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Thread: Nova GSi Rally Car Build...16 years and counting...

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    Default Nova GSi Rally Car Build...16 years and counting...

    Inspired by Tom's build thread that I read last night I'm starting mine. Truth is I meant to start it last year, that was when after about 13 years I picked up this project again after new job, move to Cheshire married, two kids etc. etc.

    To start at the beginning, I was mad on rallying going back to the 80's watching Group B's in Sutton Park. My plan was to road rally the Java Green Mini I had at 17 years old. That never happened. A few years passed and after Colin McRae won the Network Q in 1995 I went out and bought a Peugeot 205 GTI. My best mate was a slightly reluctant co-driver but loved our first few outings on airfields and Anglesey. The car was a tidy car but basically a standard road car. I joined Streetly Motor Club and my good friend Chris Wright helped us get going, servicing and preparing the car. We progressed to BTRDA Silver Star but my ambition was to the Gold Star. A Group N ex-Network Q Nova GSi car was purchased from Lepley (don't go there!). In 1998 we finished 3rd in class (not difficult, as I remember only 3 crews racked up any meaningful points all season...still it's one to tell the kids! On the Plains Rally the Nova started to fall apart. The shell gave way at the bulkhead (some dodgy stitched in sections) which IMG]meant the drivers door was almost impossible to open...not good. At Curborough the brakes failed and then finally the engine let go. The car was stripped and a donor car (1989 Nova 1.2) acquired stripped and prepped.

    Christ it's 2.30am...more next time...here's my favourite pic

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    Awesome stuff... so now we know what *was*... what about what *will be*?

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    Club Member Club Member dgbnova#1's Avatar
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    Think he nodded off onto the laptop

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    Awaiting the next episode eagerly......
    To contact me please use E-MAIL to colinesmith@aol.com.

    thousands of Nova (plus other Vauxhall and motorsport parts) available.

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    Post Bare shell...

    Yes sorry that was a bit of unnecessary history really but may be now I can move things on.

    Not found any pics of the shell work. I did most of the stripping the donor car back to rolling shell and then cleaning all the seams for welding, which was a ball ache. The shell was largely rust free but a horrible brown colour. The seam welding and spray to white was done elsewhere with plating for the cage and modification for gearbox access. Don't think it was a full plating kit but it looks tidy enough. The cage is only a bolt in and if I'm honest I don't know where I stand with the current regs on that....original cage etc. Any advice would be welcome...(not got the Blue Book yet...didn't see much point in that expense until we are much further on).

    Anyway here's some pics to show what the starting point was this time last year...





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    Looking forward to the update!

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    Looking forward to updates, sounds like it will be very interesting

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    Here's the next instalment...So last year I started the build after a long wait. Too many excused to list but suffice to say starring at the covered shell in my garage was beginning to bug me. The pics below are of the bare shell. Seamed welded and sprayed at some cost by someone else as I don't have the skills. The plating was not full HH but should be good enough, the front offside arch inner is also modified for ease of gearbox work. The cage is only a six point bolt in and to be honest I Don't know if that will pass today.








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    Tried to add next update but looks like I'm too new! Going off to read instructions...not like me to jump in without reading the manual

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    Default The Plan...

    So the plan was originally just to get the car back on the road but as I have discovered it is too easy to get infected by upgraditis. Now this is the thinking...

    • 1600 8v on carbs, I've got standard bottom end rebuilt and wasn't going to touch that
    • ported and flowed head and appropriate cam
    • hoping for say 140hp...think that should be doable
    • f13/15 quaife synchro box
    • 40% plate diff....max I can use without going for power steering which I wasn't going do yet
    • uprated shafts with bigger hubs
    • Alcon brake kit
    • golf rear disc conversion


    Hoping just to spend time getting it right...looking at some NW Tarmac events and back to Anglesey May be.

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