985cc Turbocharged Nova Sprint Car

[novarally]

Blast media won't get inside the rails will it? Thought it was just outside only?

The more I look into it, the less keen I am on the blasting options. The risk of damage to the metal seems to be high, and the last thing I want is to have to be using high-build primer or filler to rectify warped panelwork.

However, I've just got off the phone from a very interesting chat with 'Paint Strip' in Preston, and now I am 99% certain I will use their services. They were the people who did Chris Astley's shell some years ago.

Their thermal paint removal process is going to cost me less than £450 (could be a fair bit less than that due to the lack of rust and absence of any external panels on my car), and they can primer the whole car, and powder coat the inside in a colour of my choice for roughly £200 more.

[novarally]

Picked up my new split rim wheels today, if I get time I will do an update tomorrow.

[fearless]

Liking the progress so far Colin

Was down at Martin Bowyers (Bowyer Developments) today when your Corsa VXR head turned up - no Idea what he has planned for it yet - hope he starts to assemble our engine before he even starts to look at that !!! :)

[MK999]

Liking the progress so far Colin

Was down at Martin Bowyers (Bowyer Developments) today when your Corsa VXR head turned up - no Idea what he has planned for it yet - hope he starts to assemble our engine before he even starts to look at that !!! :)

Oooooooooo rly :) They fit a 1.2 bottom end by any chance? lol

[novarally]

Liking the progress so far Colin

Was down at Martin Bowyers (Bowyer Developments) today when your Corsa VXR head turned up - no Idea what he has planned for it yet - hope he starts to assemble our engine before he even starts to look at that !!! :)

Hi Dave.

I'd be curious to know what Martin has planned for that.

Colin

[fearless]

He joked about putting it on an 1800cc block - I could see the cogs in his head turning as he looked at it :)

Not sure what he's got planned for it - I don't even think he remembered buying it !!!

[MK999]

He joked about putting it on an 1800cc block - I could see the cogs in his head turning as he looked at it :)

Not sure what he's got planned for it - I don't even think he remembered buying it !!!

Ahhh I see, not as interesting as sticking it on the 1l turbo then lol

[SimonTW]

I've used Ribble Tech a few times! They are spot on. They have never had any shells for me to nosey at when I've been though so looking forward to seeing your results! Is powder heavier or lighter than paint? Do you think powder would be suitable for the underside and inside the wheel arches?

[novarally]

I've used Ribble Tech a few times! They are spot on. They have never had any shells for me to nosey at when I've been though so looking forward to seeing your results! Is powder heavier or lighter than paint? Do you think powder would be suitable for the underside and inside the wheel arches?

I'm speaking further with the owner (John Sutton) tomorrow, and funnily enough the questions you've raised about powdercoating are already on my list!

[MK999]

Was reading up a bit on powder coating the other day, and it's basically dry 2k paint according to one source I found.

[SimonTW]

I have found powder to be alot more durable than 2k on wheels. I'd imagine it's the same on a cars panels if there's no underseal or stone chip undercoat being used which again should save weight.

[MK999]

I'm not sure how reliable this source is tbh, but that's what it said :p saying that my white speedlines are in 2k and I've not noticed any chips etc in them.

[novarally]

A few quick photos of the new split rims from Force Racing.........

7.5" x 15" fronts;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/001-23.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/002-56.jpg

and 7" x 13" rears;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-58.jpg

[MK999]

Colin you're as bad as the european spammers, and you actually have access to 18+, no excuses there!

[SimonTW]

Awesome! There looks to be hardly anything to them! What do they weigh in at? Also, why are they smaller diameter on the rear?

[Ash]

Small on the rear to reduce drag.

Colin, those 13" turbo rims - where they 4" PCD? I was watching a set for Dad's Ginetta on eBay (Damn hard to find 4" PCD). New wheels look immensely light!

[novarally]

Small on the rear to reduce drag.

Colin, those 13" turbo rims - where they 4" PCD? I was watching a set for Dad's Ginetta on eBay (Damn hard to find 4" PCD). New wheels look immensely light!

Really it's big on the front to improve the gearing. I'd run 13" on the front as well if I thought the gearing could be got right everywhere, but as it is it's perfect with 15" on the front. Plus I have nearly new 15" slicks, so I can't afford to waste those.

Yes, the Compomotive Turbos were 4" PCD (because I have Mini hubs on the back of my Nova).

They're a tough wheel to find now in any PCD, let alone 4". The ones I had got sold to a guy who has a spaceframe Hillman Imp with a 600bhp turbo motorcycle engine mounted in the middle!!

The new wheels are 4.3kg for the fronts, and 3.6kg for the rears.

[Ash]

Thats funny, his Ginetta is a G15 - hillman imp engine/base. 120bhp hartwell 998cc. Trying to convince him to put a bike engine in tho. He reckons he wants 15's for it, which in 4" PCD i dont believe exist unless you go to Image and have them made.

[novarally]

Thats funny, his Ginetta is a G15 - hillman imp engine/base. 120bhp hartwell 998cc. Trying to convince him to put a bike engine in tho. He reckons he wants 15's for it, which in 4" PCD i dont believe exist unless you go to Image and have them made.

I'm a big fan of the G15.

I regularly race against the bright orange G15 998cc (Imp engine) of Andrew Russell. That's a very quick car.

Depends what your Dad uses it for, but I can't see why he'd want 15" wheels on it.

There has been a very nice G15 rolling chassis on EBAY recently which was set-up for a bike engine. I have to confess I was tempted by it, but with the bike engine in there you'd be struggling to find anywhere to race it.

[SimonTW]

I'm speaking further with the owner (John Sutton) tomorrow, and funnily enough the questions you've raised about powdercoating are already on my list!

Did you manage to speak to him. I'm interested in the answers.

[boss]

nice wheels mate you picked a colour for it yet nd have you got any videos of it racing

[Connor]

Oh my those wheels are sexy :wisewood:

[novarally]

Did you manage to speak to him. I'm interested in the answers.

Still not spoken to John Sutton, the boss of the company. He seems to be very poor at returning phone calls.

I'll try again tomorrow.

[novarally]

Did you manage to speak to him. I'm interested in the answers.

I've now caught up with him, and the Nova is booked in for paint stripping in a couple of weeks time. John reckons that the powdercoat will actually be lighter than wet spraying paint, but he is also a chemist by profession, so he's going to do the calculations to be 100% sure. He also says powdercoat is perfect for finishing the underside, wheel arches and engine bay, so I may as well get all those done whilst it's with them.

That will just leave an outer top coat to apply once all the carbon fibre/fibreglass panels are fitted into place.

What I still haven't decided on is the colour!

So, with a deadline to work to, I've started getting all the bits removed from it, and I've got cracking with all the structural metalwork which needs doing before it can be primed.

Photos to follow soon!

[novarally]

Carbon fibre front end removed (not very tricky!);

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/002-57.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-59.jpg

Intercooler and radiator removed, along with the front slam panel;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/005-40.jpg

Bit of messing about with a slightly smaller width radiator, which would allow me to get a more direct airflow into the turbocharger;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/004-48.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/011-27.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/006-41.jpg

[novarally]

Unfortunately the alternative radiator is slightly taller than the old one, and there's not enough room under the slam panel for it, with the intercooler on top as well. The only way I'm going to be able to accommodate it will be to slant the radiator forward to get some clearance.

I've chopped the rest of the front inner wings out to save a bit more weight (about 1.5kg);

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/010-31.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/009-32.jpg

The gaps will be filled in with carbon fibre sheet eventually.

I'm also carrying out major metalwork at the back end, removing all the metal I can get away with in accordance with the Regulations;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/012-28.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/013-21.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/014-24.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/017-33.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/018-29.jpg

The pile of rear metalwork so far (nearly 4kg);

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/019-25.jpg

[novarally]

I shall take expert advice before I do it, but I plan to also remove the rearmost sections of chassis rail behind the mountings for the anti roll bar, along with the outer sections of the wheel arches;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/015-26.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/016-32.jpg

I've also acquired a rather nice carbon fibre brake pedal, which previously did service in a 1992 Formula 1 Arrows Footwork car;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/002-59.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/001-24.jpg

I have serious doubts about whether it can be made to fit my pedal box, but it looks nice.........

And my existing alloy oil catch tank is too heavy, so I'm going to make my own out of carbon fibre, using some of this tubing I got hold of;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/021-19.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/020-21.jpg

[MK999]

Getting rather happy with the grinder there Colin lol

As for the rear sections since you've cut out all they attach to you'll lose nothing by trimming them down, in fact trimming them down and then capping them off may well be stiffer if anything, at the moment though they're just flapping in free air so not doing anything at all. I would leave your wheelarches as is as they're actually probably the strongest thing on a nova, and your ARB attaches to them.

Edit: although anything behind the ARB or the outer part of the arches or actually 'inner arch' as you'd call them if doing bodywork like an arch repair if that makes sense?... could go, as they're only .5mm stuff and not really structural.

[novarally]

I would leave your wheelarches as is as they're actually probably the strongest thing on a nova, and your ARB attaches to them.

Edit: although anything behind the ARB or the outer part of the arches or actually 'inner arch' as you'd call them if doing bodywork like an arch repair if that makes sense?... could go, as they're only .5mm stuff and not really structural.

I'd only be removing the outer bits of the wheel arch, not the sections where the roll cage/ARB mounts attach to.

[fearless]

Not sure if its already been discused in the previous 152 pages - but a weight saving trick the Nova rallycross challenge cars used to do is trim down all the door/window apperutures where the rubber seals sit - you could probably lose about 6/7 mm round each door/window etc before you refit the rubbers (You've probably done away with the rubbers already ;) )

It's not something the scrutineers used to pick up on !! - and every bit counts

[novarally]

Not sure if its already been discused in the previous 152 pages - but a weight saving trick the Nova rallycross challenge cars used to do is trim down all the door/window apperutures where the rubber seals sit - you could probably lose about 6/7 mm round each door/window etc before you refit the rubbers (You've probably done away with the rubbers already ;) )

It's not something the scrutineers used to pick up on !! - and every bit counts

The rubbers are long gone, but I must say this is a new one to me. It would definitely be classed as a cheat, and not one I would want to risk.

[fearless]

Its only bending the rules slightly :) - Is there a specific rule that you would be breaking ? Your only bringing the shell to within Vauxhalls 5mm tollerance of panel fit of the 80's -LOL

[novarally]

Its only bending the rules slightly :) - Is there a specific rule that you would be breaking ? Your only bringing the shell to within Vauxhalls 5mm tollerance of panel fit of the 80's -LOL

Specifically you aren't allowed to removal metal between the wheel centres in the name of weight saving. How that would be interpreted in temrs a +/- tolerances is a good point though.

[novarally]

The exhaust system is on the 'in need of attention' list when it comes to weight saving;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/009-33.jpg

The complete side-exit system from the turbo back weighs in at nearly 5.5kg.

I've been in consultation with a local exhaust specialist that does a lot of work with race bikes, and we've decided to make a larger bore system out of aluminium tube.

The heat close to the turbo will prevent aluminium being used at that end, but it won't be a problem further back, and will offer a useful saving in weight, and maybe some extra power/torque from the larger bore.

We looked at titanium and Inconel, but the costs of materials is high, and the fabrication costs are even worse.

Aluminium is lighter still, easy to work with and relatively cheap.

On a race car used over short distances like mine, it would appear to be the ideal solution.

[mowgli]

Would ally tube survive the heat off the turbo? The airflow on a bike is way different to under a car floor

[novarally]

Would ally tube survive the heat off the turbo? The airflow on a bike is way different to under a car floor

I've been doing plenty of research on the subject, and I'm confident that it can survive in the short duration bursts it will see.

This link has loads of information (and some of the nicest welding I've ever seen);

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2599745&highlight=aluminium+exhaust

Seems aluminum (as they call it) is pretty common in the USA for exhaust systems.

[mowgli]

it used to be called aluminum here too, but some scientists fell out & they changed it......

[Kev Turbo]

I just love this thread.

The dedication is supurb and its great when i see the Kg's falling off the car.

What realistically do you think you can get the car down to weight wise?

I often laugh when i see people go to these measures to loose weight off there car then i see them on the drag strip and they are 20 stone!

Surly a huge investment would be made in Driver weight also - Its free also :)

I cant remeber your size though so you cant be a big person or it would have stuck in my mind :)

Great work Colin

[novarally]

I just love this thread.

The dedication is supurb and its great when i see the Kg's falling off the car.

What realistically do you think you can get the car down to weight wise?

I often laugh when i see people go to these measures to loose weight off there car then i see them on the drag strip and they are 20 stone!

Surly a huge investment would be made in Driver weight also - Its free also :)

I cant remeber your size though so you cant be a big person or it would have stuck in my mind :)

Great work Colin

Yep, I'm overweight........but I am working on that too, having just got a new mountain bike which I'm enjoying.

My ultimate target for the Nova is 540kg. I just can't see it can go any lighter than that within the Regulations I need to adhere to.

[BRoadGhost]

Love the chopping & the workshop looks good too :)

[mowgli]

re the acid dip argument.... if you did strip & acid dip it, then clean it up properly, followed by a really thin coat of paint, it would save you a fair few kg, but you obviously would need to keep it in the dry to stop it rusting..

i read a story about the skoda rally team.. they were so short of funds, that they had to get really clever, so the rally shells would be put thru the acid baths on the production line time & time again to get the metal thinner to get the weight down.

[novarally]

Not much to report as I've barely been at home in the last couple of weeks, but a small update;

Carbon fibre seat mounts have arrived, specially made for me by my friend Simon at Reverie;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/006-44.jpg

And some more custom bits knocked up by a friend in his lunch hour;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/013-22.jpg

And the start of my experimentations with making a carbon fibre gear lever, to replace the rather heavy duty billet alloy one that's been in there previously;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/012-29.jpg

[Dervy]

every kilo helps, is that a solid carbon rod or is it a tube?

[novarally]

every kilo helps, is that a solid carbon rod or is it a tube?

Tube.....solid would be far too heavy.

[Dervy]

im guessing that weighs bugger all then

[novarally]

im guessing that weighs bugger all then

It's very light, but obviously very strong too.

My plan later is to replace all the gear linkage rods with carbon tube, and make the steering column out of it as well.

[angusl2006]

My friend still cant believe that steering wheel never mind the car!

keep up the good work.

Angus

[fearless]

Where's the carbon rod from Colin - looking for some for my project

[novarally]

Where's the carbon rod from Colin - looking for some for my project

I've been using www.carbonology.com (http://www.carbonology.com) excellent service and good quality

[burgo]

how much wet running do you do colin? im gussing not alot, if that is the case cant you ditch the wiper set up?

[calibra-keith]

i knew there would be some nice goodies but wasn't expecting this amount of updates/work since i was last on here


how much wet running do you do colin? im gussing not alot, if that is the case cant you ditch the wiper set up?

as far as i know you need them ........

[novarally]

how much wet running do you do colin? im gussing not alot, if that is the case cant you ditch the wiper set up?

Regulations require a functioning wiper system to remain in place, irrespective of the weather.

[alistairolsen]

Is that big alloy plate under the pedals as thick/heavy as it looks? If so, ripe for a cored carbon sheet with inserts in it.

Not sure id be so keen on a carbon column if Im honest. but you could certainly swap out the heavy rods for some larger diameter CDS tube?

Looking really good though! An inspiration on weight saving!

[novarally]

Is that big alloy plate under the pedals as thick/heavy as it looks? If so, ripe for a cored carbon sheet with inserts in it.

Not sure id be so keen on a carbon column if Im honest. but you could certainly swap out the heavy rods for some larger diameter CDS tube?

Looking really good though! An inspiration on weight saving!

No, it's just very thin gauge aluminium sheet bent up to make a foot support. But I may well change it for carbon when I put it all back together.

Various F1 cars have used carbon fibre in the steering columns, so I cannot see any safety issues at all.

[phunkynova]

Colin just going back to paint or powder coat would a Vinyl rap be lighter ?.

[MK999]

Regulations require a functioning wiper system to remain in place, irrespective of the weather.

Hmmm, functioning wiper...

5inch long single wiper when it's not raining?

[novarally]

Colin just going back to paint or powder coat would a Vinyl rap be lighter ?.

I have no real idea comparing one with the other, but you couldn't apply the wrap over bare metal, so in addition to a coat of paint it would have to be heavier.........

[Mike]

Do like those seat mounts!

Sorely tempted to nick that idea & make some at work over the weekend, more for sheer looks TBH lol lol

[MK999]

Do like those seat mounts!

Sorely tempted to nick that idea & make some at work over the weekend, more for sheer looks TBH lol lol

I'll take 4 :) Especially since you can't charge me for them lol

[Mike]

I'll take 4 :) Especially since you can't charge me for them lol

Cant make anything at work for personal gain. Unless I supply my own matierials & time :) I spend all day making M600 bodyshells, One-77 undertrays & Vantage rear diffusers. Pair of seat mounts will be a doddle!!

[MK999]

Cant make anything at work for personal gain. Unless I supply my own matierials & time :) I spend all day making M600 bodyshells, One-77 undertrays & Vantage rear diffusers. Pair of seat mounts will be a doddle!!

Awww :( damn loopholes! 4 for a hug and a tea at nats?

[Mike]

Awww :( damn loopholes! 4 for a hug and a tea at nats?

I might be in Australia in the summer doing Indycar stuff :/ its all TBC :/

[OllieKing]

Thumbs up for the carbon shifter!

[mowgli]

I might be in Australia in the summer doing Indycar stuff :/ its all TBC :/

how come?..... the new indy car is a dallara, and i didn't think they were doing the indy car abroad thing any more

[Mike]

how come?..... the new indy car is a dallara, and i didn't think they were doing the indy car abroad thing any more

I dont know its just what Ive been told at work, theres loads of hype going round work about it all :/ I really busy next week too, going to Bentley on Wednesday, Noble Thursday & then onto Aston Friday. All to do with race car/le man type stuff. I dont get to work on any of the prototypes yet :( Williams F1 were in this week to so I got a feeling its gonna start to go manic soon!

[C612DNM]

I feel it is time to throw my hat into the ring here!

Colin - long time no see!! Bloody hell, it must be over 20 years! I think the last time I came up (in Barroway Drove!), you were still working on/with Rob Shepherds Nova - with it's lary pink etc.. stripes!

Now then! Lightweight. Oh yes. I'm looking to resurrect my Nova GSi next year, and the aim of the game is to get to 500Kg with that too. I've looked at what you've done, and according to the regs I will be working to, I can change the roof skin, and remove all of the old rear wings. I have to watch the strength of the chassis, and there are a few things you've done there that I like.

I'm going the 18" wheel (9" or 9.5" wide) route to take advantage of the development in Michelin GT rubber - with the far fetched goal of coming to Paddock at Brands and just twitching the wheel, without even thinking about lifting!! Total "Dont-Lift.Com"

I want wide panels, but as I'm going to 18's, that means a fair bit of butchering to let them in. I've looked at National HotRod panels as a basis for the bodywork. Underpinning, the Nova has to remain a "steel shell" but can have composite panels covering it.

Bottom line, I reckon that my 8v 190ish HP should be most competitive in the 1600cc class of a few championships (which put 1600 16v cars up a class!) if I can get it down to 500Kg = around 380bhp/tonne - which is a fair lot more than a BTCC car.

So - other than our friend in Cleveland that does lightweight panels - who else is doing wide lightweight/composite panels?

Rob.

[C612DNM]

Oh yes, back to the engine - solid lifters - I've run with these since I started racing in 1990. I've used the old Kent "take-em-out" type, and the top-adjustables. I prefer the former type, even though they need threadlock to make sure!!! I have mastered setting them up, and have doctored tools to do the job to do it without having to remove the cam carrier.
The issue with using the later 1.2 block, with the old 1.2 crank leaving 1024cc. The easy solution is to get the crank offset ground to lose a few mm of stroke. Get steel rods made to take a smaller big end - which will have a smaller amount of rotational drag. OR get a steel crank made to give you the right stroke to retain the standard rods.
I used to think that the cost of going steel was prohibitive, but balancing that against rebuilding/replacing engines that have standard "rubber" internals that have blown to bits, it's a small price to pay. What tipped me over was have half a dozen engines in three seasons, all with rod failure. 1600 GTE/GSi rods don't take to in excess of 150hp / 8000 rpm for long before they cry havoc and unleash the dogs of war, and make a bid for escape via the sump, or what ever gets in their way.

God I love Chevy V8's, parts for them are soooo cheap! I can have a steel crank, 8 rods, and 8 pistons for less - a LOT less than a crank & rods for a Nova/Ford/other European 4 pot. I just bought a set of race spec rings for my Carrillo pistons for $108 - ONE HUNDRED and EIGHT DOLLARS for a set of 8 Total Seal rings!! The last time I bought rings for my Cosworth pistons, they were £210 a set of 4 - and that was in 1995!!! Time to bore a Nova out to 4.137"......

[MK999]

V8 parts are ridiculously cheap, when we did a 351 Cleveland in a mustang a while ago, the full cam kit including timing chain and appropriate gaskets, lifters, new rockers etc etc was about half what you'd pay for a pair of 4 pot 16v cams

[C612DNM]

There is a saying.... "You can build two Chevys for the cost of one Ford. You can build two Fords for the cost of one Hemi" (Dodge/Chrysler/Mopar). When you look around, there is a vast amount more stuff available for Chevy V8's than the other two put together. And because of that, it's where the development has gone, Chevy V8's lead the way in just about every field (we're talking pushrod V8's here). The LS series is light, grunty, and very economical in production trim. In race trim - amazing! The Big Block dominates top fuel drag racing to the point that all of the leading teams use them, regardless of whether they are a "Ford" or "Mopar" team - they just have rocker covers that say "Ford" or "Mopar" on them, but the rest of the motor is very much Chevy!! A serious case of "if you can't beat them, join them".

[novarally]

I feel it is time to throw my hat into the ring here!

Colin - long time no see!! Bloody hell, it must be over 20 years! I think the last time I came up (in Barroway Drove!), you were still working on/with Rob Shepherds Nova - with it's lary pink etc.. stripes!

Now then! Lightweight. Oh yes. I'm looking to resurrect my Nova GSi next year, and the aim of the game is to get to 500Kg with that too. I've looked at what you've done, and according to the regs I will be working to, I can change the roof skin, and remove all of the old rear wings. I have to watch the strength of the chassis, and there are a few things you've done there that I like.

I'm going the 18" wheel (9" or 9.5" wide) route to take advantage of the development in Michelin GT rubber - with the far fetched goal of coming to Paddock at Brands and just twitching the wheel, without even thinking about lifting!! Total "Dont-Lift.Com"

I want wide panels, but as I'm going to 18's, that means a fair bit of butchering to let them in. I've looked at National HotRod panels as a basis for the bodywork. Underpinning, the Nova has to remain a "steel shell" but can have composite panels covering it.

Bottom line, I reckon that my 8v 190ish HP should be most competitive in the 1600cc class of a few championships (which put 1600 16v cars up a class!) if I can get it down to 500Kg = around 380bhp/tonne - which is a fair lot more than a BTCC car.

So - other than our friend in Cleveland that does lightweight panels - who else is doing wide lightweight/composite panels?

Rob.

Hi Rob.

I think you may have me confused with someone else?.........Barroway Drove means nothing to me, and I don't think I've ever owned or worked on Rob Shepherds Nova.

500kg is one hell of a target, even if you are allowed to remove more metalwork than me, and even more so with 18" wheels.

But it will be good to see how you go about it!

I have a fair bit more weight in my rollcage than is ideal, it's all CDS tubing, and there's a lot of it. It's a very stiff and safe structure though.

I suspect the 500kg goal would be more realistic if you started with a simpler cage in better materials (T45).

[C612DNM]

Crikey! two Colin Smiths!! I was sure it was you! Hey ho! Never mind, no animals were harmed during this mis-identification!!

Rob Shepherds Nova (now I've brought it up) was a Dimma panelled 2.0L jobbie - and pre-dates the 16v engine by a couple of years.

Now you've got me racking my brain..... aha! Carquip were at Barroway Drove, near Downham Market, well still are... - run by someone called Richard these days, used to be a Colin (sure it was Colin - I have an old diary here with Colin Smith at Carquip, Barroway Drove....)

The older I get, the better I used to be!!

Back to the plot.... 500Kg is a target, how close I get, not sure. You must be close now - with the numbers you were quoting, and all this extra chopping you've done.
If I get to 550, that's still a LOT better than the current 770 in ModProd trim. Steve Quenby used to run a 1600 carb'd Nova in BARC ModProds many years back which tipped the scales at as near as dammit 700Kg.

Mine is currently a more simple cage, but will need extra stuff adding as I chop stuff away. And yes, T45 will be the order of the day.

[novarally]

Crikey! two Colin Smiths!! I was sure it was you! Hey ho! Never mind, no animals were harmed during this mis-identification!!

Rob Shepherds Nova (now I've brought it up) was a Dimma panelled 2.0L jobbie - and pre-dates the 16v engine by a couple of years.

Now you've got me racking my brain..... aha! Carquip were at Barroway Drove, near Downham Market, well still are... - run by someone called Richard these days, used to be a Colin (sure it was Colin - I have an old diary here with Colin Smith at Carquip, Barroway Drove....)

The older I get, the better I used to be!!

Back to the plot.... 500Kg is a target, how close I get, not sure. You must be close now - with the numbers you were quoting, and all this extra chopping you've done.
If I get to 550, that's still a LOT better than the current 770 in ModProd trim. Steve Quenby used to run a 1600 carb'd Nova in BARC ModProds many years back which tipped the scales at as near as dammit 700Kg.

Mine is currently a more simple cage, but will need extra stuff adding as I chop stuff away. And yes, T45 will be the order of the day.

It was Colin Hawes at Carquip if I remember rightly, responsible for the first Big Block Nova in the UK I believe (using a 1.8 Astra GTE engine).

I'd be very curious indeed to see some photos of your Nova..........Dimma panels?!!

My Nova will be 540kg after this latest round of modifications, and there's really no room to go down from that within the regulations, unless I miraculously find a large pile of cash to have various steel items re-made in titanium.

[novarally]

No actual progress at all in the last few days, but the new seat rails are now with me and ready to be cut to size and welded in place;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/040-3.jpg

Really must get on with it as it's meant to be going off to have all the paint stripped soon, and clearly al the metalwork needs to be done by then.

[toymex]

Can i ask what series you hope to race in that allows a fibreglass roof ,i have built mine to run in the DMN ,but the roof has to say original material and you are not allowed to remove any internal metal work,i would be very interested if you find somebody to make lightweight wide wings etc as the ones i have are not the lightest, i agree with Colin i think you will struggle to get to 500kg,hopefully you will put a WIP thread up so we can see your progress (sorry for the hijack Colin)

I feel it is time to throw my hat into the ring here!

Colin - long time no see!! Bloody hell, it must be over 20 years! I think the last time I came up (in Barroway Drove!), you were still working on/with Rob Shepherds Nova - with it's lary pink etc.. stripes!

Now then! Lightweight. Oh yes. I'm looking to resurrect my Nova GSi next year, and the aim of the game is to get to 500Kg with that too. I've looked at what you've done, and according to the regs I will be working to, I can change the roof skin, and remove all of the old rear wings. I have to watch the strength of the chassis, and there are a few things you've done there that I like.

I'm going the 18" wheel (9" or 9.5" wide) route to take advantage of the development in Michelin GT rubber - with the far fetched goal of coming to Paddock at Brands and just twitching the wheel, without even thinking about lifting!! Total "Dont-Lift.Com"

I want wide panels, but as I'm going to 18's, that means a fair bit of butchering to let them in. I've looked at National HotRod panels as a basis for the bodywork. Underpinning, the Nova has to remain a "steel shell" but can have composite panels covering it.

Bottom line, I reckon that my 8v 190ish HP should be most competitive in the 1600cc class of a few championships (which put 1600 16v cars up a class!) if I can get it down to 500Kg = around 380bhp/tonne - which is a fair lot more than a BTCC car.

So - other than our friend in Cleveland that does lightweight panels - who else is doing wide lightweight/composite panels?

Rob.

[novarally]

Can i ask what series you hope to race in that allows a fibreglass roof ,i have built mine to run in the DMN ,but the roof has to say original material and you are not allowed to remove any internal metal work,i would be very interested if you find somebody to make lightweight wide wings etc as the ones i have are not the lightest, i agree with Colin i think you will struggle to get to 500kg,hopefully you will put a WIP thread up so we can see your progress (sorry for the hijack Colin)

Hi Toymex (sorry I don't know your real name).

I've looked at your Project thread (excellent car), and you clearly need wider arches than the ones I have on this car in order to run your 10" wide wheels.

Did you see the Hot Rod kit that I had a while back? Photos and details are somewhere on this thread I'm fairly sure.

That bodykit was designed to cater for 10's, I had the full kit and moulds for the front arches and bumpers, which I sold to Steve Porter off this Forum.

As far as I know Steve still has them, check out his 4x4 wide arch Nova thread for more info.

Colin

[toymex]

Hi Colin do you have a link to Steves thread? i did see the arches when you had them they look exactly what i need but would need someone to make them as i havent a clue,i cant believe that your car has a cds cage there must be a fair bit of weight to save there,a t45 cage will be my next big purchase but im not sure wether to fit it to the shell ive got which is very very clean but has all the front end strenghtening plates welded which must weigh a fair bit and i think i could strengthen it in different ways that will be of more benefit and weigh less or try to find a new shell and start again but you must be able to lose 20kgs with a t45 cage, i keep looking at the rear antiroll bar on your car and thinkingthat i could do with that ,do you know what car and its off ?i am also loving the rear brakes but they are a bit rich for me so i will have to go an alternative route
Cheers
Jezz:thumb:

[novarally]

Hi Colin do you have a link to Steves thread? i did see the arches when you had them they look exactly what i need but would need someone to make them as i havent a clue,i cant believe that your car has a cds cage there must be a fair bit of weight to save there,a t45 cage will be my next big purchase but im not sure wether to fit it to the shell ive got which is very very clean but has all the front end strenghtening plates welded which must weigh a fair bit and i think i could strengthen it in different ways that will be of more benefit and weigh less or try to find a new shell and start again but you must be able to lose 20kgs with a t45 cage, i keep looking at the rear antiroll bar on your car and thinkingthat i could do with that ,do you know what car and its off ?i am also loving the rear brakes but they are a bit rich for me so i will have to go an alternative route
Cheers
Jezz:thumb:

The rear anti roll bar on mine was fabricated from scratch, it's not adapted from another car. That was the work of BTEC Racing who built the car originally.

As for the rear brakes, take a look at what the Autograss racers are using. A couple of the Minis I race against are using the same equipment - look for Berrisford (on Google), they make a lot of specialist Autograss stuff, and it's mega cheap compared to the KAD set-up I've used.

If I had known about it sooner, I'm sure I'd have gone down that route as well! Don't forget my commission..........

Steve Porter's thread can be found here;

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?140924-My-version-of-a-4x4-nova-that-will-get-done!&highlight=steve+porter

It's not been updated in a fair while, so I'm not sure where he is with it now.

[C612DNM]

It was Colin Hawes at Carquip if I remember rightly, responsible for the first Big Block Nova in the UK I believe (using a 1.8 Astra GTE engine).

I'd be very curious indeed to see some photos of your Nova..........Dimma panels?!!

My Nova will be 540kg after this latest round of modifications, and there's really no room to go down from that within the regulations, unless I miraculously find a large pile of cash to have various steel items re-made in titanium.

Yep, you're right - Colin Hawes - why I had Smith in my old book I don't know! I've been to sleep since then!! Luckily no animals were injured in this mix up of identities!
Therefore - nice to meet you Mr Smith!

It wasn't my Nova - it was Rob Shepherds, I'm sure it was a 2.0L, may have been a 1.8 - it was back in 1989!! He was quite successful with it, and thinking hard about it, it wasn't Dimma, it was the other mob - Mattig.
At that time, mine was just a plain 'Sport, though in '89 it was a 1400 as it went pop big time in '88 and I bored it out to 77.8 and put 1200 pistons in, etc....

To answer Toymex's question - Intermarque allows pretty well "run what ya brung" as it allows spaceframes, etc.. in. I did look at DMN, but the rules have been changed so much in recent years to keep Rod's Escort at the front that it's no longer allowed. At one time you could have had a plastic roof as they allowed spaceframe cars in, but no more as they pushed them over into Intermarque. Castle Combe GTs, and Northern Sports & Saloons would also allow it.

I have been talking to a number of people about creating a GM-based series - like the "Blue Oval Saloon Series" but for any GM based car - with classes to cater for road saloon spec up to mental. Everything from Chevy through Holden, Isuzu, Pontiac, yeah even Cadillac (love to see a CTS-V on track over here!) mixing it with Vauxhalls and Opels.
Initially it would run as a sub-class of something like Classic Thunder, to help get it on it's feet, then if enough enter, it can run it's own grid - the same way BOSS does.

Now, without wishing to hijack this thread any more talking about the sport.... back to this car....

So, Colin, going back a few pages, you were lower than 540Kg before - I seem to remember seeing 516 on a set of scales. You have lighter wheels, you have chopped out more dead metal, you're replacing bits of ally with carbon, surely it's going to be lighter than that?? Or did I miss you bolting some extra iron in somewhere? I recall you having to change your 2mm windows for 4mm, but that's all so far...

The HotRod kit you mention - is that the one that Mr Porter has the moulds for? Do you have any pics you can point me at?

Rob (Compton).

[novarally]

Yep, you're right - Colin Hawes - why I had Smith in my old book I don't know! I've been to sleep since then!! Luckily no animals were injured in this mix up of identities!
Therefore - nice to meet you Mr Smith!

It wasn't my Nova - it was Rob Shepherds, I'm sure it was a 2.0L, may have been a 1.8 - it was back in 1989!! He was quite successful with it, and thinking hard about it, it wasn't Dimma, it was the other mob - Mattig.
At that time, mine was just a plain 'Sport, though in '89 it was a 1400 as it went pop big time in '88 and I bored it out to 77.8 and put 1200 pistons in, etc....

To answer Toymex's question - Intermarque allows pretty well "run what ya brung" as it allows spaceframes, etc.. in. I did look at DMN, but the rules have been changed so much in recent years to keep Rod's Escort at the front that it's no longer allowed. At one time you could have had a plastic roof as they allowed spaceframe cars in, but no more as they pushed them over into Intermarque. Castle Combe GTs, and Northern Sports & Saloons would also allow it.

I have been talking to a number of people about creating a GM-based series - like the "Blue Oval Saloon Series" but for any GM based car - with classes to cater for road saloon spec up to mental. Everything from Chevy through Holden, Isuzu, Pontiac, yeah even Cadillac (love to see a CTS-V on track over here!) mixing it with Vauxhalls and Opels.
Initially it would run as a sub-class of something like Classic Thunder, to help get it on it's feet, then if enough enter, it can run it's own grid - the same way BOSS does.

Now, without wishing to hijack this thread any more talking about the sport.... back to this car....

So, Colin, going back a few pages, you were lower than 540Kg before - I seem to remember seeing 516 on a set of scales. You have lighter wheels, you have chopped out more dead metal, you're replacing bits of ally with carbon, surely it's going to be lighter than that?? Or did I miss you bolting some extra iron in somewhere? I recall you having to change your 2mm windows for 4mm, but that's all so far...

The HotRod kit you mention - is that the one that Mr Porter has the moulds for? Do you have any pics you can point me at?

Rob (Compton).

Hi Rob.

Sadly my Nova has never been as light as 516kg......I did post up some comparisons on the weighing scales with a Westfield that I also own, so possibly that's where the confusion came from?

When I first got this Nova back in 2009 it was around 615kg, and the weight has gradually been chased out of it, and 540kg will be where it sits when it goes out again next year.

That makes more sense if it was a Mattig kit, I'd never heard of a Dimma Nova before! (would have been interesting though).

Yes, Steve Porter has (some of) the moulds for the Hot Rod kit. There should be lots of photos of the kit on Steve's thread, the link for which is above.

[novarally]

No going back now........I've spent the weekend stripping the car down to the bare bones;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/001-26.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/002-61.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-62.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/004-51.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/005-43.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/006-45.jpg

[novarally]

Various bits of cutting and welding to do now, including fitting the new seat rails and fittings for the harness.

There's also some tidying up to do of various bits I cut away previously, and I'm debating whether to weld up all the 'bung' holes in the floorpan. Previously I had covered them with bits of carbon fibre sheet and tape, but it's not very resilient to attack from stones/weather etc. Only problem is the weight of the steel circles I'd have to weld in instead.

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/012-30.jpg


http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/011-28.jpg

Who can remember who it was who made carbon fibre VIN plates for Novas? I quite fancy getting one made up to replicate the '002' chassis plate above!

I've also been tinkering around with the pedal box, fitting an AP 'short' cylinder for the clutch, and I've modified the F1 carbon fibre pedal to be the new clutch pedal;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/008-35.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/007-38.jpg

And the carbon fibre gear lever is basically done now, just needs a metal post to be machined up for the bottom end of it, where it engages into the linkage;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/009-34.jpg

Now there's only one real problem remaining..............what colour do I paint it?

The interior is going to be done in metallic grey (a la BTCC cars), and I think I want the panelwork done a very bright attention getting colour.

All suggestions welcomed, but orange and green are almost certainly off the list as I race against cars done those colours already.

[jonn]

serious amount of work going into this!
could you pop rivet the carbon on to cover up the holes or tiger seal them?

[paul james]

There's also some tidying up to do of various bits I cut away previously, and I'm debating whether to weld up all the 'bung' holes in the floorpan. Previously I had covered them with bits of carbon fibre sheet and tape, but it's not very resilient to attack from stones/weather etc. Only problem is the weight of the steel circles I'd have to weld in instead.


How about just putting the original rubber bungs back in?

[SimonTW]

Porsche Riviera Blue

[Southie]

Colin, couldn't you just get some carbon the same size as the vin plates of Mike and then vinyl letter them.

I found an old thread of someone who'd made the carbon vins btw.
http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?124114-Carbon-VIN-plates.&

Also what weight is your shell now it's empty lol

[novarally]

Porsche Riviera Blue

I did see a 911 on EBAY in that colour, and it does look nice. Good bright colour which is what I need.

[novarally]

How about just putting the original rubber bungs back in?

That might actually be the best option, now you've made me think about it!

[novarally]

Colin, couldn't you just get some carbon the same size as the vin plates of Mike and then vinyl letter them.

I found an old thread of someone who'd made the carbon vins btw.
http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?124114-Carbon-VIN-plates.&

Also what weight is your shell now it's empty lol

Thanks - I can cut myself a piece of carbon to suit no problem, but I assumed someone had engraved the lettering onto them, but evidently not.

I'll just get myself some white on clear tape for my Dymo printer and knock my own up then. Cheers.

Not sure if I'll have chance to weigh the shell in its bare state, but if I do I will post it up, it would be interesting. I'd need to fiddle about with bits of wood to get it located on the weighing pads.

[Southie]

It would be nice to know the weight bare, then you can do some real math on each item as you put it back together to see where all the weight is or shouldn't be.

Looking forward to seeing this in a new colour though and putting a proper "Colin Smith" stamp on it.

[Connor]

Save some weight and just strip the paint off then lacquer it lol.
My real colour vote would be renault liquid yellow :)

[novarally]

Porsche Riviera Blue

It could be the right colour;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/758855-1.jpg

I'd previously been looking at British Gas van Cyan Blue;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/61534vw-200x127.jpg

They look remarkably similar to me...........

[Mike]

Citrine yellow

[novarally]

Citrine yellow

Very early 90's.......but I'm not sure whether that will ever go full circle and be back in fashion.

[Jonlem]

That might actually be the best option, now you've made me think about it!

Something like £1.80 each from Autovaux !

If I find another supplier that does a box do you want some ? I'm sure they are the same size as the Corsa ones.

[novarally]

Something like £1.80 each from Autovaux !

If I find another supplier that does a box do you want some ? I'm sure they are the same size as the Corsa ones.

Thanks for the offer James, but I must have several hundred of them from Novas I've dismantled over the years.....

[stupot89]

Save some weight and just strip the paint off then lacquer it lol.
My real colour vote would be renault liquid yellow :)

i agree with connor renault liquid yellow

[mowgli]

the trouble with renault blue is that it will look like jack has sponsored you...

[novarally]

the trouble with renault blue is that it will look like jack has sponsored you...

Hmmm, I hadn't thought of that.

Renault Liquid Yellow is an interesting one, that could look really good against the carbon fibre/grey interior.

Certainly it looks good on one of my favourite cars;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/822172-1.jpg

Anyone got any photos of Liquid Yellow Novas? I found this one, but any more would be good;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/35787_402344637399_637782399_4741657_1304271_n.jpg

[novarally]

It was a good suggestion to weigh the bare shell, thanks.

The answer is................184kg.

That is totally stripped of every last nut and bolt, literally the only thing left in it is the steering column (which is only in there so I can get the positioning of the seat rails correct).

[christurboo]

184kg :O and liquid yellow looks to be a good choice collin liking that mk2

[SimonTW]

What's the weight of a totally standard one?

[scott.parker]

Ive always wanted to paint mine blue/yellow or green.. i really like ford Olympic blue my self, very similar to the Porsche color too..

http://www.shannons.com.au/library/images/auctions/P2IA3ZR10NB76EA5_medium.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v245/lewus/S5000165.jpg

[Paul]

I have plenty of pics of liquid yellow!

[Ben]

are you having decals fitted of some sort? i think you should to set it apart so maybe yellow with grey/black writing etc.

[novarally]

are you having decals fitted of some sort? i think you should to set it apart so maybe yellow with grey/black writing etc.

The plan would be to have the bottom section done in carbon vinyl wrap (similar to the yellow section on my red car now).

On that I may well have my website address, which might also encourage me to update my website.............

[novarally]

What's the weight of a totally standard one?


I've never done a comparison, and I don't have one in a similarly stripped down state to weigh at the moment.

[SGA33]

I like bmw leguna seca blue colour for a nova

[Ben]

I still loved the scheme on your old white yellow grey nova, probably my favorite car, if you could replicate that in negative form would be awesome as in yellow base with carbon back and some white graphics.

And yes your website sorely needs an update, last done in 2003/4? lol

[Connor]

Yea was thinking the liquid yellow as they look nice against carbon like on the megane sports..

[calibra-keith]

love Liquid Yellow, and with the wright bits in black/carbon, the logos/sponsors and website decals would really stand out, maybe get some one to play about with photoshop with colours/layouts

and if you need a hand on updating website side and get rid of them adverts let me know Colin

[Mieran]

I would keep it red tbh.

Its a legendary car and people will always remember it as being red

[Connor]

Done a (cr4p) photoshop for ya. Liquid yellowish
http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo218/connorlake_2008/Untitled345.jpg

[16v Nova Kev]

holy **** i thought i was drunk looking at that lol

still better than i could do.

[Connor]

I havent got photoshop or a mouse, so cut me some slack lol

[Balley]

It was a good suggestion to weigh the bare shell, thanks.

The answer is................184kg.

That is totally stripped of every last nut and bolt, literally the only thing left in it is the steering column (which is only in there so I can get the positioning of the seat rails correct).

Bloody hell that is light..

[novarally]

I havent got photoshop or a mouse, so cut me some slack lol

Thanks Connor, that's a useful photo, cheers.

[Connor]

No problem, sorry for the poor quality lol

[C612DNM]

Liquid Yeller? Nah. dull dull dull.

You need RAL1016 Sulphur Yellow.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207418_10150213404413698_653623697_8467298_4000044 _n.jpg

The pic doesn't do it justice - it is bright.

(this is my other toy - the ASCAR / Pontiac Grand Prix)

[LEWI007]

I love the Citrine yellow.

Meh paint it silk voilet lol

[Rick Draper]

Paul's old turbo was liquid yellow.

[jonn]

JCB yellow? i sprayed my nova Massey Ferguson red :d cheap and easy colour to patch up

[Ben]

Paul's old turbo was liquid yellow.


Hence why colin put a photo of that one upasking if there was any others, oh and paul replied offering other pictures of it!

[MK999]

Gareth of welsh coast customs was also renault liquid yellow, but with a grey roof, didn't last long so pics might be tricky but it did go to PVS in 08 or 09. It's too late to be figuring out how many times and which years I've been at pvs lol

[mowgli]

i always liked boyd coddingtons mellow yellow....

http://static-1.jameslist.com/data/images/4520339_large2.jpg

[Novasport]

Not sure if your shell has already gone off to 'Paint Strip' to have the paint taken off but I have found another paint stripping service closer to home for you.
It is called 'Pro-Strip' and they are based in Nottingham, might be worth a look. The website is www.prostrip.co.uk (http://www.prostrip.co.uk)

[novarally]

Not sure if your shell has already gone off to 'Paint Strip' to have the paint taken off but I have found another paint stripping service closer to home for you.
It is called 'Pro-Strip' and they are based in Nottingham, might be worth a look. The website is www.prostrip.co.uk (http://www.prostrip.co.uk)

Thanks Rich, that's interesting, I will give them a call and get a price out of interest, I've not heard of them previously.

[pie]

welsh coast custom's

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/6613_240742005625_679380625_8113490_1803221_n.jpg

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s165/birchy_2007/castlecombe25409021.jpg

[Novasport]

Thanks Rich, that's interesting, I will give them a call and get a price out of interest, I've not heard of them previously.

Says they have been around a while but I have not heard of them before. Process sounds good, I think they use heat to remove the paint etc then blast clean the shell from what I can make out.
Let me know how you get on.

[novarally]

Says they have been around a while but I have not heard of them before. Process sounds good, I think they use heat to remove the paint etc then blast clean the shell from what I can make out.
Let me know how you get on.

They do sound good, but it's very expensive. £725 + VAT to do my shell (compared to £400 at the place in Preston).

[novarally]

Teeny, tiny update........I made a carbon fibre chassis number plate;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/001-27.jpg

[novarally]

It's not even December yet, but an early Xmas present has appeared;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/001-28.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/002-63.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-64.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/004-53.jpg

Please see my 'For Sale' threads currently running in a desperate bid to pay for this.........

[t45_ste]

Nice purchase!

I missed a pair of these on ebay a few moths back, went for super cheap! somthing like £400

[novarally]

Nice purchase!

I missed a pair of these on ebay a few moths back, went for super cheap! somthing like £400

Really? I have 'Reverie' and 'Carbon Fibre Seats' in my saved searches on Ebay, and I didn't see those! Were they the head restraint ones like this?

[t45_ste]

Yeah exactly the same, were adverised badly as 106 bucket seats, or somthing like that.

[novarally]

Yeah exactly the same, were adverised badly as 106 bucket seats, or somthing like that.

Excuse me while I go off and cry.

[Connor]

^^ lol @ colin.
Nice purchase, bet it cost an arm and a leg ;) lol

[calibra-keith]

bet it cost an arm and a leg ;) lol

thats one way to save weight i suppose lol

[BRoadGhost]

I managed to find a pair of new border seats in carbon for that sort of money; they also do ones with ears.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/170/dscf2304g.jpg

[novarally]

Just loaded the bodyshell onto the trailer, and it's about to go off to a friend's workshops to have some final bits of welding done on it. Then next week it heads to Preston to be stripped of paint;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-65.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/004-55.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/005-45.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/006-47.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/007-40.jpg

[autoworksnovasport]

very interesting car this colin

[scott.parker]

Looking good Colin, nice to see what you do with it once you get it stripped..

Thew things to ask, are them "stump" stand serious! lol

And have you ever been pulled for your plate, my old one's on the track car use to get me £30 fines..

[Connor]

Looks like there not much nova left on the shell lol

[novarally]

Looking good Colin, nice to see what you do with it once you get it stripped..

Thew things to ask, are them "stump" stand serious! lol

And have you ever been pulled for your plate, my old one's on the track car use to get me £30 fines..

Wood is the most versatile thing for supporting cars, it's strong, free, and doesn't damage the shell or the trailer!

I've had that number plate for about 10 years now, and never been pulled for it........mind you, you rarely see a Police car in Lincolnshire. We only got electricity recently.

[autoworksnovasport]

what has the rear panel been removed for?? fiberglass??

[peester]

wow can bearly tell what car it is on the trailer.. good to see it'll be a very in depth project.
The seat youve acquired is awesome; you never really know how good/whats what/condition with things on ebay sometimes; maybe these pug 106 seats were so cheap for a reason, you dont know..

[Royston]

Colin, Have you weighed the shell to see what the paint weighs when it comes back?

Or what is it now?

[Iain]

Very interesting to see how much of the shell has been removed from the front and rear! Looking forward to the paint stripped pics.

[novarally]

Colin, Have you weighed the shell to see what the paint weighs when it comes back?

Or what is it now?

Yes, I weighed it in this bare state, it's buried somewhere pages back (184kg rings a bell).

But I will need to re-weigh it once the seat rails etc. have been welded in place, and then I can do it again when it comes back from being stripped of paint.

[stt]

seeing as youre going to all the effort and expense of stripping it right down would it not be an idea to change the CDS cage for a T45 one as i'd imagine that now youre at the point where £/kg its the most cost effective option - other than bulemia!

[Ben]

Well it's either now or never to change th cage and I agree for the potential weight saving surely its worth the cost.

[stt]

plus the increased safety aspect cant be ignored

[novarally]

If I was going to change to a T45 cage I'd start again from scratch with another shell, I don't think it would be feasible/worth the effort of cutting out the current cage and re-fitting it with another one.

I'll save that option for the day I roll this one into a ball.......

[pastry]

What a good topic, its the bibleguide to make you nova less heavey!

[novarally]

7 hours of fabricating and welding bits today, with the invaluable skills of my friend Paul Finney thrown in to assist.

The bulkhead is now reinforced as the steering rack was flexing it a little, the chassis rail ends are welded up at front and rear, and new seat rails are installed.

We resume tomorrow morning at 7am to fit the harness mounting points and seal up the gaps in the rear wheel arches.

Photos to follow tomorrow.

[BRoadGhost]

Brilliant. Wrap up warm :)

[autoworksnovasport]

sounds like good work

[scott.parker]

Wicked Colin, i think you'll be happy with re doing it all mate.

[novarally]

A few random photos after spending the day working on it...........

The start of the seat rail installation;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/001-29.jpg

Front and rear chassis rails welded up for strength;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/002-64.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-66.jpg

First bit of extra plating to stop the steering rack flexing the bulkhead;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/004-56.jpg

We have also now added a brace to feed the loads directly into the rollcage (photo to follow).

New lightweight battery has arrived (VAMOS - 2.1kg, 12 Amp/Hour), so experimenting with the location of that;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/005-46.jpg

And the lovely carbon fibre seat now in place on its new rails;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/006-48.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/007-41.jpg

There will be more tomorrow, I just have a bit of tidying up to do, and then it will be ready to go off for paint stripping on Wednesday.

[calibra-keith]

those are pure porn colin, like always, how close will you be to your rival/s after all this power and weight wise ?

[novarally]

those are pure porn colin, like always, how close will you be to your rival/s after all this power and weight wise ?

The quickest car I compete against is Neal Masters in the Mini.

He won't disclose a weight figure, but I reckon he will be about the same as me at 540kg.

He has 190bhp (so I'm told), and I will have the same as I had last year, around 175bhp. So still at a power disadvantage, but most people reckon the Nova has superior handling.

[calibra-keith]

The quickest car I compete against is Neal Masters in the Mini.

He won't disclose a weight figure, but I reckon he will be about the same as me at 540kg.

He has 190bhp (so I'm told), and I will have the same as I had last year, around 175bhp. So still at a power disadvantage, but most people reckon the Nova has superior handling.

of course his car will be something special but has he gone to the extent of carbon fibre panels and goodies (seat/mounts/wheel ect) or is that something he can yet improve on himself

[novarally]

of course his car will be something special but has he gone to the extent of carbon fibre panels and goodies (seat/mounts/wheel ect) or is that something he can yet improve on himself

He hasn't gone to the same extent as me with shaving weight off the car, so who knows what it will be like next season.

I know he was looking at having a titanium engine subframe made for it, so he's not shy about spending money! (his engine/gearbox will be the best part of £15k for sure).

[BRoadGhost]

Rape him with driver skill!

[novarally]

Just had a phone call to tell me that the Nova is now completely stripped of paint, and is currently having its phosphate primer coat applied to stop it rusting.

Just the powdercoating to be applied on the inside and underside then, and I can go and collect it!

Then I really will have to decide what colour it's going to get painted.............

[mowgli]

Don't get advice off this lot colin...or you'll end up with pink.....

What is your fave colour? Or maybe just go for plain white & then sticker it up

[Jonlem]

Look forward to seeing it painted :)

[scott.parker]

Don't get advice off this lot colin...or you'll end up with pink.....

What is your fave colour? Or maybe just go for plain white & then sticker it up

Was your car not pink?

Ah no just flam red.

[BRoadGhost]

Anything but a standard vauxhall colour.

Kermit green can look alright.

[Danny s-p]

Was your car not pink?

Ah no just flam pink.
:-)

[Prey]

don't keep everyone in suspense - what colour is it going to be man???

[TonySR]

Ford Olympic Blue.

[novarally]

don't keep everyone in suspense - what colour is it going to be man???

I really can't decide.

I'm torn between Porsche Riviera Blue, Renault Liquid Yellow, Lamborghini Pearl Green or good old plain White (which would have graphics on).

[Cenoura54]

:dLambo pearl green please!:d

[honie5]

Green all day long colin would look ace specially with th wheels you've got!

[novarally]

Green all day long colin would look ace specially with th wheels you've got!

It is tempting me.........who's a whizz with Photoshop and could oblige with a mock up?;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/green-lamborghini.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/016-27.jpg

[mowgli]

Colin, if you have some funky dazzling paint job, any visit to the scenery will cost tons to put right.. Plain white isn't quite so expensive to repair..but i have to say that lambo green is rather nice

[Southie]

Just a quicky for you Colin.

http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p379/SOUTHIE01/shoppery/COLINGREENQUICKY-Southie-2.jpg

[mowgli]

What was that done with, a potato?

[honie5]

Ooooh that's cool do it!

[Southie]

What was that done with, a potato?
No, melons.

[novarally]

Colin, if you have some funky dazzling paint job, any visit to the scenery will cost tons to put right.. Plain white isn't quite so expensive to repair..but i have to say that lambo green is rather nice

Agreed, the costs of damage repair and the complication of a pearl finish are the major things putting me off.

The other big tempter is a bit of retro, in the form of the Bernard Munster Corsa A/Bruno Thiry works-spec. rally cars from the early 90's;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/idvype.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/o544cy.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/210wtbo.jpg

[mowgli]

I love the 3 stripe irmscher look, but it would be a sod to get right over those arches, but that cally does look nice..

You could do some 'secondhand nova bits' stickers for each flank in the style of the opel ones....

[Danny s-p]

green is the way mine staying opel kewie green

[fearless]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/fearlessmotorsport/BpEF0WkKGrHqYOKkIEuVS7cqOBLp1YmT80Q_12.jpg

[novarally]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/fearlessmotorsport/BpEF0WkKGrHqYOKkIEuVS7cqOBLp1YmT80Q_12.jpg

Thanks Dave, I was struggling to find a still photo of the Munster car, plenty of videos though, which are good to watch again!

I think my wide arch Nova would look great in that colour scheme, although it would mean painting the carbon bonnet white to get the full effect.

This is a tough decision to make.........blue, green, yellow, white, multicoloured..........

[novarally]

I've acquired this rather super little carbon fibre housing, apparently it's from an F1 car, but it will make a perfect console to house my switches and circuit breakers;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/010-33.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/011-29.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/012-31.jpg

The white paper on top is just my template for the piece of carbon I'll cut out to make the top panel. I guess it had one once, but it's now AWOL......

[Novasport]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/fearlessmotorsport/BpEF0WkKGrHqYOKkIEuVS7cqOBLp1YmT80Q_12.jpg

A friend of mine had his Sport decal'd up with the flying chips, looked ace.

[burgo]

do it white as thats direct gloss, you dont want to have to put a base coat then lacquer, will weigh to much.

[Balley]

As burgo said. 2 pack ftw.. and try not to use any zinc primer as that is heavier lol!!

[calibra-keith]

http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff269/calibra-keith/Project5.jpg

[Prey]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/fearlessmotorsport/BpEF0WkKGrHqYOKkIEuVS7cqOBLp1YmT80Q_12.jpg

i'll be honest, that gets my vote

[Connor]

^ gets my vate aswell

[Novasport]

The Astra GSI F2 deacals looked slightly better with bigger flying chips....

http://i6.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/b1/0c/7123_1.JPG

[Mike]

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/010-33.jpg

That is from an F1 car Colin, its a relay/servo cover. Where I work makes alot of very similiar items for Honda & Mclaren.

Each one is hand laid using prepreg, clave cured for 12 hours at 180c, demoulded & trimmed to shape by hand with air tools.

[SGA33]

http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j469/sga33/15122011577.jpg

Replying to another thread reminded me off this rallycross nova with a slightly different version of the dealer colour stripes combo

[Ben]

That is from an F1 car Colin, its a relay/servo cover. Where I work makes alot of very similiar items for Honda & Mclaren.

Each one is hand laid using prepreg, clave cured for 12 hours at 180c, demoulded & trimmed to shape by hand with air tools.

Honda making a sly f1 comeback or you stuck in 2008?

[Mike]

Honda making a sly f1 comeback or you stuck in 2008?

Prototype ;)

[BRoadGhost]

Retro livery has had it's day & won't be back fort another couple of decades ;o

[novarally]

Well, after a long trek yesterday, it's back at home, stripped of paint, primered and powder coated (inside and on the floorpan underneath);

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/001-30.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/002-65.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/004-57.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/005-47.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/006-49.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/007-42.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/008-36.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/009-35.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/010-34.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/011-30.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/012-32.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/013-24.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-67.jpg

I'm really happy with the way that the outside has turned out, but to be honest I'm disappointed with the inside finish. I was wanting a glossy metallic grey, like the BTCC cars from the 90's, but it's ended up a rather matte finish, and looking like an explosion in a glitter factory, it's far too sparkly for my liking.

I think I'll have to have a coat of wet paint put over the powder coat inside it.

[peester]

hmm. To be fair, its close enough, for me - or rather a tad more interesting looking than the 'default' dark grey / anthra you often see.
Now all you want for xmas is a decision to stick to on the colour lol

I was going to put i feel all nostalgic with your nova- so stick to the red spectrum the car has worn previously.
But with its new total overhaul, arch kit so much carbon etc. Im not sure either lol.

[Southie]

The outside looks a really good job, how come the inside is so glittery? Is it overspray from the outer or a plasti-cote glitter can from b&q lol

Have you weighed it again since back from paint???

Anyway I bet you cannot wait to get back too it over the Christmas period, so colour Colin... colour..........???

[mowgli]

You might struggle to get paint to key over the powder coat....

I was looking at the cage & thinking it looks like the dodgy sprayed on 2 colour finish they used on school toilet walls

it might look completely different when all the bits are bolted back in..

I pity the poor sod who's got to mask it up though

[novarally]

The outside looks a really good job, how come the inside is so glittery? Is it overspray from the outer or a plasti-cote glitter can from b&q lol

Have you weighed it again since back from paint???

Anyway I bet you cannot wait to get back too it over the Christmas period, so colour Colin... colour..........???

Not weighed it yet, haven't even got it off the trailer yet! I will make a start on things between Xmas and New Year.

Apparently there wasn't an 'off the shelf' metallic powder coat available, so they mixed up something, with the horrifying glittery result. When I picked it up yesterday it was dark, so I didn't see the full disco-effect until this morning.

[Royston]

I sort of like it Colin, dark and functional;), certainly different.

Looks a bit like teflon I think it will be a good contrast with the surface colour;)

[novarally]

You might struggle to get paint to key over the powder coat....

I was looking at the cage & thinking it looks like the dodgy sprayed on 2 colour finish they used on school toilet walls

it might look completely different when all the bits are bolted back in..

I pity the poor sod who's got to mask it up though

The company that coated it say that it can be sprayed over, they did recommend a coat or 2 of lacquer over the powder coat, which would sort out the matt finish it has at the moment. But it's the sparkliness that I'm not liking.

[mowgli]

It almost looks like it wasn't heated up enough, cos in my limited experience of powder coating, it goes on matt, and only gets shiny with heat...

(to any nay sayers/doubters, my ex brother in law had a business powder coating petrol pump panels & i used to help himout.)

[Iain]

I like the sparkliness, very pretty lol:p

Nah it doesn't look that bad, but I guess if it's not what you wanted... I've never seen a car body powdercoated before

[SimonTW]

That's a real shame it's not turned out how you were hoping. Do you know which company did the powder coat? It almost looks like it's dusty reflecting back due to the flash. I think it's going to look awesome when painted. Looking forward to seeing more progress on it.

[Ben]

Tbh at the moment the car is bare and all you are focussing on is what's there, the cage! When everything else is back in/on the car I dare for someone to say " yeah it's ok but the cage is bit sparkly ". There is so much going on with the rest you wont even notice.

[Lewis.]

It does look incredibly sparkley, is there no chance they will re do it seeing as it's obviously not what you asked for? might look better with a few coats of laquer though.



to any nay sayers/doubters, my ex brother in law had a business powder coating petrol pump panels & i used to help himout.

you know as well as I do that your first hand experience will not be enough to silence the PNG nay sayers! lol

[Jonlem]

Looking good Colin, shame about the sparkles as I quite like the shade they have used

[BRoadGhost]

I can tell you're a bit of a perfectionist Colin so no wonder it's not sitting too well with you. Did you ask them if they were happy with it? Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the most true thing I ever finally understood is: no one can see past a choice they don't understand.

[Cenoura54]

I even like this project more and more!
We want news!:d

[ExTrEmeOc]

I Love this Thread! :D

[novarally]

Just throwing on the suspension so I can get the shell rolling, as it's going off to the paint shop soon. Need to the fibreglass doors fitted in readiness for paint as well;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/003-68.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/004-58.jpg

[novarally]

Back on its feet, first thing this morning;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/005-48.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/006-50.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/007-43.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/008-37.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/009-36.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/010-35.jpg

[Royston]

I like it Colin!!

Have you got a colour scheme yet?

[L33 LEG]

I think you should do it grey, looks really aggressive as it is now, well apart from the sparkles lol Seriously cool thread, cant wait to see it all back in one piece, those wheels look like the weigh nothing at all!

[novarally]

I think you should do it grey, looks really aggressive as it is now, well apart from the sparkles lol Seriously cool thread, cant wait to see it all back in one piece, those wheels look like the weigh nothing at all!

Those are my heavy wheels.............just a spare set to have it rolling around on, I didn't want the split rims and slicks going into the paint shop!

I must say I love the grey myself, very much like the 'Frozen Grey' matte finish which BMW have been offering as a massive-cost option on some models recently.

But I think I want a 'shouty' bright colour as it photographs better, and the current favourite is.........................................Orange.

Discuss.

[L33 LEG]

Ye i didnt think they were the same wheels as you posted up before but i never know with you, they look like they could of been something special Lol.

Grey would be really nice for it but like you say, it wouldnt stand out enough. The green is probably the best option imo but it needs some stickers or carbon to break the colour up. Green, orange and yellow will all look as good as eachother, it's what little touches you do to the exterior that will matter. Best bet is to get the car made up, or an old pic of it made up and ask for some shops to be done, shame i dont have PS anymore.

[MK999]

Never actually looked at it before but do you have to run standard wishbones etc on the front Colin? Or do the rules only stipulate 'standard mounting points'

[SimonTW]

Looks freaking awesome. I might even have to come to an event once its built up and see it in the flesh. Do you have your event details for 2012?

[novarally]

Never actually looked at it before but do you have to run standard wishbones etc on the front Colin? Or do the rules only stipulate 'standard mounting points'

They are standard TCA's with a spherical bearing to the chassis. We are allowed to relocate mounting points slightly (15mm if I remember rightly).

There's nothing to stop me changing them, but the standard ones are lightweight and seem to work!

[Edd]

Grey with orange decals would look good imo

[novarally]

Looks freaking awesome. I might even have to come to an event once its built up and see it in the flesh. Do you have your event details for 2012?

Thanks, I haven't committed to any events yet for 2012, although my target once again will be the Gurston Down Hillclimb Championship;

www.gurstondown.org (http://www.gurstondown.org)

I need to get out testing to make sure everything is working ok once the rebuild is done, and my plan is to shake it down at Santa Pod when 'Practical Performance Car' magazine have their RWYB day there toward the end of March.

I expect to be out during 2012 at Harewood (Yorkshire), Loton Park (Shropshire) and probably at Blyton/Cadwell/Barkston Heath (Lincolnshire).

[Jonlem]

Looks great Colin, can't you just fit a engine and race it like that lol Would certainly be under 500kgs then!

[SGA33]

If you are thinking about doing it orange do it the 'dyno-rod' orange
Colour the vans are.They certainly stand out

[Iain]

Every dynorod orange van you see is faded massively tho! Bright orange would look nuts, go for it.

Shell looks hardcore like that with everything on the front and back chopped out! Love it

[mowgli]

orange makes cars look fast...
http://fr.flash-screen.com/free-wallpaper/uploads/201009/imgs/1284627102_1200x800_orange-mclaren-f1.jpg (http://fr.flash-screen.com/free-wallpaper/free,wallpapers,48845/download,800x600,.html#)

[novarally]

Every dynorod orange van you see is faded massively tho! Bright orange would look nuts, go for it.

Shell looks hardcore like that with everything on the front and back chopped out! Love it

I considered about that Dynorod Red (they call it red, rather than orange), but it does fade.

I'm 99% sure I'm going for bright orange now, although everyone who's seen my Nova today loves the flat grey finish of the primer!

The McLaren colour looks great, as per Mowgli's post.

[SGA33]

Jagermeister orange
http://i1087.photobucket.com/albums/j469/sga33/674222.jpg

[scott.parker]

I just always think of that fast-furious style nova when i see that type of orange on them! lol

I like it the way it is too mate, understated and stealth bomber style!

[Bubba]

I considered about that Dynorod Red (they call it red, rather than orange), but it does fade.



iirc thats a copyrighted colour, so youre not allowed to have it made up or so i was told. im not a fan of lairy colours.

[Royston]

MMMMM.......... Orange McLaren F1 and snow.........interesting combination:d

[mowgli]

they only made a few of them in orange, they had special homologation parts for gt racing, and i almost hit one on a lorry driving lesson.. i was pulling out from the school yard & i looked both ways, pulled into the road, and one suddenly appeared from nowhere into the 40 zone i was in... he really was motorin' and they really have good brakes.

[MK999]

They are standard TCA's with a spherical bearing to the chassis. We are allowed to relocate mounting points slightly (15mm if I remember rightly).

There's nothing to stop me changing them, but the standard ones are lightweight and seem to work!

Whats the exact wording on the rules for mounting points etc? Also the standard arms are designed as a crash structure, they're not particularly stiff, and neither are the tca arms, I havent handled mine in a while but im fairly sure you can flex them about by hand. Pretty sure there between some and lots to gain there depending on the rules

[mowgli]

I havent handled mine in a while but im fairly sure you can flex them about by hand

my new sig lol lol

[Tim]

very cool

[calibra-keith]

looking great already Colin, with the spec the car is its going to look great bright or dark.

[Calamity Josh]

What about focus st orange?

[novarally]

What about focus st orange?

That's pretty much the decision I've come to, I do like the Focus Electric Orange. It goes into the bodyshop to be painted on Monday, so time is running out to change my mind now.

The plan is to fit the fibreglass doors this Sunday, just in time for the painting to start. I have cajoled 'Calibra Keith' into helping me with that as he did such a nice job of fitting the doors on his car....thanks Keith.

The front brakes are still a 'work in progress', and you can see more about the options in my separate thread in the 'Mechanical' Forum on here.

I've been doing a bit of pottering in the workshop, last night I decided to revise the fixings for the rear of the bonnet, as there was a tiny amount of weight to be saved, and it would be easier to do away with the 3 bonnet pins.

This is what I've come up with instead, utilising the 2 random holes that Vauxhall put very conveniently in the bodyshell;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/012-33.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/011-31.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/010-37.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/009-38.jpg

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/008-39.jpg

[Dayle_]

Been following this project for a long time and must say Colin it is awsome. Big respect.

[novarally]

Been following this project for a long time and must say Colin it is awsome. Big respect.

Thank-you, I'm certainly pleased with the way it's coming along.

A friend of mine has questioned my choice of Focus Electric Orange for the paint scheme, and has suggested this Ferrari colour as another option;

http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll66/hillclimbescort/Ferrari_458_Italia_photo_car_wallpapers_yellow_fer rari_new.jpg

All opinions welcome!

[SimonTW]

Orange over yellow for me! Are you having the bumpers and bonnet all sprayed to match the body?

[16v Nova Kev]

personaly wouldnt do the focus colour as its a 4 stage paint job. and if you needed a repair you might need to paint the whole side. i was going to do ford ultimate green but thats the same. i think yellow would suite the car well.

[paul james]

I reckon it would look great in that shade of yellow. If theres no colour that strikes you as being right, then perhaps you should paint it red again?

[novarally]

I reckon it would look great in that shade of yellow. If theres no colour that strikes you as being right, then perhaps you should paint it red again?

Yellow, orange or green all appeal to me, but it's a tricky final decision.

Red doesn't!

[16v Nova Kev]

this is what i will prob paint my track car like.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg8/16vnovakev/SAM_1123.jpg

[novarally]

personaly wouldnt do the focus colour as its a 4 stage paint job. and if you needed a repair you might need to paint the whole side. i was going to do ford ultimate green but thats the same. i think yellow would suite the car well.

Thanks for that Kev.

Is the Ferrari colour likely to have the same issues though? I know nothing about paint!

[novarally]

Orange over yellow for me! Are you having the bumpers and bonnet all sprayed to match the body?

Bumpers will be body colour, but I plan to leave the bonnet in natural carbon.