Hi there everyone. I have litterally just found this site and just had to join.

I thought I'd just introduce myself and my car, so excuse me if I get long winded...but I adore this car.

I'm 25 and I live all the way down here on the Isle of Wight...And this Cavalier is probably my oldest friend.

We've had this car since 1982 when it was brand new and was a company car when my Dad worked for what was then the "Town and Country" building society.

Build 1982, colour is "Antique gold".

I simply grew up with this car. Such was the fondness my family had for it that, for some reason, it was always refered to by its reg number "849" as if it was its name.

We bought the car off the company when they sold it, I guess they went onto to other models after a few years, and we've had it ever since. It's never been owned by anyone but us.

I did miles and miles sat in the back as a small child and the car is almost a member of the family.

Sadly my Dad died a couple of years back but, as the car had such immense sentimental value, I refused to part with it and ownership fell to me.

"849" is still on the road today and in very good condition indeed. It's about 99% rust free, a really tinsy bit on the bonnet and I mean tinsy!

I'm really pleased that there are other people who like these cars and I just wanted to introduce 849 to you all and show him off

So, do ya like it?

Hi Anni,

Welcome to the site....

Good to see another early Mk2 being cared for, there are now a few of these around now.

It's nice that yours has the history that it has, cars like these do become part of the family and fond memoires generally include them as well, holidays and days out.

There is a wealth of info on here and a lot of friendly faces, hope you enjoy the site

Lovely motor, nice to see one in such good condition. I also have a 1982, although mine's a 2 door and a continental cousin (Opel Ascona).

Welcome and enjoy the forum.

Welcome  Looks a clean car and well cared for alrite. My CD is Platinium Gold not sure if the earlier ones had this same shade of gold. If you look on the front locking panel the paint code will be wrote there.

Hello and welcome

Nice early mk2 you have there, good to see your keeping it in tip top condition 8)

As your from the island i wonder if youve spotted another mk2cav member, MarkIOW, cruising around in a rather faded looking Cavalier Calibre?

As your from the island i wonder if youve spotted another mk2cav member, MarkIOW, cruising around in a rather faded looking Cavalier Calibre?

I may well have, I know of atleast 5 other MK 2's just on the Isle of Wight.

A white Cavalier 'Commander', a blue hatchback I park next to at work, a red convertable I saw this afternoon, another one identicle to mine and I know there's another one about.

Thanks for the welcome too everyone!

Yeah 849's a great car with so many fond memories, and some not so fond such as a Honda Accord ploughing into the front of it in the very late 80's. Thankfully that was all repaired and good as new.

Here's a question for those more in the know...

I have many memories of this car being problematic for aquiring parts, even when these cars were 'modern' in thier day.

I recall my Dad saying that this car was an "oddity" because it was actually built in Germany and some parts weren't in the same place as ones built here.

Many times parts were ordered and had to go back because the 'standard' UK parts weren't right for it.

Can anyone shed any light on this at all?

Was this odd?

Is this car some kind of oddity? An Opel in disguise under all those Vauxhall badges?

I'm intuigued to learn more about this because it's something that always caused problems at garages when I was small 

there doesn't look to be anything odd about your Mk2.

Cavaliers were built in two places, belguim and luton, i would imagine yours is a belguim built car, there has always been a theory that thhe belguim built cars were better bulit but there has never been any hard and fast prof to back this up.

Even today service parts are easy to come by, some of the trim is now impossible to find, but on the whole you shouldn't have much of an issues finding parts for you car

Another early on from the isle of wight, cool, I flew 550 miles last year to pick one up from the isle of wight, its only got 14,000 miles on it

Welcome to the club

hey and welcome to the site - I don't know whether anyone has explained this to you - (well done for reminding me Paul!)

that your cav has an almost identical history to mine. I'm sure there is a link to my story I could paste but it seems more apt to give you an overview here..

I'm 26 years old, and my cavalier has traveled with me all the way from scotland with me to the South West of England.

My Cavalier is probably my oldest friend too!

I've had my car since my mum passed away when I was 12, and the car was my mums since February 1982 when it was brand new and was my dads first company car when he worked for Sir Alfred Mcalpine as an engineer.

Build 1982, colour is "Jamacia Yellow".

I simply grew up with this car. (see my avatar on the left! and the pictures elsewhere on the site!)

It's never been owned by anyone but us and in the summer I tracked down the original dealership - see my story of summer 2005 - who gave me even more history of the cars past (including reciepts signed by my mother for its main services, and its original sales recipts too..

"I did miles and miles sat in the back as a small child and the car is almost a member of the family." snap!We lived in Scotland and the rest of the family lived in southern England - the cav always did us proud, eating up the miles when others failed.

As other people may concur with me - my cav means an immense amount to me, it will be mine till the day I die - it was the reason I started mk2cav and even when my whole family were telling me it was time to move on, due to sentimental value, I refused to part with it and ownership fell to me back in 1996.

'Beth' - What I called it when I was little shall we say!) It's now about 100% rust free thanks to Kev (magpie on the site and it should be in paint for the first time in years this year.

I'm really pleased to see 849 here, and I really hope that you become part of the club and 'show him off' at our events in the time to come. (It can also be really useful to become part of the club!)

I hope you enjoy your time on the site, he looks like he has many a happy year to come!!!

Andy, your cars history is amazing! (Just sent you an e-mail)

I'm rooting around for some old pictures of 849 and I came across this slightly sad one of the aftermath of the collision I mentioned in a previous post.

I'd gone shopping with my Mum, my Nan and my Grandad and we were waiting to pull out from a junction when some muppet in a Honda Accord came along too fast and swerved into 849....doing this to the front of him  > :'(

This was in about 1989, I'd have been 8, and I remember it well to this day. The Muppet even had the audacity, at first, to say it was our fault even though we were stationary!! I think he shut up after the threat of legal action  ;D

849 did get all repaired and good as new very soon after this though thankfully. However its a shame the original number plate didn't survive as it had the name and logos of the garage 849 came from on it "Carlton garage - Clacton". The photo doesn't show it well but the number plate was split down the "UDL" bit. Atleast the rear one is still original though.

On the plus side though...you should have seen the Honda Accord!! The damage to 849 is unpleasant but the Honda's front end was completely stove in, looked like it had hit a tank not a car! Can't say I sympathise with its driver as it was he who lost control due to speeding anyway.

The diffence in parts you have had in the past is because you have an early spec car - running the early brakes etc..etc.. I rmemeber there were occasional parts shortages where bits had to be ordered from abroad etc..

Ahh, thanks for that explanation Andy!

Did you get my e-mail by the way?

yup, i did, but I wouldnt expect any main events terribly close to you for now! The events we do seem go to have the fun of a convoy to them, where you meet up with others and make a big long line of cavvys!

If you only pop to one event this year I'd recommend billing - you can see its planning it underway now - should be fantastic!

hello anni,welcome to the site  ;D ;D  great story of you're cav you have there,hope to see you at a show soon  8) 8)

hi there thats a nice cav, im also the ownar of an early example, these are hard to find in such a good condition as yours, nice motor!!