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That's a very early 2.0 litre model then and much better for it. Back in the mid 80's my old boss had a metallic blue 1.9 GL auto and it had all the get up and go of an ice cream van! Personally I think the CIH engine is a bit of a boat anchor, but at least in 20S/20E form they have a reasonable power/economy ratio.
Just re-read your post, Monroe Gasmatics work really well on these.
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Those rust repairs look absolutely top notch!
This is going to be a very fine Jetta once completed. What colour you going for?
Great work, keep us posted.
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What an absolutely lovely Cavalier this is. 'Looks to be in stunning condition, is it original or has it been restored? Is it a 1.6 or 1.9?
That exhaust is a billy bonus at that money. However, be aware it may make quite a different sound from the mild steel system.
'Gotta say the banded wheels have turned out fantastic. What size are the tyres on the GL models, 165/80 or 185/70? I think the later are pretty much ideal with the 13" wheels. Go lower profile and you'll end up with an even bigger arch/tyre gap. Then you'll want to lower it more to accommodate them, slippery slope an all that!!
I've had quite a few Manta's in the past (obviously the same chassis/floorpan) and personally I wouldn't recommend lowering it much more than you already have. A decent quality set of dampers will be a worthwhile investment though. As a general rule, a 40mm drop on these retains enough compliance and suspension travel but with all the improvements in handling and roadholding.
As for your interior door handle surrounds, get in touch with the Opel Manta owners club. I'm pretty sure that all pre '86 Manta's use the same "chrome" surround, there's always lot's being broken.
Good luck with your superb Cavalier, keep us posted.
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Nothing 'sad' about sorting and labelling bolts, it's so easy to loose one or forget which ones went where. The engine will look so much better all cleaned and painted before refitting.
Keep going, great work so far.
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Hi and welcome to RR.
Damn that Lada looks lovely! Get some more pics and details up.
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Oh no Mark, that's awful news re the M3.
I'm glad to hear you're ok that is the most important thing. 'Still a sh*t though. Is there any damage to the rear wings/quarters?
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Feb 18, 2015 20:48:38 GMT
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I love Imps, great looking little cars.
'Really pleased to hear you're gonna restore and repaint this to look original. I also like your ideas for the modern upgrades. I hope you will be keeping the original dash layout when you install your new 'discreet LCD unit'?
That is a very tidy piece of fabrication on the strut top mounts, it will look factory like you said. Keep the updates coming on the rest of the suspension work.
Unlike the majority on here I'm not really interested in fancy wheels but those new ones are particularly nice and will look great.
Keep up the good work mate,
Cheers, Richard.
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Feb 16, 2015 19:14:05 GMT
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I would expect it to be part of the process . You had more than a head skim , so i would expect a visual inspection , the machining work and then clean up . not just machine and leave it full of curse word . I 2nd this. On all the engines I've built in the past the parts have never come back full of swarf or filthy dirty from the machine shop. Obviously if I specified and paid for a full chemical clean then I would expect it to be clean enough to bolt straight back up, not that I would do so without checking anyway. Personally, I think slater's view is the wrong one and his attitude ain't much better. Obviously you can't clean a head up properly ready to fit back on with just a 30 second blast from and airline, I don't think anyone thinks that. However, to return it full of swarf is just a curse word job IMO. I wouldn't use any machine shop that traded like that. |
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Feb 13, 2015 18:39:21 GMT
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Excellent build so far, some great fabrication and design.
Keep us posted with any further work, will be a beast when it's completed.
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This looks mint!
You say the paint is original? If so that really is remarkable.
That Gordini motor is gonna surprise a few people.
Lovely car, keep us posted with your progress.
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Jan 31, 2015 22:35:39 GMT
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This is a fantastic restoration Steve, I've followed your work over on the G40 forum.
Can I ask where abouts in Croydon you purchased this from, I never saw it on the road and I live locally to there.
I can't believe the state of that battery tray, talk about foobarred! 'Proper repair has really sorted it out.
This has got to be one of the best standard G40's out there, properly mint.
Great work mate,
Cheers, Richard.
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Jan 18, 2015 21:36:22 GMT
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Awesome project. Love it. I'll second that! |
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Jan 13, 2015 20:02:56 GMT
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Practice on some thin scraps of metal if you can. It will really help in the long run and build your confidence for when you weld the car.
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Jan 13, 2015 19:24:08 GMT
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The underbody looks absolutely superb on that.
I've heard good things before about Gravitex, did you have to bare metal everything before applying? Is that a special type of paint you have used on the colour coats?
I'd love to do mine like that, very nice work mate.
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Jan 12, 2015 19:04:05 GMT
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looking good - classy car What steveo said. The brakes do take some getting used to due to the lack of servo. However, at under 750kg these are very lightweight cars and the brake dimensions are fairly reasonable. Correct adjustment of the rear drums is the key to a decent pedal and to get the best out of them. VW didn't even increase the brake dimensions on the MK2F when it came out in 1990, just a servo was added for a lighter pedal. In good order they'll be fine - they just need a firm push - you'll soon get used to them, as long as you don't have a Citroen CX as another daily driver! Check the battery tray, back end of the sills and filler neck for corrosion. It does seem as a rule of thumb that the early cars are far less prone to rust than the later models, particularly the MK2F. I like the later VW steels and the alloys you have fitted in some of the pics in equal measure, really subtle. The interior looks exceptionally good, often the seat trim and door cards wear very badly on this era of Polo. Pleeeeease DON'T put a roof rack full of tat on or sticker bomb the dash etc etc or I'll have to slap you around the face with a wet fish!!!  A lovely early car this, keep us posted. Cheers, Richard. |
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Jan 10, 2015 14:13:27 GMT
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I'm really liking your plans for this.
The BMW V8 with manual box and running gear is gonna make this a real beast, especially if you keep it looking fairly stock on the outside.
As much as I liked the donor, I'm glad the important bits are going into this!
What sort of mileage has the V8 done and are you doing anything to it before final installation?
Good luck with this and I'm looking forward to the next update.
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Jan 10, 2015 13:52:14 GMT
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As usual, that looks fab Mark.
Keep the updates coming.
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Dec 20, 2014 19:25:01 GMT
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Great work Andy, this is really starting to come together.
What are your plans regarding the bodywork and paint? Personally I always prefer period colours and trim.
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Dec 20, 2014 17:52:23 GMT
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Wow. Beautiful work. I really like the 944, but always felt it needed more than 4 cylinders for proper street-cred. Fantastic first post, really looking forward to more progress. As above, some fantastic workmanship going into this. Do you have any plans to modify the engine to give it some serious grunt? Welcome to RR mate, keep the updates coming. |
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Nov 15, 2014 23:43:54 GMT
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That looks mint, a proper job too with that orbital polishing kit.
I love this car, as so many others have stated you hardly ever see any base models anymore as every one wants the Ghia's and so on.
Keep up the great work.
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