RE: SOTW: Vauxhall Cavalier Sports Hatch
Discussion
)rs48635 said:
I would have this, gien enough space at home. These were cool, for an affordable car in 1980! (when I was 12)
Bet the velour interior smells like you nan's house when 3 of her mates pop round for countdown. Combination of mints, lipstick and damp curtains.
Thats a "picture" I could do without at this time in the morning thank you!Bet the velour interior smells like you nan's house when 3 of her mates pop round for countdown. Combination of mints, lipstick and damp curtains.
If you want real smell, try my old Volvo stored for 4 years now since, the sunroof leaked--the mould on the leather created a lovely mosaic pattern, wonder if it'll clean off? The seats were lovely before that, electric memory, heatedetc
Aah the memories! My dad had one in '88 for a while - on a 1980 V plate. I REALLY wanted to buy it off him for what was shed money back then really.
I remember the time vividly as I had just passed my test and had a very uncool (at the time) old Datsun 120Y coupe. My imagination ran wild at the thought of smoking around in the Cav. (light metallic blue with blue velour interior), and the imaginary girls that would fall over themselves to go out with me because of it....
Sadly, I couldn't raise the funds and he sold it on. Bugger!
I went on to own a couple of Capris which were total dogs. Awful things!
I remember the time vividly as I had just passed my test and had a very uncool (at the time) old Datsun 120Y coupe. My imagination ran wild at the thought of smoking around in the Cav. (light metallic blue with blue velour interior), and the imaginary girls that would fall over themselves to go out with me because of it....
Sadly, I couldn't raise the funds and he sold it on. Bugger!
I went on to own a couple of Capris which were total dogs. Awful things!
Fantastic shed! I had a yellow 1600l saloon as my daily driver a few years ago,very comfy and decent on fuel bt allways wanted a sportshatch,great looking cars.
The auto would certainly blunt the performance but at £995 in that condition it wouldnt put me off,would have to put some proper Rostyles on it though as they were standard kit on a GLS and they certainly aren't rostyles!
The auto would certainly blunt the performance but at £995 in that condition it wouldnt put me off,would have to put some proper Rostyles on it though as they were standard kit on a GLS and they certainly aren't rostyles!
sideways sid said:
New Road-legal Radical: 21 comments ( approx 1% of PH will have any experience of this - how relevant is it to the other 99%? )
New RWD V8 Kia Concept: 73 comments ( Sounds great ....will we ever see it? Who on here has driven the Kia Elan? )
30-yr old Vuxhall Cavalier shed with 3-speed auto: 131 comments ( Vauxhall version of a fairly popular coupe of the 70s/80s with retro coolness and one-time exposure to a large percentage of the community on here )
Astonishing!
Have we morphed onto the 'Practical Motorist' website by mistake...?
New RWD V8 Kia Concept: 73 comments ( Sounds great ....will we ever see it? Who on here has driven the Kia Elan? )
30-yr old Vuxhall Cavalier shed with 3-speed auto: 131 comments ( Vauxhall version of a fairly popular coupe of the 70s/80s with retro coolness and one-time exposure to a large percentage of the community on here )
Astonishing!
Have we morphed onto the 'Practical Motorist' website by mistake...?
I had one of these - my first car, starting when I was a student. Through a quirk of car insurance, the student insurers, Endsleigh, quoted my about £200 TPF&T to insure a Sports Hatch, versus >£1,000 for a Manta. This was back in 1988. A Capri was difficult to insure full stop.
I paid £900 for a metallic blue car on a T reg, reg'd ten years earlier and 101,000 on the clock. It was supposedly a 1.6 GLS (and badged and registered as such), but under the bonnet was a 2.0 litre lump. Got it from a trader with no history, but it was obvious this has been tweaked with a K&N filter, Kent Cam, and electronic ignition. I assume it was still geared as 1.6 (manual) and under full steam acceleration went like the clappers. The interior was pretty shot with the seams on the velour wearing through. I picked up a blue Manta interior from a scrappy for about £60 and swapped them over.
Like a previous poster, I lost it on a bend one night when doing a treasure hunt. It was December, it was below zero, and there was probably more tread on my foreskin than on the rear 'Nordic' tyres it was wearing. Eventually came to a stop with the car parked on the passenger side (90 degrees to vertical), in a ditch, between two very substantial trees which I had (luckily) missed. I was thankful to be a live. It was tough opening the door upwards because they are bloomin' big doors. The Police arrived (not one but 3 Police cars) and an ambulance, after a passing yuppie with a car phone reported the incident. It was embarrassing and I did get a b
king from one of the plod, through the traffic guys were OK. My mates rolled the car back onto its wheels, and another pulled it out from between the trees (sideways) and out of the ditch into the road with his tooled up Land Rover, where the RAC took over. Both rear tyres had come of their rims, the whole side was decked in and there was battery acid spilling out of the bonnet.
A week later, I had it back on the road and running. Not quite as straight as it used to be, be sufficient to enable me to drive back home between Portsmouth and Manchester. Once I was in work, I got the car sorted out, the bodywork repaired and the side resprayed.
The rear axle ALWAYS whined for the whole time I had it. Eventually sold it in desperation to get rid around 1991 for about £400, so if I had not stuffed it, it would have not really cost me anything more than about £600 to own and run for 3 years.
It was a great car, my first car, and in undamaged form, quite a looker. Happy days.
I paid £900 for a metallic blue car on a T reg, reg'd ten years earlier and 101,000 on the clock. It was supposedly a 1.6 GLS (and badged and registered as such), but under the bonnet was a 2.0 litre lump. Got it from a trader with no history, but it was obvious this has been tweaked with a K&N filter, Kent Cam, and electronic ignition. I assume it was still geared as 1.6 (manual) and under full steam acceleration went like the clappers. The interior was pretty shot with the seams on the velour wearing through. I picked up a blue Manta interior from a scrappy for about £60 and swapped them over.
Like a previous poster, I lost it on a bend one night when doing a treasure hunt. It was December, it was below zero, and there was probably more tread on my foreskin than on the rear 'Nordic' tyres it was wearing. Eventually came to a stop with the car parked on the passenger side (90 degrees to vertical), in a ditch, between two very substantial trees which I had (luckily) missed. I was thankful to be a live. It was tough opening the door upwards because they are bloomin' big doors. The Police arrived (not one but 3 Police cars) and an ambulance, after a passing yuppie with a car phone reported the incident. It was embarrassing and I did get a b
king from one of the plod, through the traffic guys were OK. My mates rolled the car back onto its wheels, and another pulled it out from between the trees (sideways) and out of the ditch into the road with his tooled up Land Rover, where the RAC took over. Both rear tyres had come of their rims, the whole side was decked in and there was battery acid spilling out of the bonnet.A week later, I had it back on the road and running. Not quite as straight as it used to be, be sufficient to enable me to drive back home between Portsmouth and Manchester. Once I was in work, I got the car sorted out, the bodywork repaired and the side resprayed.
The rear axle ALWAYS whined for the whole time I had it. Eventually sold it in desperation to get rid around 1991 for about £400, so if I had not stuffed it, it would have not really cost me anything more than about £600 to own and run for 3 years.
It was a great car, my first car, and in undamaged form, quite a looker. Happy days.
Edited by TUS 373 on Saturday 20th August 13:52
I had a 2 door coupe version as my first car, I think it was a 1.9 though? Did this come before the 2.0? It was a '77 R plate I think finished in '70s Gold. Fond memories, it never gave me any problems and was quite cool at the time.(mid 80s). My mate also had a 2.0 Manta hatch until he trashed it, then a 1.6 Ascona which was a bit of a slug as I remember. Not sure how one would feel now so I would probably not risk it and leave my good memories in tact.
AC Motors said:
I had a 2 door coupe version as my first car, I think it was a 1.9 though? Did this come before the 2.0? It was a '77 R plate I think finished in '70s Gold. Fond memories, it never gave me any problems and was quite cool at the time.(mid 80s). My mate also had a 2.0 Manta hatch until he trashed it, then a 1.6 Ascona which was a bit of a slug as I remember. Not sure how one would feel now so I would probably not risk it and leave my good memories in tact.
Eight valves 110 bhp GTE no power steering felt good back in the day but things have moved on since then BILL PAYER said:
s m said:
8.5 to 60 and 122mph top speed not a bad use of the power though
I know had a brand new GTE coupe in silver as a 22 year old back in 84 was a big step up from what i had before and would still enjoy driving one now im nearly fifty .Great car - even more fun with 50% more poke
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