Faults:

My head gasket blew at 97,254 miles.

My head gasket blew again at 100,781 miles.

Timing belt snapped at 98,635 miles.

Radiator started to leek at 97,297 miles.

Alternator backed up 4 times.

Starter motor has packed up 9 times.

Regulator rectifier replaced at 29/09/2002.

Recently started to leek through boot and back window.

General Comments:

Apart from all the problems I have had with my Vauxhall cavalier it is a very reliable car and a good run-about.

Its very cheap to run. I get about 30-45mpg.

Very good in low or high gears.

Lacks power when a full tank of petrol is on board, so my advise is never fill it over half a tank.

Responds with the slightest touch off the accelerator.

I like the feel off the clutch (very smooth) its has a nice 5-speed gear-box changes gear with out no problems.

Power steering is a bonus helps to drive the car better since it is an heavy car.

The cabin is in very good condition still not a single scratch or rip anywhere.

I only paid £200 excellent bargain I sure got my moneys worth.

Its on a h-reg 1990 no rust anywhere all been re-stored.

Faults:

The car has been absolutely fine to drive. However it is extremely expensive to run and is noisy.

I found it nippy at first, but it is too heavy to perform well.

I conclude that the cavalier is like a newer car inside.

It was well built, I crashed mine in to a tree at 40mph and although the car suffered I walked away. Having Narrowly missed a lamp post!

Very strong car!

Heavy to steer, but underrated because it is quite cool!

Faults:

Usual things, head gasket, water pump, radiator fan, fuel pump, distributor. Most things replaced as consumables. Frequent oil changes and filter, new exhaust box (several) and clutch.

General Comments:

Done me proud, but must be getting towards the end of its life now. Still drives well, bit smokey though and needs frequent oil changes/top ups. Comfy and quick, but acceleration a tad poor by modern standards. Usual rust build ups under body, but nothing too serious. Astonishes mechanics when they spot the odometer!!

Faults:

Starter motor sticking (caused stalling because it was stuck in the engine when I was driving). - Replaced for about forty quid - fitted myself.

Fuel injection pipes eroded. - Very noticeable because I ended up with a fountain of petrol coming out of one. This was a concern because I didn't track it down until it became fairly bad. However it only cost about four pounds to get replacement pipes from Halford. Fitting them was straight-forward although a little tricky.

Engine management light seemed to come on every now and then. Why this is I never truly found out. Although I suspect it was the starter motor sticking that may have caused it.

Otherwise I carried out work that I would expect to do on a second hand car. Such as replacing the cam-belt, fan belt, bulbs and filters. (I bought the car off a family member and it had not been serviced for some time).

The electric window on the passenger door started becoming erratic just before I sold the car. It would go down when I wanted it to go up - or it would shut and then open itself an Inch again!

General Comments:

Performance was great, not as quick as the 16v Version - but it is more economical and cheaper to insure.

The seats and sitting position were very good - partly thanks to the seat height adjuster. My current Primera is nice, but a little to low down and firm in comparison.

Parts are dead easy to come by, you can get them from most accessory shops on the high-street. Also from scrap yards (since the Cavalier has been around since 1988 and was a top seller, there are plenty that have been bumped that little bit too hard - which is your gain if you need a new window winder).

Sporty modifications are very well catered for as well, if you are into that kind of thing.

I liked the GL model I had, but some of the lower models have ghastly interior material and colour co-ordination!