"Pop" goes the...Nova :(

[Jim]

Some may recall a post I made a while back about how I didn't have mch confidence in my Nova. It had spent the best part of 18months at CP's workshop having minor bits and pieces done to it such as;

-Removal of electric windows that were replaced with polycarbonate windows all round.
-Installation of a quick rack
-Brake bias box installed
-Flocked dash installed
-Willwood brakes fitted
-New front coilovers
-Bit of a tidy up

Through a combination of time/funds and enthusiasm, the work that should have originally taken a couple of months eventually got finished.

The car was MOT'd and Taxed and ready to be driven home. CP had kindly offered to set the geometry up and make sure everything was ok before I came to collect it. This is how it stood just before it's test drive:



So there I was, the morning of the collection in Tescos buying CP a 'thank you' for allowing me to have the car in his workshop for such a long time. After literally just leaving the beer isle, I get a phone call from CP:

"Well Jim, you were right to be worried about the engine, it's just let go on me BIG TIME!"

At first I thought he was winding me up, hoping that he enjoyed driving the car so much that he wanted to keep it for himself. I carried on listening to what else CP was saying and it soon became apparent that he wasn't winding me up.

So later that afternoon I get to the workshop. The car was there, bonnet open. I couldn't really see a lot apart from a lot of soot around the front of the car.

It turns out that whilst CP was driving it (and no he wasn't thrashing it before you say anything, ) there was a catastrophic failure of one of the bottom end components (we think it was a big end bearing) this resulted in the con rod being thrown out of the engine via the front of the block, just behind the exhaust manifold. When this happend, CP recalls a "whoomph" noise as the oil that was once in the engine sprays over the manifold and subsequently catches alight. After getting the car to a halt as quickly as possible, CP jumps out, lifts the bonnet (with flames licking out from underneath) and has then been able to waft the flames out with his cap. Without his quick thinking there is no doubt that things could have been a lot worse - especially with the twin carbs and fuel lines only inches away from the flames.

Later that evening I drown my sorrows with a bottle of wine, .

During the next few days and several discussions with CP and MC, we decide to see what the exact damage of the engine is. Bear in mind the engine was about as modified as you could get on a non-motorsport budget I was very anxious about spending the same money on getting it all repaired.

So we begin stripping it down to assess the damage. You can see the soot all over the manifold and in the distance a small crack:



Close up of the crack (I say crack, I mean chasm ):



There seems to be something missing:



So that's what a knackered piston looks like:



Now it's pretty obvious the bottom end is a write off and I accept that. The deciding factor whether or not the engine was to be rebuilt was the damage to the head. Some may not believe in karma, I'm not sure if I do or not, but I've either been very, very lucky, or there is a higher force at work as it turns out the head was undamaged bar a slight blemish on an exhaust valve. Had the head been written off to, chances are a for sale post would have been put up many weeks ago.

[Jim]

So with the head safely tucked away, the rest of the engine is dropped out of the car and a new one sourced:



It came from an Astra, but it's the same as the very late spec GSi engines from Nova that came with the fancy coil pack, plus it has only done 43k miles; well, according to what the guy had written on the engine, . Either way the mileage isn't important as it's getting stripped down and rebuilt anyway

With the engine out I was left with another dilema; do I quickly replace the engine or go all out on the car and get it much more track prepared? I know that prior to the engine going, this was the most powerful N/A 1.6 8v going that I'm aware of. Seeing what other people have acheived with their similar specced engines I couldn't just do a quick fix and not have what I had before...and more. The decision was made to strip the car down to a bare shell (not that there was much on it before) and build an out and out track car.

With the engine out of the way, removal of everything else in the bay was pretty easy and with some help it was soon looking like this:



This has given me a chance to poke around with a screw driver and wire brush to see how the car's been holding up and prior to some surface rust a small patch behind the passenger headlight it's still all good and in pretty good condition considering it was alight at one point,



The rear beam was next to come off; this hasn't been off since the car came off the production line so whilst my enthusiasm was high I thought I'd get it off and will give it a going over before it goes back on:



The interior took all of 5 mins to remove; 2 seats and a rear strut brace don't really take much time, . The dash will be the next thing to come out:

[Jim]

And this is where I'm up to at the minute; the obligitory bench of removed items and the car looking very sorry for itself:





I've not had chance to work on it recently due to christmas and my girlfriend organising something for us to do pretty much every weekend from now until the middle of february, so progress has been slow, but I will crack on with it at the earliest possible moment.

The bottom end is currently away being worked on. Once the rest of the shell is stripped I then have the lovely task of removing all the silicon sealer that Vauxhall and the last bodyshop kindly used all over the car. The whole car will then be stitch welded. The sideskirts will be coming off and the bodykit shall be no more. I've purchased a custom cage that shall be getting welded into the car along with some mounting points for the subframes. I've got a fibreglass tailgate to go on and will be looking at sourcing some 15" wheels at some point. I know I've forgotten some other bits that will be happening, but I'm sure they'll come to me as and when the car gets rebuilt.

I'm not going to set a date for when it'll be finished as I won't stick to it, so it will be done when it's done. Ideally I want it done sooner rather than later so that I can actually drive it and enjoy it. It's only a matter of time before it simply won't be practical to own the car.

So there you have it. I will try and keep the thread updated when work is carried out on the car, but don't hold your breath, .

Jim

[Lee]

Blimey, odd that it would set light to the oil, i guess its because the block didn't completely blow out, but instead squirted it out of the gap it created. Im damn lucky that didnt happen to me as the first time i didnt have an extinguisher handy, and the marshalls didnt seem too bothered

Anyway, i know exactly how you feel Jim. Just make sure you drive it more next time

[Martin]

bad luck that jim, hope its back better then ever, seems every1s engiens ae givin up atm

[Adam]

F**king hell.
I didn't know yet another high power small block had destroyed itself.
Sounds like you were mega lucky only the bottom end needs replacing.



"about how I didn't have mch confidence in my Nova"
Why was that????


Perhaps the flames were caused by fuel being forced out the crack(if the valves were shut), and onto the manifold.....

[Ash]

Good to hear it not going to die as were the rumours. Always loved the look of the car, but for an out and out track car it's un-needed wieght. Look forward to seeing it out on track (this year?) I trust you will be keeping the N/A setup?

Flocked dash looks ace btw

[Mike]

Fook me Jim! Thats some proper unlucky shizzle!!

Although the plans for the rebuild do sound pretty ace :D

[Paul]

Not good news, glad it'll be back

[_JH_]

Gutted!