'83 Nova Saloon Side Project

[boffer8]

Hi All,

Wanted a saloon for a while now and the opportunity came up after PVS to get one, so, took the dive as i saw a couple i liked there and wanted a slice myself

Plan; to get another engine put in as the original 1.0L have dropped a valve and its gone through the crown of the piston and buried itself in the valve seat so some big pennies to repair, clean up some little niggerling bits here and there and just ad a few choice modifications.

So....... a few pictures to begin

[Benn]

That's a good place to start.

[boffer8]

Managed to source an engine from over widnes, had pretty much the same mileage so the clocks mileage will be pretty much match, its a 1.2 which is a little bit of a shame not to be able to keep it a 1.0L but sometimes how the cookie crumbles. Has had a new cambelt, new plugs, oil service and looks to be a fairly newish clutch too, so thats a bonus!



Also found the original books and a haynes manual i aint seen before!



Couple pics of the current state of the old engine

[karisma]

Looks to be exactly same as my car. China blue b reg base saloon.

[boffer8]

So... had a monster weekend and got lots done

Old engine out:



New engine and gearbox mated ready to go in:



New engine in and running, started second turn of the key (first time had live and earth to coil wrong way round), ran mint!



now just got to sort the exhaust system out as its well rusty in places and bodged with a jubille clip so need to sort that out next weekend.

Once i was satisfied with the engine for now, i took the drivers seat out as when you sat in it it leaned badly towards the door, once i got it out i could see the issue:



So got the welder out and welded it up and built the seat back up and now sit square! (well as much as you can do in a nova! )

Next calipers, i had fitted a spare set of Mk2 standard calipers as the standard ones were sticking and these dont seem to have the same issues as they dont have the sliders like the Mk1 counterparts (sorry no pics)

Then a little messing with a spare set of compo's i had lying around, not sure though...

[Spudly]

Ey up mate, didnt know you had this, will look well with a small drop on them comps, whens the 40's from your rally car going on

[marc69]

Looks like a pretty clean example. I have had a few seat frames repaired, maybe the really earlier frames were thinner ?

Love the early Novas, for me personally, always the coolest.

[boffer8]

Ey up mate, didnt know you had this, will look well with a small drop on them comps, whens the 40's from your rally car going on

nah, bit of a last minute thing to be honest, well its on coilies so has a nice drop now, maybe that will help when its on the ground on them, had thought about it but assembling parts for a 32/34 weber conversion to see how it goes with that first, if not then the 1.4 with the webers can go in do miss the rought from them

You going billing spudders?

[boffer8]

hi all,

bit of an update from last weekend, had a little detour to pick an exhaust, manifold and snowplough section up on the way home, plus the bits id done at work it turned into a nice haul of parts to finish the saloon for billing,



Due to the exhaust being off a mk2 astra, a couple of the angles weren't quite right, especially under the tank, so a bit of cutting was required to rotate the angles and then 4 inches was cut off the front just behind the flange and added just after the beam to meet up with back box, rather canny how similar the astra mk2 exhaust is to fit a saloon!



once that was all fitted and sitting pretty, time for the front bumper, no bumper;



no bumper!



All fitted



Then a quick drive up and down the driveway to test it



Now only the wheels to fit, mudflaps to remove, filter to put on and then fix the rear number plate then shes mint and ready to go!

[Ernie]

looking good keep it up.