Had previously put a thread up on my cav for detailing but dont think i listed a full thread of the build it went through over a long 3 years...
Bought the car back in Oct 2004 in excellent condition with 77k on it... came pretty much standard bar the sound system and a back box which suited me at 21 years old to keep insurance reasonable. It was feated in Total Vaux feb 2005...
Basically drove it for 9-10 months racking up 12k trouble free and then had the dreaded porous head problem
Options were to fire a new head on and drive away but made the decision it was time to freshen it up, started gathering funds to buy the bits I need/wanted and went through some cheap runabouts in the meantime... took me three years to gather the cash working two jobs and what started as just a phase 2 spec engine enhancement went to full rebuild...
pics should do a lot more talking
Before rebuild pics
token retro nokia in phone holder...
Engine was the first thing to sort as i didnt want fresh paint getting destroyed wi mechanics leanign over wings etc
Head was replaced with COSCAST item to prevent future porous head nightmares. Was also ported and polished and I now cannt even remember the amount of stuff went into it but whatever it needed it got, gaskets etc etc, steel head gasket, iridium plugs, front mount intercooler fitted, uprated fuel pressure regulator, uprated fuel pump, new oil pump, new wiring loom etc etc etc
Engine in and running was time to sort the bodywork
Never had anything painted in my life and seen some CRAP paint jobs so took time to source a painter that would be upto the task
original arches
new fog lights... very hard to source but glad i did, also new headlights fitted
all new wipers, wiper arms, windscreen, bump strips, weather strips, badges etc etc, brand new front and rear bumpers and bumper rears (the black unpainted parts)
wheels had been refurbed and had new centre caps, cant put my hand on refurb pics but this is them 4 years later after a wash and seal...
found wheels refurb pics
underside sealed
interior cleaned after bodyshop dust EVERYWHERE
new mats
back to audio advice to have PS2 fitted above glove box and DVD Head unit aswell as the sound sys refitted after rebuild...
total vaux then attended and took some pics of my cav and cali together which was nice, mainly focussing on the cali as the cav had already been feature pre rebuild
always faniced a priv plate for the cav... doesnt mean anything with regards initials or anything but was reasonable priced and i liked it...
Last thing that annoyed me after rebuild was... engine bay!!
It had silicon hoses bought at time of build but it was a mix and match of black and red hosing and looked crap imo. Also some old tatty bits like coolant and washer resevoirs, rocker cover was tired looking aswell. Was still on original turbo so once again what started as a clean up ended up wi mass of new parts
new header tank
new resevoir which a kind soul on the owners club who lives in germany bought for me from a local dealer with stock as uk stock is nigh impossible!!
enlarged inlet
service goodies
had originally started buyin chris astely kit but then he went bust
so full roose silicon kit purchased
old turbo off
hybrid replacement
old radiator out
spark plug cover polished and all new polished bolts and the likes where i could get them
rocker repainted
Anyone who knows the cav/calibra turbo problems knows of the dreaded transfer box... this had been troublesome for me aswell
First box died at 91k, was replaced with a second hand 'locked box' which should have solved problems, it lasted 200 miles...
Another working standard box was sourced and had a mike hayward locking kit fitted. But garage that fitted made a mess and didnt fill the box with the transmission fluid i left with them... cooked box
So... if you want a job done right do it yourself?
Got another working box, fitted another locking kit and me and 2 friends (gentlemen I should call them) set about fitting the box... nightmare job but rewarding aswell
keith hard at work
anyhows... now pretty much finished, has ran reliably now that 4x4 is sorted... phase 2 software fitted aswell and a new exhaust system put on
Looking at this thread now and thinking what i've spent i think i've lost the plot, but its the car i always loved when i was in my teens and had to have
What now... tbh i don't know, next stage would be a complete underside overhaul? Concours style but don;t know if i have the ability or the patience for it...
Hate to say it but this could be the last year/show season for me with it, might be forced to sell cav or cali
Thanks for looking, probably missed some pics/details but can answer queries where there is any!!
Bought the car back in Oct 2004 in excellent condition with 77k on it... came pretty much standard bar the sound system and a back box which suited me at 21 years old to keep insurance reasonable. It was feated in Total Vaux feb 2005...
Basically drove it for 9-10 months racking up 12k trouble free and then had the dreaded porous head problem
Options were to fire a new head on and drive away but made the decision it was time to freshen it up, started gathering funds to buy the bits I need/wanted and went through some cheap runabouts in the meantime... took me three years to gather the cash working two jobs and what started as just a phase 2 spec engine enhancement went to full rebuild...
pics should do a lot more talking
Before rebuild pics
token retro nokia in phone holder...
Engine was the first thing to sort as i didnt want fresh paint getting destroyed wi mechanics leanign over wings etc
Head was replaced with COSCAST item to prevent future porous head nightmares. Was also ported and polished and I now cannt even remember the amount of stuff went into it but whatever it needed it got, gaskets etc etc, steel head gasket, iridium plugs, front mount intercooler fitted, uprated fuel pressure regulator, uprated fuel pump, new oil pump, new wiring loom etc etc etc
Engine in and running was time to sort the bodywork
Never had anything painted in my life and seen some CRAP paint jobs so took time to source a painter that would be upto the task
original arches
new fog lights... very hard to source but glad i did, also new headlights fitted
all new wipers, wiper arms, windscreen, bump strips, weather strips, badges etc etc, brand new front and rear bumpers and bumper rears (the black unpainted parts)
wheels had been refurbed and had new centre caps, cant put my hand on refurb pics but this is them 4 years later after a wash and seal...
found wheels refurb pics
underside sealed
interior cleaned after bodyshop dust EVERYWHERE
new mats
back to audio advice to have PS2 fitted above glove box and DVD Head unit aswell as the sound sys refitted after rebuild...
total vaux then attended and took some pics of my cav and cali together which was nice, mainly focussing on the cali as the cav had already been feature pre rebuild
always faniced a priv plate for the cav... doesnt mean anything with regards initials or anything but was reasonable priced and i liked it...
Last thing that annoyed me after rebuild was... engine bay!!
It had silicon hoses bought at time of build but it was a mix and match of black and red hosing and looked crap imo. Also some old tatty bits like coolant and washer resevoirs, rocker cover was tired looking aswell. Was still on original turbo so once again what started as a clean up ended up wi mass of new parts
new header tank
new resevoir which a kind soul on the owners club who lives in germany bought for me from a local dealer with stock as uk stock is nigh impossible!!
enlarged inlet
service goodies
had originally started buyin chris astely kit but then he went bust
so full roose silicon kit purchased
old turbo off
hybrid replacement
old radiator out
spark plug cover polished and all new polished bolts and the likes where i could get them
rocker repainted
Anyone who knows the cav/calibra turbo problems knows of the dreaded transfer box... this had been troublesome for me aswell
First box died at 91k, was replaced with a second hand 'locked box' which should have solved problems, it lasted 200 miles...
Another working standard box was sourced and had a mike hayward locking kit fitted. But garage that fitted made a mess and didnt fill the box with the transmission fluid i left with them... cooked box
So... if you want a job done right do it yourself?
Got another working box, fitted another locking kit and me and 2 friends (gentlemen I should call them) set about fitting the box... nightmare job but rewarding aswell
keith hard at work
anyhows... now pretty much finished, has ran reliably now that 4x4 is sorted... phase 2 software fitted aswell and a new exhaust system put on
Looking at this thread now and thinking what i've spent i think i've lost the plot, but its the car i always loved when i was in my teens and had to have
What now... tbh i don't know, next stage would be a complete underside overhaul? Concours style but don;t know if i have the ability or the patience for it...
Hate to say it but this could be the last year/show season for me with it, might be forced to sell cav or cali
Thanks for looking, probably missed some pics/details but can answer queries where there is any!!