My MK3 Cavalier (93 LS) Restoration / Mod thread.

[envoycdx]

6th June 2012:

Not many photos

Sound deadening is a pain to remove... unless it's wet..


Wiring slowly disappearing..


Peak-a-booo


Prod prod.. oh boy..


A bit more prodding..


Oh balls.. more work..

[envoycdx]

7th June 2012:

Well, yesterday saw the removal of the windscreen and the rear beam axle among other things (knocking new holes in and removing the sound dampening curse word off the floor)

Today, not much was achieved, mainly as the rest of the week has caught up with me a bit and I've been helping get a Camper van ready for the road.

However:


The backend is looking a bit worse for wear, where the inner, middle and outer skins are spotted, rot has gotten in and eaten away at the panels - a bit more extensively than I'd hoped, but - it will be find soon.





Rear chassis legs seem solid, but will investigate further tomorrow and hopefully start removing some of the surface crud.
Inner arches are a bit iffy where it meets the boot floor too.







Rear axle is now off - what fun that was!


Badges removed - new ones to go in place of them (probably the last job to do on this)


Some more interior shots, floor is rather solid for the most part as per previous pictures. Sound dampening stuff it slowly coming up little by little.
All wiring removed now




Inner wings look solid enough




All fun really, just very tiring.

Oh yeah, and this is the only way I could think of keeping the body harness safe..

[envoycdx]

17th June 2012:

Well, another 6 (or 8 if you include travel time) hours used up yesterday - rear inner arches / floor are slightly worse than originally though, however - nothing too major. It's all repairable.









So yes, your car may look mint, but should you be brave enough to start pulling away some seam sealer - you might get a bloody nasty shock. I had to pick myself up off the floor after I started digging into the sealant, there was still water in there.

Anyhow, plans have been made, and panels should start to be replicated over the next week or so ready to replace the dead metal, affectionately named "rot"

So yeah, most likely another update next weekend.

[envoycdx]

So, July came and went, as did most of August.

20th August 2012:

[envoycdx]

Well, I couldnt' get down the garage for numberous reasons, and I needed some space back up home, so myself and a couple of friends decided to deconstruct my old cav. There were a few reasons for this. 1 of them was to work out how the car was put together in the factory - the other was to try and pick out any usable panels that could not be bought off the shelf. Unfortunately, mostly everything was damaged. I did however, salvage the rear boot floor.

2nd September 2012:

So, I took a drill to the donor shell today. Sad really, as I have had this cav since 2006 and fully intended in doing a full resto 2 years ago.

Anyhow, some pcitures of the damage from today.





Most of the "rust" you can see is just where the water / condensation as run down the panel and stained it. it rubs off fairly easily.

Boot floor has started to go in the usual areas, but on the whole is structurally sound - and I can repair it before it goes into the other car.

Can't thank Gilly enough for his help today. Though most of the afternoon was lost to emptying the shell out first, but tomorrow looks to be more productive

Flappy discs and a grinder will be on the cards tomorrow - much stone chip to remove to access the spot welds!


3rd September 2012:
Some pictures from today.

Remove 1 outer wing..


Said outer wing..





Tada!


Bit of a breeze in here today!


Liberating the floor!


Yeah, that inner wing has seen better days :/


Boot floor salvaged! Look at those legs! (the metal ones!)


Packed up for the night and erm, ducktaped it back together.

[envoycdx]

7th September 2012 - sickens me everytime I see these pics.

Some pics from today.

[envoycdx]

Over a year later it's up in the air..



2nd Jsn 2014:

Well, after a couple of wheels looking for the rear cross member.. I finally found on.. £67 and odd coppers (lets just round it up to £70) - delivered to my front door
It is now down with the car, along with the rear chassis legs, and various other bits waiting to be installed..

In case you're wondering which bit I am referring too: It's number 12 on the pic.




I do actually now fear for my sanity..

[envoycdx]

14th Jan 2014:

Well, finally, it's starting

Wayne, has finally found some time in his busy schedule to progress with my cav - Over the past couple of days, things have been measured, checked and a jib / framework was fabricated to make sure everything is going back in the same place as its come out of.

Pics:

So, out came the old cross member - rotten as a pear.. but no pictures taken


Rear floor, it isn't brilliant, but there are worse out there. And I have spare parts


The important bit that will make sure its going back in the right place!


Off with ya leg!



One leg off to be binned..


Going side... by.. side... pattern part doesn't look too bad when compared to the original one. Thankfully, though some fettling will likely be required.


Got a fair bit of fabricating to do for the rear floor as it's been decided to repair whats possible rather than ripping the full floor out and putting in another "salvaged" floor.

[envoycdx]

Rear chassis legsand rear cross member

Oh yeah, pic of the rear crossmember I obtained

[envoycdx]

Jan 20th 2014:

Front turrets are rusty, but solid - PI springs will be sold - I have EIBACHS to go on


And seeing this (next 2 pics) is what initially started all of this off 2 years ago



Cross member was actually rather solid, apart from where it held to the chassis legs - its being replaced anyhow - you can see its remains above

Yup, damn P clip survived when everything else is rotting around it.. Damn it vauxhall, make cars out of that metal instead!!!


Another grommet rotted out. Oh well, could be worse..


Door pin removal tool works ace!

[envoycdx]

And that is pretty much where I am at currently.
Hurrah..

[bstardchild]

Blimey - they rot in some nasty places - found some similar elements in my Monza hidden from view just waiting to suprise me one day.

Great work with a spot weld drill to unstitch those wings - I'd never have the patience for that.

[envoycdx]

Cheers, and yup - they rot in some horrible places. I do have a fair bit to try and make up myself simply becuase the repair panels were never made.
Inner wheel tub to floor sections for a start.

I'll have to have a look at your Monza thread if its on here.

[envoycdx]

Bit more choppity chopping..




Lower section of the rear arch is coming back together slowly.

As is the rear floor sections. It will be tied into the inner quarters at some point as they are built back up to floor level.



Old chassis leg was definitely ready to come out I think..

[79cord]

wow, lots of work there! Very impressive.

[envoycdx]

Cheers, I'll be alot happier when more metal starts going back into it.

[loudandproud205]

Not putting a 1.8 8V back in there when you have to all this effort though are you?

[gazz81]

looking good, I had a few mk3 Cavaliers over the years. This was the last one I had!

[envoycdx]

Apr 21, 2015 16:17:03 GMT loudandproud205 said:

Not putting a 1.8 8V back in there when you have to all this effort though are you?

For the time being I am. It will be tinkered with. Budget will not allow for much else.

[envoycdx]

Apr 21, 2015 19:37:31 GMT gazz81 said:

looking good, I had a few mk3 Cavaliers over the years. This was the last one I had!

Certainly different. What bodykit is it?