What To Do For A Bit More Performance??

[SamUnited]

Easy all, I've got a crappy nova 1.2injection, it's my first car, but it's unbelievably slow, I'm gonna treat it to new HT leads, sparks and dizzy cap, but what other CHEAP things can I do just to get a little more out of it? My insurance man threatened to bend me over if I swapped engines, so don't suggest that please lol Thanks all :thumb:

[djshaggeh]

I'd say live with it until you can afford to put a new engine in there. I'd do the obvious stuff like lower it, bigger brakes and sort out the bodywork. that way it will look good when you put a bigger engine in.

I had a 1.2i nova a few years back and it wasn't the quickest. But after I lowered it and put bigger brakes on it was still a good laugh to drive. You'd lose out on the straights but as soon as you hit a bend it was a different story.

Mine used to sound like a hair drier when it was on the limiter, which was good for a laugh!

[AlexW]

Live with it.

A good service like your doing (cambelt might be worth it too if it aint been done in a while) will free up a couple of bhp.

Any proper mods would need to be declared anyway. Dispite this, Cam from a 1.6 (Presuming there the same dizzy drive) might be a worthwhile upgrade. Wont make it much faster though.

[mowgli]

ok, you've got 45hp. don't put gigantic tyres on or it will slow you down trying to drag them around, work with what you've got, use momentum, ie. try to maintain a speed thru corners, cos acceleration is not too good on them.

[Gaz1300SR]

Have a look here

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93474

[Gaz1300SR]

I change the exhaust, cam and lose some weight. It's never going to be quick though.

[vaughanmc]

I have a Nova 1.2i as well mate as my 1st car - There not quick but what do you expect for your 1st motor ?

You need cheap insurance and running costs (Depending on how good a pay your on)

I'd run it as it is and build up something else to fire in when you can afford to insure it eg: Nova GSi engine or maybe a smallblock 16v

[AlexW]

^Or buy a proper car insted of a nova.

[vaughanmc]

Mk4 Astra ;)

[mowgli]

^Or buy a proper car insted of a nova.

a classic example of 'do as i say and not as i do' if ever there was one

[AlexW]

But i did sell my first nova and bought a proper car.

[Gaz1300SR]

But i did sell my first nova and bought a proper car.

What proper car?

[Angus Closier]

At the end of the day a 1.2 is the same as a 2.0 when it comes to tuning. You could do anything from cams to throttle bodies/carbs, exhaust system etc but you really arent going to get much from it. Save the money/keep it well serviced/get it handeling better than a shopping trolley and wait till you can get a bigger engine.

[Jon_nova1]

what these say, work on handling and braking and learn to drive, then when you come to put a bigger engine in it, atleast you'll have the driving experience and the shel will be prepped

not that i did any of that, when i got my first car it had a bigger modified engine within two weeks, but i was always the one to take remote control cars apart just to see how it worked lol