novavan re-shell redtop T45s

[Grant_nova]

with buying a house and thing's my nova has been sat in the garage for about 3 years waiting for me to get some time to sort it out!
but now with getting married next year i've been told that its going to be my wedding car so with that kick in the ass i've got the love back for the old girl and started work on her

how she used to look


it was running a nova sport engine with 143-144 real sport carb's loved the sound but want some more power so going for a red top with twin 45 this time around

arter a good poke around the van to seam's to be rotting from the inside out the arch's and engine bay are fine but from inside the legs are going likes its not been coated right when it was made i've had it 6-7 years and alway been paited or under sealed but once the rot is in its in!!!
so the hunt was on


out with the old in with the new

[Grant_nova]

one of the first job's is to remove all sound deadering and re moved the re seat mounts and weld any where and everywhere it could be done






H.H engine bay strenghtening kit fitted

[Benn]

Nice project. Will watch this one..

[Tomo195]

looks like a good project, shame about the van being rotten looks really smart in first pic. what you doing with the sport engine if you dont mind me asking

[Grant_nova]

work from the last few week's now spent all the time trying to get the shell ready for paint, but this weekend i have a wedding to go to and pvs the week after so only a few nights a week


the red paint is red oxide the gray is zinic based paint don't want the same happen to this one!



stripped everything off it and needed a way to move it so made a dollylmao


now with the old nova looking sorry for its self needed somewhere to keep bits and with two garage's full only one more placelmaolmao P.S the misses was out when i moved thing's up ha she'll never know

[bucky]

love it. will be keeping an ye on this.
nova vans are beautiful

[Jay]

Nice nova mate looking forward to this one! good luck with the new shell,haha the missus will never know

[Tomo195]

top work, would be interested in selling the carbs off the sport engine

[Kev_G]

I was gutted when you took it off the road but it will be epic once its back and you have to take me out in it Grant

Going to keep a eye on this as always! Well catch up at billing no doubt

[Grant_nova]

top work, would be interested in selling the carbs off the sport engine

not sure was thinking in keeping them cause i'll like a early sr or standerd'ish looking nova with them on one day.

[Grant_nova]

I was gutted when you took it off the road but it will be epic once its back and you have to take me out in it Grant

Going to keep a eye on this as always! Well catch up at billing no doubt

yeah i'm counting the day's till billing got a right shoping list again every thing is booked sorted and payed! but i'm very jealous of you going the ring!!!! i'm going to go back but just don't know when!

[Kev_G]

yeah i'm counting the day's till billing got a right shoping list again every thing is booked sorted and payed! but i'm very jealous of you going the ring!!!! i'm going to go back but just don't know when!

im already planning next years trip mate lmao

[Grant_nova]

im already planning next years trip mate lmao

when??? might come!

[Grant_nova]

right had some time to put some pic on my lap top

as its going to be a van again there will be no back seat so time to remove some bits


my mk1 boot welded all holes up

and the start of the prep for that


also kicked the car out the for a few hours to get the cleaners in lmaolmao

[Kev_G]

when??? might come!

not totally sure about the same time if not later in the year

[Grant_nova]

few more pic's a sad day took the grinder to the old novavan and cut the panel's out!!

could of cryed!! after many hour's work got my boot lid like this!! all welded up ans smoothed

also got some stone chip for the air gun got some of the lad's coming next weeked to turn it on it's side so i can do the floor( but thats next weekend cause of pvs friday)

[jack_gsi]

nice work mate, keep up the good progress!

jack

[Tomo195]

not sure was thinking in keeping them cause i'll like a early sr or standerd'ish looking nova with them on one day.

same here mate, i want them for my mk1 1.3sr

[Grant_nova]

around the van panels are about 40 to 50 spot welds my hands where killing after doing the two!!!

i marked where the van panel sat and drilled the window lip to match i put panel seal in and clamped them down then set about welding!!



the shell was looking sorry for its self so thought i'd give it a smile

when i stood back and looked at this it made me smile too now it a van !!!!!!


a few hours later and a new reel of wire! both side's are now in. now it dent finding time

[Grant_nova]

right them chap with santa pod out the way and my mate doing well in the ten of the best shoot out back to the real world and a few weekends before billing it was time to sort the floor pan as the painter is booked so have to get a move on i striped the floor with a wire brush and nitromors, red oxide became my best friend!!lmao and with a old matress this is my new bed!!!!


with thiss looing good the next plan was to stone chip it and prime it!!!!!!! only to find out the hard way that stone chip and red oxide don't get on so reacted

[Grant_nova]

so the next few days are going to spent stripping it again gutted

[GaryVaux]

Seen this at billing the year the first pic was taken. (at the time was the only nova i had seen with mo 6's, hence why i bought my set, originality that works on a nova isnt easy these days lmao) New shell looks great, top work mate!!

[GraemeDixon]

Excellent work there mate, where abouts in North Wales are you, if you don't mind me asking and was the shell for Leigh near Wigan?

[Grant_nova]

Seen this at billing the year the first pic was taken. (at the time was the only nova i had seen with mo 6's, hence why i bought my set, originality that works on a nova isnt easy these days lmao) New shell looks great, top work mate!!

yeah i remember you msg'ing me about them mate. your right being differant i was thinking of changing the colour to red lol????? you going to billing this yaer i'll come say hello, be speaking to kev mk3 cause i'm going to join mig web club to show next year!

[GaryVaux]

Yep, going to billing (not taking a car tho, going with my cousin) Nice one, ah kev, watch that dodgey wannabe scouser, "scallywag" lmao.
Red = YES! (although what about power red? (as seen on the 2007 on astra vxr's, is a much "deeper" colour - lovely!!)

I always thought the rear pannels were bonded in? What makes them watertight of there just spot welded?