21st Mar 2012, 16:41
I have a 95 Cavalier 1.7 TD GLS. Best car I've had yet, has never let me down in 4 years, just passed its MoT again without fault! Best £200 I've ever spent!!!
21st Aug 2012, 07:30
I also own a Cav. TD GLS 95 (Isuzu). I've owned for 10 years. Bought it with 111,000 miles on the clock, and it now has 260,000.
It's had a hard life with my heavy right foot, but the motor has never missed a beat, & it still pulls strong all the way to 120 mph. Blows no smoke from the exhaust at all. Has regular oil changes.
Went on a trip to Scotland; filled the tank brim full, achieved 770 miles on 1 tank. No joke. Never went above 60 mph though.
People in Malta / Portugal go mental for these cars; possibly the best small block diesel ever. You can get some good BHP from Isuzu motors.
23rd Sep 2012, 10:24
Yeah, that's a mean Japanese engine. Now have 200500 on the clock for an M reg 1.7 Isuzu engine.
4th Nov 2012, 14:44
The Cavalier turbo diesel would have to be one of the best diesel engines about, plus you can buy parts for the Cavalier for buttons, so it's very easy to transform your Cavalier TD into a GSi or SRi replica; you can buy the bits you need for next to nothing.
Your Cavalier TD is very easily tuned if you're looking a wee bit more poke, and it will still give you 50 MPG. Before tuning a Cavalier, Astra, or Vectra TD, you need to make sure it has the Isuzu engine, because the Vauxhall TD engine is not a great engine, and any tuning to it, and it's more than likely to blow up!
17th Nov 2014, 19:22
I have a Corsa van 1.7D with the 1.7TD engine out of a Cavalier fitted. When I removed the engine from the Cav, it was showing 298k on the clock. I've done around 40k on top of that with 32 PSI of boost and the pump turned up, and it still starts every day. Wish I could buy a Cavalier brand new now.
29th Sep 2015, 18:38
I got my Cavalier 1.7 TD in June 2000, with 79,000 on the clock, and she's now done just over 200,000, and it has never let me down. I've never had a clutch in it, it starts first time; what more do you want?
When I got it, I was told to change the oil at 5000 miles by a Vauxhall mechanic, and when you've been on a long run, just let it tick over a bit to cool the oil down in the turbo and it should look after you, which it has done.
Just bought another one off eBay for £350 with 95,000 miles on it; hope these last me out.
If you want a cheap car with good MPG, get a Cavalier TD with an Isuzu engine. Also I've been told if it had a Vauxhall engine in it, it would have gone bang around the 100,000 mark. Long live eBay.
7th Feb 2016, 23:01
1993 Cavalier TD.
Bought this car in 2013 with 57,000 miles on the engine. What a great car. 55 MPG, loads of power; it's a pity the Chancellor doesn't see it as a good car, even better than the modern cars.
Long live the Cavalier TD.
9th Nov 2010, 07:17
I've had the 1.7TD (1995) for 13 years. Bought it with 71,500 miles.
I have always changed the oil regularly and she's been the best. I had to replace the clutch a couple of times and a few gear box gates, but she clocked 364,000 miles last Monday when the engine finally had a heart attack and passed away, not that you'd have known it as she didn't lose power and still made it 40 miles home. Couldn't scrap her, so got another Isuzu engine fitted :-).
If anyone needs a cheap, specialist then look up All Vauxhalls in Charlton, they did the heart transplant!