DChurch's Cavalier tale reminds me.
I myself had a Cav (a bit more recent - think it was an L-reg).

When I got it, the plastic tab that connects the ignition switch to the lock had broken off, so I was given instructions to put the key in (this was important - it takes the steering lock off, you see) and then use a screwdriver on the ignition switch to start the car.

That lasted for a while, but then the car started cutting out every so often. It turned out that the problem was a faulty ignition switch. My solution? Cut the wires to the ignition switch, and wire up a toggle switch (to turn the ignition on and off) and a push switch (to start the engine).

Starting the car became a matter of switching on the toggle switch mounted under the steering column and then pushing the starter button. Dead cool it was. Only problem was, the gauge of wires I used couldn't handle the current going to the starter solenoid, and the wires would sometimes glow red hot.

Then the handbrake cable failed. My ingenious techno-hack? Carry around a brick to stick behind the rear wheel.
(Flap Burger hasn't really got a burger made of flaps, Sat 22 Aug 2009, 10:05, 4 replies)

Handbrake troubles
I remember when the handbrake failed on my Audi. One too many handbrake turns in the works car park, and the handbrake mounting bracket actually separated from the rest of the car.

It was an automatic, so I just used to leave it in Park after that. Which was great until a CV joint failed completely, half way up a hill. I had to roll all the way back down and find some level ground to leave the car on.

Wish I'd though to carry a brick.
( Horatio P Lemming, Sat 22 Aug 2009, 10:18, closed)

Now this is odd...
...a friend of mine had a Cav with that exact setup - it's what gave me the idea for mine when I snapped the key.

It wasn't rust-brown was it with the flat boot lid?

Mine was a yellow hatch, his was the 'saloon'.

It seems too much of a coincidence to be a different car?

Although it does seem to be common in Cavaliers!
(dchurch bah, Sat 22 Aug 2009, 12:36, closed)

Not 'brown' exactly
It was sort of beige/white with a big streak of rust down the side below the filler cap. And it did have a flat boot lid.

The registration ended EJX...
(Flap Burger hasn't really got a burger made of flaps, Sat 22 Aug 2009, 21:00, closed)

My astra's handbrake used to stick.
I just parked it in gear.
( Slippery Mick ‏, Mon 24 Aug 2009, 0:01, closed)