Real Road Test: Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 CDi auto

[@kdri155]

The easy to replace clutch on the Cavalier and Astra was a brilliant idea, took me about 20 minutes to change one back then such a shame car manufacturers took a backward step with that one brilliant bit of design.

[@georgefish9006]

20 mins! that's including tea & a sandwich....

[@terry141186]

Ah the little hatch on the bottom of the gearbox. Such a shame they did away with that. Me and my mate did the clutch on my mk3 1.4 merit Astra in an hour on his driveway.

[@dazt103]

In my youth I craved for the SRi. Such a good looking car. Amazing how cars once seen absolutely everywhere just disappear so quickly.. I can't remember the last time I saw a Mk2.

[@stuartleckie]

Oh I could prattle on about MK2 Cavaliers for days. I was a young Vauxhall mechanic from 86 to 91. Philips 751 and 752 radios were great, and as long as you had the code, or knew the hack were easy to work on. Clutch replacement in under half an hour was nice, and the timing belts snapped often but hardly ever bent any valves and were super easy to replace. I had an SR saloon at the time, did a few nice tweaks to it, and as a non injection model there were some fun things you could do. I did prefer the look of the saloon, and also preferred the SR/ SRi over the sort of fake posh of the CD models. Although the Calibre model was the one I always really wanted. SRi 120 was nice as well. Nice trip through so not that distant past 😃

[@jamiesut5866]

My parents had the SRI, I remember thinking it was something really special! Nice trip down memory lane for me, thank you Mr. Hubnut!

[@andyhedges5705]

An SRi was definitely something special.

[@jedw]

My parents had a 1984 bog standard 1.6 L mk 2 Cavalier. Quite different; it didn't even have FM on the radio! but I remember the look of the dashboard even though it's been 25 years since I last saw it.

[@paultaylor5502]

My Dad had a new Silver Sri in 1985, had the close ratio box which was a massive improvement over the High geared cd. Was a smart car and the 1.8i engine was massively better than anything Ford had to offer.

[@garyhardwick8489]

A friend of mine (now sadly deceased) had a Cavalier CD,a B-reg and I loved riding in it. I loved that buzzy sound the engine made as he pulled away and the velour seats,always preferred those to leather. Nice video Ian,keep up the good work.

[@tinniswood2577]

Gorgeous looking Cav still cutting it today. Remember when this model came out I always loved the "modern" looking dash. In 96 I had an 11 year old tatty SRI with rusty arches but the 4 new Michelin's I had just fitted astounded the traffic Copper who pulled me in for a routine tax revenue raising inspection! Great cars.

[@static-audio]

My second car was a 1982 cavalier mk2 in gold. Was a 1.3l and did struggle a bit. Sadly the engine blew eventually but it managed to coast along to a parking space off the main road. Wonderful car and boot was huge.

[@iconicshrubbery]

My dad's was a gold 1.8 CD with cool alloys. Bought him Wagner's Ride of the Valkyries tape when he got it. Glorious and Germanic. We slept in the back one night.

[@ingopaul67]

Another great review in your series of 70s and 80s cars. These cars are rarer than most so called classics and its really great to see them on your channel.

[@tjfSIM]

I've never noticed before, but the rear quarter of the Mk2 Cavalier really looks like it was inspired by the Rover SD1!

[@indiekiddrugpatrol3117]

tjf4375 or the Chrysler alpine (Simca 1301)

[@videogalory]

looks like a SD1 that crashed into a concrete block.

[@stewartclough4866]

A MK2 Vauxhall Cavalier with its original Phillips 752 stereo . These were all relocated to peoples MK2 escorts.

[@Astra8676]

Love these mk2's, really loved the saloons. The Calibre was the daddy of the all.. Once again great video!!!

[@alanbartlett9523]

Had a 1987 1.6 Club saloon in white. Deck chair interior, yellow,black and grey striped seats with White carpets. You needed sun glasses to drive it but was a brilliant car. Gave no trouble and drove like a dream. Wished I still had it.

[@heed17]

Lovely angular fastback shape that’s dating rather splendidly. Lovely.

[@Dan23_7]

Peter Hedley Top description 👍🏻

[@SM-dt1pr]

Like a dwarf Rover SD1.

[@100SteveB]

So reminds me of my days with company cars back in the 80's and 90's. I loved that era of cars. I also loved the velour seats, in my view the most comfortable type of seat covering - so much nicer than today's hard cloth fabrics, and certainly better than leather, never could understand the hype about leather seats - too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, plus you slide around on them. Gimme the old velour any day.

[@errcoche]

I had a Mk III CD ( along with millions of other drivers ). Loved that car. Tall gearing was great for motorways. Used to do an indicated 90 at a tad over 3,000 rpm.

[@robdixon3953]

Seem to remember the economy being good too

[@tonyr1963]

I had an E plate MK 2 and a G plate MK 3. Both 1600s. Both great cars. I worked on a stack of Cavaliers being “in the trade” in the 80s. Piece of cake to work on. As you said the clutch was very easy to change. Think the quickest I ever changed one was about 40mins out on site. As a garage we made quite a lot of money out of Cavalier cam shaft replacements. Again, a piece of cake if you had the Sykes and Pickavant special tools. Happy days. Keep up the great work Ian. I’m loving the Reliant Fox project. If we were closer I’d be round to get my hands dirty 😀

[@davespooney8472]

Would be great to see you in a Senator CD 24v. REALLY wanted my dad to get one back in the 80’s....

[@johnw81floyd]

My Dad had MkI / II and III Cavaliers growing up. Full of great memories for me. Even that noise when you turned the lights on with the door open fired up my nostalgia. I'd love to own one now as an adult, excellent cars. Thanks for the great video.

[@stephenbibby8650]

An era when Vauxhall’ and Ford dominated the rep mobile market. The model you were seen driving very much denoted your status. In an organisation. Caused much envy when one of your mates Dads had a higher spec model than yours 😊

[@bobbychunkbobbychunkk1065]

Stephen Bibby hn

[@wacholder5690]

We had that car in Germany as Opel Ascona C (not B !) and it was of that certain mediocrity that you neither needed to feel ashamed to own one nor does it have major downsides. It wasn't just an exciting car but way ahead the rear-wheel-driven, slightly old-fashioned Ascona-B. Technically it was reasonable and didn't give the owners too many unsolveable questions, it was easy to maintain, workshop costs were comparatively low and it offers enough room and performance. Even on the low end models which had a 1.3 Liters 75hp IIRC. Mothers friend owned a golden Ascona C hatchback with 1.8L 90hp (carburator model) back in '88 and we drove with 5 persons plus luggage relatively comfortable over to visit relatives in the GDR. I like the style of your test-drive-videos. It's driving under practical daily (sometimes miserable) conditions and reflect fairly good what's the cars pros and cons. The Mk2 Cavalier did a good job I think. The CD version is fairly luxurious compared to the "usual stuff", that Mr. and Mrs. Smith might have bought and put up in front of their house ... didn't see many CD-Versions of the Ascona-C over here. Watching your videos is a good way to spend a quiet sunday afternoon ... :-) Carry on the good work & thanks for sharing.

[@SPTSuperSprinter156]

75 hp from a 1.3 litre is pretty impressive for the time, how did they manage that?

[@wacholder5690]

The line-up those days coming with the Opel Kadett D (frontwheel-driven) included the all new OHC-engines. The old pushrod ones (1.0 l OHV for Export and 1.2 liter OHV) like in Kadett-B and -C were available in the first Kadett D for a while however. They had the 1.3 liter 60 hp (1.3N) to substitute the 1200cc / 60hp (12S) and the 1.3 liter 75hp (1.3S) for the Kadett D-SR. Both were carburator engines, as well as the 1.6 liter / 90 hp 16S. Fuel injection came later during the period with the 1.6 / 110hp known as 16E. The 90hp 1.6 liter got substuted later by the 1.8i (with TBI) as used on first generation Vectra and Astra. These were quite good engines and -basically- been used until today.

[@gunnarkvinlaug7226]

@@SPTSuperSprinter156 Twin ported carborators, marked S or SR!

[@billwhiz1]

Sri saloon manual with Recaro front seats the best ever Caverlier

[@adams7405]

Yes I have lots of cars and lucky enough to have a B10 Alpina.But I fondly remember my 1984 SRI with Recaro seats,dual tone paint and that gutsy 1.8 injection motor.The first new car i ever had,had probably 20 since and.. it is up there.Even if my main memory is parking the thing with that glorious unassisted steeing .....

[@markevans2280]

I bought a1982, 1.6gl off my company, was a pool car, 4-speed, I remember thrashing it down the A38 in Lichfield, got it to 120mph on the clock, never done anything like that since

[@davidthompson6834]

That car has failed 1 mot in 32 years amazing

[@JohnMcMahon.]

Sweet Jesus HubNut, this brought back memories, I had an 87 CDi saloon back in 91/92, 5 speed manual, silvery/blue in colour and I loved it... When you filmed the interior and switched the lights on, that lights on warning buzzer gave me a flashback to a day I'd forgotten forever, great time in my life. Very nostalgic, thank you very much. 👍

[@91drunkenmonkey]

This reminds me of the rover sd1 from the hatch back bit

[@thephilpott2194]

Very much so. I think at one point everyone tended to copy the Ferrari Daytona shape, as it just looked 'right'

[@BungleBare]

Or even a Rover 800 fastback? Very Hub Nut (well, at the moment - fleet changes aplenty with Ian)

[@MrTom1379]

Same here

[@bobp6742]

I had a 2.6 sdI back in the mid 80s, fantastic car. Use to travel from crewe to Norfolk every week and most of the journey back then was done at 110mph on the M6 and M1. No speed cameras or traffic jams and cheap fuel. I wish I kept it, even got used to the oval steering wheel.

[@grahamariss2111]

Yes the upward lift of the window line followed the cue from the Daytona and Sd1, always think GM did a better job of styling their mid size car with the SD1 styling than Bache did with the SD2, which really was a mess. I just cannot understand how he did not end up with something like the Cavaliers mix, as it was logically what a compact sd1 would look like.

[@williamgreer4087]

My dad had a 1.8 GLi, We went on holiday to Northumberland in it, towing a trailer. I can remember going to scrap yards to find parts for it, like the window winder knobs which always fell off. Ours even had a sort of foam rubber boot lip spoiler 👍

[@iainwilliams4226]

Great video, passed my test in my dad´s F-reg 2.0 GLSi hatchback. Loved that motor :)

[@mattylamb9194]

Yeah, I learnt to drive in my parents' 2.0 GLSi too. E reg and gold coloured - was a very quick understated car for its time

[@Parknest]

Ian, I've had 4 MK2 Cavaliers, the last one being a 1985 1.8 CDi hatchback (B239 BEG). The OHC engines had a reputation for eating camshafts. I'd have another MK2 Cav in a heartbeat. My CDi also had an oil pressure gauge and a voltmeter as did my 1.6 GL saloon (Cav No. 3). The CDi was a slightly detuned SRi so it mechanically the same. It was only the clutch plate that can be replaced without having to take the gearbox off. You still have to take the gearbox off to replace the other clutch components. I've had 5 Sierras so I've had a foot in both camps.

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

very enjoyable :-) my second ever car was a 1983 (X-reg so I thnk 1983) silver and black Cavalier SR (not an SRi). It was lovely, with Recaro seats, a 6 guage dashboard, alloys and a rubber boot spoiler. And of course, it looked fast. I transformed its appearance by installing red electrical tape over the silver side stripe, and painting the SR badge red to match. I loved that car :-)

[@paulsmith-ib3nx]

Me and my mates had a thing for a friend's mum. Only because she had an almost new SR. Y reg hatch in silver.

[@denbydoo]

Thanks Mr HunNut this is the best mk2 cav video since the early 80s top gear one! It's brought me over all nostalgic, I loved all the cavaliers I owned from the 1.6 base to the sri 130 and the couple of GL's in between but the 130 was my first true love and I've never had the same feelings about a car since, even though it was 11 years old and well passed it's best i was 18 and I loved it. That's the joy of your channel for people like me (around the 40 year old mark ) it's very relatable.

[@geofham8332]

Hi , get yourself a Senator 3.0 CD auto, comfort at its best.

[@petervirnuls7879]

Geof HAM you are quite right. I had a Senator A in 1992. I never forget the look of surprise on the Face of someone who’s daily driver was ‘78 xj6 4.2. The senator was quicker and had a better ride. I now drive a Carlton MK3 2.6 - just brilliant

[@1100HondaCB]

In 1994, a friend's sister bought a B-reg mk1 Carlton 2200. It drove lovely. I love the old Vauxhalls.

[@mattw8332]

In the mid 80s my parents had a 1979 V'hall Royale 2800, silver with overpowering burgandy interior - kex 460v. Best car they owned in my time.

[@robk3596]

@Geof Ham - Indeed, but can't imagine great mpg in an older 3L Auto!?

[@notmanynamesleft]

I had 2 Carlton gsi's both 12valvers and manual,they did 30mpg if you didn't boot them everywhere,great fun and 160mph on tap lol 😉

[@orange_light_pictures]

Yet again, Hub Nut shows me a car from my past. This time, it's one that my Granddad had. Exactly the same model, although his was in black. I remember the nice interior that in summer had a distinctively vauxhall smell, not unpleasant but not something you want to smell on a long journey in very hot weather. A brings back nice summer memories. Thanks Hub Nut. (might have been the CD only, after looking online at the front with the grill face instead of the one you had.)

[@jonricketts2408]

I liked the mk2 & mk3, I currently have a face lifted Insignia which is no way as good to drive in my humble opinion

[@johnparkinson881]

i had a 87 sri which got stolen and driven through a shop window replaced it with a 85 cdi both great cars.great review hubnut

[@MauriceNL1]

5:17 What a handy design, look how easy it is to fill up the blinker fluid! 😅😝

[@stepheng8779]

I adored my white H reg Cavalier Sri, had it up till 2003 when electrical gremlins finally got the better of me and every garage I took it to. That red and white Bedford van brings back many memories, wow how can seeing an old van stir up so much, what a great looking vehicle.

[@Lobo-ih3bh]

Holden Camira in Australia. They didn’t have a good reputation and were a bit of a joke. I owned a couple and they were OK but No hatch sedans and wagons only.The wagon body shells were built in Australia and shipped to Europe weren’t they? They were replaced by the Holden Apollo which was a rebadged sv21 Toyota Camry. Fun!

[@chriscurling]

I did my apprenticeship at a Vauxhall Main dealer in the early 90's. Brings back some great memories seeing this video.

[@carlharvey7098]

This takes me back as i had a MK2 Cavalier SR (not the i) - Great car and would love another one

[@frisco-2.0]

My first car was a 1987 Opel Ascona -C-CC 16N 4-speed. With this car my love with Opels/Vauxhalls began.

[@KevinOReillyswl]

I had the slightly lower spec 1.6GLS, it was a revelation performance wise after the 1.3 Montego that it replaced!

[@trifffid]

Kevin O'Reilly +1 for 1.6 GLS ownership. Mine was a b reg auto salon in silver with grey velour interior. Fond memories of that car.

[@mercmush]

I bought one of these off a mate for my elder brother. Sadly it was in terminal decline as he just needed it a for a short period of time. However I also knew the car in it’s better days and I have to say it was great. It was reliable, comfortable and had a nice smooth ride. The velour interior was great and performance was way better than another mate’s 1.6. Other friends also had this top spec model and rarely had any mechanical issues. I always thought it was underrated car. Thanks for the upload 👍🏾

[@waynelewis9783]

my first car cavalier mk2 great car you could work on them yourself the best one i wanted was the sri 130 which i never owned so i got the mk3 sri and cdx v6 wish i still had them

[@johnt4406]

Lurvly! Top spec too. I had a China blue 1984 GLS saloon at 19 and kept it for ten years. Loved it. Nice alloys, seats, steel sliding sunroof and electric mirrors and boot release which surprised a few people when it magically popped open. Rust got it in the end and I had to let it go to the scrap as I was building a house.

[@robinturner2300]

We had one of the last cavaliers made, a 2.0 diplomat fully loaded, leather etc. Lovely car much better handling than the Sierra jelly mould. Hated the vectra so switched to mondeos

[@marklittler784]

Yeah i've been using Mondeos for 10 years, dirt seems to get through to injectors far too easily if you let tank run low a few times, suspect more so with high milers with plenty of fuel thats been through tank, usually shell diesel nitro seems to sort any problems, Great car though comfortable, love cruise control.

[@R33Racer]

Sierra's were RWD, I'm surprised you say that.

[@thrillseekanz7874]

I really dont think you can say they handle better than a RWD Sierra- based on the Sierras racing pedigree that's just not possible, I've owned Cossies and there is not even a comparison. Fwd cars like these were better for those who were not so talented behind the wheel, but the Sierra was far superior.

[@denbydoo]

Robin Turner I tried a mondeo, a 2 year old 1.8 td lx but I felt like I'd been drawn to the dark side and quickly went back to a Vectra 😉

[@robinturner2300]

ThrillSeeka NZ when ford replaced the dismal Sierra with the mondeo they brought in Sir Jackie Stewart to develop a better suspension because they weren't up to it... Sierra was nicknamed the jelly mould because it not only looked like one but handled like it. And these cars aren't made for the circuit they are everyday use cars. I was sold on mondeo when I took a launch model with 10 miles on the clock flat out round Thruxton. It was miles better than the cavalier which was miles better than the Sierra .

[@lesrogers7310]

I see clear design features here that were carried over to the Royale/Senator and Monza. I was fortunate to own both a Royale 2.8 auto and a Monza 3.0 GSE auto in the distant past. These were fantastic cars but like everything back then, they rusted like there was no tomorrow.

[@69Phuket]

First car was a E reg 2.0i GL hatchback..Couldn't believe i could get my hands on such a swish motor!

[@robhosking9399]

Excellent Video On The Cavalier Mk2 Cdi Auto!! A Nice Car, With Fine Driving Dynamics, And Well Put Together! Hard To Believe The Mk1 Cavalier Came Out In 1977 On An R Reg Plate! And Were Only Available As A 4 Door Saloon! Makes The Mk2 Seam Like A Jaguar!!! All Your Road Tests Are A Joy And Delight To Watch Ian! You Should Have Your Own Weekly Road Test TV Show!!!!!!

[@markwhitehead1658]

Nice car not many about now. I always thought the estate was the best looking. 👍

[@Runeakb]

Estate?! There was an estate? Don't think there was an Opel Ascona estate.

[@jasonhimpson2334]

Thanks for reviewing the Cavalier. My Dad owned a 1982 Cavalier 1600 GLS Hatch in the late 80s. Henna red with matching velour interior. My Grandad at the same time owned a 1986 Cavalier Commandor Hatch in silver. This was a special edition model

[@YBM2007]

ohh, the Ascona C's brother. My first car, miss those on the road

[@gunnarkvinlaug7226]

Except I'm more of a Ascona B guy. I never really found a good driving possion in these, and the girshifter is way to upright to look and feel good.

[@YBM2007]

@@gunnarkvinlaug7226 Did the Ascona B/Cav mk1 have the more old school longer, angled gearshift if I remember correctly? A rwd version of the GM J platform would have been interesting, the approach seemed to have been more practical and less 'sporty' with the Ascona C/Cavalier mk2

[@rich_edwards79]

I love the MK2 Cav. Can't remember the last time I saw one though, which is peobably an indictment of Vauxhall's (lack of) rustproofing in the 80s. They didn't really crack that until the Vectra, IIRC. A mate in 6th form had a red 1.3 litre A-reg saloon which, despite it being woefully underpowered and having a brown dash full of blanking plates, I was keen to buy from him (I had ambitions of fitting 17s and a Calibre body kit) until he parked it in a ditch one night. A lot of that interior / switchgear looks very familiar from my first car, a B-reg Nova (which I turned into a sort of SR replica). I especially remember those little plastic holders for the seatbelt clips! Like many people's dad's in the 80s, mine was a travelling rep, initially selling office machines (typewriters, photocopiers, and those 'Ditto' machines with the drum and the smelly blue ink) for a company in Droitwich. He'd get a new car every two years, and they seemed to alternate between Vauxhall and Ford. I think he preferred the latter, but as a kid my favourite was an A-reg MK2 Cavalier estate, because in the days before kids had to be belted into booster seats in the back, I could stretch out in the estate bit and play, sleep, whatever. Boney M and Abba on the stereo - happy times! His next car was a white mk1 Sierra - I remember being impressed by the fact it had integrated front driving lamps and a very plush velour interior (even though, like you, I think the slab-sided, angular Cav has aged much better). Then back to Vauxhall with a big Carlton, followed by another Sierra (a 2.0 GLS), a 1994 Granada Scorpio (one of the last Mk3s before the 'frog-eye' facelift) and finally, a 1998 Toyota Camry 2.2, which he bought on retirement and which my mum still drives and keeps beautifully maintained to this day. Yes, I think I preferred the Cav to the Sierra, the only downside being that the former is FWD which is never as much fun as RWD. It"s funny how, considering how important it was to car makers in the 80s and 90s, the job of travelling sales rep has now almost completely disappeared, another thing killed off by the internet I suppose. And the few that are left would doubtless never be seen dead behind the wheel of anything less than an Audi or BMW. My dad still drives like he did in his rep days - 80mph in the fast lane, even though he's nowhere to get to that can't wait.

[@evo5dave]

Always liked them. Looked much smarter than the Sierra. Interior reminds me of my Mk2 Astra. Very creaky!

[@superseven220]

Yes I had the same thought re the interior, very poor build quality on the old Vauxhalls. I had a mk2 Astra for years until it rotted away, mainly rear wheel arches and sills, which I did once but it eventually came back, but the little 1.3 engine was brilliant. I got it up to 250,000 miles without any major problems, not even a new clutch, and unbelievably I even towed a small caravan with it several times, and for quite long journeys.

[@evo5dave]

@@superseven220 Mk 2 Astra was my first car. Mine got to about 130,000 miles before I had to start topping up the oil after journeys! Used to have blu-tac all over the dashboard to try to stop the creaks and rattles.

[@superseven220]

@@evo5dave I used to put Slick50 oil additive into mine which was supposed to reduce engine wear, maybe that was why it got to 250,000 miles, Who knows!

[@picardenter]

M grandfather had a GL Saloon with 1600 engine. He had it when it was less than a year old. Gave it to my brother who had it for a few more years until it finally succumbed to the rot. My brother had 2 more after that, a commander and a GLi 1800 which was pretty quick. Mind you, both my grandfathers worked at Vauxhall motors in Luton and Dunstable. Happy days.

[@evoivowner7732]

Velour: the sign of luxury! ;)

[@69Phuket]

Poor man's Alcantara! ;)

[@antonybrown5285]

I owned a MK 2 like this in manual mode for about 6 years, it was 4 years old when I purchased it, I wish I still had it, one of the best cars ever, easy to maintain, I replaced the clutch and didn’t need To remove the gearbox, you removed a small metal cover and access was enabled so it could be changed. Yes brilliant car.

[@HowardLeVert]

[@andysparks8245]

I had 5 Mk2 Cavaliers as company cars, 3x 1.6L, 1x 1.6LX and 1x 1.8GL and despite doing approx 50k per year they never let me down, good motorway cruiser but light enough to be flicked about around town. Loved them so much that when I had to buy a car with my own money.... I bought another one! They just worked!!!

[@BETFRED1981]

My dad had the 1.8 LXI very nippy motor 👍

[@FMFGUF]

My dad also had a new, bright red E-reg LXi saloon (same engine as the SRi), which I took some driving lessons in, around the local car parks. It did have some real get up and go for its time, thanks to fuel injection.

[@neilwalsh4058]

What a brilliant review that brought back some great memories. I had a silver E reg SRi 130 back in 1995 and totally agree that they are a great car. Took it on a driving holiday to Czech Republic and it performed faultlessly for over 2 weeks. 2 lasting memories from that ownership: Firstly alll the recognition it got at flying across Germany on the autobahns at well over 3 figures, from Ascona drivers, one German guy pointing out the '130' logo on the door and giving massive thumbs up. I realised why, their sporty Ascona was the SRi 125, he was admiring the extra 5 BHP of the UK models. Secondly not as happy, an evening spent in A&E after attempting to fit new rubbers to headlamp wipers. One metal strengthner sprung out and went straight thro my middle finger. Removal was quite painful but worth it to get the headlamp wash wipe back fully functional. My theory being If it's got the option, it's got to work! 👍💯

[@BETFRED1981]

I really don't know why vauxhalls get so much flack! Every model is a good all rounder, decent looking cars, interior are well built. Yes they are not as good the German stuff but great value for money.

[@ferrumignis]

They were pretty good in this era compared to the dismal offerings from Ford, but they became increasingly crap and Ford upped their game considerably.

[@BETFRED1981]

Build quality very poor on the ford's in my experience

[@BungleBare]

GM Europe seemed to drop the ball a bit in the mid '90s with the Vectra which was generally considered to look like a re-heated Cavalier Mk3, and dynamically inferior to the Mondeo and Primera. Basically, Vauxhall became seen as drab. Not helped by the styling of the next model released - the Mk 4 Astra, which was very much just styled as "an car". Nowt wrong really with these cars, just lacking a bit of design flair in terms of styling and driving dynamics. Ford, especially, got the jump on them at the same time with the Mondeo and Focus, compounding GM's problem.

[@BETFRED1981]

@@BungleBare I know most people love the Mondeo but I thought it was terrible compared to the Vectra, the build quality on the Mk 1 Mondeo was awful, pin prick bumpers and the interior just fell apart. I have driven both cars and the mondeo had a better ride and that was it.

[@happyface6004]

I am a Vauxhall fan and am glad that they are not held in such high esteem. As it means I can buy decent second hand ones for good prices. In the last few years I have bought; Astra G 2.2 Convertible, 72k for £650 Astra G 2.0 Turbo Convertible, 61k, 1 owner from new with FSH for £1500 (rare car). Astra G 2.2 Coupe automatic, 20k on the clock, one owner from new with FSH (Main dealer), for £1250. You could not get such good cars from your likes of VW, Audi, BMW for the money, and my 2.0 turbo has 197 BHP, so has a nice bit of omph to it. Please don't let the secret out! Shushh. 👍😁

[@kenhoneyman8060]

Thank you for your review , you have brought back some wonderful memories , I loved my mk2 Gli cavalier hatchback . Wish I still had it .

[@darrenwilson8042]

still some switch blanking panels on the dash I see. Not all the options ticked.

[@BETFRED1981]

I noticed that, no heated seats.

[@AndyK.1]

You could also specify a fuel computer and ext. temperature display that fits where the clock is. Very rare option.

[@heitorbernardes7977]

I think that 3 blanks never were used in any cavalier/monza/ascona.

[@jasonclary5072]

Just watched this one, how cool, again bringing back memories of cars I've driven, owned.. My Cavalier was the 1.8 LXi 🚗

[@TheMentalblockrock]

A car badged CDi these days would be a diesel.

[@iankrout7108]

My Dad had one of these in GLS spec. Thanks for bringing back the memories and my search for a new plaything.

[@leotoczyski7930]

What a blast from the past! My dad used to drive rep cavaliers in the 80s. His were the Sri version. Fantastic cars and I remember them shifting when my dad put his foot down and that was a lot. I had the mark 3 cavalier in the 90s. That was the Sri 130 and that really went well. I must admit I hammered that car and it kept going. Probably one of my favourite cars of the 80s and 90s. 👍

[@simono.d9469]

This brings back some memories! My dad owned a blue MK2 1.6l on an A registration when I was very young. He must have owned it for a good 13 years and he eventually swapped it for a 1.7 turbo diesel MK3 which had the Isuzu engine

[@Bevoin1970]

My mate had one of these and I loved it! I was so envious. It had done something like 110,000 miles when he bought it, yet it ran sweet as a nut too. Such a Plush motor back in the day. Ex Rep Exec car. All I ever had was the LX model nothing special at all. Give me the CDI any day.

[@kierencrichton4325]

Still have a 1994 mark three Cavalier. Great cars which were quite modern for their time. Still look very nice, have a soft spot for them. Built when Vauxhalls were actually half decent cars

[@waynesimpson2074]

I had a 2 tone red/black SRI which was a tremendous all rounder. Swift, refined,economical, reliable, spacious...glory days but those Recaro seats were rock hard..and that cliff front dash. Great time capsule video for me, thank you.

[@sailordave1000]

I had a 1984 Buick Skyhawk. USA didn’t get this engine. Base engines in USA for these cars was either a 1.8L single overhead cam engine made in Brazil or a 2.0L overhead valve engine. Horsepower was in the 80 to 90 range. The optional engines were 2.8L V6 OHV or a 1.8L SOHC turbo. Though the turbo had the higher horsepower, the V6 was better for off the line acceleration and low end torque. My Buick had the 2.0L and no driver’s seat height adjustment.

[@daysgoneby4543]

Oh wow now this brings back some fantastic memories when i used to own one of these but mine was a 1.3 GL and also starred in one epsoide of the 80s show Lovejoy and was used for a scene just outside windsor castle it was on a B plate loved that motor...great video hubnut 😎😎😎

[@Zeem4]

I had an F-reg 1.6 GL in about 2001 - bought for £40 from a friend, never (legally) used on the road before I scrapped it. I discovered that when the engine warmed up, it didn't have enough power to accelerate away from a standstill. It worked OK when it was cold, and it always idled, it just lost power. I was trying to work out what to do with it when I discovered that the rear valence was made of newspaper, filler and Hammerite, so I had it towed away. Other than that it was a lovely comfortable car. My dad had a D-reg 1.6L too, which he ended up scrapping when the front passenger door fell off the rotten A-post. Shame you didn't get to do a video on the Ventora - I think the FD series are some of the best-looking cars ever made.

[@sincerelyinsincere9268]

I used to get shuttled home in a mk2 Cavalier auto (taxi) in my teens after nights of merriment, happy memories looking at that dash through OVD tainted eyes! If there's any chance of you reviewing a mk3 Cavalier GSi manual I would be more than happy given that was not my first car but the first car I owned that I loved. Keep up the great work, love your turn of phrase.

[@MartysWhiteSuit]

Interesting and relaxing to watch. I don't know anything about 80s' cars as I was working away a lot in the wilds of Wales running a cold store. My boss had a Sierra. That's all I remember.

[@davidlloyd3116]

My wife’s boss had three of these, at the same time. He drove 160 miles a day to work and back every day (Cambridge to Watford). Anything went wrong, he just compared the other two, parts were cheap, and he could fix everything himself. Each car did 250,000 miles over his 30 year career. Incredible.

[@Mister_H]

I remember these when I used to pump petrol at my local Vauxhall/Opel dealership. I preferred the original pre facelift CDi which had a lovely brown velour interior and door pockets that popped off and double as a mini briefcase 😀

[@stevecoinitin7521]

Oh yes! In 1994, I had a 1983 1.8 CDi auto saloon in chocolate metallic brown. I vaguely remember those door pockets, but never realised the extra use! With the auto box, it was quick to 60mph. Power wise, it was up there with most similar cars in the mid 90's, fantastic comfy car!

[@kevinwhelan8126]

Always a joy to see a motor that’s obviously been well loved throughout its life 😀

[@patchpeek]

Impressive one handed driving towards the end. Only ONE thumb on the steering wheel at one point!. Much respect😂

[@stevecoinitin7521]

In 1994, I replaced my 1st get on the road 1978 MK1 Cavalier 2.0L auto with an 1983 1.8 CDi auto saloon and although the MK1 was ok ish, the MK2 was so good! The MK1 was only good for an average 17mpg (maybe not tuned well) and not too great on pulling power. The MK2 more than doubled the mpg average, had the 115bhp and about 115mph speed. It felt great to drive, quick off the mark, as you showed at traffic lights and was happy to cruise at 80mph for hours. Being an early CDi, mine had the exterior bits you're video shows, albeit 1st gen rear lights, but also a spongy rear spoiler, which was more of a novelty but looked ok! I think I was lucky to have the earlier interior, as the instrumentation had more dials....the usual speedo, revs, fuel, oil temp, but also auto gearbox pressure and a battery/alternator volt meter as factory fitted. What I didn't see in you're video (or I missed it), was a small round button between the footwell and drivers door which was an electric boot release button! I had MK3 CDi's from 1990 onwards and the electric boot release button was gone by then. A work colleague was eyeing up my MK2 one day....offered his 1981 2.2L Volvo auto saloon in return for £300 plus my car! I refused that one. A week later it became a straight swap, I refused again! He then offered me £200, plus swap of our cars.... I took a look at the old old switch gear on the dash of his Volvo, the size and weight of that car and that made me 110% no way! But I offered him a chance of a deal! I told him we'd line up side by side at the bottom of a steep hill, launch our cars up it and if he beat me, he had a deal lol....I knew the outcome before even turning the key and when we did launch, I ended up a good 60 metres ahead of him over 300 metres of hill! He never asked again!

[@EdgyNumber1]

I always liked the Cavalier... but when I drove a Montego Si, I was sold on the sheer space it had. Montego was a class leader in many ways up until 88, then the opposition really took over. The J-car was a big step up from the mk2 and the first time we saw the name Vectra. The Montego 1.6L was a gem, faster than the equivalent Sierra and more goodies than the equivalent Cavalier. More space than both.

[@69Phuket]

Montego was the best thing since the Rover Vitesse.

[@stevemoorman9481]

Liked my montego , horrendous torque steer though

[@dlittlester]

Much nicer than the Cavaliers we got in Canada.

[@BITTYBOY121]

Nice car and a true 80's icon ! - You can also see a bit of Rover SDi styling towards the rear of the car - I always liked the MK 2 hatchback Cavalier and also the Opel one too !

[@automotivemischief.1978jamie]

Loved this Ian I owned a Mk3 Cavalier CDX in magic grey with all the electric goodies had her for 6 and a half years lovely car never let me down in all that time unlike cars I've owned since.

[@HooverLux]

Oh wow. I remember my school friends father had one, not as posh, but it was a lovely car and he really looked after it. My first car was a J reg automatic Cavalier.

[@video99couk]

Mine was a slightly lower spec 1985 GLS, but still with many of the same features. I did like my Cavvie, but tinworm was a problem, and the usual chocolate camshaft. Bought it for £1300 in 1993 and sold for £400 in 1998, so didn't do me too badly. Loved the shape, and this CD example is just beautiful.

[@paulmcvay1625]

More memories ☺, I had a couple of Mk2 FWD cavaliers, plus numerous RWD cavs and Mantas in the 1980's and 1990's. The A505 Luton and Dunstable Road was a very familiar route, it was always a nightmare when the M1 ground to a halt. Pleased to say that my well used 2004 Zafira shows none of the rust issues that ultimately doomed all of my previous Vauxhalls and Opels!

[@lanehogger1532]

Takes me back. My dad had 2 mk2 Cavalier saloon company cars and covered around 70k miles over 3 years in both. 1st was a green A reg 1.6 gls with the green dash and seats. 2nd was a red 1.8i D reg Sri with a nicer grey interior. The Sri had a much better engine. It was much faster and I don’t recall any problems with it. Best HubNut review yet 😁

[@1066gaz]

Owned a 1983 1.6 GL 5 door in china blue 90bhp in which i bought it off my father in 1993. My family owned it from 1986 to 1998 and done 100,000+ miles in it. It had a oil pressure gauge & battery gauge as standard strangely vauxhall not adding this to the cd model as standard. It also had black velour seats with 4 speakers and a philips cassette radio. The early cavaliers had a fault with the camshaft followers as they were made too soft and my father had it done with the warranty @ 19,000 miles. Easy to work on and the clutch easy to replace as you said ian,but never did that job myself even after 150,000 miles. Also the timing belt was easy to fit as you could just slip it over in minutes without adjustment and not having to move the waterpump. There is one major thing you must do with the cavalier is to replace the rocker cover gauze where it says OHC because once that clogs up it will destroy your camshaft. I went through 2 camshafts until i found out what was causing it. i did the job myself and borrowed a special tool that you need to get the camshaft out easily from a nice mechanic. Later after 100,000 miles the valve stem oil seals went and topped up with oil 5 litres every 2,500 miles but the car was getting good oil all the time and with oil pressure going to near the top so kept it a fair few years after. I got rid of it in the end because of the abolishing of leaded fuel and did not want it to convert it to unleaded. Was not economical to do. Yep a legend of a car and still holds up with todays modern cars. The reg of the car was HUB660Y. Hows about that for coincidence ian.(:-) www.amazon.co.uk/clouddrive/share/y58VRc6UPe8m6JM52bzfl5RtSQe3BGzBqSofHq2AEAf

[@kodessa]

Seriously, seeing a new HubNut video always makes me happy.

[@FuchsiaShocked]

My dad had a couple of mk2 Cavaliers as company cars- a GL, and then later on, another GL, but this time it was after the facelift, so it came with the sunroof, and because of the facelift it looked like an upgrade, even though it was actually really the same trim level. It's left me with a fondness for the mk2.

[@BrutalEntity]

I had 3 mk2 Cavaliers in the past. Started with a 1.6 GLS model, then moved up to a 1.8 SRi and finally one of the best cars I've owned....SRi130.

[@club1fan552]

Same body design as an early 80's Nissan Skyline hatch. Great visibility with that rear quarter being glass. My current car has velour seating...it's the best in cold or heat. We had a Corsa 3 door with a 1.4 L engine. Best car we ever had. Very roomy, quick, great gearbox/clutch relationship, great sound from the speakers, great suspension. Perfect car really.

[@LiamskiLFC]

Mk2 Cav. Love them. Back in around 1990, I owned a red Astra gte which was great for a single, no strings male in his late teens. Couple of works colleagues, both with families, owned cav Sri’s. One a gold hatch and the other, a black saloon. I loved that car. It was always so shiny. We’d always race away from work. My Astra had the legs on the cav’s but they was great cars. 👍🏻 Hubnut. Your’s is fast becoming my favourite KZbin channel. Might even buy a couple of stickers haha 😉. Keep up the good work.

[@jaggass]

My dad had a 5dr 1.6L in Silver Green from brand new in 1984 then sold it to my grandma in the early 90's when his firm gave him a Mk2 Orion as a rep car. When my dad owned it he said it always started from cold and never broke down. We used to take it out for my grandma from time to time and it was still good. I couldn't sit in the back due to no seatbelts but i remember its interior very well and the GM logo everywhere you looked. Its a shame most of these are gone because they are lovely cars. The only 2 drawbacks with Mk2 Cavs's was rust and cracked dashboards.

[@marshalllucky]

I had a 1.8 SRI and it always had a rough spot above 2500 rpm but it was a much loved car , thanks for the memories

[@Kaylem13]

My first car was a vauxhaul viva with rectangle shacky speedo - crashed and died. My second car was a vauxhaul 1.3 cavalier GL in dark racing green, beautiful and like new.... Fast, reliable and great memories, 3rd car a vaulhaul Belmont, astra with boot that was given by my parents, OK but B. O. R. I. N. G. I traded px this in when I was 20yo for a Vauxhaul Astra GTE 16V loved it. I have had my fill of vauxhauls and won't ever buy one again, had too many too early and now forever fed up of them. Still loved this vid though and the memories it brings with it. Cheers