Thread: Vauxhall Cavalier 4x4 Turbo

I thought these always looked cool when the first came out in 1993. So when I was 20 which was errr 1999 (bloody hell that long ago!) I bought one a (94 example) and my god was it fast. Owned it for just over 6 years and in that time it cost me a fortune.

They did have a few flaws though! There was always a light on the dashboard every other week telling you that something else had broke. The 4x4 system was a bit like a Skyline's as it was a 70/30 split and when the front started to lose grip it sent more to the rear this is why the transfer boxes were prone to breaking. GM not quite as good as Nissan! I remember on several occasions from when in snowed I would go and find some empty carpark and just have fun drifting it around. I also remember hitting 160mph on one quite night.

The good old chavalier 4X4, went like stink in a straight line, but ran out of ideas when a corner came up, like it's brother, the Calibra. The saloon ones looked better than Calibra's back in the day in my opinion, never got round to owning one, but does register as a classic for me.

I used to really like the Cavalier Turbo.
Had a MK3 Astra GSI with a Calibra Turbo engine and F28 box years ago and that thing could shift.

C20 LET and 4x4, winning combination. Very cool I would say. Especially asyou don't see them very often these days.

On a similar note I saw an Astra GTE 16v in Hitchin the other night

Have just pulled these off my old computer. These were taken at one of the Vauxhall National days at Billing Aqua Drome can't remember what year it was though! It had just come out of the paint shop the day before after some Range Rover decided to redesign the side of it.

My mate had one of these in blue, was a lovely immaculate car until he sold it on to his brother who wrapped it around a lamp post......
He was ok, but the car wasn't.......

Never driven the Turbo, but I borrowed a mate's 2.5L V6 for a while and I remember enjoying that - I was only 18 at the time and it was the first V6 I'd ever driven. Sadly I had to make do with the 1.8L for myself - even that cost a bomb to insure...

I used to love these when I was a wee lad...my mate had a mk3 (I think) Astra with the same engine, that was the closest I got to going in one...I think they are cool- not sub though.

I vote these as cool too, i always wanted one, but settled for a 2.0 16 hatch instead. They are the car that got me learning about turbos and forced induction after watching a few tubbys on the rollers during a migweb meeting. Ahhh those were the days of check engine lights and blowing transfer boxes and see through turbos

Originally Posted by Byzan A4

They are the car that got me learning about turbos and forced induction after watching a few tubbys on the rollers during a migweb meeting.

I spent alot of time on Migweb years ago,almost as much as i spend on here now.

I had a 2.0L GLSi which was turbo spec when i finished with it.....

Yeah the bottom pic sells me that car ..nice rear end

Aaaah the old Cavvy!!!

I remember years ago, my mates dad brought an ex police car that was already chipped and tuned, it had been rolled and he reshelled it and tuned it up some more and had it driving round Brum, was funny as he totally debadged it and just had the Opel badges on there...

Was an old dude and was cool, coz everyone used to be like have you seen that old dude driving around in that cavvy...its rapid!!!!

the bottom ones bonnet looks wonky lol





sorry hate poxalls with a vengence

The Cav turbo looked quite mean in its day! A mate had the Calibra 4x4 Turbo, which also cost him a fortune to run. He took it to the 'Ring with his mates, and left the UK with four-wheel drive, returning home with two-wheel drive. The transfer box broke, much like the other post, and with oil pouring out all over the Nurburgring car park some German lads helped him disconnect the propshaft...

It was flawed as a performance car, but I bought one a few years ago for much cheapness.





Those engines go much better in cars like my old Astra ....











It's very very unlikely that the Cavalier mentioned several posts above was chipped by the police by the way.

Very nearly bought one many moons ago. Drove down to Bradford to test drive one, idiots had steam cleaned the engine bay before I got there and it had gone into `limp mode` so it drove like a pig.

Ended up buying a Corrado G60 instead, which was the car that spawned many happy years of VAG motoring,....every cloud....

Oh, nearly forgot, I think they are cool, dunno why, just do.

cheers
Paul

I used to own a 1991 GSI, V good car

cool, I had the GSi 2000 whish was OK but soon replaced it with the 4x4 Turbo, what a difference - this was mine before I got the S4, I had the Astra GTE vents put on the bonnet to help with cooling which was an issue with these or was it the the stage 1 chip. I never had any issues with the 4x4 which seemed to also be a fault with these. still think this was more fun than the S4 but not even close to the comfort or build quality of the S4.

I never had a cavalier but did have a Vectra 2.5 GSI, one of the early ones and it basic but was very fast always wanted know how it compared to a same age imprza as i bet it was close.

Originally Posted by samuelt

I never had a cavalier but did have a Vectra 2.5 GSI, one of the early ones and it basic but was very fast always wanted know how it compared to a same age imprza as i bet it was close.

Imprezas used to MURDER my V6 Vectras lol