Nova 1.6 16v on Throttle Bodies (Track Project)

[M Sutton]

Hi all, ive been meaning to sign up on here for a while. Im Mark, 23 years old and I used to own a Corsa B that I had featured in Total Vauxhall a few years ago, it had a 1.6 8v GTE engine in. A few pictures below for you to have a look at, although i broke the car for parts

Started like this!

http://images30.fotki.com/v473/photos/1/102941/972316/CIMG3814-vi.jpg

After 6 years and £1000s later, finished like this!

http://images49.fotki.com/v1511/photos/1/102941/972316/IMG_1418-vi.jpg

http://images46.fotki.com/v1516/photos/1/102941/972316/P1010027-vi.jpg

Ive now been converted to Novas after becomming good mates with Jim Kelly, Mark Curtis and Charles Paynter on there farm, as there local to me, theyve helped with my old engine and ive helped them out with some painting because thats what i do for a living!

After getting rid of my Corsa i fanced building a track car!
I had a word with Mark Curtis and after seeing his nova sitting around looking sorry for itself, i made him an offer and purchaced his standard looking 1.6 throttle bodied 155 bhp beast. He took me for a blast in it and that made my mind up, plus the fact it was a very clean shell to start with!

Anyway, enough talk, now for some pictures of the progress over the last 9 months since ive had the car.

All of the pictures can be found on my website here: http://public.fotki.com/M4rks/my-nova-track-car-p/

When i first got the car with my corsa in the background while i was stripping it.

http://images54.fotki.com/v551/photos/1/102941/8836199/018-vi.jpg

Spent alot of time prepping the wheel arches and sorting any rust followed by undersealing with 2/3 coats using a brush to get in all the hard to reach areas.

Also got some new wheels with R888s for the track.

http://images107.fotki.com/v84/photos/1/102941/8836199/19-vi.jpg

After 3 coats of flame red.

http://images59.fotki.com/v112/photos/1/102941/8836199/48-vi.jpg

Painted the roof black, still undecided weather to do it red, but for now its ok.
Fitted the front wings on, they went on very well considering they are pattern parts!

http://images55.fotki.com/v509/photos/1/102941/8836199/66-vi.jpg

Stripped out the interior ready for seats and cage at a later date. Also fitted my Momo stearing wheel.

http://images114.fotki.com/v145/photos/1/102941/8836199/69-vi.jpg

Cut out some holes behind the number plate so when im on track il remove the plate and there will be plenty of air getting to the engine.

http://images58.fotki.com/v85/photos/1/102941/8836199/75-vi.jpg

Jim kindly gave me his old door cards, so I got those fitted!

Next on list list is to remove the sound deadening from the spare wheel well so i can weld up the holes and freshen up the floor inside with a few coats of red paint.

Also next month il get the roll cage ordered, il get it painted and fitted along with my seats and harnesses. Then it needs a good service on the brakes and engine, underside needs cleaning and undersealing and it will then be ready for MOT, Tax and Insurance! Then finally some track days.

Any comments welcome

http://images55.fotki.com/v509/photos/1/102941/8836199/82-vi.jpg

http://images9.fotki.com/v131/photos/1/102941/8836199/83-vi.jpg

Finally, my favourate thing about the car, the engine

http://images58.fotki.com/v511/photos/1/102941/8836199/87-vi.jpg

[Mike]

Thats a very tidy little car you got there.

[Plug]

yea me liking this a lot :thumb:

[Danny s-p]

what engine is it mate c16xe or x16xe

[AlexW]

what engine is it mate c16xe or x16xe

Irreverent with the work done on it lol

I believe it was once a X16XEL though.

[Connor]

Very impressive build so far. Looks good pal

[Maka]

awesome motor fella, 155bhp is extremely respectable for a 1.6!

looks great after the respray too, every credit to you :thumb:

[M Sutton]

Thanks for the comments everyone! Carnt wait to get it on track :)
AlexW is correct on what engine it is :thumb:

[Dayle_]

What management are you running on it mate?

[Will F]

Good engine choice - although I never really got on with mine!

Therer are a few old threads in here with the same engine that will be of use - Oli Danker and mine of course! lol

[M Sutton]

Its has DTA management Dayle.

Will F, thanks mate ;)

[Dayle_]

Ahh same as me I've got a S40. Who did you get to map it or did everthing come set up with the car.

[M Sutton]

It all came set up, but Jam Sport in Northampton did the mapping.

[M Sutton]

Small update for you all.
Got my membership pack, so put the stickers on the car!

http://images58.fotki.com/v510/photos/1/102941/8836199/94-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v511/photos/1/102941/8836199/95-vi.jpg

Also fitted the vauxhall sticker, that Mark gave me, instead of the plastic one that was originally there!

http://images55.fotki.com/v268/photos/1/102941/8836199/96-vi.jpg

For the time being i fitted the standard seats back in with my harnesses. Fixed bucket seats will be going in soon, but these will do for now!

http://images59.fotki.com/v112/photos/1/102941/8836199/99-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v10/photos/1/102941/8836199/100-vi.jpg

My favourite purchace so far! OMP 6 point bolt in roll cage :)

http://images17.fotki.com/v308/photos/1/102941/8836199/101-vi.jpg
http://images53.fotki.com/v140/photos/1/102941/8836199/101-vi.jpg

[M Sutton]

Been ages since i updated the thread!

I spent some time sorting the car ready for its first MOT in 2 years! The work that needed doing was suprisingly little! The car needed a new brake caliper, number plate bulb and a small oil leak in the sump sorting, not bad atall! I also fitted some new braided brake lines all round and fresh fluid, fresh ani-freeze and washer fluid. Then did a full oil, filter and spark plugs change on the engine to freshen everything up.

Then got the car taxed and gave it a few good blasts to clear/free everything up. 100 miles completed now and all seems ok!

Got the car to a stage where i was ready for PVS, so cleaned it up for Sunday's show and it was typical that the weather was rubbish!! :(

I even bought my ticket and cued for the drag strip only to be greeted by rain just before 9am, so left the car there untill i left at lunch time. But i have a ticket to use at another RWYB event so will get up there again soon :)

Got a few pictures below before the rain moved in for the day.

I havnt done any more to the nova since then but plan to get the seats in soon. Some time over the winter i will do the rest as i dont have the time like i used to.

The list of things to do are:

1. Sort the radio out because i dont have a arial at the moment (I know its a track car but i need to drive it to and from events in some sort of comfort lol)
2. Remove all sound deadening
3. Fit lightweight bucket seats
4. Fit full roll cage
5. Fully clean up and underseal under the car and a fresh coat under all four arches.

Il maybe get a track day in this year but i want to concentrate on getting the car to a level im happy with. Next year the car will deffinately see more track action!!

Enough talk, now some pictures. Comments good or bad welcome!

http://images55.fotki.com/v507/photos/1/102941/8836199/001-vi.jpg

http://images108.fotki.com/v105/photos/1/102941/8836199/002-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v230/photos/1/102941/8836199/003-vi.jpg

http://images110.fotki.com/v629/photos/1/102941/8836199/004-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v507/photos/1/102941/8836199/005-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v230/photos/1/102941/8836199/006-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v10/photos/1/102941/8836199/010-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v147/photos/1/102941/8836199/042-vi.jpg

http://images107.fotki.com/v159/photos/1/102941/8836199/085-vi.jpg

[calibra-keith]

looks a nice motor, loving the engine and colour get rid of some more weight lol

[nova_niek]

Nice looking Nova!

Liking the pics, and the comments too - they made me lol



1. Sort the radio out because i dont have a arial at the moment (I know its a track car but i need to drive it to and from events in some sort of comfort lol)


Comfort, I appreciate that too. :)



2. Remove all sound deadening


...and then you unveil your sound deadening removal plan! :thumb:

[Benn]

Looks good, wheels are nice. Yuor rear brace does all most nothing tho, you want one on the turrets.

[M Sutton]

Cheers for the comments. I should be getting a proper strut brace this weekend! This one came with the car so keeping it for now.

[Jim]

Need to get the car back to the farm so I can swap the gearbox before you break it ;)

[M Sutton]

Lol. Havnt really used the car much tbh Jim! Dont worry its not getting abused,just keeping it safe for you ;)

[M Sutton]

Small update for you all.

Ive done a few jobs to the Nova this month. I recieved my rear strut brace from Mieran so decided to get that fitted instead of the shiney one that didnt really do anything!
To fit it i had to drop the rear beam and remove the shocks so i could drill through the body and fit the nuts and bolts to hold it in place. Eventually i will stitch weld around the turrets so its very rigid but itl do for now :)

Next on this list was to remove the sound deadening, this seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was a good 2 hour job resulting in a nice blister on my hand lol. Still havnt removed the sound deadening in the spare wheel well but il do that soon!

In the next few weeks im hopeing to get my new bucket seats fitted which will make the car feel much more sporty and will hold me in around the corners!

One more small thing ive done is replace the air filter on the throttle bodies. The old one had a hole in that a field mouse decided to make which looked crap. Had a word with my mate who sold me the car and he had a fairly new spare one :D saves me £70 for a new one!

My plans for after the summer include more weight saving inside the car, fit and paint my roll cage and fully clean and seal underneath the car! Oh and im painting the roof red again! Not keen on the black roof as it doesnt suit the car imo.
Then it should be ready for some serious track action!

Some pics of the progress

http://images58.fotki.com/v612/photos/1/102941/8836199/125-vi.jpg

http://images110.fotki.com/v109/photos/1/102941/8836199/126-vi.jpg

http://images44.fotki.com/v1488/photos/1/102941/8836199/127-vi.jpg

http://images9.fotki.com/v250/photos/1/102941/8836199/128-vi.jpg

http://images12.fotki.com/v616/photos/1/102941/8836199/129-vi.jpg

http://images109.fotki.com/v779/photos/1/102941/8836199/130-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v230/photos/1/102941/8836199/131-vi.jpg

http://images115.fotki.com/v607/photos/1/102941/8836199/132-vi.jpg

http://images59.fotki.com/v222/photos/1/102941/8836199/133-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v265/photos/1/102941/8836199/134-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v168/photos/1/102941/8836199/135-vi.jpg

[Mieran]

Nice brace :cool:

[M Sutton]

Cheers!
Got one seat fitted with the help of my mate after work yesterday.

Really pleased with how it looks and it now feels safe when i go round a corner faster than 10mph lol.
The passanger seat will be going in very soon.

Gave the bumpers a back to blacking as they go grey so quickly, looks better imo.

This weekend should see the roof going back to red again. Also painting the front wings again due to a couple of runs that im not happy with, they wouldnt flat and polish out!

Il keep the updates comming as soon as i go ;)

http://images43.fotki.com/v1323/photos/1/102941/8836199/143-vi.jpg

http://images34.fotki.com/v1195/photos/1/102941/8836199/144-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v496/photos/1/102941/8836199/145-vi.jpg

http://images27.fotki.com/v991/photos/1/102941/8836199/146-vi.jpg

[Danny s-p]

look really nice is that x16xeL engine

[M Sutton]

Cheers mate. Yes, your correct on the engine!

[M Sutton]

A couple of updated pictures for you all. Got my roof painted red again which looks much better. Both seats are finally in and sitting how I want them :)
Also fitted a new throttle cable as the other one was looking very sorry for itself!

Gave the car a clean up and its pretty much ready for Trax now. Since the pictures were taken i have painted the scabby silver breather pipe black like the stut brace, looks much better now imo.

Comments welcome as usual :thumbs:

http://images112.fotki.com/v110/photos/1/102941/8836199/4-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v511/photos/1/102941/8836199/005-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v221/photos/1/102941/8836199/007-vi.jpg

http://images116.fotki.com/v617/photos/1/102941/8836199/008-vi.jpg

http://images112.fotki.com/v355/photos/1/102941/8836199/009-vi.jpg

http://images116.fotki.com/v617/photos/1/102941/8836199/010-vi.jpg

http://images116.fotki.com/v617/photos/1/102941/8836199/011-vi.jpg

[scott.parker]

Nice looking car mate, and I'm sure it will be good on track too..

Saw it at Billing but didn't know who's it was.

Roof looks better red, and nice to see a new filter on it lol

What seats are they? they look to be alcantara, where they from?

Scott

[M Sutton]

Cheers Scott.

A small update for you, ran the car at Santa Pod over the weekend and did 3 runs with my last and best run of 14.9 seconds! Very pleased with that.

A video my mate did of my first ever run up the strip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAwzObTZRQs

They are bride seats according to the lad i bought them from, its not alcantara, just a soft material!

[wwmnw]

look really nice is that x16xeL engine

This was covered on the first page after you asked the first time.

I'm liking the car, I like red Nova's.

[scott.parker]

Cheers Scott.

A small update for you, ran the car at Santa Pod over the weekend and did 3 runs with my last and best run of 14.9 seconds! Very pleased with that.

A video my mate did of my first ever run up the strip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAwzObTZRQs

They are bride seats according to the lad i bought them from, its not alcantara, just a soft material!

IF they are mate hope you got them at a bargain price, as Ive just looked, there ****ing stupid money!

[M Sutton]

I did a straight swap for some Recaro Speed seats that were £700 when new about 3 years ago,so about right i think! The new seats were originally red but the guy i got them from had them retrimmed in that black!

[M Sutton]

Been a while since i last updated on here, so here it goes!
I have finally pulled my finger out and done some work on the old girl after a few months of it sitting in the garage since Trax!!
I have loads of plans and i have set a deadline of April, so its more or less done to a standard im happy with before my misses gives birth to our first child :D
First thing i decided to do was to sort the spare wheels out and get them on so i can keep the other wheels purely for track use.
Stripped the tyres off and decided to go for anthracite wheels this time, think its abit more modern and less boring than black!
http://images53.fotki.com/v249/photos/1/102941/8836199/180-vi.jpg
All painted looking alot fresher.
http://images53.fotki.com/v249/photos/1/102941/8836199/185-vi.jpg
http://images44.fotki.com/v220/photos/1/102941/8836199/187-vi.jpg
Next up was the track wheels, in keeping with the theme i decided to do them the same, decided against stripping the tyres off as there was no need.
http://images56.fotki.com/v371/photos/1/102941/8836199/191-vi.jpg
http://images58.fotki.com/v154/photos/1/102941/8836199/193-vi.jpg
All done :thumbs:
http://images53.fotki.com/v249/photos/1/102941/8836199/197-vi.jpg
Fitted the other wheels after balancing and the original tyres sealed as they had a slow air leak.
Have also got some second hand Avo front coilovers to go on so i can lower the front some more, rear is enough imo.
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/1/102941/8836199/196-vi.jpg
Finally removed the last bit of sound deadning from the wheel well. Just need to get the stupid tar remains off then start rubbing the inside down for some fresh red paint!
http://images9.fotki.com/v248/photos/1/102941/8836199/198-vi.jpg
http://images56.ftki.com/v371/photos/1/102941/8836199/199-vi.jpg
Started stripped the inside out, fun fun!

[M Sutton]

I know its sad but i decided to clean the factory overspray off with some thinners so they are black once they go back in :lol:
Before...
http://images112.fotki.com/v386/photos/1/102941/8836199/207-vi.jpg
After...
http://images21.fotki.com/v847/photos/1/102941/8836199/208-vi.jpg
My new stearing wheel and old gearknob thats new to the car
:rolleyes:
http://images58.fotki.com/v156/photos/1/102941/8836199/209-vi.jpg
Work in progress getting the dash out!
http://images57.fotki.com/v1354/photos/1/102941/8836199/211-vi.jpg
Finally out :)
http://images56.fotki.com/v362/photos/1/102941/8836199/213-vi.jpg
The reason why the old dash is comming out, this will be going in its place, a nice flocked one :D
http://images12.fotki.com/v20/photos/1/102941/8836199/214-vi.jpg
Finally the rear brace removed and i can make a start on the inside soon!
http://images112.fotki.com/v386/photos/1/102941/8836199/216-vi.jpg
This will getting sprayed a welded in with some help from some mates :)
Thats all for now, should have an update in a few more weeks hopefully :thumbs:
http://images53.fotki.com/v249/photos/1/102941/8836199/218-vi.jpg
http://images12.fotki.com/v335/photos/1/102941/8836199/219-vi.jpg

[M Sutton]

Managed to sqeeze in a few more days work on the Nova before Christmas!
Have been collecting some parts along the way, I tinted the clear reverse light red so they match both sides now, new top mounts for when i order my coilovers in the new year, exhaust bushes, some clips, new headlight bulbs, new headlight switch which was broken, tar remover for the interior and black hammerite for the calipers.
http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photos/1/102941/8836199/001-vi.jpg
Also gave my seat mounts a fresh coat of black because they where looking abit worse for ware!
http://images16.fotki.com/v377/photos/1/102941/8836199/002-vi.jpg
Removed the rocker cover ready to apply some fresh paint to it
http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photos/1/102941/8836199/004-vi.jpg
Gave the drums some paint after a good rub down.
http://images12.fotki.com/v335/photos/1/102941/8836199/009-vi.jpg
Also gave the front calipers some fresh paint as they looked rubbish before.
http://images60.fotki.com/v662/photos/1/102941/8836199/011-vi.jpg
This is the colour the cage is going, the same as my old corsa! Should be a nice contrast with the red (i hope lol)
http://images56.fotki.com/v371/photos/1/102941/8836199/012-vi.jpg
Did the rocker cover too.
http://images57.fotki.com/v505/photos/1/102941/8836199/013-vi.jpg
Started giving the inside a good rub down ready for some paint, removing the left over tar from the sound deadning and any traces of rust around the holes in the floor.
http://images60.fotki.com/v662/photos/1/102941/8836199/015-vi.jpg
Decided to get some paint on it while i had the chance but i still need to weld the plates for the cage etc, but i will blow in the areas once its all done and in!
http://images56.fotki.com/v371/photos/1/102941/8836199/019-vi.jpg
http://images60.fotki.com/v662/photos/1/102941/8836199/020-vi.jpg
http://images51.fotki.com/v303/photos/1/102941/8836199/021-vi.jpg
Rocker cover back on, looks funky i recon :thumbs:
http://images16.fotki.com/v378/photos/1/102941/8836199/023-vi.jpg
My new carbon interior handles turned up today, now i will be able to close the door now lol!
That is all untill sometime in the new year :wave:
http://images58.fotki.com/v279/photos/1/102941/8836199/027-vi.jpg

[thegingerwhinger]

love this wee car!! keep it up dude!! : )

[Benn]

Looks great dude, in sides look tastey. I'd jack up and stand on the rear beam tho.

[Iain]

Handles look mint, real carbon? Where from? And what is the gap between the 2 holes if you don't mind measuring it?

[scorge01]

looking good mate where'd you get your carbon handles?

[M Sutton]

Thanks for the comments guys ;)

The handles are from a local company to me called Streamline Carbon.
They are real carbon and the holes can be drilled to more or less any length apart,you just need to tell him when you order!
Mine where drilled anywhere as i didnt have any specific measurments.

Hope that helps!

[Jedro]

stunning, been watching this over on corsasport

whats the cam cover actually from cos its different to most 16xe's iv seen. even my xel is the same as the other types

[Benn]

Awesome work dude. Looks great.

[M Sutton]

Im not 100 % sure what cam cover it is but I assumed it was from a x16xel as that's what engine it is :confused:

Cheers Benn ;)

[Danny s-p]

jed yours has a 16xe cam cover on it

[Jedro]

thought so Danny. not even sure if mines an xel just what iv heard about the poor slag

[M Sutton]

Ive done abit to the car in the new year and have taken some pictures along the way.

I got the roll cage painted as its easier to get done now rather than in the car. I know it needs welding in but once the welding is complete i will blow in the areas around the welds.

Next on list was getting the car stipped down for underseal/stonechip. I have done the arches, front and rear panels previously but wanted to tackle the underside aswell, plus decided to give it all a freshen up.

After closer inspection all the rust i could find was around the holes in the floor and at the front of the car where it had be jacked up in the past! Which isnt bad atall for a 21 year old car!

I ground down the rust areas, treated with etch primer before giving it all a good few coats of underseal/stonechip. Since owning the car ive been very suprised by the condition of it so want to preserve it for years to come!

I should be recieving my coilovers next week so will get those fitted along with the new top mounts, aswell as the exterior trim next weekend.
I also fitted new exhaust bushes as i think they were still on the orginals lol, it feels much more solid now!

I have a date set with my mate in Feb to get the cage fitted so fingers crossed it will be in soon and i can start fitting the interior back in and get it finished for around April in time for the better weather!

Enough talk more pictures :thumbs:

All rubbed down.

http://images51.fotki.com/v424/photos/1/102941/8836199/001-vi.jpg

Cage painted!

http://images29.fotki.com/v1008/photos/1/102941/8836199/003-vi.jpg

http://images61.fotki.com/v219/photos/1/102941/8836199/004-vi.jpg

All rubbed down and masked up ready for underseal/stonechip.

http://images32.fotki.com/v1104/photos/1/102941/8836199/018-vi.jpg

All done and looking much fresher and fully protected :)

http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photos/1/102941/8836199/022-vi.jpg

http://images60.fotki.com/v662/photos/1/102941/8836199/023-vi.jpg

http://images41.fotki.com/v1346/photos/1/102941/8836199/025-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v362/photos/1/102941/8836199/024-vi.jpg

http://images51.fotki.com/v90/photos/1/102941/8836199/026-vi.jpg

All done and demasked ready for more work next time ;)

http://images41.fotki.com/v1346/photos/1/102941/8836199/029-vi.jpg

[scott.parker]

Nice, what cage is that mate?

Scott

[M Sutton]

Cheers, its an OMP cage ;)

[scott.parker]

Is it a weld in, or bolt i take it it's a bran new one, as mine not like that, mines got more bolted together parts etc.

Scott

[M Sutton]

Its a bolt in but im going to weld it in. Although the front part bolts to the rear part when in. I got it last year around june so its fairly new!
It will be nice to finally get it in lol.

[peester]

good work on the shultzing

[Rickyb]

looks top i really like this fella good work.

[M Sutton]

Cheers lads ;)

[g111mds]

nice project :)

[Stan Wrecked]

Nice car, make sure you fit a harness bar with the cage. Your current mounting is too low and will cause injury in a crash. I like the colour with the black bumpers very cool.

[ben doodar]

Cracking project mate. look forward to seeing more.

Ben

[M Sutton]

Cheers guys ;)

[M Sutton]

Abit more work done after a 3 week wait for my suspension!
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, its comming togeather and hopeing to have the car finished and back home in the next 4-6 weeks!

I also ordered a helmet net earlier in the week and had a nice suprise when my coilovers and the net turned up on friday :D

http://images42.fotki.com/v1380/photos/1/102941/8836199/283-vi.jpg

I love new shiny parts. All the new suspension parts lined up ready, just needed to build the fronts up.

http://images55.fotki.com/v585/photos/1/102941/8836199/284-vi.jpg

Fronts all built up and threads greased ready for fitment.

http://images52.fotki.com/v642/photos/1/102941/8836199/285-vi.jpg

Fitted!

http://images44.fotki.com/v301/photos/1/102941/8836199/286-vi.jpg

Back ones all fitted.

http://images38.fotki.com/v1273/photos/1/102941/8836199/288-vi.jpg

Also got the front door cards on and new carbon handles fitted!

http://images38.fotki.com/v1217/photos/1/102941/8836199/289-vi.jpg

Adjusted the suspension, may adjust it some more later but happy for now. Sitting alot better IMO ;)

http://images32.fotki.com/v1102/photos/1/102941/8836199/290-vi.jpg

http://images60.fotki.com/v662/photos/1/102941/8836199/291-vi.jpg

Also trial fitted the cage ready for fitment very soon. Thats all for now!

Comments welcome :thumbs:

http://images36.fotki.com/v1181/photos/1/102941/8836199/294-vi.jpg

[w_wall_2001]

really coming along nicely, cant wait to see it out on track

[M Sutton]

Cheers mate :) hopefully itl be out on track in about 3 months or so!

[kirky_boy87]

great project mate. some excellent work going on keep in up hat off to you, kirk

[scott.parker]

If i was you mate i would ditch them rear platform adjusters, as it would sit about right without them, and lets face it you dont want to make it any higher then it sat now eh?

[Benn]

Looking great dude, you might find the FK's a bit soft tho...

[gary_126]

looks a really nice car, good work so far!

[M Sutton]

Scott - im probally going to remove them this weekend as i agree with what your saying ;)

Cheers Benn, i think they should be ok tbh, hopefully better than the old suspension that was abit tired and bouncy!

Thanks gary_126 ;)

[SimonTW]

I would just remove the locking rings but leave the threaded platform in place as the bottom of the spring on the FK doesn't locate very well over the lug in the beam whereas the profiled inner part of the adjuster platform does.

[M Sutton]

Ok cheers mate :thumb:

[M Sutton]

Not a massive update but its comming along well and should be back togeather and finished in a few weeks time :)

Me and my mate finally had a day free to get the cage fitted. After a long day and abit of messing about we got it all sorted with the plates made and welded in. We decided to bolt it in so it can be removed if needed, as we toyed with the idea of welding it in.

Its still yet to be fully bolted down as i re-undersealed where the welding had burnt the old stuff away!
Also blew in the parts of the floor after all the welding was done, looks much better now imo.

Dash is part in and looks awesome compared to the old grey dash :D

A few pictures that i took, didnt get many due to being so busy!

http://images55.fotki.com/v659/photos/1/102941/8836199/296-vi.jpg

http://images61.fotki.com/v777/photos/1/102941/8836199/297-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v648/photos/1/102941/8836199/298-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v80/photos/1/102941/8836199/299-vi.jpg

[Benn]

Looks great, like the blue cage to red body.

[Graeme]

One of the best threads on here at the mo, my mate showed me this on cs and I was very impressed, keep up the good work mate

[M Sutton]

Thanks guys :d means alot graeme :thumb:

[M Sutton]

Spent most of yesterday on the car and finally got it finished :D

All that left is a good wash and its more or less done, a few minor things to sort like tracking and camber, some fuses blew so a few interior lights dont work and to get the temp gauge working.

Took a few pictures of the interior, only thing left inside is to fit my helmet net :thumbs:

http://images50.fotki.com/v1528/photos/1/102941/8836199/306-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v696/photos/1/102941/8836199/308-vi.jpg

http://images116.fotki.com/v618/photos/1/102941/8836199/309-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v648/photos/1/102941/8836199/310-vi.jpg

[Benn]

Looks great dude, blue and red works very well.

[pikey1986]

looks schweeet, love the blue cage and harness's

[M Sutton]

Thanks Benn and pikey1986 ;)

[M Sutton]

Gave the car a good clean yesterday and fitted my helmet net as the last finishing touch!

I have some more things to do but ive now got the car to a point im happy with and I can now concentrate on my misses, who is due any time in the next month with a baby girl :D

As the sun was beaming I thought I would get some half decent pictures out in the open rather than in a dark garage.

Comments welcome :thumbs:

http://images51.fotki.com/v299/photos/1/102941/8836199/311-vi.jpg

http://images110.fotki.com/v559/photos/1/102941/8836199/312-vi.jpg

http://images51.fotki.com/v299/photos/1/102941/8836199/313-vi.jpg

http://images61.fotki.com/v390/photos/1/102941/8836199/314-vi.jpg

http://images17.fotki.com/v10/photos/1/102941/8836199/317-vi.jpg

http://images112.fotki.com/v113/photos/1/102941/8836199/319-vi.jpg

http://images21.fotki.com/v517/photos/1/102941/8836199/320-vi.jpg

http://images50.fotki.com/v1526/photos/1/102941/8836199/321-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v585/photos/1/102941/8836199/322-vi.jpg

htthttp://images50.fotki.com/v1526/photos/1/102941/8836199/323-vi.jpgp://

http://images112.fotki.com/v113/photos/1/102941/8836199/324-vi.jpg

http://images51.fotki.com/v102/photos/1/102941/8836199/325-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v585/photos/1/102941/8836199/328-vi.jpg

http://images61.fotki.com/v218/photos/1/102941/8836199/329-vi.jpg

http://images27.fotki.com/v973/photos/1/102941/8836199/330-vi.jpg

[pikey1986]

really does looks good mate, great job and best of luck with the baby

[Iain]

That looks sweet, blue and red seem to give a real impact. I never thought the colours went together.

I'd fit black handles/winders and maybe get the dash binnacle flocked as well? I've seen them done blue and it looks mental lol

Also, no door bars?

[M Sutton]

Thanks for the comments :)
Iain, i have thought about black handles/winders and il probs do that at a later date! Same with the dash binnacle,may get that done in the future!

I have the door bars but decided against them for ease of access!

[Will F]

Looks ace - really good colour scheme...

Its screaming for some more motorsporty wheels though - Comp THs please! lol

[Connor]

Love the look of this car, so clean and fresh!

[M Sutton]

Thanks lads ;) im going to stick with the wheels ive got for now!

[M Sutton]

No major updates yet! Done about 120 miles in it and its smoking quite abit according to my mates so ive got some stop smoke stuff to put in with an oil change to try and make it better.
Could be stem seals but my mate did them when he owned it! Although theres no reason why they couldnt go again?!
Not gonna worry too much as it runs ok just need to keep an eye on oil levels.

On another note im hopeing to run it up the strip at PVS and going to book a track day later in the year!
Main things to sort before then is wheel alignment and get the engine temp gauge working

[jeremy fisher]

Nice build.
That looks like an X18XE1 rocker cover to me, do they fit? They look a better design, having the breather outlets more in the middle compared to the 16xe's design of having them on the end and spitting oil out during hard cornering. Or is that just mine??

[M Sutton]

Cheers.
Its not an X18XE rocker cover. The engine is an X16XEL out of an astra and that is the orginal rocker cover! It does spit abit of oil out but i will be sorting that soon with a bit of pipe and a catch tank of some sort ;)

[jeremy fisher]

Don't the bolt holes for a 1600 xe rocker go onto the cam caps? That cover wouldn't bolt up to a 16xe head. I'm confused!!

[bazil]

Cracking car chief, nice level of detail for a track car aswell, hope the smoke issue isn't serious :)

[M Sutton]

Im confused too jeremy fisher lol!

Thanks Bazil, hopefully the smoke issue isnt anything major!
Hopefully it wont be hard or expensive to sort out if something does need doing!

[dstevenson]

Don't the bolt holes for a 1600 xe rocker go onto the cam caps? That cover wouldn't bolt up to a 16xe head. I'm confused!!

I have used the x16xel head as well. It is different to the x16xe head but fits the x16xe bottom end - in fact I've used it on my x14xe bottom end for the rally car.

The rocker covers are not interchangeable as the xel has bolts on the edge whereas the xe cover bolts onto the cam caps. The xel sealing gasket is much better (I guess that is why GM re-designed it.

Also the xel has the triangular ports which are supposedly better for flow - as per the SBD website ("...no other heads flow as well even after porting due to the internal shape..."), that is why I'm using it for the rally car, lol I have changed from an xe to xel head (due to dropping a valve in xe head which made a mess of a lovely Omega forged piston) and with no other mods (reused the same cams, etc.) I can definitely say the engine feels more torquey in the mid range although I have not had the opportunity to do a rolling road session yet to confirm exact figures - was 145hp, 120ftlbs on the xe head.

The xel also uses the coil on plug system instead of separate coil and ht leads - although I'm using the xe coil pack and leads and it works fine - too lazy to rewire coil to coil on plug - but this on the end of a long list of things I will do sometime.

The other thing is that it is much easier to get hold of the newer xel as it was fitted in vectras, astras, zafiras, merivas, etc. as well.

David

[jeremy fisher]

Ahhh, I see. Thanks for that. I have an xel but it is the older, not so great head, which are also the same as the 14xe heads I believe. I had heard of the better ones but thought it was just the ports that were different. Was that wheel power or fly? Mine smokes like a trooper too!!!

[Will F]

Hmmm - smoking doesnt sound good - I really wouldnt recommend that stop smoke stuff either - thats a pikey method for high mileage cars that have worn rings. Revving your car as far as you do with that c**p in, wont do it any good at all!

I would bet its the pistons/bore/ring issues that some of these engines suffer. It really wont last too long under the stress youre putting it under either - I should know! lol

[M Sutton]

Jeremy Fisher - Im not sure where the power was measured tbh. It goes quite well and Ive suprised a few cars and its good fun to drive!

Will F - hmmm doesnt sound good lol! What would you recomend to do? Get a new engine or strip this one down to find any damage?

[Will F]

If it was me - I would get a cheap engine/bottom end and build that up ready for when your's pops.

They are cheap to get second hand - and it will mean less time off the road.

[M Sutton]

Sounds like a good idea although it doesnt bother me being off the road as its not my daily drive anyway!

Thanks for the advise mate ;)

[Will F]

No probs - I was trying to search for my build thread - but its vanished. That had some epic pics of what happens when you ignore the signs and keep recvving a 1600 to 8300+ lol

[M Sutton]

lol mine doesnt rev quite that high! What happened?

[Will F]

Piston and rod left the block on the M4 at about 8000 rpm.

It was an interesting few minutes!

[M Sutton]

No major updates yet im afraid! Waiting for my mate to swap gearboxes over!
Its his gearbox that I borrowed and he wants it back now so were putting a standard one back in as his is a close ratio!
Just getting it ready for PVS now! One other thing is ive booked a track day in August so that should be fun :)

[M Sutton]

Not good news! :(
Car went in for an MOT last weekend and failed on a few small things like, horn not working, one brake caliper binding, but the main one was dence blue smoke comming from exhaust! I havnt got the money to throw at it to get it sorted for PVS so i will be missing the shows this year!
Spoke to my mates and we plan to get it stripped down to inspect the damage and hopefully get it sorted for my track day on 24th august, where i will trailer it there :)
We suspect worn bores but the good thing is theres no knocking or anything sugesting the engine will go bang so hopefully ive cought it at the right time!
Il get some updates once we start work on the car,it gives me just shy of 3 months untill the track day so fingers crossed it will get done without being too much of a rush ;)

[Benn]

Gutted dude.

[Will F]

Another black mark against these fecking engines!! lol

Get a 1.8! :-)

[M Sutton]

lol, there not good are they! its not like it gets used much but when it does it gets driven pretty hard haha. Il get this rebuilt for cheap and if it doesnt last i may consider a 1.8 ;)

[Will F]

I would seriously consider it - same mounts and shafts etc, cheaper and more reliable but most importantly more torque (and power!)

[M Sutton]

Not a massive update but somethings better than nothing lol

Rolled the car out of the garage the other day and gave it a wash and wax as it was covered in alot of dust and was dirty from when I was driving about earlier in the year.

I have plenty of plans for the car which im going to do as and when I have the time and money. I plan to make PVS my first show/event next year so ive got plenty of time realy, im sure it will fly by though!

A small list of things I plan to do:

1. Rest of the interior bits flocked black.
2. New brake caliper as one is binding, the other one was replaced last year.
3. Engine out to have block honed and all checked over with new gaskets etc.
4. Clean up engine bay, maybe paint to freshen it up.
5. Other engine related bits like Oil cooler, oil catch tank, heat wrap manifold, ducting for brakes and throttle bodies.
6. Last bits are small things that dont work, temperature gauge, horn, interior lights, radio etc all simple things im sure but will take time to do.

Picture after a clean and also my first purchace which is some new Clocks with a rev counter :thumbs:

http://images36.fotki.com/v1175/photos/1/102941/8836199/004-vi.jpg

http://images18.fotki.com/v342/photos/1/102941/8836199/005-vi.jpg

[Iain]

Plan number 5 needs prioritising lol Stance looks nice, love Novas on teardrops

[M Sutton]

First update for a while!

Not done a massive amount to the car but just getting a few bits sorted when money and time allows!

Engine rebuild will happen over winter to try and get rid of the smoking fingers crossed!!

First thing I did was order some blue foam padding to stop my legs/head getting hurt in case the worst happens when on track! Also stops the helmet hitting on it when getting in and out of the car!

http://images49.fotki.com/v1556/photos/1/102941/8836199/341-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v511/photos/1/102941/8836199/342-vi.jpg

http://images28.fotki.com/v122/photos/1/102941/8836199/343-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v588/photos/1/102941/8836199/344-vi.jpg

Also ordered a new hazard switch as mine was faulty, random picture of it :lol:

http://images54.fotki.com/v461/photos/1/102941/8836199/334-vi.jpg

Then decided to try my R888s on as I wanted to see how they sat with the new coilovers and ride hight!

Needed some small spacers at the front to stop the tyres touching the suspension but other than that it sits pretty much perfect.

The car is off the road but im 10 seconds away from an industrial estate so took it there for some pictures while it was sunny! I gave it some around the roundabout and even though the tyres are mm away from the front wings theres no touching etc :D

Heres some pictures for you all...

http://images51.fotki.com/v1560/photos/1/102941/8836199/352-vi.jpg

http://images43.fotki.com/v504/photos/1/102941/8836199/364-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v447/photos/1/102941/8836199/354-vi.jpg

http://images12.fotki.com/v216/photos/1/102941/8836199/355-vi.jpg

This picture shows just how close the tyres are to the wings!
Will need tracking and alighnment doing next year as I just bolted the suspension on and set it up by eye.

http://images51.fotki.com/v748/photos/1/102941/8836199/356-vi.jpg

http://images108.fotki.com/v360/photos/1/102941/8836199/357-vi.jpg

Fitted my new oil cap and painted it black as the old one was broken!

http://images56.fotki.com/v701/photos/1/102941/8836199/358-vi.jpg

Also got Prey from here to flock my grey bits black to match the rest of dash!

http://images12.fotki.com/v155/photos/1/102941/8836199/365-vi.jpg

Also got him to do the handles and winders as they were the only grey bits left in the car and looked rubbish!

http://images12.fotki.com/v20/photos/1/102941/8836199/362-vi.jpg

[M Sutton]

Foot slipped ooooppss!

http://images15.fotki.com/v1624/photos/1/102941/8836199/363-vi.jpg

[SimonTW]

Looks great in the pics. Looks like it could have been a perfect day to go give the 888's a try out! Are the front arches rolled at all?

[M Sutton]

Thanks! Before i painted the wings i ground the lips off so that helps i think!

[M Sutton]

Unfortunately no update as yet, but............




Found my mate, Mark Curtis's old thread on here from when he bought the Nova from his wifes nan in 2008!

When he bought it, it was a completely orginal 1L merit with about 40K on the clock :D

Only has just about 52K on the shell now :lol:

Below are some of the pictures that I found of the car and some of the things he did, including fitting the throttle bodied 1.6 16v.

For those of you that are interested, dont worry I plan on getting my **** in to gear and will start working on the car around April once the weather has warmed up! Ive been gathering lots of parts over the winter and have about £200 of bits left to buy then I can start getting it ready for the MOT in time for PVS! :thumbs:

http://images56.fotki.com/v1298/photos/1/102941/11632245/1-vi.jpg

http://images16.fotki.com/v369/photos/1/102941/11632245/2-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v505/photos/1/102941/11632245/3-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photos/1/102941/11632245/4-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v1604/photos/1/102941/11632245/5-vi.jpg

http://images49.fotki.com/v1511/photos/1/102941/11632245/6-vi.jpg

http://images108.fotki.com/v613/photos/1/102941/11632245/7-vi.jpg

http://images12.fotki.com/v236/photos/1/102941/11632245/8-vi.jpg

http://images49.fotki.com/v1539/photos/1/102941/11632245/9-vi.jpg

http://images12.fotki.com/v540/photos/1/102941/11632245/10-vi.jpg

http://images14.fotki.com/v218/photos/1/102941/11632245/11-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v588/photos/1/102941/11632245/12-vi.jpg

http://images46.fotki.com/v10/photos/1/102941/11632245/13-vi.jpg

http://images43.fotki.com/v679/photos/1/102941/11632245/14-vi.jpg

[M Sutton]

http://images55.fotki.com/v1604/photos/1/102941/11632245/15-vi.jpg

http://images108.fotki.com/v1623/photos/1/102941/11632245/17-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v448/photos/1/102941/11632245/18-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v701/photos/1/102941/11632245/19-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photos/1/102941/11632245/20-vi.jpg

http://images52.fotki.com/v1566/photos/1/102941/11632245/21-vi.jpg

http://images49.fotki.com/v1556/photos/1/102941/11632245/22-vi.jpg

http://images12.fotki.com/v616/photos/1/102941/11632245/23-vi.jpg

http://images16.fotki.com/v369/photos/1/102941/11632245/25-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v714/photos/1/102941/11632245/26-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v514/photos/1/102941/11632245/27-vi.jpg

[peester]

good results there - the older c16xe/x16xe's struggle to better much over 120lbft without mental cams or fair bit of headwork, usually.

[M Sutton]

Just for referance these are old pictures. If you go back to the previous page it will explain this is what the previous owner of the car had done before I got hold of it!

Thanks.

[Benn]

Nothing better than a new GM bumper.

Looks fantastic in the pics a page back.

[M Sutton]

Thanks Benn ;)

[DAVIDKEDENS]

So you do have a thread on here lol.. read it on CorsaSport :thumb: Brilliant car and I want your bumper :(

[M Sutton]

lol, cheers mate. I've seen your Nova thread on CorsaSport, looks good ;)

[John]

vids? :)

[M Sutton]

I got a Go Pro from this misses at Xmas so will get some proper ones when its on the road.

I have one from when I did Santa Pod in 2011:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FAwzObTZRQs


Theres some vids from when the previous owner had it here:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_6j26TaTjKc
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6wUU1ZXSCTI
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m7HUgiwhXos

[boomtings1]

What did you get on strip without a passenger in? And how much fuel did you have in?

[M Sutton]

I got a 14.9 with no passenger and 3 1/4 tank of fuel, I'm guessing the car could hit a 14.5 easily in the future!

[Will F]

How will you lose nearly half a second?! Or have you done lots of mods since then?

[boomtings1]

Ah ok. First time i went, the best i got was 15 dead and 94 mph with nearly a full tank. Second time i got 14.9 with quarter tank fuel but didn't feel as tho it was running right, i couldn't brake 90mph over the line, so maybe could get 14.5s

[M Sutton]

Will F, it has a very close ratio box on it at the moment and I'm changing to a different box so il probs be in 3rd crossing the line rather than hitting the limiter in 4th/changing into 5th. Also il probably run with 1/2 a tank of fuel if I can plus let the pressure down on the tyres. Loads of practice needed as I've only ever done 3 runs up the strip in it so I recon I could shave nearly half a second taking all those points into consideration ;)

[M Sutton]

Well, ive finally done some work on the car today. Put some petrol in the car and started it for the first time in atleast 5 months and it started without any hassle :D

Ive been collecting parts for the last 6 months and ive pretty much got all that I need to get the car serviced and up to scratch now!

Small list of what ive got is:
Gearbox oil for when I change gearboxes
Engine oil
Oil filter
Ignition leads
Spark plugs
Brake fluid
Carb spray
New smaller washer bottle
Oil catch tank
Manifold heat wrap
New grooved discs and pads
New brake caliper (pistons are sticking on old one)
Fresh number plates
Cold air feed hose for TBs

http://images55.fotki.com/v605/photos/1/102941/8836199/366-vi.jpg

A few other bits ive done since the last updates is to paint my boot handle

http://images20.fotki.com/v1590/photos/1/102941/8836199/367-vi.jpg

Painted my fuel cap black as it looked abit rough

http://images50.fotki.com/v1526/photos/1/102941/8836199/368-vi.jpg

Got these off ebay as abit of fun and for the track/race look :lol:

http://images49.fotki.com/v855/photos/1/102941/8836199/369-vi.jpg

Also some 'TOW' stickers front and back for when on track, also fitted the new plates

http://images57.fotki.com/v1613/photos/1/102941/8836199/370-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v461/photos/1/102941/8836199/371-vi.jpg

Main thing I did today was to fit a Isuzu Trooper bonnet scoop to feed some air to the TB's, plus I think these look great on Nova's. Didnt get any pictures of the holes I cut in the bonnet, but it should now help feed the TB's well. To secure it I keyed both surfaces and got hold of some very strong bonding agent that we use at work to secure the scoop onto the bonnet, saved drilled holes!

http://images59.fotki.com/v420/photos/1/102941/8836199/372-vi.jpg

http://images61.fotki.com/v431/photos/1/102941/8836199/373-vi.jpg

http://images43.fotki.com/v680/photos/1/102941/8836199/374-vi.jpg

http://images49.fotki.com/v855/photos/1/102941/8836199/375-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v588/photos/1/102941/8836199/376-vi.jpg

http://images16.fotki.com/v382/photos/1/102941/8836199/377-vi.jpg

[Benn]

That looks fantastic dude, love it.

[M Sutton]

Thanks Benn ;)

[novalovingned]

Looks brilliant mate. Love the blue cage. Really fancy painting mine blue now lol

[M Sutton]

Cheers buddy :)

[DAVIDKEDENS]

Love it :d Teardrop wheels suit it perfectly :thumb:

[phunkynova]

If the bonnet scoop is for the T/B's and not for show then it should have been more to the drivers side of the car as T/B's and carbs are not in the middle of the engine bay but off set to the drivers side.
By the way the car look great :thumb:

[M Sutton]

Cheers David

Phunkynova, thanks for the comment, i totally agree thats where it should be but I still want the car to look good aswell lol. Im sure the TBs will still get some cold air where its located ;)

[kevster]

Wow how did I miss this build thread , cracking build pal ! Loving the blue and red .

[M Sutton]

Thanks alot kevster, glad you like it!

[M Sutton]

Managed to squeeze a few hours in today! Nothing amazing but some progress :)

Two weeks time should see a gearbox change, oil, spark plugs etc etc. Then all thats left is to get the electrics sorted and give it a good check over before the MOT in may!

Fitted my roll cage mount for my GoPro camera, seems to be in about the right position!

http://images50.fotki.com/v1570/photos/1/102941/8836199/378-vi.jpg

Then I removed the old windscreen washer bottle and fitted my smaller one, which in turn gives me room for the oil catch tank! still need to get some piping, but atleast its in position! I was going to heat wrap my manifold today but decided I couldnt be bothered so that will get done next time :lol:

Before

http://images108.fotki.com/v360/photos/1/102941/8836199/357-vi.jpg

After

http://images57.fotki.com/v1354/photos/1/102941/8836199/380-vi.jpg

http://images50.fotki.com/v406/photos/1/102941/8836199/379-vi.jpg

Just a couple of picture of the new scoop and general car again :thumbs:

http://images46.fotki.com/v530/photos/1/102941/8836199/382-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photos/1/102941/8836199/381-vi.jpg

http://images61.fotki.com/v535/photos/1/102941/8836199/383-vi.jpg

[Benn]

Looking good dude,

[kevster]

The paint looks good , we're did you source that bumper ????

Have some rep + coz I keep looking at this thread

[peperapidogts]

hello!! 'm Really enjoying watching this project.
What was the product that was used on the dashboard black

[M Sutton]

Thanks Benn ;)

Cheers kevster, the lad I bought it off found a place with only a few left, but that was a few years ago now!

Peperapidogts, thanks a lot, the dash is flocked. A member called prey on here does it!

[M Sutton]

Got some more done at the weekend!

Fitted my Team HEKOwind deflectors, topped up my new washer bottle and heat wrapped my exhaust manifold!

The manifold looks much better now and should keep the under bonnet temps down :)

A few pictures of the progress below.....


http://images108.fotki.com/v191/photos/1/102941/8836199/384-vi.jpg

http://images15.fotki.com/v792/photos/1/102941/8836199/385-vi.jpg

http://images56.fotki.com/v773/photos/1/102941/8836199/386-vi.jpg

http://images60.fotki.com/v662/photos/1/102941/8836199/387-vi.jpg

http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photos/1/102941/8836199/389-vi.jpg

http://images52.fotki.com/v1566/photos/1/102941/8836199/388-vi.jpg

http://images46.fotki.com/v400/photos/1/102941/8836199/392-vi.jpg

http://images43.fotki.com/v680/photos/1/102941/8836199/391-vi.jpg

http://images14.fotki.com/v390/photos/1/102941/8836199/390-vi.jpg

[kevster]

Keep it up dude .

[Gibbo]

looks so sexy :)

[M Sutton]

Thanks guys ;) will be doing some more to the car over the weekend again!

[novadave24]

looking good mate :thumb:

[M Sutton]

Cheers novadave!

[womble sri]

Really nice, whereabouts in Northampton are you from? I work there almost daily.

[M Sutton]

Thanks. I'm from Rushden, so not technically Northampton but only 30 mins from there!

[M Sutton]

Had a busy day on Saturday! My mate and I managed to swap gearboxes over, change the engine oil, spark plugs, leads, new discs, pads, brake caliper, new brake fluid and a track rod end!

Not many pictures as we were so busy, but thats all done now, so im pleased :D

Car up on the ramp ready for work!
http://images12.fotki.com/v213/photos/1/102941/8836199/393-vi.jpg

Just after we had got the old F15 box from my Corsa engine in the car, unfortunately I no longer have a LSD, as the F13 that was in it had one but its my mates box and I really cant afford one to go in this gearbox :(
http://images51.fotki.com/v748/photos/1/102941/8836199/394-vi.jpg

New Box all in!
http://images108.fotki.com/v1629/photos/1/102941/8836199/395-vi.jpg

My mate hard at work lol
http://images55.fotki.com/v509/photos/1/102941/8836199/396-vi.jpg

New brakes all fitted. Looking forward to giving the car a good clean and painting up the calipers etc again!
http://images57.fotki.com/v505/photos/1/102941/8836199/397-vi.jpg
http://images16.fotki.com/v301/photos/1/102941/8836199/398-vi.jpg

Whiped the filter off the TBs and put some carb cleaner down the trumpets to freshen them up.
Must admit it looks better without the filter on :P
http://images15.fotki.com/v1626/photos/1/102941/8836199/399-vi.jpg

Quick picture of my mates Nova project (been a bare shell for a few years) with my wheel slotted under the arch :lol:
http://images50.fotki.com/v1558/photos/1/102941/8836199/400-vi.jpg

[Rick Draper]

Looks good.

Is that Jims nova?

[johnd]

car looking good lad keep up the good work :thumb:

[M Sutton]

Cheers Rick Draper. Your correct, it is Jims Nova. Not sure when he will finish it but its not that far away from being ready for paint but I know he is busy with a family now!

Thanks johnd

[Benn]

Does look nice with the filter off....

[Will F]

Get some 90mm trumpets and tweak the map. Much better torques.

[M Sutton]

Cheers Benn, may keep the filter off for PVS!

Maybe in the future but the trumpets/setup will have to do for now!

[peester]

longer trumpets do tone down the gargley noise a tad though..

[MARTIN KELSON]

Thanks. I'm from Rushden, so not technically Northampton but only 30 mins from there!

My mate at work who is our road engineer for scissor lifts lives in Rushden.

Bit of useless information there from me! :)

[M Sutton]

lol @ Martin!

[M Sutton]

Kind of bought some new wheels for the Nova :D

Liam off here put them for sale, I saw them and fell in love, so after scraping the money togeather I got them bought! So my old BBS wheels are now in the For Sale section :thumbs:

Got the track tyres swapped over today and took some pictures. Will try them on at some point and get some pics.

Anyway, heres some pictures below. There rare wheels now as Speedline dont make them any more and the best part is they are brand new and never fitted :!

http://images60.fotki.com/v661/photos/1/102941/8836199/400-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v627/photos/1/102941/8836199/401-vi.jpg

http://images58.fotki.com/v511/photos/1/102941/8836199/402-vi.jpg

http://images60.fotki.com/v367/photos/1/102941/8836199/403-vi.jpg

http://images60.fotki.com/v224/photos/1/102941/8836199/404-vi.jpg

[Southie]

I want this car, bloody love it :cool:

[M Sutton]

Thanks Southie ;)

[Liam]

As already said, they look stunning!

It's a shame really as they're a nice set of wheels but I just didn't think they would have suited my car! Can't wait to see them fitted...

[Benn]

Oooo wheels will look great dude. Very nice buy.

[therealnovaboy]

I have these wheels on mine but I have a blue sticker rather than the recessed writing.

Seems to be a lot of wheel weights for a brand new wheel. Or is this normal on semi slick tyres

[M Sutton]

Cheers Benn.

Cool, there a nice looking wheel imo!
I honestly dont know about the wheel weights, but as my mate did it for free il wait and see how they are once fitted! lol

[8valve-craig]

Very nice set of wheels.

Looks like maybe your 888's are a bit out of shape though.

[SimonTW]

The new wheels will look awesome!

[M Sutton]

Cheers lads. 8valve-craig the R888s have had some use on a track day and at Santa Pod so could have something to do with it?

[8valve-craig]

Yeah or maybe sat in one position on a car for a while with relatively low pressure.

Either way not a problem if they balance up, as long as the brakes clear the weights.

[peester]

6j x 15?

[Liam]

They are yes. 6J x 15" ET49.

[M Sutton]

Did a few things today. Just some finishing touches aswell as trying the new wheels on and a bit of a polishing and caliper painting!

All thats left is to sort some of the electrics and get it ready for an MOT in a few weeks time and get it on the road after a year off :thumbs:

A few pictures for you ;)

http://images51.fotki.com/v299/photos/1/102941/8836199/407-vi.jpg


http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photos/1/102941/8836199/408-vi.jpg


http://images20.fotki.com/v355/photos/1/102941/8836199/405-vi.jpg

After a good polish and clean up
http://images46.fotki.com/v62/photos/1/102941/8836199/417-vi.jpg


http://images46.fotki.com/v372/photos/1/102941/8836199/418-vi.jpg


http://images61.fotki.com/v432/photos/1/102941/8836199/416-vi.jpg

Painted calipers and drums
http://images14.fotki.com/v373/photos/1/102941/8836199/414-vi.jpg


http://images52.fotki.com/v1568/photos/1/102941/8836199/415-vi.jpg

[Benn]

Looking great dude, you don't run a anti roll bar? You missed your exhaust tip too..hehe
Like the white wheels.

Love it.

[M Sutton]

Haha trust you to spot the exhaust Benn! It will be getting a mega clean again before PVS but thanks for the positive comments ;)

[Benn]

You know me, it's burn in to my soul...lol

Glad to see it will be a pvs, i'll come find it.

[bazzap8389]

Seen this at pvs, was one of my favourite novas there so thought I'd see if you had a build thread as I've never seen it before! Car looks amazing mate top work have some rep :)

[M Sutton]

Thanks bazzap8389!! Means alot after all the hard work ive put into her over the past year.

Will update the thread with pics etc some time this week once ive sorted them. Also have a couple of vids from the 1/4 mile ;)

[Benn]

Do you not run a rear arb?

[M Sutton]

Not as yet, possibly in the future but it seems to handle really well from what ive driven.

Would you recomend one Benn? If so do they make one or is it a home made job with Novas?

[M Sutton]

*PVS update*

As some of you will know by now, I got the car on the road in time for PVS! :D

Got it Taxed and MOTed just over a week before the show which was good as it gave me time to get a few miles on it to make sure all was good. I did 70 miles in it before the show with no problems, was also good to bed the new brakes in.

Below are some pictures me and my mate took. Car seemed to perform well on the 1/4 mile apart from popping out of gear a few times during hard launch/burnouts (need to adjust linkage I think)

A link to videos of my two best runs are below.

My 15.2 sec run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELyLIqSuYy0

My best 15.05 sec run - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ukBDvfVALc

Next thing to do is get tracking done and I will be booking a day at Bedford Autodrome next month to see how the car performs on track :thumbs:

http://images57.fotki.com/v1613/photos/1/102941/12127235/001-vi.jpg?1370986046

http://images58.fotki.com/v506/photos/1/102941/12127235/004-vi.jpg?1370986056

http://images59.fotki.com/v255/photos/1/102941/12127235/028-vi.jpg?1370986107

http://images55.fotki.com/v648/photos/1/102941/12127029/054-vi.jpg

http://images51.fotki.com/v423/photos/1/102941/12127029/056-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v508/photos/1/102941/12127235/258-vi.jpg?1370986548

http://images15.fotki.com/v588/photos/1/102941/12127235/257-vi.jpg?1370986486

http://images46.fotki.com/v308/photos/1/102941/12127235/252-vi.jpg?1370986405

http://images14.fotki.com/v777/photos/1/102941/12127235/255-vi.jpg?1370986447

http://images56.fotki.com/v713/photos/1/102941/12127235/256-vi.jpg?1370986484

[Connor]

Saw this at PV queing up for the strip, looks very clean and loving the new wheel choice. Top work :thumb:

[chrisd1986]

Looks mint

[Graeme]

Really nice car this, very nice how come you've got no tacho though?

[Benn]

Ah gutted, i didn't see it at PV.

[M Sutton]

Thanks guys ;)

Greame, i need to get the rev counter working. Need to look into it, although I do have a shift light in the middle of the dash which helps abit!

[M Sutton]

Just booked my first trackday at Bedford Autodrome for next month :D
Open pitlane full day, should be fun as a mate in his 205 gti is comming along aswell!

Only new thing is me and the misses have moved into a nice big house now and I have a decent sized garage to store the Nova in :) just need to paint it and kit it out with all my tools!

http://images12.fotki.com/v531/photos/1/102941/8836199/55393149515111-vi.jpg

http://images55.fotki.com/v648/photos/1/102941/8836199/56393149516383-vi.jpg

[M Sutton]

Havnt updated my thread in a while, mainly due to moving house and being busy at work!!

I attended The Retro Show @ Santa Pod in July and managed to get 5 runs up the strip. The weather was hot but the car performed well even with intake temps not helping.
Was a really good show which il deffinately attend next year!

Best run of the day was a 15.02

I also did 3 runs in my mates track day 205 GTI and managed a best of 15.9, not bad for a car with only 115bhp!
Heres a few pics from the show with the link for all of the below ;)

http://public.fotki.com/M4rks/car-events-2013/the-retro-show-santa-pod/

http://images20.fotki.com/v1589/photos/1/102941/12239210/053-vi.jpg

http://images14.fotki.com/v1625/photos/1/102941/12239210/059-vi.jpg

http://images57.fotki.com/v1614/photos/1/102941/12239210/064-vi.jpg

One of the 205 when it was loaded of the trailor, didnt get one on the strip.

http://images59.fotki.com/v1579/photos/1/102941/12239210/065-vi.jpg

Next up was a short visit to Billing on the Sunday. As said, I moved house and its been a big expense and has taken up most weekends with DIY etc. Im glad Billing is 20 mins away so atleast I could have a look.

Parked on the PNG stand and had a walk around for a few hours :thumbs:

http://public.fotki.com/M4rks/car-events-2013/vboa-billing-aquadrome/

http://images46.fotki.com/v62/photos/1/102941/12281842/IMG_2023-vi.jpg

http://images14.fotki.com/v777/photos/1/102941/12281842/IMG_2027-vi.jpg

The day after Billing was my first Track day at Bedford Autodrome. The weather was gorgeous and it turned out to be one of the hottest days of the year! Was doing a maximum of 5 laps before pitting to let the car cool down!

My mate in his 205 also came along, he has done quite a few track days before so had more experiance but was still good fun!

Got a passenger ride in this Porsche, was a stunning car and while on track we battled with a Caterham R400 which put a huge smile on my face!

http://images12.fotki.com/v335/photos/1/102941/12252884/007-vi.jpg

Car performed well and I clocked around 120 miles on track throughout the day. Only issue was fuel starvation, topped the car up and all was well again!

Heres 2 videos that I did on the day. This was very early on so was taking it very easy to start with so there not very exciting to watch. Later in the day I got quicker but didnt get a decent video :facepalm:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJyp__OcJhY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAFr-xkXJYY

http://public.fotki.com/M4rks/my-nova-track-car/bedford-autodrome-t/

http://images55.fotki.com/v1617/photos/1/102941/12252884/XS2_293-vi.jpg

http://images50.fotki.com/v1513/photos/1/102941/12252884/XS2_0637-vi.jpg

http://images60.fotki.com/v778/photos/1/102941/12252884/XS2_0691-vi.jpg

http://images20.fotki.com/v503/photos/1/102941/12252884/XS2_0163-vi.jpg

http://images51.fotki.com/v424/photos/1/102941/12252884/XS2_0215-vi.jpg

http://images59.fotki.com/v683/photos/1/102941/12252884/XS2_0291-vi.jpg

[M Sutton]

Decided I wanted to do another track day once I had been paid at work so booked one at Bedford a month later. I like the circuit due to the run off areas and its 15 mins away from where I live!

After this I purchaced a Nova GTE rear ARB and got that fitted so I could test it at the next track day.

http://images60.fotki.com/v661/photos/1/102941/8836199/12397770072289-vi.jpg

Then after giving the car a check over I noticed the cambelt was very loose. Tried to tighten it up but the bottom pully wouldnt lock, so my mate fitted all new pullys and cambelt for peace of mind!

http://images115.fotki.com/v607/photos/1/102941/8836199/04400353424369-vi.jpg

http://images116.fotki.com/v700/photos/1/102941/8836199/31400353451637-vi.jpg

http://images53.fotki.com/v1495/photos/1/102941/8836199/23400353443966-vi.jpg

Next track day went really well. was a warm day but not as hot as before. Was much more confident than before but after doing another 120 miles on track the only issue I had was the same as the last day. This is a common thing with Novas on track, especially with the sticky R888s. Only way to resolve was to top up the petrol around lunch time which wasnt the end of the world!

Had a passenger ride in 2 cars. A 620bhp Merc AMG and supercharged Arial Atom, both Awesome cars in there own way! I think i would go for the Atom for the fun factor.

http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photos/1/102941/12347677/002-vi.jpg

This isnt the Atom I went in but didnt get a picture of that. The guy who owned the one below didnt feel confident enough to take me out as he had just got the car lol!

http://images16.fotki.com/v383/photos/1/102941/12347677/003-vi.jpg

I have some Videos to upload from this event which will be up very soon.

http://public.fotki.com/M4rks/my-nova-track-car/bedford-autodrome-t-1/

http://images50.fotki.com/v1573/photos/1/102941/12347677/005-vi.jpg

http://images46.fotki.com/v521/photos/1/102941/12347677/022-vi.jpg

My car looks abit lost in this picture lol!

http://images52.fotki.com/v734/photos/1/102941/12347677/033-vi.jpg

http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photos/1/102941/12347677/049-vi.jpg

Ive now decided thats the last outing for the Nova this year as I need to save some money, although I might take it for a Sunday blast if the weathers good.

I plan on sorting the fuel starvation issue out and doing some small jobs over the winter but Il update again when I do something interesting :thumbs:

[Benn]

Think a swirl pot would help?
Sounds like you had a bloody good day out there.

[Will F]

Yep - time for a swirl pot methinks!

[M Sutton]

Yes Benn, really enjoyable days!

Deffo getting a swirl pot set up! Ideally id like a foam filled tank in the wheel well but will see how funds go!

[M Sutton]

2 Videos from the last track day ;)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xc6nKWS-mFY&feature=c4-feed-u

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lmM_7C_WlLk

[peester]

great stuff. Car looks good out on track (and pits) in the photos.

[M Sutton]

Cheers peester ;)

[Liam]

Definitely looks and sounds the part, the wheels just finish it off nicely! ;)

PS. Can I have your throttle bodies please...
...Christmas is soon :d

[M Sutton]

Cheers Liam. Think il be keeping the TBs for now ;) love the sound too much ;)

[Will F]

We're you short shifting?

it sounds like you're shifting a bit early? Unless your limiter is earlier than I think?

or it could' be me being a rtard

[M Sutton]

You are correct. Shifting abit early due to lack of rev counter working lol i do have a shift light but its not ideal. The rev limit isn't much over standard I think. Don't have an oil cooler so didn't want to push it too much ;)

[Will F]

Ah ok that's a shame as i reckon it has at least another 1000 revs to go and that's where the sound is best! Lol
you have a limiter don't you? So don't worry! Lol

[M Sutton]

Yeah, it has a limiter but I'm still getting to know the car so will push it more next year I'm sure ;)

[scott.parker]

Car looks ace, just looking back a page, what rocker cover is that your using?

The rev limit thing is something that I regret changing on my old car, i lowered it from 7750 to 7550 didn't think id notice any difference, but did notice it a lot on track.

[M Sutton]

Cheers Scott. It's the standard X16XEL rocker cover. A lot of people ask that question as it's not the most common 1.6 16v to use.

[scott.parker]

Ah i see, reason i asked is its got a different oil breather set up, looks better than the x16xe..

[Benn]

Nice bit in TV....

[M Sutton]

Thanks Benn ;) I've been told but I've yet to buy it but will do soon!

[ocdstigy]

Amazing car

[M Sutton]

Thank you

[NathanKirkpatrick]

were did you purchase these throttle bodies?

im looking into getting a set in the near future for my GTE nova. if you could help me out that would be much great, thanks :)....

[M Sutton]

Hi mate. The engine + TBs were fitted when I bought the car so unsure of where they came from I'm afraid!
Love the sound of them tho ;)

[scott.parker]

were did you purchase these throttle bodies?

im looking into getting a set in the near future for my GTE nova. if you could help me out that would be much great, thanks :)....

Best of searching on sale adds, or ebay for throttle boddies ecu's etc, or buy new from dta or sbd, but new will cost about £2000 for a full setup, but imo its the best bhp gains you'll see from standard engine, and bhp per smiles, see my link below for my old track car, apache orange..

[NathanKirkpatrick]

Thanks Scott and M Sutton :)