Vauxhall Owners Forum banner

Dougie's Vauxhalls (and Iveco) thread.

11K views 31 replies 21 participants last post by  wudgey_sr 
#1 ·
I've been wanting to post thread for a while now, as I've not really been keeping an eye on what's happening in the Vauxhall world since moving back to Scotland last year. Been busy working silly hours but got finished at a decent time tonight, so here's what I have and what I intend to do with each of them going forward...

Introducing in order of length of ownership...

This is my Cavalier GSi 3.0 V6 4x4, I've owned it since Feb 06. It was first converted to a V6 at Specky's in 2007, then in 2010 it was upgraded to an F28 and Calibra Turbo running gear. Had it on the road through winter and it was brilliant. Then for some reason it threw PAS fluid all over the road so it's been parked up for a couple of months while I work out the next move which is: Remove the engine and box, fit another TXB, a new Accumulator bulb, remove the ABS set up, ported heads, tubular manifolds and a bit of paintwork. ETA: Autumn. It usually runs Calibra SE9 wheels BTW.


This is my Cavalier GLS 1.8i Auto, or as I now call it "2000 Sport". Had this since June 07, when I reshelled much of my rotten SRi130 into it. Had done me proud on many trackdays. Runs a 20XE with Piper cams and goes well. Engine is a bit leaky now, but it doesn't seem to have lost any power! It should have the Turbo wheels on it that the GSi is borrowing. Half the front valance is missing as I got it towed to start it the other day and the straight bar ripped it off. No permanent damage. This one is taxed and on the road at the moment. Plans for the rest of the year: Wash and polish it at some point, drive it.


This is my Nova 1.3 in Jamaica Yellow. Was a 1.2 when bought back in 2009. Spent two years in a lock up until it got a Belmont 1.3 engine, Nova SR box, Cav SRi Recaros and loads more besides. Just finishing this one off as it's going to it's new owner ;) in time for Billing. A manual choke kit for this car cost me £76! I'm sure they used to be about £15.


My Astra GTE 16V. I sold my Belmont SRi to get this. Nice early one with no cat or ABS. Bought from my mate Pete, who kindly delivered it from Guildford to Scotland with a load of spares in the boot! It's done 145,000 miles but has had a very easy life, there's no taps or oil leaks anywhere! Got a load of bits sitting ready to be fitted, along with a new nearside wheelarch and a wing. Really looking forward to sorting this one out. As well as it goes in a straight line, the handling is terrible! It's on the original suspension and some old plasticky tyres. Good for screeching round roundabouts at 35mph though. Next to the Mk2 Cav, this one attacts the most attention on the road. It's Mot'd and taxed but is spending July on SORN while I attempt to blitz everything in one hit.


And here's some of the bits ready to go on... New Monroe shocks, new strut tops, Avo springs, timing belt kit, service kit. Going to go for Continental tyres I reckon.


This is my Vectra SRi V6 - which I took pity on down the auctions in April on the not-particularly-wise reasoning that it had a nice leather interior. So, one windscreen, a tyre, coil spring, drop link, exhaust flexi, timing belt kit, six spark plugs, a coil pack and leads, blanked off EGR valve, a driver's door, a rear bumper, front grille, OE CD player, rear brake calliper, three brake pipes, short handbrake cable sections, a set of rear discs and pads, an air con compressor and two wiper blades.... it's actually quite nice to drive especially as I fitted cruise control. Although it does still clonk a bit from the rear suspension.


Currently I am trying to get the air con working. I pressurised the system with nitrogen and found that the compressor was leaking. So I changed it. You can see the bubbles in the pic. I pressurised it again and it blew a hole in a hose which had been rubbing against the compressor pulley, so I am going to splice that tomorrow. The bloody system is like a tea bag... if it needs a condensor I will sob.


See! It does have a nice leather interior. Unless it's hot as the air con doesn't work. Yet. I hope whoever has this car after me appreciates all the work that's gone into making it decent!


This is my Cavalier SRi. I really like these, one of my favourite Vauxhalls. I spotted this on eBay after a few ciders down in Reading. Usually this would count it out, but I was visiting Bristol the following week! So, I formulated a plan and ended up buying it. It's only had three owners before me, and has done 96,000 miles. My mate Darren drove it back from Reading so I've only driven it about a mile so far as I have actually left the car down there for the time being until the Nova - and probably the Vectra - are moved on. Hoping to get it up the road by August. Dunno what to do with it, I just fancied another one.


128bhp of eight-valve goodness. That's really not much at all these days is it? Ah, I still love 'em.


Finally, this is my Iveco Daily 2.8TD recovery truck. It's a five tonner, which means it is geared towards running at 56mph. The low gearing makes for great pulling power. It comes in very useful, sometimes I put cars on the back of it that aren't mine! Did a run from West Calder to Rochdale-Leeds-Edinburgh then up to Aberdeen and back the other weekend and it didn't miss a beat. Trivia: Both me and this Iveco used to be employed by Plumb Center. Plans are work out how to fit cruise control and paint the bed all nice.

 
See less See more
12
#8 ·
have to agree the G reg is my fave out the lot. Ive fond memories of cruising down to the south of france in a white LS and it was arguably the best Cav my dad owned.
 
#10 ·
Cheers! Well the plan for this week is: Get the GTE into the chosen bodyshop, tax the Nova in prep for it moving on, and get the air con working in the Vectra.

Also just taken back my mate's old Nova track car, which was built around 2000 and used to run up at Knockhill a lot. It's an A-reg shell with a 2.0 16V XE. A bit rough round the edges, but a little work should get it running again. Not touching that until I've got some other bits sorted out first right enough.
 
#13 ·
Yeah, I was there in the Mk2 Cav. A couple of 15 minute track sessions is no bother to a decent Astra GTE, in fact even a total shed would usually put up with it.


Quick update:

Taxed the yellow Nova today as it's going "home" next weekend. Then I did a load of wee bits on it that I've been meaning to do like, er, hoovering it out, getting the choke handle thing secured properly and most importantly of all... red striping the bumpers. I'm going to punt about in it for the next week, I should have done a bit more with it really it's only done 300 miles since last October.

Fine red stripe


Non-manky interior


Oh, and here's the old Nova track car that I bought last week. Built in around 2000 it's essentially solid, but is in dire need of a tidy up. Should be good for a laugh round Knockhill, not had it running yet as the pump is suspected as seized but should hopefully get it moving next week.



Faded-to-pink Cobra bucket seats!


Trusty old XE lump. Last time we saw that front panel, it was complete and not linked by a bent bit of screwed rod. Hmmmm.


Been to see the bodyshop of choice about the GTE, so over the next couple of days I shall be removing all the trim and bumpers, and then attacking the rear arch with a sanding pad on a grinder to see what lies beneath.

GTE meets the Vectra (waiting on air con pipe) and Cavalier (waiting on me re-attaching 1/2 the front valance) last time it will run on the road for a bit.


Crusty nearside wing. A very easy fix.


Rear arch, the original rotten one is still hiding underneath... somewhere. Could arguably filler it and paint it, but this car has survived 23 years and deserves better.


Tomorrow I will be removing the C20XE engine from this early Mk4 Astra GSi. It belongs to car photographer Steve McCann and his mate Scott. It's been out at Knockhill quite a lot, but is in need of more power.


This is getting fitted in its place, a B204 from a Saab 9-3. Not done anything Saab before so looking forward to doing something a bit different.
 
#21 ·
Well the week has flown in, can't believe it's Friday already!

First up, the old XE was removed from the Astra on Saturday, and I then mated the original gearbox to the Saab engine. Saab-conversion expert Stevie Thomson offered to help out on the Sunday, so we set about getting the lot fitted. If the engine and mount had come from a Saab 9-5, this would have been easy. But it was from a 9-3 and as a result the mount didn't fit. The chassis rail had to be cut out and boxed in to move the engine over to the driver's side enough. The mount for the XE was home-made so we modified that and re-used it.

Mr T doing a spot of engine mount welding. That was the extent of the progress that day - it took a while.


We returned to the car on Tuesday evening, Stevie was there again along with the car's co-owners Steve and Scott.
After some mild-to-moderate pry-barring and hammering the engine and box were mounted in place. We plugged the driveshafts in and fitted the subframe and called it a night.


I spent a short while on the car the next day, bolting the droplinks and so on back together so it was ready to roll off the ramp. I also lined up the rad, oil cooler and intercooler to see how they looked. The ECU should now be with Nige-P who will do the necessary and post it back up. Stevie will wire it up over the weekend and then it's on with plumbing all the bits and pieces in like water pipes and fuel lines.

Rads etc lined up to see how things look.


Here's a word of warning - Stevie mentioned that the sumps are bad for sludge and that it would be wise to clean it out. He was right - check the state of this out - it was a proper mess and the gauze was almost completely blocked for the oil feed.


The sump after a good clean out with brake cleaner... much better.


Tomorrow, the Nova heads south! Been a busy week - here's one of the more interesting things I've worked on (working with my mate Brian and his vehicle air con company Freez Breez) - a Bell dumptruck up at Levenseat landfill site. An air con pipe was leaking so that got repaired. Cool place, lots of machinery. Quite muddy though, not to mention smelly.
 
#22 ·
Doug, i have the part number for accumulator bulbs £60 odd quid on ebay BMW use the same part.

Saab sump is shocking, we made aluminium sump mods for a saab tuner so you could unscrew a cap and put your hand in to clean them out, becuase its such a common problem.

GTE looks nice!
 
#26 · (Edited)
Well, the Mk2 Cavalier passed its MoT on Thursday first time, although there was an advisory for a sticking brake caliper (it's been parked up for a couple of weeks) and an oil leak (sump as usual).

Today, I did the rose bushes on the Vectra. Bought the Laser tool to do the job, and all went well no hassle at all.


Four old bushes. Car is now much better to drive, sort of hit a tipping point with the Vectra where it's actually turning into a nice car. Only really got the air con to fix and it's done - project completed.


Next up was the track Nova. Got it running last week with a gallon of fresh fuel, a fuel pump relay, a battery and sorting a broken wire from the coil. No taps or smoke from the engine either! It's missing a few bits which I'm sorting out as I go. Got a front panel to collect from Somerset when I fly down to pick up my Cavalier SRi in a month, and I also received some lights in the post this week via PNG. Fitted them and felt much happier, it looked far too skeletal without lights.

Before - minus lights and on 14 inch steelies.


After - with the 15 inch Sport steels I used to run on my old Belmont SRi. These have Maxxis Z1 tyres on so they'll do nicely for Knockhill in Sept - which is the deadline to get the Saab-powered Astra done too.


Off to do a photoshoot on some STGO Scanias tomorrow, Monday I'm at Dastek with my mate's C20LET Nova to get it set up. Missions for through the week include get the Saab engine running, and strip the bumpers and trim off the GTE 16V to see what bodywork it needs.
 
#27 ·
Jesus, that's a fair old update Dougie.

Nova is fair coming along.
Good news with the mk2 Cav.
What's left to do with the Saab?
Fingers crossed that the GTE 16v doesn't need much bodywork although, 80's Vauxhall, clean behind the scenes, hmmmm :lmao:

Is it just the STGO units you are snapping or will there be some out sized cargo on the back too? I'd be interested in seeing the pics when you are able / allowed to put them up.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top