paulmanta Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 a post facelift GTE could be 26 years old now, and when they were first produced it was basically a '60s engine design with a '70s injection system in an '80s take on the original body. Yep, modern !! I faff about with late 30s to 50s stuff as well as the mantas, its all modern to me past about 67 !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 1, 2009 Author Share Posted January 1, 2009 where did you hide the BBS wheels when i was down that motor will be a great daily driver if not too good to be every day usage You'd be supprised what will fit in my garage...Those wheels are going on the cavalier with 205 50 15 tyres. I love the work that is going on with this car, its going to be a real sleeper when its done, bigger engine and modern car go in an old looking shell. The engine that came out was a 2L CIH. The only reason i'm putting the GTE engine in is because i wanted the five speed gearbox and i do not like carbed cars. When i have converted to standard GTE fuel injection in the past i have increase enconomy by 9mpg. This car is my daily driver. Just getting it how i want it. Thanks for the comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 2, 2009 Author Share Posted January 2, 2009 Well the engine is in and nearly all wired up. Had it fire on a burst of easy start so i'm getting a good spark. So fit some fuel lines tomorrow and see what happens... This engine is just to test all the wiring etc. A freshly rebuilt engine will be going in soon. Anyone got any good pointers to flowing the CIH head at all? Or any other mods worth doing to a 2l CIH? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Looks like youre getting there with it, will be a head turner as its different with a bit more power as well, nice to see another Cav being updated for daily use... Did you get anywhere with the rear panel?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 I have spoken to the guy before christmas about the panel but need to give him a ring soon to arrange going up to get it. The car lives....Had it running today at last.. Plumbed the fuel pump in the boot for now after running copper pipes under the car for fuel lines.. I'm not happy with it's location so i'm going to move it to underneath the car. I was just having one of my lazy moments again. Oh and for who ever it was who asked, here is what i do for the fuse for the fuel pump... .. as i dont like adding to that standard fuse boxes as they are crap.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutts Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 any tuning tips for a CIH, yes take it out and put a valver in sorry could not resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Well i have been out and about in it today and all seems good. So next onto the body work while i finish rebuilding the new engine for it. Putting a valver in would be easy. I think the cih engine is more fitting for the cavalier. I'm sort of running on the theme of 'this is what vauxhall should have done at the time'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantadoc Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) Deleted Edited October 2, 2017 by mantadoc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 I did think about a 3l straight six, 12 valve, but have you tried to find a decent one complete recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mantamike Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 why noy go the whole hog and put one of them lovely 24 valvers in must be cheap in the UK( not over here ) only problem is finding one with a manual gearbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 9, 2009 Author Share Posted January 9, 2009 Well i have been using the cavalier all week putting just over 300 miles on the clock. I would recommend this conversion to anyone with a four speed carbed CIH engine. With the addition of a fith gear and standard gte fuel injection i now have perfect cold starting, a smoother running engine and i have increased mpg by 25%. Although i'm not sure if the car is as quick. It may be an illusion as the car is more quiet on the move now. If you buy a doner car like me it wont even cost you a thing. Buying that GTE hatch to use for the conversion paid for everything and more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Abbott Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Fantastic work here mate ) i would of killed for info like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutts Posted January 9, 2009 Share Posted January 9, 2009 Glad it all worked out, you must be a little mad to do all that work outside in this weather i cant be bothered going to my lock up in this cold weather . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 10, 2009 Author Share Posted January 10, 2009 Would members like me to put a how to on a GTE conversion and/or stud removal techniques for the magazine? I have two snapped threads in a thermostat housing at the moment, the one i took off, which might be of interest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 12, 2009 Author Share Posted January 12, 2009 Here's what is left of the doner car. Anyone want anything of it? The rear axle is actually off, the shell just needs lifting off it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rutts Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 if i lived next door i would get a petition against you being a car breaker and lowering the tone of the estate yes please do a write up on those for club mag, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stradacab Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Here's what is left of the doner car. Anyone want anything of it? Uhhh,.. I think it's fair to say you've had the best of it there mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brown Job Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I can't see in the pics, but have you still got the little plastic doofers that go over the top of the front shocker mounts? Mine got taken off and lost. BJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 I FEEL A LITTLE SAD... I remember going to Kettering to rescue this Blue Manta Hatch or it was going to be wieghed in,we got it running again but never quite got it back on the road. Then someone looking for a Manta project knocked my door and it went to Luton, 18 months ago i had to rescue it again after it had been swopped for a Calibra and was under threat of being wieghed in again. Then i had to have a car clearout and it went to Elesmere,Shropshire. All this said,it was a REALLY SCRUFFY Manta and though on the face of it fairly solid now looking at it apart it would have taken huge amounts of work to restore and its provided parts to other Manta's?Cavaliers to keep them going. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 15, 2009 Author Share Posted January 15, 2009 Ian there was nothing solid about this manta. Also the worst of it were the really poor repairs that had been carried out that would all have needed re doing. I dont just scrap mantas for fun. More often than not i save all i get. Digital photos have a habbit of making cars look a lot better than they are. At least when i say i've stripped a car i mean it. Not one single usefull part from this car will end up in the scrap yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vauxsenb Posted January 15, 2009 Share Posted January 15, 2009 Good Man Snowy, another hoarder like myself . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MANTAMAN Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 As i said it was a REALLY SCRUFFY Manta but on the face of it fairly solid,but then i've seen many a Manta that appears not too bad but when you dig around they haven't got any bottom in them,these are past saving. When you've crossed paths with a car several times you tend to get nostalgic but at least by saving it each time its kept it together as a complete set of parts till someone could make use of them,the efforts over the years haven't been wasted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksun Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I would be really interested in the wiring one as i know nothing about wiring. Im trying to go the opposite of you by putting bike carbs on a 2.0 8v. Using the bike pump controlled with a switch on the dash. I cant figure out how to get it wired for the life of me. Where did you get the fuse boxes and stuff, never seen anything like those before. Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowy Posted January 16, 2009 Author Share Posted January 16, 2009 You can get the fuse boxes from any decent motor factor. Demon tweeks sell them, vehicle wiring products and my local motor factor for example. Why do you want to control the fuel pump from a switch on your dash? Are you fitting this to a GTE or 1.8 shell? What managemant system are you going to run for the ignition? Or are you sticking with a 1.8 manta set up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksun Posted January 19, 2009 Share Posted January 19, 2009 Sorry i Forgot to say that it is going in an 1.8 shell (hatch) so no pump fitted already. I was intending to use the bike pump mounted under the bonnet. I was told that using it through a switch on the dash would simplify the install and act as a kind of immobiliser. It would also give me the correct 3 bar pressure for the carbs(?). (not sure if mounting it in the engine bay would be too much strain for it to be fair). There is no space for the facet pump on the head as it came from an injection. Although at the minute its got the 1800 head on till i get the manifold made at Bogg bros. But ive been told despite physically fitting, this is too small port wise to ever run properly. I wouldnt know what to wire the pump to to run when the ignition is on, do you think you can use the standard gte relay somehow or a modern equivalent?. As far as im aware i can get away without any ecu or management system at all. I may consider it later for better fuelling and response, it just plugs straight into the port on the carbs apparently. Cheers for any help im a car fiddling novice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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