Vauxhall Cavalier Turbo - Who Remembers?
Discussion
Also insanely expensive to replace once said owners had destroyed them back in the early days. I remember one Calibra Turbo owner getting very little change from £5,500 back in 98/99. Like all flawed concepts, people soon figured out how to get round the issues... only problem it took years. Dorfbrunnen make / made stronger boxes and then VTS devolped a 'locked box' which did exactly that, locked it 50/50 and did away with the variable torque splitting gubbings and made them much more reliable. If VTS are to be believed, mine got the first box in the UK back in 2002/03 (I think)and ever since it's been shown no mercy. It'll be getting refitted as it is when the time comes best thing I ever did for mine. Granted, still cost £1200 and these days, it's a £100 for a set laser cut set of gears and a few hours swearing on the driveway to fit the locking kit. But I'm not bitter...
Edit: I was going to agree but thinking about it I don't remember many problems with the coupling in outright failure but I do remember seeing lots of clutch packs fail, that eventually blew the seal on the high pressure side and deposited all the fluid on the floor, thats the first thing most people knew when they failed.
Sometimes the clutch material came off the plates and that didn't help the coupling and the fluid was less squishy with crap floating around in it. I can remember draining some boxes and finding bits in it, box was on borrowed time by that point because the clutch plates couldn't grip each other enough.
Either way the slipping clutch pack meant plenty of heat which wasn't a good thing. If I remember rightly the 4x4 warning light used to come on at 200 degrees ? and the box would be disabled until the next ignition cycle.
Sometimes the clutch material came off the plates and that didn't help the coupling and the fluid was less squishy with crap floating around in it. I can remember draining some boxes and finding bits in it, box was on borrowed time by that point because the clutch plates couldn't grip each other enough.
Either way the slipping clutch pack meant plenty of heat which wasn't a good thing. If I remember rightly the 4x4 warning light used to come on at 200 degrees ? and the box would be disabled until the next ignition cycle.
Edited by Crafty_ on Thursday 23 January 21:11
Does anybody remember the police unmarked / undercover documentary in th 90's where they were following plain clothed coppers clamping down on car crime, they had one of these and a cosworth and a few other quick things?
I was addicted, I had a 1.6 L cavalier and would have given both my balls for the cavalier turbo at the time!
I was addicted, I had a 1.6 L cavalier and would have given both my balls for the cavalier turbo at the time!
I never understood the complexity of the system... for instance disconnecting the drive to the rear wheels under braking. Probaly a very good reason for this but hmmmm! I drove mine in every possible condition with a standard GM system and it drove like a FWD car 99% of the time. With a locked box, it transformed the car... granted it won't do heroic spec drifts or WRC donuts, but there is infinitely more push from behind and the car is far far more predictable on the limit. Still suffers handfulls of understeer and provokinga 4-wheel slide takes some effort, but it will go. Maybe more power would help... Hmmmm...
I ran one from 35-93K miles, the transfer box was never an issue. In fact it was totally faultless until the end.
Eventually the head went porous (or cracked), but that was a result of a water pump failure and risking driving half a mile with no coolant at all. After that it would run fine, but every so often explode a coolant hose from the pressure.
By then I was bored with it so I sold it cheap and honestly declared as knackered into the 'migweb' community, and then watched as it exchanged hands rapidly several times at ever increasing prices, apparently without the faults being rectified. I tried to warn the potential victims but they decided they knew best. I think it was broken for parts shortly after. My actual car was the stock photo in one of the Vauxhall performance mags. of the era.
It was fastish in the day but pretty ordinary by today's standards. The handling wasn't electric but it wasn't as bad as some suggest either. The weight and the 4x4 assist meant it was very sure footed, just not hot hatch nimble.
The best thing was no one knew what it was so you got no hassle from other drivers, and the rest thought it was an unmarked cop car. I did team up with an identical smoke grey one on the A27 once, was making some progress and then spotted the extra aerials in the roof.
Eventually the head went porous (or cracked), but that was a result of a water pump failure and risking driving half a mile with no coolant at all. After that it would run fine, but every so often explode a coolant hose from the pressure.
By then I was bored with it so I sold it cheap and honestly declared as knackered into the 'migweb' community, and then watched as it exchanged hands rapidly several times at ever increasing prices, apparently without the faults being rectified. I tried to warn the potential victims but they decided they knew best. I think it was broken for parts shortly after. My actual car was the stock photo in one of the Vauxhall performance mags. of the era.
It was fastish in the day but pretty ordinary by today's standards. The handling wasn't electric but it wasn't as bad as some suggest either. The weight and the 4x4 assist meant it was very sure footed, just not hot hatch nimble.
The best thing was no one knew what it was so you got no hassle from other drivers, and the rest thought it was an unmarked cop car. I did team up with an identical smoke grey one on the A27 once, was making some progress and then spotted the extra aerials in the roof.
Even with a locked box it's still not 50/50 split, just drive to the rear is constantly engaged. Torque split to the rear is controlled by the viscous coupling which is sealed and contains a special fluid. The temp of the fluid in the viscous coupling controls the torque split, temp increase is caused by shearing of the non-Newtonian fluid caused by differences in front to rear wheel speed. If you did manage to lock it 50/50 you can be sure the flimsy casing would be the next thing to break.
Most transfer box failures seem to be either clutch pack disintegration or actuation piston over extension, caused by a faulty pressure accumulator. Although there was a recall for the latter problem.
They do drive much nicer without the clutch pack and all the crappy hydraulics/electrics though.
Need to get mine back on the road really, hopefully with Mitsubishi Evo drivetrain for the proper 4x4 drive!
Most transfer box failures seem to be either clutch pack disintegration or actuation piston over extension, caused by a faulty pressure accumulator. Although there was a recall for the latter problem.
They do drive much nicer without the clutch pack and all the crappy hydraulics/electrics though.
Need to get mine back on the road really, hopefully with Mitsubishi Evo drivetrain for the proper 4x4 drive!
VinceM said:
A mate of mine had one of these....one of the few without leather and no aircon. Drove it once and loved it!
That'll be a police one then. Saw a couple back then, cloth seats, some even had manual mirrors & windows. I remember one that was seriously quick (for the time), not sure who or when, but someone had been playing with it.Early cars didn't have aircon but did have headlight wipers, L reg onwards had airbag, fixed steering column and no headlight wipers.
I still have mine, I have owed my Cavalier Turbo for nine years now and I still love it as much as I did when I first got it. It's a brilliant car and has outlasted many more "modern" vehicles that my friends have had over the years.
As Dave has already said a lot of issues that people talk about have been resolved and or there are solutions for them. You could say that most of the problems were initially caused by peoples poor maintenance of the car i.e. tyre wear and not rotating them.
With a moderate about of tuning these cars put out a lot of power and if you go all out with a full engine rebuild you can quite happily show up any modern performance motor. I think it says a lot for the capabilities of the C20LET. I'd also say that the lack of Cavalier Turbo cars on the road today is down to them being butchered for their engines.
Here is my pride and joy. She is 1993 so..no airbags.
As Dave has already said a lot of issues that people talk about have been resolved and or there are solutions for them. You could say that most of the problems were initially caused by peoples poor maintenance of the car i.e. tyre wear and not rotating them.
With a moderate about of tuning these cars put out a lot of power and if you go all out with a full engine rebuild you can quite happily show up any modern performance motor. I think it says a lot for the capabilities of the C20LET. I'd also say that the lack of Cavalier Turbo cars on the road today is down to them being butchered for their engines.
Here is my pride and joy. She is 1993 so..no airbags.
Urban Sports said:
Does anybody remember the police unmarked / undercover documentary in th 90's where they were following plain clothed coppers clamping down on car crime, they had one of these and a cosworth and a few other quick things?
I was addicted, I had a 1.6 L cavalier and would have given both my balls for the cavalier turbo at the time!
X Cars. Manchester.I was addicted, I had a 1.6 L cavalier and would have given both my balls for the cavalier turbo at the time!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuWhmrtBLI4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NkYyusben4
Urban Sports said:
Does anybody remember the police unmarked / undercover documentary in th 90's where they were following plain clothed coppers clamping down on car crime, they had one of these and a cosworth and a few other quick things?
I was addicted, I had a 1.6 L cavalier and would have given both my balls for the cavalier turbo at the time!
Yes- i remember this. You could tell which cars they were, from the shape of the glowing bonnet vents on the heat seeking camera shot from the helicopter.I was addicted, I had a 1.6 L cavalier and would have given both my balls for the cavalier turbo at the time!
Good test article - didnt realise the Alfa 155 Cloverleaf had an Integrale turbo motor kicking 190bhp out! I'm off to look any up in the classifieds !
0-60 for the Cossie in 5.6s - mad back then, still damn impressive by todays standards given its only 220bhp (assuming all of the horses havent been put out to pasture) - must be down to the lighter weight.
The Cav turbo looked hard as nails. No "GSi 2.0 16v" badging on the back of this one, just "turbo" - did what it said on the tin. Most have probably now gone, although the hearts still beat on in other modified cars with FWD.
0-60 for the Cossie in 5.6s - mad back then, still damn impressive by todays standards given its only 220bhp (assuming all of the horses havent been put out to pasture) - must be down to the lighter weight.
The Cav turbo looked hard as nails. No "GSi 2.0 16v" badging on the back of this one, just "turbo" - did what it said on the tin. Most have probably now gone, although the hearts still beat on in other modified cars with FWD.
Yanayaya said:
[/URL]That steering wheel is not one I've seen on a turbo though
I thought there was only two, the pre airbag one as shown below (I had that one) and the airbag one.
Crafty_ said:
Mine was the brother of your car, had the calibra extra dials under the radio too. Volts & oil pressure if I remember rightly ?
That steering wheel is not one I've seen on a turbo though
I thought there was only two, the pre airbag one as shown below (I had that one) and the airbag one.
That's right mate Oil Pressure and Voltage taken from the Calibra and the same goes for the steering wheel, it's a Calibra one although I still have my original Turbo steering wheel in my garage.That steering wheel is not one I've seen on a turbo though
I thought there was only two, the pre airbag one as shown below (I had that one) and the airbag one.
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