Tuesday 27th October 2015

Vauxhall Cavalier SRI: Spotted

A 26 year-old Vauxhall saloon for £5K? Yes it is worth it, says a very nostalgic Matt

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The Vauxhall Cavalier SRI Mk3 is a hugely significant car. Probably not for Vauxhall and definitely not in sports saloon history but for your humble correspondent. Because the car you see here, albeit in grey, was the first car I can remember my dad owning. There was an Orion around in my very early years but that doesn't register. The H-reg Cav most certainly does.

130hp and 28mpg...

Like most young lads, the old man is largely responsible for my obsession with damn near everything on four wheels. He bought me models, flicked through magazines with me and, when mum wasn't in the car, drove a little faster than he probably should have. In a Vauxhall Cavalier, with the turbine wheels, a red pinstripe and 'SRI' badges. If I was really lucky I was allowed to wind back the sunroof. When you're five years old this stuff is really important.

To this day I've never helped clean a car with so much effort because it was my dad's car and the only thing cooler than him at the time was his car. He still maintains he did 130 in it once and I remain adamant he didn't.

Enough reminiscing, because Lord knows I would do it all day on this old Vauxhall. Have I told you about the model on my desk? The car in question is a 1989 model, one year older than dad's and presumably in far nicer condition than his would be now. It probably looks better than his did in 1996 to be honest. With just 40,000 miles and four owners it must be about the best Cavalier SRI around. I appreciate that really isn't saying a lot. According to howmanyleft there are only 173 SRIs remaining, which would explain why they come up for sale so seldom.

That's one stylish griffin

To the price then. It's five thousand pounds. For a fast Cavalier that isn't even a GSI that looks a lot. From an objective point of view at least. There must be more important classic Vauxhalls and most definitely better old sports saloons for the money. But if it could ever be justified, I'd have this 26 year-old Cavalier off the dealer like a shot - hopefully for a bit less than £5K - just for the nostalgia appeal. People have spent a lot more indulging that before, surely?

Finally, if anyone has any experience of these old Cavaliers, I would love to know. At five you're not especially tuned into the subtleties of dynamic behaviour...

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VAUXHALL CAVALIER SRI
Engine: 1,998cc, 8v inline-four 
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive 
Power (hp): 130@5,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 133@4,600rpm
MPG: 28
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1989
Recorded mileage: 44,936
Price new: £N/A
Yours for: £5,000

See original ad here.

[Sources: Flickr, howmanyleft]

[Monty Python]

Had a red '89 saloon for a few years - the only things that I remember were the seats (which were incredibly comfortable) and the rust that eat it's way through the front wheel arches. Can't have been that bad as I replaced it wit a '95 SRi 16V.

[geeks]

I had a 16v SRi hatch (the EcoTech version sadly) but I loved it, comfy, plenty of torque, fun handling for what it was, one does miss it!

[Adrian E]

If it's as solid as the mileage and photos/history suggest then it's definitely worth a 4 figure sum - not sure that 4 figure sum should start with a 5, but if you really wanted one you're going to struggle to find another that hasn't been eaten by the tin worm/crashed/painted/abused so the price will entirely depend on the desirability to that one person that wants it.

I have a time warp 1988 Citroen BX 16V squirreled away - not quite as tidy/low miles as this, but probably one of the best left. Even with optimistic pricing I doubt it's worth more than £3k.

[MrTree]

Cavaliers! My dad owned 6 in a row as i was growing up he loved them cheap and cheerful he described them, i remember his first one was a C reg mk2 and the ignition barrel broke so he manafactured an electric start button for it was pretty cool as a young kid.

following that he had a 89 F 1.8l saloon was horrible very basic, then it was a 93 L 2.0 CDI with velor seats it was extremly comfortable and i do remember he hit 120mph in thtat on the way to alnwick castle, then my fave being a white 94 L SRI with leather from the turbo and it felt a dam site quicker than the others! he still has the similair bug as he went on to the vectra b SRI and now has a vectra C GSI.

There is also a Red Cavvy SRI mk2 saloon with the Caliber kit on it that has been aroung for as long as i remember.

looks like this-

http://www.ascona-info.de/Irmscher_Sprint-Dateien/...

i live in barcelona now and they are quite a common sight here (although badged as a Vectra Gt) there is a nice one on my street in white with a wood rimmed steering wheel.

Edited by MrTree on Tuesday 27th October 11:54

[ChrisDT]

Brilliant cars, loved all mine (SRi, GSI, Turbo) and even started the website/fanclub CavalierCrazy.co.uk back in the day (which is still going now).
I do keep gazing the classifieds for a GSi, but haven't see the one I want yet. Regretted selling my Satin Red one (H101 TKU) for £900 to a guy in Ireland, that car was brilliant!

[Cupramax]

Had a couple of these as company wagons back in the early nineties, an H reg one and a facelift M plate. Good cars in their day, but £5k? Even with 44k miles, is nuts, these are not classics by any strech.

[BigMacDaddy]

A Mk2 SRi130 might be worth that kind of money to the right buyer, but who in their right mind would pay anything near £5k for this (albeit in very good condition I grant you)?

I'm not sure these are quite that far down the "classic status" road just yet.

[Gurbinder]

I have seen this car it's in good condition, but for that money I would want it be in brand new condition.

[Kitchski]

Always liked those. Not many Vauxhalls I can say that about!

[Drive Blind]

one of my earliest petrol head memories was in one of these.

A friend of my dads got one brand new as a company car on an F plate. I'd never been in a new car, or a sporty car or really anything other than old fords with a crappy 1.1 - 1.3l engine.

We went for a run and he opened it up on the local bypass. It felt like a rocketship.

[Glosphil]

The car in the article has steel wheels with wheel trims? On a 'G'-reg 2-litre 130hp SRi?

I had one of the first of the original 1.8 115hp Cavalier SRi in metallic red. This was followed by a 1986 Sierra XR4x4 (first car I had with ABS) and then it was back to a black 2.0 130hp SRi. This was followed by a similar car but in a slightly greenish gold colour (not my choice!). Finally a black GSI.

I remember my 1.8 SRi as being very low geared. Between ordering the car and it being delivered Vauxhall changed the spec and lowered the gearing - effectively threw away 5th and put 5 gears in the range of the previous first 4 gears. It was delivered by the dealer with over 45psi pressure in all 4 tyres! An apprentice read 3.2 bar as 32psi.

Edited by Glosphil on Tuesday 27th October 12:15

[anonymous-user]

My old man had two Cavaliers in succession, but unlike the authors dad he was not a motoring enthusiastic so they were base models with the smallest engine. K reg 1.6 L in povo White but I thought it was awesome. It took years for me to cotton on to the fact that Cavaliers weren't great at all

[Cupramax]

dme123 said:

My old man had two Cavaliers in succession, but unlike the authors dad he was not a motoring enthusiastic so they were base models with the smallest engine. K reg 1.6 L in povo White but I thought it was awesome.

They came as a mega poverty 1.4 base model so he was one step up.

[VX BlackRat]

Had 3 Cav SRi's with 3 different engines,

1. Pre-cat 8v 20SEH was a cracking engine (same as in the ad)
2. A 16v redtop C20XE, legend - but head went porous @120k
3. Ecotec 16v X20XEV, actually felt slower than the older less powerfull 8v (136ps vs 130ps)

[Gez79]

For 5k I would at least want the rear lights to match. The offside one is a smoked one from the GSI 2000.

I owned a 1990 1.4 with no power steering for a few months after writing off my own car. The steering was horrendously heavy and the self centering was savage but I do remember it being quicker than I expected plus it only cost me 200 pounds! Not bad for a 1 owner car!

My brother had it off me in the end whilst he was a student and sold it for more than I paid for it.

[Pablo16v]

This was my SRi (not this exact car but the same colour scheme).

[BL Fanboy]

I normally take "claimed" speeds with a pinch of salt - especially from everyday run-of-the-mill cars.

I remember way back in the early 90's these were the company car of choice where I worked in 2.0 litre flavour, either Li,GLi or SRi CDi.

It was common for folk to come back in to the office with regular claims of 130mph from the Li,Gli,CDi's and just a touch more from the SRis whilst on the M62. I believe them - they were credible no nonsense people.

I never suited the SRi recaro - I kind of sat on the seat base bolsters and had my kidneys massaged by the chair back bolsters.

I prefered the 115bhp versions simply because they didnt feel much slower really and they had epic 3rd gears (100 mph) and a stratospheric 5th gear. If you were juvenile enough, you could match other ostensibly higher powered stuff simply because third gear didnt give up until 3 figures.

[MrTree]

Gez79 said:

For 5k I would at least want the rear lights to match. The offside one is a smoked one from the GSI 2000.

I owned a 1990 1.4 with no power steering for a few months after writing off my own car. The steering was horrendously heavy and the self centering was savage but I do remember it being quicker than I expected plus it only cost me 200 pounds! Not bad for a 1 owner car!

My brother had it off me in the end whilst he was a student and sold it for more than I paid for it.

I was just about to comment on the right hand GSI rear light not a good look when trying to sell a car in original condition that may suggest some rear end damage at some point or just a cracked light but im sure a GSI rear cluster would be harder to find than an original one!

[anonymous-user]

BL Fanboy said:

I normally take "claimed" speeds with a pinch of salt - especially from everyday run-of-the-mill cars.

I remember way back in the early 90's these were the company car of choice where I worked in 2.0 litre flavour, either Li,GLi or SRi CDi.

It was common for folk to come back in to the office with regular claims of 130mph from the Li,Gli,CDi's and just a touch more from the SRis whilst on the M62. I believe them - they were credible no nonsense people.

I never suited the SRi recaro - I kind of sat on the seat base bolsters and had my kidneys massaged by the chair back bolsters.

I prefered the 115bhp versions simply because they didnt feel much slower really and they had epic 3rd gears (100 mph) and a stratospheric 5th gear. If you were juvenile enough, you could match other ostensibly higher powered stuff simply because third gear didnt give up until 3 figures.

The speedos on 90s Vauxhalls were MILES out. My mate saw an indicated 125MPH on a big (private) motorway hill from his K plate Astra 1.4 at one point and I'd be amazed if it was even a genuine 110MPH.

[LewisR]

I wonder how much the seller of this vehicle paid for it !

I can't even muster a vague bit of enthusiasm for the V6 Cavalier Mk3 let alone this! It's still too new to be of much historical interest.