Cavalier Mk2 Memories
Discussion
I am sure some of you will be of a certain age to have just got your licences when these hit the road in the UK and another thread got me digging out the old rose tinted specs.
So for those that owned or drove them what did you think or was driven in them, what model(s) did you get behind the wheel of, how did it stack up performance wise, did you hate them or love them, etc?
My introduction to the "Cav" was by chance. A mates brother in law had one as a company car - this was 1988 so the Cavs had been out for a couple of years but the 98 version was a facelift and looked all the better for it.
It was badged just "Cavalier GL" and under the bonnet you got a 1.6 motor. This was on an E plate and it was a 4 door with nice deep front bumper apron as standard. I think this vintage was carb fed but the run out models of the Mk2 1.6 may well have got fuel injection. Anyway my mate would often be given the keys to this Cav every other Friday or Saturday night to drop his bro in law off at some drinking hostelry about 8pm and then he would have to pick him up from wherever he was at midnight - 1am. The tank was always brimmed courtesy of the company. So my mate would drop his B-I-L off and we would then just spend the rest of the night aimlessly driving around eating twixes, walkers crisps, mars bars etc and listening to our own Memorex C60 and C90 pre-recorded cassettes on the standard fit radio/cassette player
Highlights of the first evening we had the car would be beating other cars off the lights in this modern quiet rep mobile. I was also allowed to drive it too and we had a right blast. Bear in mind this was 1988 and there was plenty of bangers still on the roads. Once we got to Tamworth and in the lane next to us was a MK5 Cortina 2.3Ghia - the driver of the Ford tried to pounce off the lights but my buddy behind the wheel of the cav just left him for dust. It would easily sit at 110mph on the motorway too. I actually liked the soft velour trim and dash with its large speedo and rev counter and the adjustable steering wheel. We couldnt get over the power of the car for a 1.6 and I think from that first night on I was kind of hooked on Cavaliers. I was coming from a classic mini 850cc banger. A couple of years later my mate bought what would have been an old D reg Cavalier pre-facelift (1986) 5dr hatch but this was the GLi and the "i" was a whole new ballgame. It brought fuel injection and plenty of kudos with our mates.
Power was 112bhp with similar torque from the 1.8 motor. It had the same characteristic as the lesser 1.6 in that from the 4000rpm it really began to pull nice and strong. Lovely engines.
My mate moved on and ended up buying his Cav GLi and the fund continued for about a year. It then went into the garage to have the brakes renewed and unfortunately somebody crashed into it when the mechanic was out on a test drive. Dont feel sorry for me - the insurance company gave me a corking pay out on that car.
I had another mate who started with a B reg (1985) Mk2 1.6L hatch. Seriously lacking on the rev counter front and it was toilet green but he drove that car like Schumy. Everywhere. This was back in the days when it seemed kind of cool/kind of boy racerish to pull out of T junctions with maximum wheelspin. We were young then and full of silly driving habits like that.....anyway I met him a few years later when stuck in traffic - he was stuck going the other way and was in the car opposite me! I recognised the face, bibbed the horn and so guess what was he was driving now? Ha....Another Mk2 Cavalier SRi 130 - think this was on an E reg and it was really smart looking red up top and black. Grey lower bodysides with the skirts and rear spoiler on the hatch. Back then an animal and I think it would still be pretty quick in todays traffic TBH.
Equivalent Ford Sierras stood no chance. The 1.6 Sierra was a waste of time. The 1.8 was rated at 90bhp I think so a closer match to a 1.6 Cav but still a tad slower off the line. Never really raced a 2.0 or the 2.0i Sierra
Cavaliers......yes those the days.
So for those that owned or drove them what did you think or was driven in them, what model(s) did you get behind the wheel of, how did it stack up performance wise, did you hate them or love them, etc?
My introduction to the "Cav" was by chance. A mates brother in law had one as a company car - this was 1988 so the Cavs had been out for a couple of years but the 98 version was a facelift and looked all the better for it.
It was badged just "Cavalier GL" and under the bonnet you got a 1.6 motor. This was on an E plate and it was a 4 door with nice deep front bumper apron as standard. I think this vintage was carb fed but the run out models of the Mk2 1.6 may well have got fuel injection. Anyway my mate would often be given the keys to this Cav every other Friday or Saturday night to drop his bro in law off at some drinking hostelry about 8pm and then he would have to pick him up from wherever he was at midnight - 1am. The tank was always brimmed courtesy of the company. So my mate would drop his B-I-L off and we would then just spend the rest of the night aimlessly driving around eating twixes, walkers crisps, mars bars etc and listening to our own Memorex C60 and C90 pre-recorded cassettes on the standard fit radio/cassette player
Highlights of the first evening we had the car would be beating other cars off the lights in this modern quiet rep mobile. I was also allowed to drive it too and we had a right blast. Bear in mind this was 1988 and there was plenty of bangers still on the roads. Once we got to Tamworth and in the lane next to us was a MK5 Cortina 2.3Ghia - the driver of the Ford tried to pounce off the lights but my buddy behind the wheel of the cav just left him for dust. It would easily sit at 110mph on the motorway too. I actually liked the soft velour trim and dash with its large speedo and rev counter and the adjustable steering wheel. We couldnt get over the power of the car for a 1.6 and I think from that first night on I was kind of hooked on Cavaliers. I was coming from a classic mini 850cc banger. A couple of years later my mate bought what would have been an old D reg Cavalier pre-facelift (1986) 5dr hatch but this was the GLi and the "i" was a whole new ballgame. It brought fuel injection and plenty of kudos with our mates.
Power was 112bhp with similar torque from the 1.8 motor. It had the same characteristic as the lesser 1.6 in that from the 4000rpm it really began to pull nice and strong. Lovely engines.
My mate moved on and ended up buying his Cav GLi and the fund continued for about a year. It then went into the garage to have the brakes renewed and unfortunately somebody crashed into it when the mechanic was out on a test drive. Dont feel sorry for me - the insurance company gave me a corking pay out on that car.
I had another mate who started with a B reg (1985) Mk2 1.6L hatch. Seriously lacking on the rev counter front and it was toilet green but he drove that car like Schumy. Everywhere. This was back in the days when it seemed kind of cool/kind of boy racerish to pull out of T junctions with maximum wheelspin. We were young then and full of silly driving habits like that.....anyway I met him a few years later when stuck in traffic - he was stuck going the other way and was in the car opposite me! I recognised the face, bibbed the horn and so guess what was he was driving now? Ha....Another Mk2 Cavalier SRi 130 - think this was on an E reg and it was really smart looking red up top and black. Grey lower bodysides with the skirts and rear spoiler on the hatch. Back then an animal and I think it would still be pretty quick in todays traffic TBH.
Equivalent Ford Sierras stood no chance. The 1.6 Sierra was a waste of time. The 1.8 was rated at 90bhp I think so a closer match to a 1.6 Cav but still a tad slower off the line. Never really raced a 2.0 or the 2.0i Sierra
Cavaliers......yes those the days.
My dad had Mk2 1.6L Hatchback. It was a good car and I learnt to drive in it. However he'd downgraded to a Nova 1.2 by the time I passed my test.
I still look to see if there any decent Mk2s for sale from time to time.
When I was younger a couple of mates had Mk2 1.8 SRIs and another's dad had a 1.8 CDi. They had the legs of my 2.0 Sierra.
I still look to see if there any decent Mk2s for sale from time to time.
When I was younger a couple of mates had Mk2 1.8 SRIs and another's dad had a 1.8 CDi. They had the legs of my 2.0 Sierra.
My dad had an SRi which I kind of bent when the olds were away on thier hols, had to look at the banana shaped cav for 2 weeks dreading the day they got back 
Worst of all they came back a day early while I was at the pub & found it on the drive only for me to stagger back a few hours later. Very frosty evening.
Like this one only metalic green
Worst of all they came back a day early while I was at the pub & found it on the drive only for me to stagger back a few hours later. Very frosty evening.Like this one only metalic green
My dad owned two, i was very young but i remember them being alright cars. One of them was later owned by my grandparents...we did loads of road trips in both cav's and a few camping holidays...used to borrow a tent fof my uncle which you built up around the car, then detacted the centre plate from the car roof and drove out or something like that
A mates Dad had a 1987 Met Grey SRI in the early 90's, it was like this:
I thought it was the dogs Danglies and it seemed super fast when he'd drop us off at football once a week going via a twisty route over the mountain and open the taps.
Scared the s**t out of me but I couldn't wait for football every week!
I thought it was the dogs Danglies and it seemed super fast when he'd drop us off at football once a week going via a twisty route over the mountain and open the taps.
Scared the s**t out of me but I couldn't wait for football every week!
I posted in the 'best cars you've driven' thread about one of these. Of all the cars I have owned I have very fond memories of my 'A' reg Cavalier 1.6 GLS. Brown dash, metallic green on the outside and green velour on the inside. £400 from a auction in about 1992/3. Did over 40k miles and it only ever broke once (distributor). I loved it. It felt fast, the dash was driver focused, it even handled well. I know it's like re-writing history but I gelled with that car like few others since.
I can remember a whole group of us went for a weekend trip from Birmingham to Cockermouth and we blasted around the roads rather unsociably and possibly dangerously way back then. My mate had a new 16v Escort and the Cavalier was easily a match for it.
Happy days indeed and that's part of the memory. I have had a 530i, Alfas, a Z3, an Impreza and many more but the Cavalier keeps coming back to me as a great car.
I can remember a whole group of us went for a weekend trip from Birmingham to Cockermouth and we blasted around the roads rather unsociably and possibly dangerously way back then. My mate had a new 16v Escort and the Cavalier was easily a match for it.
Happy days indeed and that's part of the memory. I have had a 530i, Alfas, a Z3, an Impreza and many more but the Cavalier keeps coming back to me as a great car.
I've had 2 - Mk2 and a Mk3.
The Mk2 was an 87 E 2.0 GLSi with the lovely fuel injected 115bhp 8v motor. This'd be 1993. I loved that car - it was grunty and economical and had the best most versatile 3rd gear of any car I've had since. Gls gave all the toys and it had the much prized PAS too which was quite a rare thing. The only thing missing was that some scrote had nicked the headlamp wipers and they proved impossible to find in scrappies.
Twas my first fuel injected engine and frankly it was a revelation - from first start you couldnt tell that the engine was cold - just idled, ran and pulled efortlessly - no juggling a choke.
The only duel I got into with was an Audi 80 (the ones shaped like a shrunken 100e) I showed him a pair of heels and its very possible that 125 was indicated on the dial allegedly.
Replaced that with a Sierra 2.0i DOHC GLS in Sapphire shape - Engine was much more vocal and gruff in the Sierra. Performance wise, overall the Cav might just've been a tad quicker at bigger speeds because it had much taller gearing, the Sierra was quite low geared in the gears so it felt eagerish but seemed to run out of puff whereas the Cav would keep pulling and pulling to silly speeds. The Cav 2.0i was far more economical too.
The Sierras steering was better - probably to do with being RWD - more direct and less stodgy (vauxhalls chassis were very safe and uninspiring) and The Fords ride was more composed. I suppose overall the Sierras chassis was better.
I think the two cars had quite different characters - I dont think one was particularly better overall just different depending on what you liked.
I prefered the Cavalier - it just seemed so unburstable.
Had the MK3 Cavalier - to be honest it was just like the MK2 but with nobs on. More aerodynamic so more economical and quieter on the motorway but still had the stodgy handling and vague steering.
Both Cavs certainly in 2.0i guise with the (for the day) stupendous 5th gear were excellent motorway blasters. You could (where conditions allowed) quite easily cruise in 5th at three figure speeds all day - no joke, which really was a revelation - try doing that in a Cortina 2.0 which would have only been a few years older.
The Mk2 was an 87 E 2.0 GLSi with the lovely fuel injected 115bhp 8v motor. This'd be 1993. I loved that car - it was grunty and economical and had the best most versatile 3rd gear of any car I've had since. Gls gave all the toys and it had the much prized PAS too which was quite a rare thing. The only thing missing was that some scrote had nicked the headlamp wipers and they proved impossible to find in scrappies.
Twas my first fuel injected engine and frankly it was a revelation - from first start you couldnt tell that the engine was cold - just idled, ran and pulled efortlessly - no juggling a choke.
The only duel I got into with was an Audi 80 (the ones shaped like a shrunken 100e) I showed him a pair of heels and its very possible that 125 was indicated on the dial allegedly.
Replaced that with a Sierra 2.0i DOHC GLS in Sapphire shape - Engine was much more vocal and gruff in the Sierra. Performance wise, overall the Cav might just've been a tad quicker at bigger speeds because it had much taller gearing, the Sierra was quite low geared in the gears so it felt eagerish but seemed to run out of puff whereas the Cav would keep pulling and pulling to silly speeds. The Cav 2.0i was far more economical too.
The Sierras steering was better - probably to do with being RWD - more direct and less stodgy (vauxhalls chassis were very safe and uninspiring) and The Fords ride was more composed. I suppose overall the Sierras chassis was better.
I think the two cars had quite different characters - I dont think one was particularly better overall just different depending on what you liked.
I prefered the Cavalier - it just seemed so unburstable.
Had the MK3 Cavalier - to be honest it was just like the MK2 but with nobs on. More aerodynamic so more economical and quieter on the motorway but still had the stodgy handling and vague steering.
Both Cavs certainly in 2.0i guise with the (for the day) stupendous 5th gear were excellent motorway blasters. You could (where conditions allowed) quite easily cruise in 5th at three figure speeds all day - no joke, which really was a revelation - try doing that in a Cortina 2.0 which would have only been a few years older.
scrwright said:
My dad had an SRi which I kind of bent when the olds were away on thier hols, had to look at the banana shaped cav for 2 weeks dreading the day they got back Worst of all they came back a day early while I was at the pub & found it on the drive only for me to stagger back a few hours later. Very frosty evening.
Like this one only metalic green
That gold hatch next to the black sallon was mine until it was stolen and destroyed last year Worst of all they came back a day early while I was at the pub & found it on the drive only for me to stagger back a few hours later. Very frosty evening.Like this one only metalic green
Would like another at some point
Hmm, just remembered having a drive in a Peugeot 405 1.9 SRi round about the time I had my Mk2 2.0i.
Recalled that the performance of the Pug was similar overall to the Cav but when I hit the first roundabout the Pug 405 just sailed round it like it wasnt there. I couldnt believe the quality of the Peugeot chassis over the Cavaliers - streets ahead. I'm am a very average driver so I was astonished that there was such a marked differnce in how one car handled to another.
Also drove a Fiat Croma Turbo around the same time - just a short but very memorable trip. Only 155bhp but by goodness - it was like wild horses.
Recalled that the performance of the Pug was similar overall to the Cav but when I hit the first roundabout the Pug 405 just sailed round it like it wasnt there. I couldnt believe the quality of the Peugeot chassis over the Cavaliers - streets ahead. I'm am a very average driver so I was astonished that there was such a marked differnce in how one car handled to another.
Also drove a Fiat Croma Turbo around the same time - just a short but very memorable trip. Only 155bhp but by goodness - it was like wild horses.
I bought a silver/anthracite 1.8 SRi Hatch on an A plate when it was 22 months old - I enjoyed it at the time and made my mate with the 1.3L company car a little jealous but realise now that it really wasn't that special - the Rover 213 I had as a company car at the time just made ANYTHING feel great, including his 1.3L!
The engines were great but I always found them to be scrabbly and darty, the SRi was better than the GLi in that respect but not by that much.
Most Sierras were right dollops, 2.0 injection and above were quick-ish, I remember drivign a 2,0 injection back to back with a 2.8 and the 2.8 didnt seem night and day quicker.
The Montego deserves a mention, in 120 bhp MG form it was fairly quick, even the 1.6 managed 0-60 in 10 and I thought was probably the best handler, out of the box, the MG Maestro was quite handy as well, despite the image.
I remember doing racing starts in my bosses brick red 2.0 GLi Cavalier with another young colleague on the way to drop the post off, had to drive with the windows open to disperse the smell, was pretty quick for the time, I had a Manta GTE not long after and that wasnt as quick, why they put the 1.8 OHC engine in the lower end GT/J and then left the GT/E with the old Bedford Van Iron block I will never know, a Mata GT/E with the 2.0 130 bhp would have been much better, never mind the 16 valve Astra engine.
Most Sierras were right dollops, 2.0 injection and above were quick-ish, I remember drivign a 2,0 injection back to back with a 2.8 and the 2.8 didnt seem night and day quicker.
The Montego deserves a mention, in 120 bhp MG form it was fairly quick, even the 1.6 managed 0-60 in 10 and I thought was probably the best handler, out of the box, the MG Maestro was quite handy as well, despite the image.
I remember doing racing starts in my bosses brick red 2.0 GLi Cavalier with another young colleague on the way to drop the post off, had to drive with the windows open to disperse the smell, was pretty quick for the time, I had a Manta GTE not long after and that wasnt as quick, why they put the 1.8 OHC engine in the lower end GT/J and then left the GT/E with the old Bedford Van Iron block I will never know, a Mata GT/E with the 2.0 130 bhp would have been much better, never mind the 16 valve Astra engine.
The SRi was all about the engine. I had a C plate saloon in black. It didn't handle very well, ride very well or steer very nicely. It did however go like the clappers. It was such a smooth, free-revving engine, and was streets ahead of the breathless crap Ford and others were using at the time. I remember it felt properly lively even when being driven sensibly with a lovely eager throttle response.
It red-lined at 6700 RPM, which is high for a 2 valve engine of the era, and had a noticeable step up in delivery as it came on cam around 4000 RPM. Gear ratios were very close and suited the character of the engine very well.
The only grief I ever had with it mechanically was a blown fuel pump relay (common), and for some reason it used to munch through HT leads. Never did get to the bottom of that.
It red-lined at 6700 RPM, which is high for a 2 valve engine of the era, and had a noticeable step up in delivery as it came on cam around 4000 RPM. Gear ratios were very close and suited the character of the engine very well.
The only grief I ever had with it mechanically was a blown fuel pump relay (common), and for some reason it used to munch through HT leads. Never did get to the bottom of that.
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