chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
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Well i picked up a 1991 Cavalier GSi today in exchange for my Corsa. It does need some work but i have wanted one for ages and I need it to start moving stuff and people about more easily tbh. Although the engine is in reasonable nick, its other things that need my attention.
Both rear arches are gonna need doing, and probably the inners too as they have started to go. There are various areas both on and under that will need something putting into them. This is the main thing to be honest. i dont want it going to the car park in the sky because i havent gotten them sorted, so they may get fixed first. Im going to get the GM panels (looking to cost about £300odd) as i dont want crap panels that are made from old coke cans, and get the rest of the car done whilst im there, may as well get it done proper whilst im at it. Drivers door has been replaced too and has got a manual window, plus the electrics on rear doors arent working. But that could be an easy fix.
I also need to sort the exhaust, as the joints on the cat section need doing. i think i may get a decat for it though, as its '91' and so will be okay in an MOT for emissions without one.
There is a pretty bad streering wheel wobble bang on motorway speed, and so i will have to get the wheel weights checked, and the tracking will need sorting too. ABS light is on and so i will go round all the sensors and clean the contacts or replace what is neccessary.
And because its on springs, it desperately needs a set of dampers, so some bilsteins are on the cards. Another set of wheels are also going on it too at some point as one has taken a hit and may well be buckled anyways.
Basicly, i just need to go over it and maybe spend £2kish to get it bang on. Once the bodywork is sorted though, the rest can come as and when.
All in all, yea it needs money spent in various places, but i knew that when i was looking around it...and its something new to sink my teeth into when i feel like it, without making me always want to be improving or spending on things that arent really needed. Everything that i am going to buy...it NEEDS, and after that, i will stop and just enjoy it.
So...expect some updates (and photos) in the near future.
[Edited on 07-02-2010 by chrex]
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Tedney
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Registered: 16th May 08
Location: North Yorkshire
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Glad you have got it mate. Always wanted it to go to a good home when my mate sold it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did as its such a nice car. Looking forward to reading this as and when things happen. Good luck.
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chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
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its a nice car but it does need work!
there are quite a few underlying problems that would have condemned it had it gone to someone who didnt want to put the effort into it...
It may need a new clutch, as the one that is on it is juddering, and although it has alledgedly had one, i think that it was either put on wrong, or they have replaced the fricton plate but not the release bearing, so its not freeing properly. Just things that are ok now, but are only going to get worse.
I will get em sorted though...it gives me something to aim for and means im not entirely bored. Im quite happy to have them all fixed, as then i KNOW they are done 
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Adam-D
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Registered: 11th May 02
Location: Cheshire
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chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
User status: Offline
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thanks ad, yea thats it. found today there is a slow puncture on the front left tyre too, wondered why it looked a little flat when i got bk y'day. so that will be sorted this week i hope.
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Kevxx
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Registered: 14th May 08
Location: Forfar, Angus
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 can't wait to see it rolling yo!
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evans_corsab
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Registered: 23rd Sep 08
Location: Cheshire.
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seen this when i was round with tom the other day going to be a mint cav when its had the little problems sorted out 
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chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
User status: Offline
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Another update on another problem found. although it looks okay underneath from what i can see, i went under it for the first time today (although it was still on the floor) to have a decent look as the floor was dry - first dry day in 2 weeks. On the drivers side, there is a steel box-section outrigger that supports the floor and jacking point. Well, over the years of being jacked up (and possibly having been jacked by the floor at some point), a rather large crack has formed where the original joint beween this section and the floorpan meet. It has split all the way from one end of the box to the other, and then followed parallel to the sill (about 6inches long-ish) although still in the floor metal. Looks bad, but have had it checked and isnt majorly structural...and will be fixed with some double plating and reinforcement of the area. Should be stronger than before
Am going down to get it up on some ramps on friday and have a good look underneath, and i will get photos and a full idea of what needs doing then. Also need to change the oil as its got full synthetic 0W40 in it atm!  So need to get that out asap and get some GM 10W40 in there and give it 2 changes in 1k to get rid of all the full syth, and flush the cooler too.
Sorry theres no pics yet guys, i wont get them till i can get decent ones...but they are coming.
[Edited on 11-11-2009 by chrex]
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swill_omnibus
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Registered: 12th Dec 07
Location: : S. wales Drives: Dodge Caliber
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Hope you get it sorted soon fella, always loved the cavaliers hope it turns out well for you
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ShEp
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Registered: 9th Aug 05
Location: Dingwall, Highland
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Nice as it looks I hope you didnt swap that for the corsa?
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am4nf
Member
Registered: 27th Jul 08
Location: South Ayrshire Drives: Corsa Sport
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Hopefully there was cash yor way
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chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
User status: Offline
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straight swap. i dont wanna hear that though. i know the corsa cost me a fortune, but this is what i wanted, and thats why i did it...
just got to enjoy this now, look after it and restore it to what it can be!
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Tedney
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Registered: 16th May 08
Location: North Yorkshire
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Did you know your old Gsi is up for sale already mate?
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Kano
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Registered: 29th Aug 04
Location: Fife
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quote:
Originally posted by ShEp
Nice as it looks I hope you didnt swap that for the corsa?
Agreed.. Tatty GSi's are £500 worth at the most.
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am4nf
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Registered: 27th Jul 08
Location: South Ayrshire Drives: Corsa Sport
User status: Offline
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Corsa's worth at least 2k, as kano said gsi 500 odd
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dan-sport
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Registered: 9th Oct 07
Location: Bushbury, West Midlands
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at the end of the day he's happy with the swop and its what he wanted
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corsagsigav
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Registered: 28th Jan 08
Location: Retford, Nottinghamshire
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need more pics up
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Corsa_Sport21
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Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
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So its not as clean and solid underneath as described??
Didnt Tedney(the guys friend) post in your original thread saying it was solid etc??
It was up for strong money and youve swapped a decent £2k car for it,id have expected it to be mint.
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chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Tedney
Did you know your old Gsi is up for sale already mate?
i didnt but it doesnt suprise me.
pics are coming up tonight. i've just done an oil change on it and am gonna get some pics soon enough.
i have wanted one for a good 18months - 2 years now. I love them, andno matter what, i will fix it and make it spotless.
i went and got it ramped up at the place that does all my welding, and it needs two sills, a plate where there is a crack under the drivers floor, and reinforcement on the other side so it dont happen again. Thats it. It needs arches too, but thats the shell. underneath, there are no other worries, it just needs wiring back and waxoyling.
The clutch is also pissing me off, so i may get that checked and poss replaced with a decent one too.
It will be sorted!
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dan-sport
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Registered: 9th Oct 07
Location: Bushbury, West Midlands
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sounds like some alright news that it just needs general body work doing, can't wait for some better pictures of it, i love mk3 cavs. If i had a gsi i would have to convert it to 5 stud and put turbo wheels on and look into finding a recon 4wd system
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chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
User status: Offline
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i have thought about makin it 5 stud, because i can see me putting a LET in it in a couple of years tbh.
But i will have to do that before i order my wheels, or order 5 stud wheels - then i HAVE to do it.
I will have to get photos tomorrow, as when i posted earlier it started absolutely tipping it down, and hasnt stopped since...so im sorry, but no decent photos yet.
Oil has quietened it down a bit, but i am defo gonna have to get the clutch replaced, as that is really pissing me off!
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dan-sport
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Registered: 9th Oct 07
Location: Bushbury, West Midlands
User status: Offline
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ye haha buying 5 stud wheels is the best way to make sure you do it, you tempted by 4wd yet? i think they handle loads better with it and it doesn't weigh it down as much as people say
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chrex
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Registered: 26th Aug 07
Location: Brawdy/Wirral
User status: Offline
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yea if the let goes in it will get 4wd, but i know ther is alot of power loss through the 4wd system running the XE.
only worth doing on the turbo tbh, handles better than expected already on 60mm springs, crap tyres and battered sills. so when theres some strength in there, and a decent set of lightweight wheels, decent tyres and a set of bilsteins...plus the polybushes im gonna have to put on - standard bushes are well on their way as well.
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ShEp
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Registered: 9th Aug 05
Location: Dingwall, Highland
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I don't doubt you'll get it right mate.
But you really shouldn't of swapped, you could of bought one in better nick and had cash left over to work on it.
As long as your happy though.
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Corsa_Sport21
Member
Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
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If your thinking about 4x4ing it dont bother.
Sell it now and buy a Cav turbo,save yourself a lot of hassle and money.
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