Kadett D aus Lettland

Hello everyone! Sorry to disappoint by writing in English but I will try to switch to German - eventually.

My name is Andris, I am 25, I work as an assembly process engineer in company which manufacture sweeper vehicles and I spent quite a lot of my teenage years with... Kadett D

The story starts in 2009, I was 13 at that moment and my car-addiction had woken up because my mother had (has, actually) Kadett D 1981, Berlina, with 13N engine, in Bernsteingold 403 color.

I learned a lot from my grandfather and he was overseeing and mentoring everything I was doing along the way. Long story short - something like 5 years later it had became black and I threw C20NE in it.

Along my (our) journey I installed brake kit from Astra F GSI, together with 22mm Delco master cylinder, the brakes were really great, also during track use.

Then in January, 2018 my clutch bearing decided to die and that made my Kadett to spend some time in garage, untouched. I knew that I would like to take a quick peek in engine after 50k driven kms, I installed all the piston rings, bearings, gaskets etc. new, again... I rebuilt my F16 gearbox to create C3.94 box and then I started the welding which kinda got stuck there. I knew that I have got cracks in the usual Kadett spots (outside the front suspention turrets), the lower wishbone rear mountings had also gone and the Kadett itself is still here, looking like this:

That would sum up the end of Part1. Sorry for that much pictures, it's not easy to pick these out even in random order like I did here...

I will try to write in german eventually, did learn the language for 7 years in school, has just forgotten it...

If you have any questions, I will be happy to participate in the discussions, feel free to write in german if it is easier for you, I will manage

P.S. I also own 2 Vectra 2000's - one 16v FWD, the other 16v 4x4

To be continued...

Part 2, coming along...

My friend bought Kadett D 3-Tuerer with 1.2 OHV or something engine some really long time ago. The shell itself was really in good condition, he started the work by changing the sills, although putting some more strengthening inside the sills. He also changed the rear arches and made some reinforcements to stiffen up front section - these suspension tower points so they do not get cracked. Then he bought Zafira A OPC, then he bought really good Kadett E and put Z20LET in it, then he drove Ascona C for some time. At last he bought Kadett C and decided that it is time to offer me the D shell - with all the paperwork ok, loads (and I mean it) and loads of parts together with the car - just to get it away from his garage. The deal was epic so I could not resist and in August 1, 2019 we brought it home - 110ish km drive, nothing too serious. Kadett was stuffed with parts up to the roof. Unfortunately there were some bare metal parts untreated and I did not unload the parts for a year just moved the Kadett around the town for some 2 times, I guess...

Finally, at some point in November I decided that my 2020 goal - getting married - was fulfilled and IT IS F.... TIME!!!

I unloaded all the bits that could be found in a Kadett and finally took a good look on what I was facing...

Kadett D 3-door shell - almost perfect just some tiny rust issues, most work already done;

A set of usable GTE plastics kit - 4 arches, rear panel, 2 front lips and a set of sills;

Loads of front grills, 2 rear seats, loads of inner parts;

D GTE board computer, numerous instrument panels from D, Ascona C, Kadett E usw.

So between the Christmas - Newyear holidays the Kadett arrived in the garage

The idea was to take a step forward and put Kadett on 5-bolt conversion with C20XE (pulled out from my Vectra 2000) but since there is some paperwork required beforehand - the idea now is to put all the running gear from the black 5-door (C20NE with X20XEV pistons, F16 C3.94 gearbox, Astra F rear axle and 256/260 brake kit and yadayada) on this, get it street legal, drive the hell out of it this season and along the way change everything to 5-bolts, C20XE with all the paperwork needed...

Firstly, my goal is to sort the shell/welding/underside protection, put it on wheels and dry-build it so I could weld something on or cut something off if not needed anymore...

Stay tuned!

So...

This fairy tale is steering towards... something.

Today I finally got the paperwork done and therefore my name and surname can be found in the registration.

In the past few months I have been welding the underside mostly - removed the fuel tank straps, rear spring supports, fixed the holes underneath the spring supports, replaced the fuel tank strap mounts, supports for the bigger tank with internal pump, placed the Astra F spring plates, started to modify the Ascona C radiator mount and after a lot of hopes and dreams - painted the whole underside.

Found cookies, hiding there.

Trial fit with rear axle, bigger tank etc.

Pipe mounting RH underside - something from VAG, Audi A7 perhaps. After a lot of faff while dealing with this bit on the previous Kadett - wanted to have something OEM looking but designed for the different sizes going there...

On the underside I cleaned everything as good and thoroughly as humanly possible, did not want to start from the bare metal if not necessarry and not a single sign of rust. Then etch primer, epoxy primer, seam sealer, Gravitex underside protection and grey PU paint on top of this.

Trial fitted the C20XE for the first time - this time with Ascona C front mount it finally sits straight in the engine bay. No need for tweaking the engine mounts (the first time C20NE in the black Kadett was sitting a bit angled - engine front, timing belt coming frontwards). The gearbox side - stock Kadett D smallblock, the rear one - not sure, should be Kadett E preFL... I guess

Really happy about the good condition of oldschool numberplates (with LV flag) as these are impossible to get nowadays but if you got yours in a decent shape - you are allowed to keep them.

Following next - should put epoxy primer on the inside and engine bay, put the rear axle, front struts on (these have to be removed from the black Kadett firstly) run the fuel and brake lines and basically get it driveable somehow... Fingers crossed about being able to legally drive this thing sometime this year.

At the moment there in the pictures should be a tank from Daewoo. I am waiting for my friend to remove another Daewoo tank which is significantly better than this one. I believe Kadett E tank shooould be the same and Astra F - well not that far away. I can't be sure 100% but I think all the 52L tanks are almost nearly identical - just the question about internal/external pump.

One year I had a winterbeater - rotten Kadett E, 1991, with C18NZ and I am removing stuff from that shell:

- tank straps and support plates to the floor;

- tank strap supports above the rear axle;

Then I removed the spotwelds from the original D points and tried to fit the tank approximately as good as on the E shell.

Afterwards fitted the rear axle to confirm the brake hose positions.

In other words - the LH side is quite like the original but moved somewhat outwards, RH side is moved back, above the rear axle compared to original.

Also, it is necessary to chop a hole in the seat base to be able to access the internal pump. E shell donating the plastic cover there as well...

I hope the pictures help to understand better.

About the gearbox mount - I did not have information that it does not fit and back in 2012/2013 when I assembled the first Kadett - The bigblock Kadett Ds were already impossible to find even thefossils from them - at least here, in Latvia.

As far as I know, the bigblock mount is different only with the strengthening plate in the front side. Is there something else I don't know?