The runaround project!

[Jon_nova1]

So i was going to post this a few weeks ago when someone was complaining about no projects going on, but i couldn't be arsed

this is copied and pasted from another site i use, ignore any smiley's that don't work

So yer, this started out 3 weeks ago! (which is now 9 weeks ago)
before you go line scanning, its best to put click the images to enlarge here :P

simple story really, a neighbour told me he knew someone selling a car (everyone down our road knows i'm into my cars) to which i instantly said im not interested, he then told me it was a nova, he then went on to say its £150, to which i turned round and said you t*at
So a trip down to northwich to pick it up happened, i never realised just how slow a 1.2 was :shock: it was a foot to the floor all the way home kind of thing, after doing a wheelspin down the sellers road claiming its the first thing you do when you get a new car
Dear me, where to start with this one
this is what it looked like around 5? minutes after it got on my driveway and the neighbours had gone back to thier houses after having a nosy at it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00180-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00180-1.jpg)

this is what it looked like a few hours later (yes hours) the front end completely stripped as it was getting an engine conversion and new front panel.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00181.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00181.jpg)


it looks a little different in this picture the front end completely off! the engine bay is also seam welded....which stops the torque twisting the chassis
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00191.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00191.jpg)


ok, now this picture, erm, well we did the work when i had the bbq, we got wasted, so theres nothing inbetween, just the after picture, with random empty cans lying around :?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00193.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00193.jpg)
i started putting the new front panel on, on friday i think? and on saturday we got...well two of the 3 engine mounts on, gearbox on and radiator in...it may sound strange, but because its the worlds tinyest engine bay, you can't get the radiator in with the 2 litre engine in, the black lines on the new front panel is where the welder burnt the paint of the panel.
really it was small bits that needed doing from there on (in Jons world anyway....don't you just love the way i refer to myself in a third person context? )


I thought i'd give the front wings abit of paint, because they looked...well, sh*t, i decided to give them a rub with paint thinner to get rid of the grease etc...then this happened!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00002.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00002.jpg)
Yes boys and girls, this is the result of spraying using acrylic paint, please don't do it, my back yard is a mess now :roll: the other wing was originally blue by the way, with the one photo'd being white

not got a pic of them painted, just primered...notice the hole for the ariel has gone too
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00004.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00004.jpg)
So around two weeks later....because im not really a lets take a photo of everything kind of person :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00017.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00017.jpg)
this is how it stands now, quite abit has changed....
managed to get the last engine mount in, which was a cu...pain :) lets just say it involved a tow rope to pull the engine forward :lol:
steering wheel and dash all put back together
all suspension/steering/driveshafts put together
Hole made for the engine wiring loom
oil cooler mounted (zip ties for the win)
All pipes connected
undersealed the inner wings and under and around the engine bay
I've started t-cutting the bodywork, notice in the first picture the car was turquise, and in the last, signs of a breeze blue are coming through? :D
got the bonnet catch all connected...wow it took ages, and bonnet stay etc, basically everything that was on the old front end.
New headlamps, some previous owner thought angel eyes were an awesome idea, complete with yellowed glue :lol:
oh, new brakes, got 2 litre brakes to go with the engine, working for mintex means i paid about £17 for discs and pads :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00020.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00020.jpg)
Things that still need doing :shock: fcuk me this topic is taking longer than i've spent on the car :lol:
finish the gear llinkage
I've still got to finish the front wings, finish t-cutting, sort out the rear arches and other rusty and messy areas, can't be arsed with the dents, its only going to be a runaround.
Also got to respray the bumpers, someone never used plastic primer, so its peeling.
Do something about the vinyl strips...ie take the remaining off
fit the digidash, and an alarm
due to being dropped on my head as a child (which my mum still refuses to admit) the indicators went in the bin with the old headlamps, so new indicators needed, the same also applies to the engine loom,

fit suspension kit (ordering payday)
smooth the boot where the handle is, and delock boot/doors, so its harder to steal :?
get rid of the holes in the bonnet
so its taken about three/four weeks to get it like that, hoping to get it mot'd in a few weeks :D

[Jon_nova1]

for me its a aslong as you can't see, its fine :lol:
heres one of the freshly painted wings, this was the first thing that got sprayed with the new spray gun, unfortunately i didn't mix it thin enough, so it resulted in it coming out slightly uneven, sandpaper and t-cut helped, but meh, its a hell of alot better than it was before, it was coated in swirl marks where it had been sanded before spraying, and wouldn't even come up shiny :roll:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00026.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00026.jpg)
Heres a pic of the rear arch, the paint just needs smoothing now and it should come up ok, the front part will be covered up by sideskirts, so that isn't too important, this was the worst arch, someone had pulled the part that curves underneath out, resulting in it becoming rusty...and a mess! but nothing an angle grinder didn't fix, the rust on the floor should tell the story :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00027.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00027.jpg)

ok, now if you look at the first page of the rear of the car, the exhaust is bodged just a little too much for me, the bracket actually poked out the bumper, so a quick angle grinding job got that sorted.... :?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00025.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00025.jpg)
straight after doing this i spotted another bodge on the exhaust, if you can't see the bodge...you shouldn't be near cars :lol: but scroll down to see


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00028.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00028.jpg)
yes thats right, the exhaust had been painted! for the ones that didn't spot it :lol: someone had painted the chrome coated exhaust...in silver spray paint :lol: so i gave it a sorting out :?
i just sorted the part you'll actually see, and it came up nice and shiny!
I also smoothed the boot, not perfect, but im hoping t-cut will sort it, but can't complain saying i filled the wiper hole, lock hole and the little holes to lift the boot, yesterday, and sanded and sprayed it today, i also got rid of the badges, it still needs more t-cutting, you can clearly see the vauxhall and nova 1.2i badge :lol:
no doubt theres someone seeing this saying, look at the state of the rust on the back...you won't see it when the bumpers on :lol:

[Jon_nova1]

not much to go up, because i only ever bother taking photos with my phone :lol:
The other wing and both bumpers have been sprayed, the front bumper just needs rubbing down and blowing over
and also sorted out the roof, thought i'd take comparison pictures
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00035.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00035.jpg)
on the right is where the paint had faded (which is why it looked turquise when i first got it :lol: ) and on the left is what it looked like after t-cut
The roof is now the shiniest thing on the car :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00040.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00040.jpg)

[Jon_nova1]

so got a few more pics (i'm off work this week, so progress is a little more substantial)
click pics to enlarge.
I also worked out how long i've had the nova for, i've only had it 8 weeks, i picked it up on august the 9th, i think its come quite far, even if it will still keeping the supermarket trolley dents
Today, the bumpers went on, the wing, grill and did some other stuff :?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00044.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00044.jpg)
It still needs a little work on the front bumper, and i could do with a new bonnet, which appears to have a slight ripple, and deep scratches, but meh, i'll sort the scratches, and leave the ripple, but i got rid of the vauxhall badge and holes :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00049.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00049.jpg)
this is the side thats had the most work done, the arch was pretty rusty after someone diy'ed the rolling on the rear arch :roll: you can also see the rear lamp that needs replacing...you try getting a 2 litre engine through a garage without breaking anything :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00045.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00045.jpg)
And the side that hasn't had much done to it yet :lol: if you look, you can still see the nova and 1.2i, which won't come out, so all the panels i've painted will be mismatched the paint thats been exposed to the sun :roll:
Now i thought i'd do something about security...or atleast start it, seems as the first week out of the garage someone bent the door back (putting a nice ripple in it) unlocked it from the inside...got across the seats, then took a screwdriver to the ignition barrel leaving it covered in scratches.....
....All of this while..the drivers door was unlocked, there was no dashboard, the engine wasn't wired up, the ignition plug wasn't actually screwed in....it just pulled out :roll: it had no front bumper, wings...well actually it had nothing on the front end apart from a bonnet that wasn't shut properly :roll:
I won't go into too much detail, but will show whats on view to anyone that sees it
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00042.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00042.jpg)
No lock :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00041.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00041.jpg)
this is how the lock pull thing now sits when its locked, instead of being pullup-able :?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00046.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00046.jpg)
who needs an authorised alarm installer when you've got Jon's garage? :lol:

[Jon_nova1]

not much going on today, we went to anglesy to pick pick up an adjustable fk coilover kit, was a good drive though :lol:
the alarm/immobiliser did get fitted today thought
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00050.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00050.jpg)
it just needs yet to be placed selonoids wired in :lol:
I don't hear of many projects happening in warrington, there was a time everyone had something on the go, no it just seems to be small things happening

[Jon_nova1]

So today we came to fit the suspension kit that we got lastnight
well....i just messed about, this is what you need
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00054.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00054.jpg)
thats right, your own personal b*tch :lol:
and heres my cup of tea...mmm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00055.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00055.jpg)
nar i did actually do some work :lol:
heres what it looks like now, the before pics are on page 2 :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00056.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00056.jpg)
its nice and low, the only problem being, apart from not being able to get the jack out from underneath...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00057.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00057.jpg)
the sump sits 5CM of the ground, and the cat sits 2CM of the ground :shock: so we decided this needs to be sorted, pushing the cat up means the exhaust rubs against the wheel well (because its a universal bodge) so the plan is to move the tailpipe over a little...or hammer the wheel well over, depending on what becomes the more annoying first :lol: and weld a hanger in place to lift the cat

[Jon_nova1]

OK, so heres a quick update, As im in work this week, progress isn't as fast as last week, which fair do's, we did get alot done 8-)
Click top enlarge images
So the day came to get rid of the vinyl on the top of the door, it was either that, or put one on the drivers door...it was easier taking them off.
After acquiring a hairdryer, work commenced, the poor victim told us if it got burnt out, we're buying a new one, strangely enough, the excuse of "Im drying my hair" didn't really work :? even after photographic evidence :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00059.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00059.jpg)
Babyliss for the win :lol:
but anyway :lol:
heres what it looked like when the vinyl came off, you can see just how faded the paintwork is :shock:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00061.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00061.jpg)
The passenger side seemed more faded than the drivers side, and i was abit worried because...well, the newly sprayed wing no where near matched the passenger side :lol: after taking sandpaper and t-cut to it its getting better, the bonnet still seems like its been sprayed previously, and gone of/is a slightly different shade, but the efforts are starting to show
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00063.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00063.jpg)
So hopefully a bit more work and it'll be a better match than it is now!
oh, windows have also come out, tinting has commenced!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00062.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00062.jpg)
the list of "to do's" is getting shorter :shock: now on the list is...
fit indicators/rear lamp (which i still haven't got)
delock passenger side, then spray drivers, passenger door, also spray where the old vinyl went, where the previous owner obviously used a screwdriver to take it okk :?
Fit selonoids for the doors (the boot now has one fitted)
put a loom on the engine along with cam cover (a mates got them, but about as reliable as a ford...sorry, i had to say it :oops: )
spray passenger door handle
tint the rear screen, then put all rear windows back in (just need a heat gun for the rear screen)
buy some decent wing indicators
refit sideskirts
sort out the low exhaust
finish gear linkage (i need a 12MM bolt)
underseal rear arches
then hopefully MOT :D although i may weld part of the rear arch before this
its mainly small jobs on the list now :?

[Jon_nova1]

:lol: I just want it legal now, can't wait to get it on the road!
limo black for the win 8-)
I put a window in today, and worked on the paint mismatch issue...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00064.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00064.jpg)
aswell as some filling work on the drivers side (the part that had a screwdriver taken to it to remove the vinyl)
I undersealed an arch that i'd taken an angle grinder to, I think i'll weld a plate on the other before sealing it. I also moved the exhaust over so it doesn't hit the wheel well and started working a way for the cat to sit higher, I may just cut the exhaust mount in half and reweld it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00065.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00065.jpg)
That is what the cat currently sits like, it doesn't seem particularly low, but you have to bear in mind one side was jacked up as far as it could go :shock: As its friday tomorrow i think i'll see what welding i cant get done 8-)

[Jon_nova1]

Here we go!
the gear linkage is finished, it just needs connecting to the gearstick, unfortunately, with the car being so low, its going to be a pain :lol:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00068.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00068.jpg)
A couple of shots of the rather small engine bay
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00069-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00069-1.jpg)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00073-1.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00073-1.jpg)
i still a cambelt cover :lol:
And the rear drivers windows in, and I filled and sprayed the screwdriver scratches on the pillar, it just needs smoothing off, i also did the same to the door...didn't get a pic though
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/th_DSC00074.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v166/Unicorn007/?action=view&current=DSC00074.jpg)
that is all :lol: