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Ma wee Nova project

26K views 98 replies 19 participants last post by  noukabaia 
#1 · (Edited)
*Edit* Had planned to get a Corsa. Ended up with a Nova, instead. Never mind :cool:.


After getting shot of the Corsa, i'd bought for a tenner a while back.

Wanted to build a project car again (after Astra CDX I had), this time it wouldn't be a my everyday car. Melv's Corsa and Jack's old Corsa project had been giving me ideas too lmao.

So I bought a 20XE off a friend.


It's needs a good amount of work as the woodruff key snapped and mashed half the vavles:doh:. But with block, loom, ECU and a F20 it only stung me £60. So i'll spend a bit of time rebuilding the XE. Even managed to get a Corsa/Nova XE exhaust manifold too.

Then started looking for a shell for this lot. Thought I’d stuck lucky again with a chance of a black Corsa Sport. Even better was the 1.6 was shot too. Price of it too was VERY keen at £150 with some goodies attached to it. Had to pay it up though as my other car needed tyres at the time. No front seats either, gutted! Some really nice Cobra buckets too :doh:.





Then a surprise when the guy I bought the car from told me what it had nailed on to the 1.6.....



Which changed my plans. As I now quite fancy a X16XE now and the Sport shell is not the greatest either :doh:.

So i'm going to look out for another Corsa and break the Sport. That said i'm not in rush either. Which means it'll be slow progress for the time being.
 
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#33 ·
Those OZ's clean up nae bother, with time....
Which I can't be bothered giving too.

By random chance from a friend of a friend. I was told a lad. I knew when I was at school, not 5 minutes away from me. Had 'one or two' Nova bits. He's broken about 6 of the things :eek:, as he's building a Rally car. Which worked out for me, as he was REALLY keen to have those OZ 14's off me.

A deal was done.

Driver's side wing and indicator
Magnex stainless back box
Pass. side rear light (to be euro'd)
A Blue MK2 dashboard in poor nick (came with a *** lighter and ashtray) for spares
GTE/GSi full side skirts.




Might go back see him about some other panels and items.
 
#35 ·
I ken.

TBH I had a few too many wheels about me and i'd of not bothered doing anything with the OZ's. Chucked in a corner to fester into a worse state.

I'm glad that someone is getting some use out of 'em and for their intended purpose.
 
#38 ·
Small update.

Had a week off, so I addressed one common Nova problem. Snapped handbrake cable.

Bought both cables just in case, lucky as both were shagged. Then after the drums came off, found the drivers side shoes were soaked in brake fluid :rolleyes:. New shoes and brake cylinders were ordered. Shame the shoes were the wrong ones, Corsa B or very very late Nova. Found the correct ones and help from Curtis. I've got a working handbrake.

Random pic. As was pissing down most of time, so cracked on when was dry. So sorry for lack of pictures.



Euro'd a rear light. Shame the tint spray was bollocks. Clear lights have been purchased to 'euro' with better stuff.




Then bought a GSi GM rear box. Which will be painted black, for an OE look.




Then ordered a 1.4 front pipe to cut up with a Corsa 16v de-cat pipe to mate to standard Nova centre section. Just to get the car going when the 1600 16v goes in. Will look at making up a better system later on. Research and Development init :beer:.
 
#39 ·
What to do on a week off........?

Give the Nova a set of new shoes and some moar lowz. That and go buy a donor car for it's suspension, this Corsa GSi. It's got other bits on it, XE'd too. Should be fully stripping it soon.



Donor Corsa had been fitted with these.





So Curtis cracked on with swapping the lot over. As I repainted the Irmscher wheels.




Turned out better than I thought. Well not bad for a beat up wee Nova.



 
#40 ·
Dunno how but I ended up with another Nova. A rolling shell with stitch welded engine bay and plate kit. But that wasn't mine for long, Curtis took a shine to it. So done a another wee deal and he now has it. He's wanting to build a track car out of it one day. Once his MK1 Astra is finished.






Here he is taking it for a 'quick' spin.

 
#44 ·
Ivan has one (Corsa GSi) with some form of 90's bodykit on it that's been in his lock up for about 8 years lmao
Offfttt...

So it'll be looking a bit rough then lmao.

Yeah he's got the kit still. He wanted that keeping with the exhaust as well (good as it's soddin LOUD!!). Just so he can sell on for few bucks.

I won't be back down until start of next year, more like next Vauxhall day at Crail time. So the rest car might or might not be broken up by then. I'll let ya know anyway.
 
#46 ·
That Corsa's future is in a pile of bits.

I've owned some rusty Vauxhalls in my time, but this one is proper f**ked lmao.

Got something planned for the XE........

Well can't sell it anyway, it blows reek under load lmao. I'll give it a light rebuild in the future.
 
#52 ·
Spotted a 1.6 8v plus box, loom shafts etc for sale up your way for £100. Do you know who's that is?
Much worse, than the Green Cesaro, loads of holes where shouldn't be and some key areas are missing!! She's seen a couple of good hard winters.

The engine and stuff. I've no idea who that could be, very tempting tho. But a baby valver with mantzel is calling to me :nod:.


Just had a quick read through... Some lucky finds.

Ive wanted a set of those OZ Sparco's for years!
Can't quite believe I got those wheels, then I got rid!! Gutted, but had to. Just didn't have the time/money to sort them. Which is kinda wierd, as most of the stuff found me like the wheels. Must of ment to be this build lmao.

Good result with the corsa for the bilsteins, they would have cost someone a pretty penny once upon a time Irmscher wheels came out excellent too, million times better than the steelies!!!
I know, really glad i've got them. Hope the Nova handles as good as the Corsa did. I'm also chuffed to bits with how the irmschers turned out too, but I kinda liked it on the steelies. Had planned to repaint them Nova SR style with some old school centre caps like Tony has done with the Nova SR replica he's building.
 
#54 ·
Time for an update, but on my daliy driver.

The Rover 45 i've been using has been spot on for the last year. But wanted to move on to something else, fancied another Vauxhall. Saved up and bought this wee beauty.

Cavalier GLS 1.8. 10 months test and some tax too.











She's a clean old bus. Very little rust and the common weak points are solid too :nod:. Fitted the Sport steels as the tyres on the standard wheels were about bald. Looking at giving it some lows and a nice looking back box later on. Could make a good home for that XE from that scrapper Corsa.
 
#58 ·
Not really truth be told. Distance is a big problem, it's too far to do a bit of spannering. Might of had it on the road by now if it was a good bit closer lmao.

Not forgotten about it tho. That shell in the 2nd page of this thread is to be cut up. So I should have all the panels to sort my Nova.
 
#59 · (Edited)
Got chance to head down for Crimbo.

So a small update on the Nova.

Fitted a new battery, the 1.0 OHV fired right up. Ran like any other, very tappety lmao. But found a puddle of water in the drivers footwell. Curtis has offered to take the car to his wee garage and strip out the carpet and dry it out. It will also get a dry home for a wee while. Big thanks to him, he's been a BIG help :beer:.

His MK1 Astra will have a friend now.


That Nova shell has been cut up now. That'll give me a few panels to play with.


That XE'd Corsa I got off him has been broken up now. Was REALLY tempted to XE the Nova after seeing the engine just sat there. Think the buzzy nature of a X16XE might suit it better.



It's bloody tempting tho :lmao:.
 
#61 ·
Thanks to Curtis, the Nova is MOT'd :). Got some insurance and tax sorted and put some miles on the little bugger!!

But it wasn't that simple though. Heater motor packed in, TBH it wasn't that great when a bought the car. After a lot of searching locally I found one and paid a small ransom for it!!

Still! It ment I could drive it without it steaming up inside.

Found a useable pair of SRi seats. To go with the rest of the SRi interior. Almost, would need the 60/40 seat brackets for the rear seats. Doesn't bother me tho.


Also back on to the steelies for the time being. Refitted the 'Nova' 'Vauxhall' badges too and a Nova GSi back box.


So it's nearly ready for Crail. Sort one or two niggles and refit the Spokes just left to do. But even as it is, it's a proper laugh to drive. Does need a bit more power though and a fifth gear too :lmao:.
 
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