My mates nova project, need advise!

[c2_lad]

hey all, my mate and I are undertaking a project on a nova he got for free(in pretty good nick), and we just picked up an astra(running, just out of tax/mot) for 50 squid.
Ive been searching on here but havent been able to find much info to help, we are hoping you guys can advise us!

heres what we have:

Nova 1.2 carbed engine (engine not going so good, sounds like dodgy piston)

donor astra 1.4spi(I know not the best but we are gonna go with it just to get the nova on the road)

so what exactly is the best route for us to take now?

EDIT: I should add that he is on a really strict budget as he is getting married at the start of next year!

[Welsh Dan]

The SPI wiring is very complicated for what it is, with that in mind I'd find another engine. 1.2 carb units usually come up for sale on here for nothing or next to nothing (I paid £10 for mine), and you could swap them over in an afternoon given the right tools.

If you can't get hold of another carb unit, the MPI 8v units tend to have self contained wiring looms, these are much easier to connect up than the SPI looms which are mixed in with the car looms.

That said though, whip the head/sump off the 1.2 and find out exactly whats going on :).

[mowgli]

sell them both & buy a runner. the parts cost to get the 1.4i running, ie. new tank, etc. would blow any tight budget

[coldo66rc]

buy a complete cylinder head with cam, carb, manifold and a distributer off a 1.3 sr, put the 1.3 head on th 1.4 block with a 1.4 cylinder head gasket. I've done that for my autotest car an runs o.k

[mowgli]

buy a complete cylinder head with cam, carb, manifold and a distributer off a 1.3 sr, put the 1.3 head on th 1.4 block with a 1.4 cylinder head gasket. I've done that for my autotest car an runs o.k

as the 1.2 head is the same as the 1.3, that could the best answer, make a bitser from the 2 engines. the 1.2 carb & manifold will run a 1.4 in std tune ok. just get the things like the cam pulleys right, the later ones are different to the earlier ones.

[c2_lad]

Okay, so we could take the 1.2 carb, inlet etc and put that on to the 1.4 engine and remove the Injection from the equation?

[AlexW]

I think i would be temped by 1.4 carb setup, ive done this myself, had to get a cam/cam box, carb, inlet, dizzy and a couple of other things.

[Dod]

The 14SPI can be converted o a Carb engine and as you have everything but a Carb for it you're flying. Try and get a 1600 Cavalier Carb and inlet. Instant 14SR engine then.

[hendrix]

^ Yep, thats all my mate did. Are the cams the same too?

[Dod]

From what I've heard, yeah identical. I cant say for definate though but they look identical and I've been told on here they are so.....

[c2_lad]

okay so this will work: Take 1.2 head/inlet and carb off, fit to 1.4spi engine and it should run okay? then better carb/cam to get it up in power? is there any other parts we need to get our hands on, The idea is to get the 1.4 in first and working, then worry about tuning a little later after we tidy up the shell a little etc.

[just vaux trev]

crank sensor issues??

[Adam]

To run a carb you will need change the camshaft, camshaft housing, distributor/coil/module as well as the carb and inlet.
1.4spi's have a different cam to 1.4sr's.

Spi's a much more reliable system anyways.

[c2_lad]

thanks for all your advice so far guys, Im trying to note all this down, at least I have plenty of options now for him, just need to find the cheapest route! Adam you seem like you have been in a similar situation with an SPI engine and a 1.2(I think) to start out with, what can we really do with what we have before we start looking for parts? is there no way we can just drop in the SPI engine and get it going? Im thinking with the top half of the 1.2 engine stuck on to the 1.4 bottom end it should run okay as standard, until we can get a better carb,inlet and cam?