I had a word with the bodyshop to check their availability before the car runs out of tax at the end of the month. I’m going to get my spare rear bumper sprayed to replace the damaged item, and the rear boot panel, wing mirror casings and tow eye cover will be getting a lick of paint at the same time. The whole car will then be subject to a thorough machine polish to remove the light scratches that have appeared over the past couple of years, and then it’s SORN time until spring. I’m hoping to post some significant updates over the winter period, but as for which of the three project cars they relate to... well that’s anyone’s guess! Watch this space!

[grifterkid]

This looks great and it's great to hear of the level of work that is going into this to keep it in A1 condition...

[Smiler]

Oct 13, 2013 20:36:36 GMT humbucker said:

It's strange to think that the 8v 4x4 is one of the rarest Cavaliers out there. I'm still not quite sure why they ever introduced the car; the odd pairing of huge technological advancement and poverty-spec trim seems totally at odds with one another.

Yes it was a bit basic compared to most 2wd models out there but it was still a good capable car. You just had to carry your speed more, which the 4x4 allowed you to do rather effectively. Wasn't dog slow, just wasn't quite up to 'performance model' abilities on acceleration.

[humbucker]

The Cavalier’s tax disc ran out on the 31st October, so I drove the car to Turbo Tom’s Autos in Boston for bodywork repairs to take place while the SORN kicks in. The poorly rear bumper that I pictured in an earlier post is to be repaired, and the textured black plastic panel will be swapped with a spare due to the damage inflicted upon it by the brick wall that I drove into. Our cat, Willow, decided to give it a once over too. Nice:



The Smoke Grey bumper that has kindly donated its black plastic:



The wing mirror casings and rear boot panel will be treated to a fresh lick of paint, as well as the rear bumper and a brand new genuine Cavalier Turbo front bumper tow eye cover. I just want to tidy the paintwork up a bit really, sort a few niggles etc:



I have a tin of paint left over from the respray that took place before I bought the car, so I plonked that in the passenger’s footwell in case it was of any use to Tom. In addition to the items mentioned above, he’ll be tidying up any stonechips and giving the car a thorough machine polish to remove any light scratches and swirl marks. I’m looking forward to seeing the old girl tarted up, and it gives me a chance to clear some space and get on with some other jobs while the car is parked up in his bodyshop.



The powdercoated wheels have been removed and are in storage until the car returns to the road next Spring, and the ‘winter wheels’ have taken their place in each corner. These are actually the alloys that were originally on Turbo #2, and came with brand new Good Year tyres. Unfortunately, the previous owner put 215/45 size rubber on each rim and seemed happy for the weights to be applied to the outside of the metalwork. Doh! They’re fine for the task at hand I guess (and yes, I pumped them full of air before setting off!).



The missing screw from the rear boot panel appeared to be letting rainwater drip through. Thankfully, the moisture was absorbed by a kitchen roll that was conveniently sat beneath it in the boot space. An additional dehumidifier seemed like a good idea while the car is inactive:



In not-entirely-unrelated news, I added a genuine Tech2 to my arsenal of diagnostic gear last week. I’ve got two Tech1As (which are brilliant for use on the Cavaliers), but the Irmscher Omega is about to awake from slumber and is a last-of-line 2004 edition that isn’t Tech1 friendly. I can also make use of the Tech2 when working on the Saab, but I didn’t need much convincing tbh; a friend was clearing his workshop of no-longer-required garage equipment and asked if I’d be interested in this kit as I’d borrowed it so many times! Buried in the flight case is a bunch of cables, the latest Vauxhall card, Global TIS, the latest Saab card and a load of other bits and bobs:



Meanwhile, Total Vauxhall’s Facebook page displays the photo I took of my car sat alongside Baby Bertha. The caption reads, “Left or right?” and opinion is surprisingly divided (I thought everyone would favour Bertha). From my own point of view, one of the cars is mine while the other is one of my all-time favourite motors... how am I supposed to choose?! Check out the comments and decide for yourself here:

www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151967304924573&set=a.10151809314949573.1073741825.122198159572



Thanks for reading!

[pacman1978]

That has got to be the nicest cav I have ever seen. Love the colour too really is the best. Had the same colour on a frontera.. my dad had 2 cavs, a 92 J pre facelife midnight blue 1600 GL and a 93 K 2.0 GLS.

I remember when he first got the 2.0 (was metallic turquoise green) we wondered what the strange noise was when turning on the radio.. electric ariel! !

So much nicer than my old vectra B sri I used to own. Thanks for sharing such a lovely motor mate, to say I am a tad envious would be an understatement!

Pacman

[humbucker]

Nov 27, 2013 21:28:43 GMT pacman1978 said:

That has got to be the nicest cav I have ever seen. Love the colour too really is the best. Had the same colour on a frontera.. my dad had 2 cavs, a 92 J pre facelife midnight blue 1600 GL and a 93 K 2.0 GLS.

I remember when he first got the 2.0 (was metallic turquoise green) we wondered what the strange noise was when turning on the radio.. electric ariel! !

So much nicer than my old vectra B sri I used to own. Thanks for sharing such a lovely motor mate, to say I am a tad envious would be an understatement!

Pacman

Thanks Pacman! Yeah, I'm a big fan of Satin Red, my favourite of all the Cavalier Turbo hues. Count yourself lucky that the electric aerial worked on your Dad's car - something of a rarity!

Say hi to Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde for me

[humbucker]

Unfortunately, I managed to destroy another front ABS sensor during an attempt to remove what I thought would be a donor part courtesy of Turbo #2. Following my earlier experience, I think it’s safe to say that they don’t like to be disturbed after twenty-odd years of rest! Consequently, I searched the garage until I found this fella cowering in the corner. I knew he was in there somewhere but thought I’d go for the ‘easy’ option before turning the place upside down. Doh! Lesson learned.

Car still in bodyshop. Update(s) to follow.

[humbucker]

You know how something can sit in the corner of the room/garage for so long that it becomes invisible? No? Oh, just me then. Anyway, a few years back I bought a four-spoke Irmscher steering wheel that has been collecting dust ever since. These items can sell for hundreds of pounds to eager Omega beavers, but I was fortunate enough to pick this one up on the ‘bay for less than thirty quid. I can’t remember which car I bought it for – maybe the V6 Cavalier as my Irmscher MV6 has the facelift aluminium-finish special edition steering wheel already in place – or perhaps I clocked the price and thought I’d worry about where to install at a later date? Either way, the days of it sitting idle are a thing of the past as I’ve decided to spruce up the cockpit of my Cavalier Turbo with some Irmscher joy!

The steering wheel had the fake wood finish when bought new (wood, aluminium and carbon-fibre were the options) and it looks like the previous owner has tried to remove the bulk of the pattern. He seems to have given up on that front, which is odd as he forked out for a tidy leather retrim on the rest of the outer wheel just before I rolled up.

The standard facelift Cavalier steering wheel is super ugly, so this should improve the interior without losing the airbag. I’ll need to pick up a mini-facelift Omega centre section before fitting, but in the meantime this Irmscher hoop has been shipped off to the bodyshop and I’ve asked for the non-leather bits to be colour coded in Satin Red. It will probably divide opinion when installed, but I think it should look pretty cool.

[humbucker]

Collected the car from the bodyshop on Tuesday. The painted Irmscher steering wheel should brighten up the cabin!

[humbucker]

The recent onslaught of bad weather resulted in the Cavalier being tucked up at Turbo Tom’s Autos for much longer than anticipated; unfortunately, the river Haven burst its banks causing devastation to homes and businesses in the town of Boston, Lincolnshire. Tom’s own unit was a few feet underwater, and the aftermath can be viewed in the following video (Tom can be seen recovering his Corsa van at around 20 secs):



Fortunately, my car was up on the ramps while the unit found itself three feet deep. The trusty Vauxhall remained dry, although I do need to treat the bonnet lining which shows signs of exposure to the damp atmosphere. Tom’s Corsa van didn’t fare quite so well and has had to have a new engine following significant water damage.

I think it’s safe to say that Boston has seen a trillion percent increase in the number of squeegees sold in recent weeks!

Anyway, work in the unit resumed following a number of visits from insurance assessors. To recap, my car was there for a rear bumper repair following its disagreement with the brick wall outside my house, replacement of the textured black plastic insert to the same bumper, paint on a brand new GM tow eye cover, new paint on both wing mirrors, paint to the formerly fake-wood finish of my Irmscher steering wheel, new paint on the rear boot panel, replace the nearside front ABS sensor and sort a few stone chips/light scratches. In other words, a good old fashioned tidy up.







And now those all important before and after shots:

BEFORE:


AFTER:




...






















Ok, perhaps that’s not an entirely accurate representation of my revitalised Cavalier(!), but it is looking nice and shiny thanks to the repaired rear bumper, new paint and the replacement black textured plastic at the rear:



Boot panel painted:



Brand new GM tow eye cover:



Shiny shiny:





The steering wheel of joy (in need of a good clean):





Taxed and patiently awaiting a good detailing session:

[shampooefficient]

I used to watch X-cars, this is bringing back memories... lovely motor.

[qwerty]

Feb 9, 2014 18:24:21 GMT shampooefficient said:

I used to watch X-cars, this is bringing back memories... lovely motor.

You sir are a legend! I have been trying to remember what that show was called for weeks!!!

[jmsheahan]

Lovely car, attention to detail is superb. I have a real soft spot for cavaliers.

Lucky with it being up on the ramp during the floods, that could have ended a lot worse!

[humbucker]

Feb 9, 2014 19:03:11 GMT jmsheahan said:

Lovely car, attention to detail is superb. I have a real soft spot for cavaliers.

Lucky with it being up on the ramp during the floods, that could have ended a lot worse!

You're not wrong! I was watching the news and images of Boston under four foot of flood water were in plentiful supply. The bodyshop is close to the river so I feared the worst. Thankfully, through luck rather than judgement, the car was up in the air that night. Phew!