Vauxhall Cavalier GSI - Track Car
Discussion
More love for the GSi2000 here too: I bought one in Mistral Grey to teach my Mrs to drive in around 2001. My father had Cavaliers from 1984 to 1994 (a couple of mk2s and mk3s) and having cheered for Cleland, Jeff Allam and the Ecurie Ecosse cars in the BTCC in the championship heyday of 1992-1995 I had always wanted a GSi in the garage. Spax, touring car inspired 18s and a Janspeed followed and the L plates always looked a little out of place. We have many fond memories of that car which we ended up keeping for some years before trading in against a Golf GTI.
I look forward to seeing how the project develops, OP. I see you are missing the side skirt end caps, which most GSis lost as the metal beneath them dissolved. Assuming that yours aren't intentionally missing as part of the weight loss programme (!) I may be able to help out with a pair, which I am pretty sure that i have squirrelled away with a host of other spares for no-longer-owned cars. Let me know if you'd like me to have a trawl!
I look forward to seeing how the project develops, OP. I see you are missing the side skirt end caps, which most GSis lost as the metal beneath them dissolved. Assuming that yours aren't intentionally missing as part of the weight loss programme (!) I may be able to help out with a pair, which I am pretty sure that i have squirrelled away with a host of other spares for no-longer-owned cars. Let me know if you'd like me to have a trawl!
I'm a sucker for 80's and 90's touring cars as well. Looks like a fantastic project you've got there.
I had a Westminster blue 1990 GSI back in the nineties . Only had it for a few months in between Cosworths.
Had a dedicated track car that I sold 3 years ago and just do the odd one in my heavy M5 but for some reason I really fancy getting hold of a manual Volvo 850 saloon T5R and modding it for track use. Just something about these old modern classic saloons I love.
What plans have you got for suspension and brakes?
I had a Westminster blue 1990 GSI back in the nineties . Only had it for a few months in between Cosworths.
Had a dedicated track car that I sold 3 years ago and just do the odd one in my heavy M5 but for some reason I really fancy getting hold of a manual Volvo 850 saloon T5R and modding it for track use. Just something about these old modern classic saloons I love.
What plans have you got for suspension and brakes?
Pulse said:
Shakermaker said:
I'm friends with Dougie...
He tells me that he's welding up the sills, and has to drop the engine out again to sort it out more. But progress is slow, he also seems to do up old trucks as well now, as well as all his other cavaliers.
nice guy though.
Not the same Dougie who's on here, by chance? (DougieMc is the username)He tells me that he's welding up the sills, and has to drop the engine out again to sort it out more. But progress is slow, he also seems to do up old trucks as well now, as well as all his other cavaliers.
nice guy though.
Edited by Shakermaker on Friday 10th February 14:39
Hello OP, I had a white 8 valve SRi as a company car in the early 90s. The rear wheel arches had the early signs of the corrosion evident on your car at two years old! My Dad had a Mark 1 Cavalier in the late 70s. It seemed light-years ahead of the 1968 HB Viva I had at the time! Good luck with your project.
Shakermaker said:
Pulse said:
Shakermaker said:
I'm friends with Dougie...
He tells me that he's welding up the sills, and has to drop the engine out again to sort it out more. But progress is slow, he also seems to do up old trucks as well now, as well as all his other cavaliers.
nice guy though.
Not the same Dougie who's on here, by chance? (DougieMc is the username)He tells me that he's welding up the sills, and has to drop the engine out again to sort it out more. But progress is slow, he also seems to do up old trucks as well now, as well as all his other cavaliers.
nice guy though.
Edited by Shakermaker on Friday 10th February 14:39
Sorry for the derail, OP! I am really looking forward to updates on the car, as I do love a white Cavalier!
Buggles said:
jmflare said:
Watching this with interest mate. Always had a soft spot for the cavalier, especially the BTCC version 
Thanks mate. I'm thinking about throttle bodies at some point too, I'll will maybe give it some of the super touring induction noise that the Cavalier ST's had. phil_cardiff said:
Loved my old Cavalier, even though it was a lowly 1.6.
Wrote it off on a wet road giving it a Scandinavian flick into a corner. What a melon.
Great choice of wheels. I reckon you have to paint this white with white wheels but stop short of any race livery.
Did you say 'watch this' before you did it?! A couple of my cars died following those immortal words! Wrote it off on a wet road giving it a Scandinavian flick into a corner. What a melon.
Great choice of wheels. I reckon you have to paint this white with white wheels but stop short of any race livery.
That's pretty much what I was thinking paint job wise. I'm in the process of taking the bump strips off the side to clean up the look too.
t' as I slithered towards a large rock at the side of the road. Buggles said:
I am indeed missing a drivers side skirt end cap, sadly it's not because of the track car weight loss program, it is as you suspected because the sill is basically metal dust! If you do have a pair and are able to locate them I would be really very grateful! I was wondering how to solve that problem the other day actually and it needs sorting before it goes to paint! PM what you'd like for them, and thank you again on the off chance you do still have them!
I have some very good news for you. I don't have a pair of end caps as I'd thought (turns out I sold one to a chap in The Netherlands some years ago) but I do have one... and it's the driver's side one that you're lacking. I don't want anything for it but if you PM me your address and pop a couple of quid in a charity box next time you are in town that'll do fine. These are absolute hen's teeth so I'd suggest you try to take a moulding from both of the end caps before you put the car in to paint: last thing you want is to lose one of them as I suspect you'd really struggle to find another pair.
) Saloon for a couple of years that was a decent car in general.S3_Graham said:
Buggles said:
That's a lovely Cavalier in the picture. I love them in that colour, the red ones must be some of the rarest? This one is a 2wd GSI, apparently quicker than the 4x4?
Yep, the 4x4's were significantly heavier hence slower. 
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