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Bonjour dudes, just been reminded of this place after seeing it in Darren's sig over at Volkszone (Is he on comission? ;D) So... I'm Dan, I'm 18 and I'm from Southampton. I generally love old/retro cars and am currently piloting a 1641cc Beetle on twin carbs and have a MK2 Cavalier Calibre project on the go. As for the Calibre... For those that don't know, it's a MK2 Cavalier based on an SRi130 but with all the toys and a mean bodykit by Irmscher. 500 produced but somewhere around 70 left registered with the DVLA, not even half of that on the road it's thought. Mine has seen better days but it's a long term project, needs a fair few panels but it'll be worth it in the end. I've tried to 'start' the project a few times, but you know how it is with projects... Things always get in the way  Hoping to get properly stuck in through the summer. There's a gallery up of how it stands at the moment over at www.mk2-calibre.com/GalleryAnd the Bug... I wanted something nippy, relatively cheap with cheap insurance... A Bug it is then! I'm paying £550 a year on it which for the performance, you can't really moan! I had a '78 Beetle before this one and it was a heap, a lot of money was spent n it and it still wasn't right so I sold it for this one. A quick spec: Twin 40 Kadron Carbs Bugpack 69mm counterweighted forged crankshaft 1641cc Barrels Balanced Cofap pistons Matched rods Eight doweled lightweight flywheel (12lb) 200mm Clutch Engle 100 camshaft 360 degree thrust bearings High ratio 1.25:1 rockers Swivel adjusters & Bugpack bolt up rocker shafts Empi high rate single coil valve springs Mild port & Polished heads Schadek full flow filter pump Cast aluminium deep sump Berg oil temp dipstick Stainless 4-1 merged exhaust & Tuck-away silencer Bosch 009 distributor with electronic ignition and Lumenition leads Some Beetle pics:           And some Calibre pics:         Don't worry, I didn't do the following 'repairs'...    |
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Last Edit: Jun 13, 2006 22:47:35 GMT by Dan 1641
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tenman
Part of things
m00000000000
Posts: 899
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some nice photography there on the bug  ... look's nice as well |
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RWD Fanatic...
2003 BMW 320d Wagon (getting old and boring)
1996 Mini Kensington (SWMBO's)
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Stu
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,913
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Hiya, I remember those Cav's now I've seen the pics, cool project. The Bug looks ace, I bet it must fly with that engine spec! Nice photography too!  |
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'89 BMW E30 325i Sport, '04 MINI Cooper S, '09 Volvo V70 D5
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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MK2 Cavalier Calibre & '74 BugDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Cool bug dude, Love the wheels.
Calibre looks like a bit of fun.
I think there's a couple of members here already who have calibres so you might be able to compare notes as it were.
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that bug is hard |
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dub
Part of things
Posts: 145
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loving the vauxhall, looks the nuts, mind you the bug is hot as well
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Cheers for the comments It is quite nippy, makes for a bit of sleepery fun. I keep getting told to change the wheels but there's no way in hell I can get rid of a set of decent Wolfrace Slots, I think they fit with the theme quite well Have developed a problem though... Went for a random drive to pick up Practical Performance Car & Retro Cars, got half way there and the rev counter went absolutely mad then the car died. Took a while to start it back up again but it finally went, ran for a minute or so then died. I didn't know what was up so I left it not wanting to do any damage, had a look around the engine bay and checked all the fuel lines, all the leads etc and nothing looked out of place, eventually just had her towed home. Now, having a think, you can hear some arcing in the engine bay just before it cuts out and it runs spot on from cold, I think this hints towards the coil insulation breaking down when it's warm? Would also explain the mental rev counter behaviour just before it dies? Either way, have ordered a flamethrower coil and a set of SCAT 8mm metal core leads. Hopefully they'll be here today, bloody hope so anyway ;D |
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love that bug! ;D
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 once again rocking with 1117cc and 4 gears! |
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bryn
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,913
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11 out of 10 for the random vehicle choice, good work on both counts. ;D
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Volvo, Buggy, Discovery and an old tractor.
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cool pair, and loving the 70's 'looker bug! Id be tempted to remove the decklid standoffs, narrow the front beam a touch and take the front down a tiny bit more. But it doesnt need it, it still looks sweet as is. And i think the wheels work really well.
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Not exactly the type of Bug you'd expect stand offs on, but they're more of a functional thing at the moment (Got a hot running problem that needs to be properly diagnosed), I know there's a lot of dispute as to stand offs actually cooling because of vacume etc but it runs a LOT cooler after a good session now... They'll be gone once it's sorted. The wings are all widened fibreglass ones, think the fronts are an inch or two originally from a Wizard? Has an adjustable beam so I can probably drop it a fair bit without need for a narrowed beam Hola Grayham, the MK2 crew is spreading ;D No idea what power it's putting out, have been told anywhere up to or a little bit over 100bhp, but I'm not taking that as gospel. |
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Last Edit: Apr 3, 2006 19:20:10 GMT by Dan 1641
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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MK2 Cavalier Calibre & '74 BugDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Have you checked the points?
The symptoms (including the hot running) match what happened to my mate Helen's type 2.
The points were screwed and had closed up
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It's on electronic ignition from a MK2 Cavalier at the moment, should have a new 009 dizzy setup with points/condensor with me within the hour and the new coil arrived this morning, should sort it out |
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Last Edit: Apr 4, 2006 12:58:14 GMT by Dan 1641
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hope that fixes your problem as for the beam - get it narrowed anyway, narrowed beams pwn! you sure got a lively 1641 if its making 100bhp! Most 1776's are around that mark. Still, being on twin 40's might make that difference. there is certainly something about the bug that really works for me |
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Aye, didn't think it would be anywhere near that, but having given they keys to a couple of people they seem to think it's about as lively as their friends' 1776's... Not really one to lay faith in the "it's a goodun" factor so who knows, be interesting to get some figures.
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Bug now runs sweet as a nut, although 15mpg at times is just screaming for the carbs to be tweaked... Or I need to stop driving it around everywhere with the revs right at that 'throaty spot' that scares everyone ;D Currently in talks via email with www.opel-classicparts.com for sorting the panels for the Cav, again... Looks like after nearly a year and a half of things getting in the way I can make a start on it  |
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Jun 13, 2006 22:41:25 GMT
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Righty... A few months ago I went to Big Bang in the Bug and it threw a fit on the way there, kept blowing the oil filler cap off, ignored it and carried on anyway. Then on the way back the top pulley did this, I feel so proud:  So went home kinda like this:   Got that all sorted but it's using a fair bit of oil now, making an exhaust-like blowing sound although there isn't one, and my oil filler cap is blowing off... Piston rings shot and serious blow-by sounds likely? Awaiting a compression test, if it turns out it is the rings I'm thinking... 1) Use the current 69mm forged crank and carbs, uprate the heads/cam a bit and machine the case/heads for 94mm barrels to make it 1914cc. 2) Legacy or Impreza lump route, probably a bit too tricky for me to do. 3) 12a or 13b Rotary it, my fav idea at the moment just because it's not all that common. Looking for an engine but they all seem to be in complete cars and don't want to break one just for the engine. Will have to have a look about some RX7 club forums I think Also looking for some 16x8 Wolfrace Slots in the same style for the rear and 15x7 or so for the front, arches need filling a bit Edit: And obviously another whack with the stick will probably be applied in a few weeks, the back's too high for my liking... It's a bad sign when you can rocket over speed bumps |
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Last Edit: Jun 13, 2006 22:50:54 GMT by Dan 1641
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Jun 14, 2006 20:03:21 GMT
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Think I just acquired some bits for a 2276cc lump for the Bug... Oops  Calibre's going to take a lot of time and money realistically, just going to cut the rot out as soon as possible, seal it up then slowly attack it as and when I can afford. Would love to do it all now but it'd take ALL of my money and I'd have no car to  about in |
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Righty dudes, any input on this problem? As said, my oil filler cap keeps blowing its self off and chucking oil everywhere, and a misty white smoke comes out of the breather pipes. I first thought piston rings, but having done a compression test which chucked out 130psi across all four with only about three psi difference at most, I'm stumped since the breather setup is also fine  ARGH! Answers on a post card... |
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Hoping to get properly stuck in through the summer. There's a gallery up of how it stands at the moment over at www.mk2-calibre.com/Gallery
... look's nice as well
ARGH!