Saab Nova Turbo: Owned and Built by a Girl......

[claire6069]

As most of you are aware, my lovely other half is doing a 4x4 nova (and has been for the past year lol) and amongst all his wants of things for his project was a wide arch kit.
We took a trip down to Erith in Kent to pick a kit up and this is the point i decided i had to have a nova turbo after seeing this particularly nice example i believe most of you know - a B reg white one that used to be orange and was all carbon fibre inside etc etc.

Anyway, since then, my itch for a nova turbo has grown and i've finally had to scratch it so, after talking to Mr Spudly, we went and picked his white flair shell up 2 weeks ago. The intention from the start is for me to do everything to the car, obviously with Steve pointing me in the right directiona and teaching me to weld, use a grinder etc etc.
After looking round it, it was obvious it needed bottom cross member, 2 new wings, 2 new doors and 2 new rear arches plus a passenger side inner arch/splash guard and the battery tray doing.
That wasnt really a big issue, as i'm in no rush to get it done. So, up on the trailer she goes for the journey home

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1074.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1071.jpg

So, after making Spud cry at the sight of his nova leaving, we finally got it home and started stripping it down to get a better picture of what we had to deal with and it wasnt pretty.........
the more we dug the more we found:
both sills
chassis rails
seams around the suspension turrets
the bulkhead was rotten from underneath the battery tray
rear spring seats

but on the plus side, the boot was pretty solid lol

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1161.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1160.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1155.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1166.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1164.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1162.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1176.jpg

Well i was a bit gutted as i had promised Spud it would live again and i wanted the number plate too lol
Ste told me that if i wanted to keep the shell, it would end up with me taking more of a back seat due to the amount of strengthening and welding that would have to be done but if i wanted it doing he would do it.
After a few more discussions, he said that with the amount of work it needed, he wouldnt be 100% happy with it having let power but without it having a let, it wasnt worth doing the work, so after a couple of days, i decided that was it, it wasnt going to happen with Spud's shell as Alfie would be in the car at some point when it was built and i wasnt going to risk it undressing itself or finding other weaknesses in the shell once it was being driven and used.

[connor c]

a let in that shell just wouldnt be safe tbf

[claire6069]

So, on its side it went for the rear axle and petrol tank removal

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1171.jpg

And off to the scrappy's and a goodbye

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1197.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1198.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1200.jpg

Then off we went to Colin Smiths to replace the hole of no shell with this little beast: (thanks again Colin)

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1209.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1208.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1206.jpg

It does need some work but its pretty solid as a base to start from so for the next week, im going to be stripping it and attacking it with a wire wheel to clean off all the cr@p and see what we've got underneath :)

[shed-on-wheels]

will be good to see this get trasformed but would need a whole lot of welding until i would let her

[shed-on-wheels]

ahh now thats better dude

[claire6069]

And amongst all this, i've also bought a new daily as the scooby had to go and came home with this:

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/Calypso%20Red/IMAG1210.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/Calypso%20Red/IMAG1212.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/Calypso%20Red/IMAG1214.jpg

its really solid and only done about 60k, im now its 3rd owner lol few niggly little things to sort but nothing major! there will be a baby valver going in this before pvs too!

[shed-on-wheels]

fully rebuilt x16xe here

[claire6069]

fully rebuilt x16xe here

oooo really?? pm on way :thumb:

[Southie]

Poor Spudders :cry: Best place for the old shell by the looks of it though.

Loving the daily Claire :d and the purple Nova looks in better condition, I shall call it Claire's purple throbbing monster lol

[Andy]

Poor Spudders :cry: Best place for the old shell by the looks of it though.

Loving the daily Claire :d and the purple Nova looks in better condition, I shall call it Claire's purple throbbing monster lol
hes good a got un waiting though;)
Nice daily claire,i always knew spuds was too far,i was surprised when he said it were being saved...

[bazil]

a let in that shell just wouldnt be safe tbf

200 bhp in a rusty shell is un safe? better not look at my thread then lol

thats a damn shame CYA is gone :cry: good luck with the build claire:thumb:

[Andy]

Sometimes its just not worth it.
Mk2 shells are the worst,you wont go far wrong with a mk1.
Mk2's are fukkin sh1t,seriously fukkin shyte!!!

[claire6069]

thanks for the comments :)

the dailys' spot on really, the paint never got flatted back and re-lacquered as the guy never took it back in so we're going to try buffing it shortly, see if that works!

as for spud's i do feel bad but he understands and hes kinda preoccupied with his donor car and his new shell lol

[Southie]

hes good a got un waiting though;)
Is it a blue one per chance? :d

[Andy]

thanks for the comments :)

the dailys' spot on really, the paint never got flatted back and re-lacquered as the guy never took it back in so we're going to try buffing it shortly, see if that works!

as for spud's i do feel bad but he understands and hes kinda preoccupied with his donor car and his new shell lol
In his words,he probably doesnt "give a heroin" now hes getting mine lol

[Andy]

Is it a blue one per chance? :d
Very sadly and unfortunately yes,totally beyond my control:( :cry: :cry: :cry:
Its a case of business or bust for me

[Southie]

Very sadly and unfortunately yes,totally beyond my control:( :cry: :cry: :cry:
Its a case of business or bust for me

Gutted for you :cry::cry:

[Andy]

Gutted for you :cry::cry:
pm'd to save the trash on the thread;)

[Pistol Pete]

That's my mates old shell!! Was a GTE originally, but had a LET fitted. Will get some pics up of it. Good to see it live on!! Good luck with the project.

[Mike]

Mk2's are fukkin sh1t,seriously fukkin shyte!!!

Slanderous! lol

[pikey1986]

Sometimes its just not worth it.
Mk2 shells are the worst,you wont go far wrong with a mk1.
Mk2's are fukkin sh1t,seriously fukkin shyte!!!

repped :thumb:

[claire6069]

That's my mates old shell!! Was a GTE originally, but had a LET fitted. Will get some pics up of it. Good to see it live on!! Good luck with the project.

i was hoping someone on here would know it! yeh pics would be good! its actually pretty solid considering its been outside for months, its been seam welded and seam sealed at some point which has saved it i think!

[General Baxter]

does spud know? lol

edit oh CYA lol

[claire6069]

lol baxter, yes he does, i sent him an email the day i decided and rang him to make sure he was ok with me putting pics up of it

[Pistol Pete]

i was hoping someone on here would know it! yeh pics would be good! its actually pretty solid considering its been outside for months, its been seam welded and seam sealed at some point which has saved it i think!

It wasnt just lashed together thats for sure lol

Pics..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Pete_58/Nova1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Pete_58/31052006.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v310/Pete_58/Picture_.jpg

[Andy]

Slanderous! lol
Mk2's are like a high class hooker,nice looking on the outside,but rotten and fukked to the core on the insides

[claire6069]

that looks good actually! i was debating keeping it purple as the paint job on it has such a lovely pearl in it i dont think steve could get the conditions right in the shed to get the pearl in it again but it does look good in that colour!

[pikey1986]

you've got yourself 2 tidy looking nova's there claire

i sooooo jealous lol

best of luck with both

[General Baxter]

aha he looks so happy lol


http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a191/baxters83/Image024-1.jpg

[claire6069]

you've got yourself 2 tidy looking nova's there claire

i sooooo jealous lol

best of luck with both

thanks :)

and good pic baxter lol better than spud's backside anyway lol

[Andy]

what this one?

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a191/baxters83/IMG0020A.jpg

or this one??

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a191/baxters83/IMG0020A.jpg
lol lol lol

[General Baxter]

its huge

[claire6069]

you ********s lol thanks for that!

im quite aware of how big the picture is thanks baxter lol

[pikey1986]

iv burnt my eye's lol

just as i was getting over the last time that huge crack traumatised(sp) me lol

[autoworksnovasport]

his bum looks broken!!!! got a massive crack in it

[claire6069]

lol lol

[AdamK]

nothing abit of p38 wont sort lol

[ste porter]

Now you all know whos to blame for the slow progress as of late on the 4x4 lol

[autoworksnovasport]

as gona say that but you beet me to it /\/\/\/\

[Southie]

What a "cracking film" lol I'm scared I had to photoshop his arsse lol












http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p379/SOUTHIE01/shoppery/Spudly-and-the-giant-peach1.jpg

[Connor]

Nice project you have there claire.
Shell looks like a good base. Spuds really didnt lol (sorry spud)

EDIT southie +rep thats funny as fook

[shed-on-wheels]

lol this project thread has gone from building turbos to spuds backside lol

[Paul]

Why not fit the let in the gte? It looks better than that purple shell.

[MK999]

Why not fit the let in the gte? It looks better than that purple shell.

Cue purists and pitchforks lol

[shed-on-wheels]

lmao^^^^^ lol

[Jeff16v]

Epic spud buttlol

[istf]

Loooool :d :d :d

[Rickyb]

this is gonna be a top project :thumb:
subscribed

[bmw156]

looks and sounds like a good project.

make sure you keep us updated with pics :D

[ste porter]

Why not fit the let in the gte? It looks better than that purple shell.

The whole point is claire wants a start to finish project of her own
The gte is a complete car and seems a shame to rip a car apart that has nothing wrong with it when we can salvage a shell that was destined for the scrappers
It would in a way make sense to let the gte i surpose but like i say thats not what this is all about

as it stands the gte is a complete car that needs nothing doing we change the engine then its still just another tidy nova thats had a big engine fitted by us it doesnt make it her own not realy

By us saving the purple shell from the scrappers and rebuilding it from the ground up that way it will feel like its claires and that she has control of it and what it has ect at every step. Its a learning curve and im hoping by claire doing it she will learn alot and understand it all abit better.This im hoping will make her apreciate it and look after it alot more than she maybe would the gte rep. The other big advantage is if shes built it all from the ground up like this rather than me just throw a let in one then she will know how to maintain it and repair it on her own

BUT that said the gte rep will be getting an engine change aswell anyway nothing special and will just be a weekend job by me not claire with an x16xe just to turn it into abit more of an enjoyable daily for her

[Paul]

Fair play to that, good luck with it Claire.

Shes got a good mentor!

[Spudly]

Daily looks good now ive seen full size piccies, im liking that but can see what Ste meant about the finish in the paint, have you tried flatting it yet then lol

[Johnny A]

Is the purple Nova this one?
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/willsturbo01.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j125/Johnnyaspec/willsturbo03.jpg

[Pistol Pete]

Could well be Johnny. You may well know him actually..he is from Wantage/Uffington way. Will? So is the lad that did alot of the work. Rich?

[novarally]

Could well be Johnny. You may well know him actually..he is from Wantage/Uffington way. Will? So is the lad that did alot of the work. Rich?

Yes, it is that one, the glass is etched up as 'H188 HJT', but had the personal plate of 'WIL 9047' on it.

[ste porter]

yeah thats the shell mate and paul thanks for the comment and spud no we havent i think she has an update of todays progress to put up after we have had tea

[claire6069]

thanks for all the comments guys and if anyone has anymore pics of the purple shell, they'd be greatly appreciated! its always nice to know a cars history!

well we got started at about 3pm today and stripped the doors

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1220.jpg

the went about cleaning out all the crap and found its last point of being on the road

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1223.jpg

a pod slip from nearly exactly 5 years ago to date lol (25th march 2006) it must have ran with an xe assuming the pod havent changed their classes as it was in the 'b' class, ran a respectable 13.7 at 101.98

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1227.jpg

we also found a wizards of nos installation guide, a big ass clifford alarm and tracker and a few bits that pointed towards it having had big audio at some point as well.
anyway, cracked faithful old henry the hoover out and it was ready for the rollover jig

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1228.jpg

up goes the back

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1231.jpg

and then she was over and off to the painful process of wire wheeling and scraping off all the underseal, stonechip and paint

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1233.jpg

after about 2-3 hours, it was finally looking like we'd done something

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1237.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1240.jpg

We have found some slight holes in the floorplan, well, slight may be an understatement but its solid everywhere else it needs to be so welding some plates in to strengthen the floor isnt too much of a big issue, its just going to be time consuming and fiddly

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1239.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1242.jpg

note that you can see the part number once again like its brand new lol

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1243.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1244.jpg

once its all properly cleaned of all the underseal and stuff, we'll know whats actually left to work with although we've got a pretty good idea already.
Tomorrow's action plan is to get it all completely cr*p free and be looking at getting some welding done this week once all the rot has been cut out.
The spare wheel well is also being cut out this week and a plate going over as the plan is to have a centre exit exhaust :)

[LEWI007]

I love the colour, ill be keeping my eye on this.

Do you know the name of the colour ?

[claire6069]

I love the colour, ill be keeping my eye on this.

Do you know the name of the colour ?

:( afraid not! i would like to know though as would like to keep it this colour!

pistol pete may be able to shed some light as his mate used to have this car, any help with this pete please?!

[LEWI007]

You could take a part into the paint shop and match it if you get stuck.

Good luck anyway.

[claire6069]

good idea!

thanks :)

[kiwinova]

liking the daliy:thumb:

and shell be keeping an eye on this built:d good luck with it

also b class is fwd with added extra so would have been turbo'd if anything

[ste porter]

liking the daliy:thumb:

and shell be keeping an eye on this built:d good luck with it

also b class is fwd with added extra so would have been turbo'd if anything

classes are relevent to engine capacity and asperation not drive type mate
cant remember all the classes but im fairly sure b is 1600 -1998cc N/A but could be wrong

as for paint colour we would struggle to get a complete match i think unless it turns out to be a factory colour as it has a hell of a pearl in the paint it seems to flip from purple to blue to almost red in some lights

[Will F]

I also know that shell well - its been with me to Pod many times with Will!

It was built properly and was converted in 2001 ish, so it cant be bad! Converted by Rich Lewis (C20letmini off Mig) before let and xe novas were common....

Will could never get better than 13.4, no matter what we did, so we put it down to a poop driver! lol

That - plus he refused to buy a different exhaust for it - it had a std GTE system! :eek:

[kiwinova]

Class A - Front Wheel Drive (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=A&ClassType=A)
Class B - Front Wheel Drive with Turbo/Nitrous/Supercharger (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=B&ClassType=B)
Class C - Rear Wheel Drive (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=C&ClassType=C)
Class D - 4 Wheel Drive (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=D&ClassType=D)
Class E - Muscle Car (8 or more cylinders) (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=E&ClassType=E)
Class X - Non Road Legal, inc all cars on slicks (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=X&ClassType=X)

found this on the fast show site

http://www.thefastshow.com/rwyb_times06.php?Class=B&ClassType=B

8th car on the link

[Pancho]

loving the gte, i had one the same waaaay back when...

shame about the white oe, looks like it had been rotten for years.

[TonySR]

The colour is Rover Amaranth Purple as found on Metro's, MG's etc. I painted my mtb this colour years ago...

http://i562.photobucket.com/albums/ss70/thatone1967/goodwood_f.jpg

[ste porter]

Class A - Front Wheel Drive (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=A&ClassType=A)
Class B - Front Wheel Drive with Turbo/Nitrous/Supercharger (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=B&ClassType=B)
Class C - Rear Wheel Drive (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=C&ClassType=C)
Class D - 4 Wheel Drive (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=D&ClassType=D)
Class E - Muscle Car (8 or more cylinders) (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=E&ClassType=E)
Class X - Non Road Legal, inc all cars on slicks (http://www.pngclub.com/forum/rwyb_times06.php?Class=X&ClassType=X)

found this on the fast show site

http://www.thefastshow.com/rwyb_times06.php?Class=B&ClassType=B

8th car on the link

those classes are different to the ones they run at pvs as e class was used on alot of novas and corsas last year mate

[kiwinova]

ahh I see ok mate

but just saying it was a c20let when it run that time :p

[ste porter]

http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k155/asa_037/PVS%202009/IMGP1579.jpg

austins let in e class not an 8 cylinder muscle car

[kiwinova]

yeah i see now pvs run a different systemlol

Class

Specification

Class

Specification

A Under 1600cc – normally aspirated
B 1600cc – 1999cc – normally aspirated
C 2000cc – 2999cc – mormally aspirated
D 3000cc & over – normally aspirated
E All forced induction *
* All Forced induction – Turbo, Nitrous and Supercharger.

but what im saying is that pic of the time you have was at fast show which means its a fwd added extralol

[philly]

The car is a decent base for you, i was looking at it when I went down to get my shell which ended up being the orange one. It was a hard call tondecide but what put me off was the mouldy roof! It smelt!! I've ended up with a bit more work mind now.

Colour is real nice in the sun. Will keep checking in on this!

[Johnny A]

Could well be Johnny. You may well know him actually..he is from Wantage/Uffington way. Will? So is the lad that did alot of the work. Rich?
Yes, it was a long time ago that I knew Will and Rich (more so Rich), I went out in Will's Nova a few times back in the day and it was inspiration to build my own LET Nova.

I still have a video here of Will racing a R33 GTS-T Skyline up santa pod, he used to have Phase 2 on a switch (standard or Phase 2 power). His tactic was to pull off and use standard power for 1st and 2nd, then as he went into third push the button and have the extra power. The little green button was ziptied/taped to the gearstick and you can clearly hear in the video the massive increase in boost half way up the strip.

[Pistol Pete]

lol oh the memories...i have just messaged Will and Rich with the link to this!!

[Johnny A]

Its a testament really to the build, its lasted this long!! Mine lasted 8 months, went through 3 F20s then the front turrets cracked because they were rotten lol

[Pistol Pete]

I wont tell Rich that...he doesnt need a bigger head LMFAO!!!

[Balley]

those classes are different to the ones they run at pvs as e class was used on alot of novas and corsas last year mate

I was E as I was under what ever cc with a Turbo, same class as a Corsa VXR

[peester]

balls,.. so 1.8's up against 2.0's?! thats not fair lol.. smallblock vs big block there, cant have that!

[C20letminiman]

My god it's returned lol that car was heading for s crap you are saving a piece of history! A quick history it was a rubbish rotten red get I turned it into a valver it rotted more I put new rear chassis legs in it boot floor Inner wing repairs repainted in rover amaranth blue and turboed it but this was like 8 years ago had a 6 sPeed etc etc in it there's so many stories could be told about that car wait for will the old owner to come on he'll tell you more lol although he's now turned gay and bought a tt lol glad so see it's still alive and I know will would appreciate his plate back when you gave rebuilt it hd never got it off before the mot ran out

[C20letminiman]

Ps I was the last person to drive it and it had total death!!!

[Pistol Pete]

lol...


wait for will the old owner to come on he'll tell you more although he's now turned gay and bought a tt

[ste porter]

colin is having the plate of it mate

in regards to the state of it the floor is well rotten as you will see when claire updates but were well on our way with it already
what we have undertaken most would have scraped years ago but the way i see it is i scraped one so must revive another lol

[C20letminiman]

colin is having the plate of it mate

in regards to the state of it the floor is well rotten as you will see when claire updates but were well on our way with it already
what we have undertaken most would have scraped years ago but the way i see it is i scraped one so must revive another lol
Shame that was wills 21st bday Present I'm sure he would give a few quid to have it back it prob means more to him than whoever bought the car

[ste porter]

Shame that was wills 21st bday Present I'm sure he would give a few quid to have it back it prob means more to him than whoever bought the car

no what i ment was colin smith who we got the shell of has the wil plate and is planing on selling it pm him

[novarally]

Shame that was wills 21st bday Present I'm sure he would give a few quid to have it back it prob means more to him than whoever bought the car

Yes, I have the WIL 9047 plate, and it's ready to be transferred to a new owner.

Drop me an e-mail at ;

colinesmith@aol.com

and I would be delighted to sell it at the right price.

Colin

[claire6069]

ok so little update: monday night went back down to the workshop and finished off with the wire wheel

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1245.jpg


then we had a few minutes of...........difference in opinion shall we say when i flatly refused to use the grinder with a cutting disc on it and in the end my stubborness won out (as it always does lol) so for the time being, until i cure my fear of a sharp disc spinning at 11000rpm an inch away from my fingers, steve will be doing any cutting of anything (i know it defeats the object of me 100% doing it but i figured if im not confident using it im more likely to hurt myself)
eventually work progressed and this was what we had to weld a plate over

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1250.jpg

so off he went with the grinder (lol) to cut a plate out of the sheet metal and tacked it into place for me.
now bear in mind here i've never even touched a welder in my life before and he didnt even give me any scrap to practice on first (think he was getting me back for my stubborness over the grinder lol)
he let me have a crack at welding

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1251.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1254.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1255.jpg

he did sort out any mistakes i made as you can probably imagine a few holes were made here and there lol

then it was time for the seat rail to go back in

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1261.jpg

now i know it doesnt look pretty but its in lol

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1264.jpg

then it was time to cover it in an equivalent to red oxide primer, its called weld 2 i believe

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1266.jpg

and that was monday over and done with!

[claire6069]

last night i decided i wanted to tackle the hole under the pedals but as we started digging it soon became apparent that perhaps a whole new floor both sides would have been a better option but hey ho, bit late now! so i had the lovely task of getting off all the sound deadening left in the foot wells, how many times i hit my hand with the hammer is unbelieveable lol

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1291.jpg

so off he went with the grinder to cut some more plates and tacked them in for me again

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1289.jpg

the first time i tried welding it i burnt a massive hole through the floor and got a bit mad lol so he finally gave me some scrap to practice on

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1292.jpg

which seemed to go ok and i thought i may have cracked it until i tried to weld the car up again and blew another massive hole through the floor at which point my patience didnt exist anymore and i told him to sort it out lol to which his response of thin metal is the hardest to weld just got me even more mad but kind of simmered away when he blew a hole through it as well lol
anyway, this was the end result

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1293.jpg

and thats where we left it as i'd had enough lol

i know it looks like a patchwork quilt and definitely will do by the time we're done but at least we know it'll be good and rot free and at the end of the day no-ones going to see underneath the car or under the carpets lol

had tonight off to calm down from the welder but hopefully will crack on again tomorrow!

[Spudly]

Looking good Claire and fair play to you both, one for you actually having a crack at it an learning to weld, and Ste for teching you, i forsee many a 'debate' during the course of this build lol



Btw wanna sell me back them rear dampers off my old shell pretty pretty please?

[Danny s-p]

looking good don't worry mine as plates ever were to

[claire6069]

Looking good Claire and fair play to you both, one for you actually having a crack at it an learning to weld, and Ste for teching you, i forsee many a 'debate' during the course of this build lol



Btw wanna sell me back them rear dampers off my old shell pretty pretty please?

lol i can see many a debate happening too spud lmao its the electrics im dreading, im useless with it, never been any good at dt/science/maths or anything logic related really lol

i bet you're wishing you'd kept CYA now lol
you're a good mate spudly but im afraid they is being used on the turbo when it finally gets to that stage lol

[mrT]

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1245.jpg

come on basics claire, get your hair tied away or you'll end up getting hurt, well done for getting stuck in though, my gf just used to moan in make eh tea:cry:

[claire6069]

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1245.jpg

come on basics claire, get your hair tied away or you'll end up getting hurt, well done for getting stuck in though, my gf just used to moan in make eh tea:cry:

funny you should say that as i set my hair on fire with the welder yesterday lol that didnt help my mood either lmao but point noted, it shall be tied back from now on!

[Mieran]

Stop distracting him and let him finish the 4x4 lol

[kevster]

Stop distracting him and let him finish the 4x4 lol

lol

[claire6069]

lol the idea is its ready for painting within a month so when that time comes, he'll be cracking on with the 4x4 whilst im getting my hands rubbed raw with sandpaper :(

[kevster]

lol the idea is its ready for painting within a month so when that time comes, he'll be cracking on with the 4x4 whilst im getting my hands rubbed raw with sandpaper :(

i hate all that rubbing down, i can't be ass't with it

[Spudly]

Lol not really as the funds have helped me score this new nova so she has gone for a worthy cause, but i want the shortened dampers for mine lol

[claire6069]

i hate all that rubbing down, i can't be ass't with it

i have a feeling im going to end up hating it after a day or so but if i stick my mp3 player in and bop away to my music, it'll seem bearable and i know the end result will be worth it (i hope lol)

sorry spudly lol

[kevster]

mp3 player never thought of doing that !!

what a nober i am lol ,oh well maybe when i get my finger out and do mine i
will use mine lol

[claire6069]

lol hopefully i've helped you with an idea to get it done lol

its always helpful as well to think of what you've done and not whats left to do..................kind of a glass half empty or half full thing

[Connor]

Top work, fairplay for cracking on :thumb:

[Southie]

Good work Claire :)

[shed-on-wheels]

well done both and yeah its not easy welding for the first time lmao

[claire6069]

thanks guys :)

[Balley]

Impressive stuff claire, your welding looks good for a beginner.

[istf]

Where did you find these girls?! :D
My girlfriend don't like the "car-things" :(

[Tony M]

Top work Claire :) Think Napalm needs take note on your welding lol

[brainsnova]

Nice job, lucky your using a quality welder as it's half the battle.

[bmw156]

good work claire.
you will get confidence with practice.
as for the grinder, your happy to have a wire wheel spinning at 11k rpm 1" from your hand, but not a disc lol. the wire wheels are just as bad lol.

keep at it :)

[Bubba]

lol the idea is its ready for painting within a month so when that time comes, he'll be cracking on with the 4x4 whilst im getting my hands rubbed raw with sandpaper :(


electric sander, did my nova in about 6 hours

[shed-on-wheels]

thats a true point bmw and what about a d/a sander?

[brainsnova]

Aslong as you've got a good grip of a grinder then you'll be ok.

[claire6069]

yeh good point bmw156 but its the fact that the cutting disc could take my finger off like a hot knife slicing through butter, its the sparks the put me off as well, they bloody hurt when they catch you lol

thanks for the positive comments though, makes me more determined to beat the anger the welder gives me lol

[shed-on-wheels]

but you could also look like the terminator by taking your skin roght the way of to bone with the wire wheels lol

[claire6069]

hmmmm hadnt thought of that lol

[shed-on-wheels]

you have now lol

[Gareth_C]

looking good, keep at it you will get there in the end. Cant wait to see it finished

[Andy]

All abrasive wheels are dangerous,some dangerouser than others.
Its all down to confidence and experience,not being funny but the most abrasive thing your probably used to is a nail file so your not doing too bad are ya lol
Take your time,it all comes with experience,if your hands/arms ache have a rest

[claire6069]

lol andy but yes you're right, it is confidence!

and i think i've only used a nail file once in my life, they always get bitten off lol but i see your point, i think the most abrasive thing i've probably come across is the handle on the wheelbarrow thats used for the horse sh!te lol

my hands felt really odd after using that wire wheel, proper vibrated, it almost hurt they itched that much lol

[Danny s-p]

white finger sew stev lol

[Mike]

Looking alright so far tbh.

Dont know if its already been said but ffs tie your hair back if your using any kinda power tool, espcially a disc cutter!!!

[ste porter]

Looking alright so far tbh.

Dont know if its already been said but ffs tie your hair back if your using any kinda power tool, espcially a disc cutter!!!

it has and i kept moaning at her at the time and tucked it in her jacket its not loose it was in a plat but kept dangaling lol

she has some more updates on the way tonight by the way

[claire6069]

few more pics of further developments, drivers side is pretty much nearly done now, had we not run out of welding wire it would have been finished tonight so fingers crossed, tomorrow the drivers side will be done and over to the passenger side

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1295.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1303.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1298.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1310.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1314.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1316.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1317.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1319.jpg

as you can see, just a couple of little holes at the back to sort and the sill to finish and this side is done :)

[mk1nova_rich]

Looks good work Claire, wish I had space to do that with my shell. Mines gone in the exact same place as yours...where the front floorpan meets the section that goes up over the fuel tank. Keep it up :)

[kevster]

looking good claire , just show's with a bit of hard work anythink is pos.

[LEWI007]

Im keeping my eye on this one and its coming along nice.

Keep at it and keep us updated.

+Rep for having a purple nova lol

[claire6069]

thanks guys :)

cheers for the rep lewi lol

i have a bit of a dilemma - when i get my wages this month i was going to buy a whole new front panel and also all the paint/primer, stuff needed for prep etc
BUT
i have been offered a very nice set of 6 spoke comp mo's just refurbed with brand new uniroyal rainsports on and they are gorgeous!! i know how rare they are to come across in vauxhall fitment let alone 6 spoke as well so im torn between getting the shell ready for paint and getting it painted or leaving it a bit longer and getting the wheels as i know i'll probably not come across another set!

what would you do?!! im :confused:

[mk1nova_rich]

crack on with the shell IMO, if I had my shell in a unit/garage like that I would be spending every evening working on it to get it sorted :thumb:

[claire6069]

i think you're right tbh, i want it done for trax in september and if i spent £400 on a set of wheels at this point i think it'd not be done in time for definite!!

[Mike]

thanks guys :)

cheers for the rep lewi lol

i have a bit of a dilemma - when i get my wages this month i was going to buy a whole new front panel and also all the paint/primer, stuff needed for prep etc
BUT
i have been offered a very nice set of 6 spoke comp mo's just refurbed with brand new uniroyal rainsports on and they are gorgeous!! i know how rare they are to come across in vauxhall fitment let alone 6 spoke as well so im torn between getting the shell ready for paint and getting it painted or leaving it a bit longer and getting the wheels as i know i'll probably not come across another set!

what would you do?!! im :confused:

The panel & paint will still be available next month, get the rims IMO.

[mk1nova_rich]

I see what you're saying Mike but what good are the wheels if you have nothing to put them on... the hard work still needs doing :thumb:

[Mike]

I see what you're saying Mike but what good are the wheels if you have nothing to put them on... the hard work still needs doing :thumb:

What goods a car with no wheels. IMO if youve got the money now for the more expensive parts of the build then get them bought, as you might not have the money at a later date.

And if you for some reason fall on harder times later on, sell the wheels on for an instant cash injection.

Thats my theory anyway.

[claire6069]

hmmm valid point mike..............hadnt thought of it like that..........

rich has a valid point too though lol

the colour of the car would depend on whether i had the wheels or not though, they wouldnt really go with purple so if i did get them, the shell would probably end up white!

edit - its a chicken/egg situation lol

[Mike]

White Nova's are the future & everyone knows this.

[claire6069]

White Nova's are the future & everyone knows this.

fpmsl mike lol

+rep lol

[claire6069]

ok so got abit more done over the weekend, starting to come together nicely now!
only drawback is steve's gone back to work full time this week so going to be struggling to get all the welding done in the week now as i still need him around really!

so, drivers side is done except the sill

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1328.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1331.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1332.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1333.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1334.jpg

then as it was warm outside, i decided to strip the rear axle we kept from spud's shell and attack it with a wire wheel and some paint

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1335.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1336.jpg

then there was this lovely task on the passenger side when we flipped it over

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1338.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1339.jpg

now i do have to admit here that steve did weld this on for me because alot of the metal around it was rusty and the welder was spitting pretty much constantly so i let him deal with the burns lol

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1343.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1346.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1347.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1351.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/IMAG1348.jpg

and thats about where its at now, hoping to have the passenger side finished this week as the plan is to have it back on wheels and moveable asap as the lodger in the back of the shed with the corvette stingray and the harleys is moving them out some time this month so we need to be able to move mine and his shells' out the way!

[bmw156]

good progress Claire

the welding looks good.
as for jobs to do while ste is working, just clean up small bits, stuff which you can do :)

[Danny s-p]

looking good

[Nobby]

loooking good why dont you have a crack at the welder yourself? only way to learn is to have a go lol

[claire6069]

thanks for the comments guys :) and good idea bmw156 :thumb:

nobby - i have been doing the welding - or trying to lol i've had a few mishaps with blowing holes and stuff lol when it came to that rusty stuff round the rear axle mount i knew i'd make a mess because when the welder spits and burns, its my automatic reaction still to jump away from it instead of ignoring it and carrying on, hes used to being burnt so i let him do it, saved a few holes being made lol

[Nobby]

thanks for the comments guys :)

nobby - i have been doing the welding - or trying to lol i've had a few mishaps with blowing holes and stuff lol when it came to that rusty stuff round the rear axle mount i knew i'd make a mess because when the welder spits and burns, its my automatic reaction still to jump away from it instead of ignoring it and carrying on, hes used to being burnt so i let him do it, saved a few holes being made lol


oh i take it back + rep!

[mowgli]

ahh well, i'll have to return this to the shop.......

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Images/ExternalImages/ProductsDetailed/0/014700.jpg?ts=634075709984

[claire6069]

lol cheers nobby :)

hahahaha mowgli - i wondered how long it would be before you appeared lol

[mowgli]

been studying from afar..

[MK999]

been studying from afar..

They have a term for that and it normally lands you in troublelol

[Balley]

Looking much stronger now claire..

Keep up the good work!

[mowgli]

They have a term for that and it normally lands you in troublelol

i can get into trouble without being a peeping tom.

[Mike]

Looking good :)

[ste porter]

for those interested the plate work around the axel mount and the triangle brace i made up are of 3mm plate rather than tin proberly overkill but our little one will be in this at some point so i would rather it be strong

floor looks like a patch work quilt but is solid and fresh so i dont care realy and alot of areas now are a hell of alot stronger than they ever were from the factory as alot of the plates and patches have been done not just underneath but skined on the inside aswell
then take into acount its beeing seem or stitch welded aswell from front to back it should result in a strong long lasting shell eventualy

[ste porter]

oh and if anybody woundered why i have blown over everything in silver its zinc rich weld through etch primer its just to stop any bare metal rusting up while the rest of the shell is beeing done and the beauty of it is you dont need to take it of to weld to it either it just welds asif it was bare metal
realy good stuff
perfect for inside sills and pannels before you fit them as it doesnt burn of like paint when you weld it

[philly]

Sounds like good progress. Where did you get the spray? Just a local autofactors in aerosols?

[claire6069]

thanks for the comments guys................

philly - got it from halfords lol this is the one

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_17 0878_categoryId_165625_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_List_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PLPz1

anyone recommend a good seam sealer that can be put on with a brush??

[mowgli]

claire bear, did you go in, or send ste??? cos in my experience, halfords staff can't actually deal with a girl buying anything other than top gear merchandise, or tassles for their bike...

[MK999]

There's not much Halfords staff CAN deal with...

[claire6069]

cheers mowgli lol i had actually gone in for red oxide primer but they didnt have it in a spray can so steve chose that one instead.........

very true mk999 - the halfwits at halfords can barely manage their own names lol

[Paul]

Impressive so far, keep it up, def tie your hair back though, as for cutting discs, sounds silly but wear welding gauntlets, it will install bit of confidence in you. It offers some protection plus you dont feel the sparks showering your hand!

[claire6069]

thanks for the tip paul - may just try that when it comes to cutting the spare wheel well out!

[connor c]

fair play to you,theyre isnt many women who would tackle something like that
+rep:thumb:

[Cle]

Any more done to this ?

[shed-on-wheels]

looking good claire any updates though

[LEWI007]

Looking forward to Updates on this one because i love the colour ;)

[claire6069]

sorry for the long wait guys, was firstly waiting for payday to come so i could buy my sills and then we were seriously debating the idea of putting a saab turbo in purely because if i have a let, i want it running phase 3 and i know that saab turbo's are good for 400bhp with just a simple remap so buying one of those for £200 would be more favourable then spending silly amounts on getting a let to phase 3!!
very nearly went down that route as Steve was pretty certain that he could of wide arched it and re-done the chassis leg so it would have been strong enough however, i decided yesterday that if the chassis leg was cut and it still couldnt be done then all the work done on the shell already would have been wasted. the option to build the chassis leg back up would be there with steve's fabrication skills but it obviously wouldnt be as strong as before it was messed about with so am sticking to the let idea and the expense of phase 3 lol

anyways, heres the latest pics, we now have 2 new sills on board :) got to have this shell rolling and moveable by 23rd april so next couple of weeks are going to be crazy as got the petrol tank to wash and paint, rear axle to build back up and then get on with seam sealer, stonechip and painting the underneath as well as cutting the spare wheel well out, laying the fuel lines (to save doing it when its on the floor) and welding up any last little bits!

heres my sills that i bought off ebay for £13.95 each

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1392.jpg

and the lovely mess before they went on

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1393.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1394.jpg

and on she goes

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1396.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1395.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1397.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1399.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1401.jpg

some awkward bits that steve did for me

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1406.jpg

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1407.jpg

and the other side sill

http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1413.jpg



http://i830.photobucket.com/albums/zz224/claire6069/Novas/IMAG1416.jpg

and this is pretty much the underneath finished now, well in terms of the floorplan and sills anyway, its all primered and plan is to have it painted once the stonechip is on :)

cracking on today again hopefully with the petrol tank and rear axle!

[bmw156]

Good work Claire.

suprised your going for a LET. the price is stupid compared to a Saab. and a Saab would "turn more heads" i suspect.

keep up the good work :)

[MK999]

no reason the chassis leg couldn't be built stronger than before, just because it's been relocated doesn't make it useless, the opposite in fact. Simps chassis has nothing standard left to it and that's calculated to flex 4mm under a purely theoretical full cornering and braking situation (i.e double the amount of available grip)

Chances are it would end up being the strongest part of the chassis, and with Ste's fab skills there is no such thing as impossible, long as you can weld you can make anything with enough thought and time imo.

[ste porter]

no reason the chassis leg couldn't be built stronger than before, just because it's been relocated doesn't make it useless, the opposite in fact. Simps chassis has nothing standard left to it and that's calculated to flex 4mm under a purely theoretical full cornering and braking situation (i.e double the amount of available grip)

Chances are it would end up being the strongest part of the chassis, and with Ste's fab skills there is no such thing as impossible, long as you can weld you can make anything with enough thought and time imo.

The strength thing isnt so much the issue mate the problem is that we want this suttle looking and built on a budget
so after doing my research and abit of measuring to get the clearance need for the block and the strength back in would mean either i would be seriously restricting the turning circle and wheel shock clearance ect or it would need to be wide arched and wide tracked which we dont want to do

i could go about it in the way in which sloth described in and old thread and cut the leg open down the seem and plate it back up at half its thickness but at the power levels were talking that just isnt going to be enough not to mention what would happen if there was an impact and this car will at some point have our 4 year old son in it and claire driving!

the other way would be to go with a similar front engd design to my 4x4 but were not prepared to do that level of work or modification to this one

another thing to consider aswell is the hight the saab lump depending on the model used can be upto 5 inches taller from sump to rocker than a let and again we want standard looks not standard looks and an almighty bonnet bulge

all this aside it may still hapen though lol

[MK999]

Fair enough, just the way it was put previously obviously those issues are quite easy to overcome, if the aim is to have a saab lump, if that's not the main aim then fair play, but I would say cost wise it would probably work out cheaper to do masses of modification and save over a grand on the engine by the sounds of it!

[ste porter]

the other thing to remember aswell is the longer i spend fabing this the longer it will be before i get back on with the 4x4 aswell

[Spudly]

Where is the project thread for the daily then Ste and hows it running now:d

[kevster]

nice work there !!!!

[bai1ey]

Never mind the purple one get the red one flatted and polished lol but tbh they both look good in the flesh

[claire6069]

right, little update here, photobucket is being gay so i've had to put these pics on facetube to upload them.

change of plans - we've been talking today and yesterday and have decided to go ahead with a saab turbo. steve did some thinking and looking at the shell last night and hes contemplating running a subframe and doing away with the chassis legs all together, its just the driveshafts and whether they'll still fit with a subframe thats posing a problem at the minute but can deal with that issue later on.

obviously going down this route means that steve will be doing the fab work for the saab lump to go in, cant really afford for me to be learning on this and get something wrong when hes not there or something and it cause an issue when its on the road.

we've decided a b204 lump is what we're using but still keeping a f28 box because of the gearbox mountings.

anyway, heres a few pics of what we've done lately and some of the daily with Spudly's engine in to keep him happy lol

unbeknown to me, steve had decided i was having his cav internal shifter out of his turbo as he's having a quaife straight to the box jobby

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206580_10150150406034163_717139162_6653046_2226010 _n.jpg

and from underneath so my exhaust can be as straight as possible now without having to be shaped round the gear linkage :)

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215730_10150150406119163_717139162_6653047_921807_ n.jpg

got the petrol tank all painted - my ancillaries are all going to be red so thought i'd best match the petrol tank too, i should really paint my rear axle red too now but he says we not got time :( (my ocd kicking in there lol)

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/205068_10150150407634163_717139162_6653053_2295456 _n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206387_10150150409519163_717139162_6653065_5035311 _n.jpg

[claire6069]

and Spudly's engine now in my daily - excuse the errr......modified air filter, we dont have one for it at the minute lol the 6x9 speaker wire seems to be working ok though lol

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/216653_10150150384479163_717139162_6652827_2844383 _n.jpg

you can just make out the rubbish paint finish as you look down the side of the car, it will get sorted at some point but its main job at the minute is to get me to work and back lol

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217762_10150150387334163_717139162_6652871_5269356 _n.jpg

steve aptly described it as a ten yard stunner lol

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206973_10150150389694163_717139162_6652908_6300241 _n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215724_10150150389824163_717139162_6652909_65716_n .jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/205061_10150150391259163_717139162_6652916_5519971 _n.jpg

back OT, got to go get some sheet metal tomorrow to be able to finish off the welding.

the spare wheel well is causing a headache at the minute as well as i want it out for my exhaust but steve is sure it will remove alot of the strength from the rear so am head scratching on this one as well!

[Danny s-p]

were did the e16se engine go then

[peester]

good work with the internal shifter floor mods - its good to keep some carpet support if your fitting carpet of course..
looks great.

[General Baxter]

if you get a saab lump in the nova, ill kiss steve lol*

*disclamer, only if you use the orginal chassis legs lol

[claire6069]

danny - the lad who was originally coming for spudly's sr engine took the gte engine instead

peester - am keeping a full interior in this car so carpet will be going back in :)

lmao Baxter, does it count still if some of the chassis leg has to be cut?! lol

[General Baxter]

lmao Baxter, does it count still if some of the chassis leg has to be cut?! lol

if more then 50% of the leg is there, ill be happy

[claire6069]

so, deadline is saturday, all thats left to do is stonechip and fitting the petrol tank and rear axle back on. unfortunately ran out of time to paint the underneath but its still more than acceptable :)

the spare wheel well is out

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/208804_214574858569143_100000498918169_845532_1503 281_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217032_214574735235822_100000498918169_845531_1294 925_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215367_214574628569166_100000498918169_845530_5310 916_n.jpg

and the seam sealer is now on

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208268_214574098569219_100000498918169_845524_4791 583_n.jpg

what was my spare wheel well lol

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215923_214573955235900_100000498918169_845522_7108 969_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216015_214573731902589_100000498918169_845520_4531 642_n.jpg

so by saturday, i will have a rolling shell, woohoo!!

[Balley]

Looks to be a great build!

[Adam]

Good progress, nice work.

Underside looked quite rotten

[claire6069]

thanks adam :)

it was quite rotten but good as new now and a rolling shell at last =D

will be updating soon, am currently on the scout for the donor saab at the minute!

[Longdogcharlie]

looks great!!

How is steve getting on with his 4x4??

[Spudly]

Omg, you actually still doing this then lol



Btw the Vette that was at the back of the workshop, it didnt come over to Hull did it, as one passed me when i was opening up at work this morning, same colour aswell lol

[claire6069]

neither of the nova's have been touched really as Steve's been back at work full time. he's done a few bits to the 4x4, just welding up fiddly little bits and tidying up the welds etc etc

the next step with mine is to get the donor car and start sizing up the engine bay before we go marching on with paint and then realise it needs chopping about some more lol

the vette is still in the same yard, just a different shed spud lol they're fecking huge cars when you see them next to something normal lol

[olienova1]

If you do go down the route of saab turbo get a 900 engine and not 9000 as doesn't like fitting lol but saab turbo is cheap and tuneable!

[Gaz1300SR]

I had a 900 turbo not long ago, cracking engine imo. Like Olie said, easy to tune too.

[claire6069]

we wont be using the engine from a 900 as its a slanted engine at 45 degrees, no good considering the small amount of space in the bay.

it will be a 9000 thats going to be a donor car. we're using a b204 lump and the 900's didnt have this.

[mowgli]

crazy factoid time.....

the saab 99/900 turbo engine was actually originally a co-development with triumph's dolomite engine.....the work was done by ricardo... the triumph was pretty crap, the saab one was a legend....says it all, doesn't it...

just to get ste wet under the collar... the original scania v8 was based on an AEC engine that they gave up on cos it kept wearing out its shells....

[Andy_L]

Out of interest has Steve got a rough diagram of what he's thinking of doing?
Is it kind of a hoop thingy?

[claire6069]

theres a couple of options being debated between us, one being to run a subframe but hes concerned about the drive shafts being able to fit through, the other option is to cut into the chassis leg but hes concerned about comprimising strength with it.

plan at the minute is to get the donor car, get the engine out and size it up from there. then we'll have a clearer idea of whats going to be the easiest option.

[lenney]

are you still doing this? i am thinking about doing it myself but just need to no how hard it will be