View Full Version : New GTE owner from Scotland
After an 11 year absence from Novas having sold my GSi back in 2000, and then lurking around on these forums (in the background) on and off since 2008, I have finally taken the plunge back into Nova ownership with the purchase of a very shiny red GTE.
I picked the car up on Wednesday from a chap who is a member on here (GTE Turbz). The car is pretty original apart from being lowered and having 15" Cavalier GSi alloys (which I may change back to the original 14" wheeltrims).
Hoping to call on the forum to help with any technical queries and to help with sourcing parts and also to find out if there is a Nova or Classic Vauxhall scene in Scotland.
First time around, the Nova was all about performance and modifying. This time around it's more about originality and keeping a practical classic on the road to break up the monotony of boring modern cars :-)
Alan
P.S. my registered forum name hints at to the car that I had a 10 year affair with during my absence from Novas. Something very quirky and different that allowed me to gain experience with working on rusty old classics!
Welcome along good to see more scots joining :)
brainsnova
23-07-11, 06:22 PM
Welcome to P.N.G :thumb: 2cv = cheap insurance lol
Gaz1300SR
23-07-11, 07:37 PM
:thumb:Get some posts on the forum so you can post some pics of it
Thanks for the warm welcome :-). I still need to get some decent pictures of my own taken of the car, but with all the good weather forecast for the next few days I really have no excuses! In the meantime I will see if I can suitably and sensibly increase my post count. I need help deciding whether to keep the 15" wheels, change for 14" 3 spokes or revert back to 14" steel wheels with GTE wheel trims. The ride is a little harsh for these mangled Edinburgh streets so I'm thinking higher profile tyres might soften the blow a little (car is lowered 40mm on Bilstein suspension kit too)
14" 3 spokes or steelies with wheel trims :thumb:
Gaz1300SR
23-07-11, 08:23 PM
I'd say 3 spokes myself. 40mm is just right for lowering imo.
I agree too - the car is sitting perfectly at the moment so I don't want to have to change the suspension to improve the ride quality. I just need it to be a little bit smoother for the occasions when the other half is sat in the passenger seat (apart from that she loves the car too). First thing for me to do is swap the steelies onto it and see if it helps and then depending on how it looks I might try and source some 3 spokes. How difficult is it to source the 3 spoke alloys these days? (and what's the car like for sourcing spares in general?)
Welcome to the forum Alan, good to see another Edinburgh man that's kept the love of Novas lol Excellent choice of car to get back into it with as well. Whereabouts in Edinburgh you from and what gsi did you have? Had a white Sr back in 98 then a white sri after that before I moved down south. Bilsteins and 15's are fine on Edinburgh roads, as long as you learn where the potholes are :D
You didn't start racing 2cv's by any chance did you?
Spares are getting harder (more expensive) to get hold of but there is still a fairly good selection out there, especially if you're patient. LMF and Vauxhall Green Parts are good for genuine Vx bits and servicing items as well as a few others.
The Nova scene's not what it used to be up there but there's still some very good examples around, but I think the less model specific clubs, like Vauxhall Sports Car Club, have a bigger following up there now.
Depending on how the other half's rotas pan out I wouldn't mind getting up to a Scottish show/meet before the year's out so might run into you sometime
Chris
Welcome to the forum Alan, good to see another Edinburgh man that's kept the love of Novas lol Excellent choice of car to get back into it with as well. Whereabouts in Edinburgh you from and what gsi did you have?
I'm in South Gyle, been here about 6 years now (originally from the Vale of Leven, near Glasgow) but pretty settled through here now. I had a black J reg (J822SAJ in case anyone knows what happened to it) which I sold to a guy from Bolton - I met him at Gretna services.
Had a white Sr back in 98 then a white sri after that before I moved down south. Bilsteins and 15's are fine on Edinburgh roads, as long as you learn where the potholes are :D
Have you seen the place since they started digging it all up for the trams? ;-)
You didn't start racing 2cv's by any chance did you?
I never raced them although I did go to watch a 24hr 2CV race at Spa in Belgium. Mine was a full ground up restoration on a galvanised chassis. Working on a 2CV is like working with mecano compared to real cars and I take my hat off to some of the restoration work I see on this forum.
Depending on how the other half's rotas pan out I wouldn't mind getting up to a Scottish show/meet before the year's out so might run into you sometime
I will keep my eye out for any upcoming meets or shows in Scotland and hopefully bump into some like minded Nova addicts :-)
Alan
Welcome to the forum alan when youve enough post get some pics up mate.
Damo.
Welcome to the forum alan when youve enough post get some pics up mate.
Damo.
Thanks Damo - working on my post count :-).
Are any of the Scottish crowd members of ScotVOC.co.uk? Just wondering what's the best way to keep an eye out for Scottish events. I see there's a hot hatch day at Knockhill on the 11th September so I've popped that in my diary.
Alan
Just subscribed to the club so now I can give my profile an avatar and I see I can now access more areas of the forum including events and a Scottish specific area - so I think that just about answers all of my needs and questions for now.
Presumably the 15 post prerequisite for posting pictures still stands even for subscribed members?
Alan
hi alan, lovely looking nova! aye, ye'll still need 15 posts for pictures
Well I swapped the 15" 'Cav Slabs' today for the standard 14" Steelies and GTE wheel trims. I have to say, the car still looks great, and even better still the ride is a lot smoother over the bumps. Probably not as sharp steering but I'm not looking for a street racer, but more of a street poser. Enjoyed turning a few heads this evening - you don't see many Novas in the neighbourhood :-D
Alan
p.s. pictures to follow in due course
Nice car you have mate, I remember the advert for it, I think I joined that scotvoc but I've not been on there in a while.
Hopefully I'll see you at a meet sometime and get a nosey round your car,
your actually one of the rare breed of Scottish nova owners who actually have a car on the road lol the rest of us just have projects
Nice car you have mate, I remember the advert for it, I think I joined that scotvoc but I've not been on there in a while.
Thanks :-). Yes I get the impression that there is more activity on this forum so I'll hang around here most often I think. Now I've registered I can see the extra threads and stuff
your actually one of the rare breed of Scottish nova owners who actually have a car on the road lol the rest of us just have projects
I cheated and bought one that works ;-). Seriously though it's not as good as a lot of the cars I see on here so I'm constantly resisting the temptation to take it apart and bring it up to scratch! Only thing holding me back is I just don't have the level of know how that a lot of you guys have on here. I'd love to get the engine out and rebuilt / detailed / etc but if I tried that then it wouldn't ever work again. I've always been good at taking things to bits - it's the putting it all back together again that catches me out!
welcome to the forum mate , and lol at that last comment , im sure you will gain plenty of know how just by owning a nova these days lol
i think i remember the advert for the car but not 100% sure, was it a G reg ?
no wasnt the same car , just found it though looks very very nice :thumb:
some pics from the for sale ad
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/hiten_photos/IMG_0096.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/hiten_photos/IMG_0093.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/hiten_photos/IMG_0091.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/hiten_photos/IMG_0080.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/hiten_photos/IMG_0131.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/hiten_photos/IMG_0129.jpg
http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r151/hiten_photos/IMG_0108.jpg
just need some pics of it on the steels now :thumb:
That's the one! I've got some pictures of it on the steelies (with and without GTE wheel trims) that I'll post up as soon as I am able :-)
jack8545
26-07-11, 02:50 PM
nova looks good bud,
I recently joined scotvoc, there good for local meets normally harthill services and they had a good turn out at scottish car show
Danny s-p
26-07-11, 03:14 PM
gte porn mmmmmmmmm look very nice and were in Edinburgh are you from my lass lived up there. and if you answer this you have hit 15 post's so get the pics thrown up
brainsnova
26-07-11, 04:20 PM
Gte's are my favourite as I'm a mk1 man :cool: that covers the sport too :d and to follow on from you wanting to freshen up the engine bay its easy enough to drop the engine and box out then clean the bay and sort any rust and spray it and you can semi strip the engine to paint it then you could always rebuilt the engine over the winter.
gte porn mmmmmmmmm look very nice and were in Edinburgh are you from my lass lived up there. and if you answer this you have hit 15 post's so get the pics thrown up
I'm about 5 miles west of the city centre - out towards the Gyle Shopping Centre. Close enough to be in town on a bus in 15 mins and on the West side of the city for an easy escape route back to weegieland direction where I'm from originally :-)
Alan
Gte's are my favourite as I'm a mk1 man :cool: that covers the sport too :d and to follow on from you wanting to freshen up the engine bay its easy enough to drop the engine and box out then clean the bay and sort any rust and spray it and you can semi strip the engine to paint it then you could always rebuilt the engine over the winter.
I used to be a MK2 fan (from my GSi days) but I think the MK1 has aged better over time. I won't say any more than that so as not to start another Mk1 vs Mk2 war :-). (I love them both!). What you've just described above would be exactly the sort of project I'd want to undertake - engine out, bay tidied up (derusted and sprayed) and then the engine tidied up accordingly (nothing major i.e. no separating cylinder head from main block).... although, if I were going to the hassle of taking the engine out would it be worth doing the clutch at the same time or are these engines easy enough to change clutches / timing belts / water pumps in situ?
Alan
p.s. that must be more than 15 posts now - time to dig out those pictures.........
With the steel wheels
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6127/5977441388_69d83b253d_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6016/5977439982_98473f90f8_z.jpg
And now with wheel trim goodness
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5976875105_dcd1eb8a06_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6012/5976873589_acd08d467b_z.jpg
a million times better! Cav slabs should never be fitted to a Nova
Me likey
Thanks :). I'm absolutely loving the car, both to drive and just to look at.
Now I've put the wheel trims back on it though, it's got me thinking that it might look even better if I 're-oranged' it. I think the clear indicators don't suit it quite so well now it's on standard wheels. Thinking of going down the route of bringing it back to total factory look - I've even went as far as buying a Philips DC670 radio cassette off eBay for the interior lol
Alan
a million times better!
I think I have to agree :)
Cav slabs should never be fitted to a Nova
Don't say that! (or I'll never be able to sell them on to someone else ) ;)
Alan
dannymcc
26-07-11, 09:55 PM
Looks great! - The original wheeltrims help it alot. :thumb:
brainsnova
26-07-11, 10:46 PM
Looks tidy those ovals on the wings need swapped for original round ones with orange or clear lenses
ryansnova
26-07-11, 10:51 PM
welcome to the club mate ;)
its nice to see more scotish nova lovers on here lol
That's my favourite nova of all looks mint just the exact look alike I'm aiming for with my own project best of luck with it
Looks great! - The original wheeltrims help it alot. :thumb:
Thanks Danny :-). I've just been emailing Chris about number plates and a tax disc holder to help with the original look ;-)
Alan
Looks tidy those ovals on the wings need swapped for original round ones with orange or clear lenses
Agreed. Ever since I put the wheel trims back on, the oval indicators look wrong. Thankfully the previous owner kept all of the original bits so I think I'll swap the amber stuff back on to see what it looks like. Fingers crossed the hole in the wing will still be the correct size to accept the originals.
Alan
Danny s-p
27-07-11, 12:02 AM
I'm about 5 miles west of the city centre - out towards the Gyle Shopping Centre. Close enough to be in town on a bus in 15 mins and on the West side of the city for an easy escape route back to weegieland direction where I'm from originally :-)
Alan
my lass is from dugety bay think that how u spell it and pleases keep the trims on it look so good with them on
Looks cracking cheif, I've got white wheeltrims and 3 spokes for mine, just need silver ones for a different option lol,
it must have been the style at the time as I fitted the same oval indicators and clear fronts.
thats stunning mate, never thought id think steels with trims could look so niiiiccceee
what you doing with the cav wheels? pm me :thumb:
And now with wheel trim goodness
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6124/5976875105_dcd1eb8a06_z.jpg
To be perfectly honest, that's giving me a semi...
Gaz1300SR
27-07-11, 01:55 PM
I changed my clears for the original Orange too, funny how things change, once everyone wanted clear ovals etc.
I changed mine fir astra mk4 ones thought they looked ok on it don't have any others so they must stay now lol
i love this nova but them slabs would be rite at home on my corsa. :wink:
I changed my clears for the original Orange too, funny how things change, once everyone wanted clear ovals etc.
I changed the side repeaters for clear ovals on my black GSi 12 years ago when it was all the rage. These days there's something a bit more pure about keeping older cars standard I think. Plus I don't think amber looks that bad on red cars to start with.
Alan
my lass is from dugety bay think that how u spell it and pleases keep the trims on it look so good with them on
Dalgety Bay - just over the bridge from Edinburgh :-). By popular demand, the trims are here to stay!
Alan
pure porn with the wheel trims , and mazz just a semi ? slap yourself boy haha full blown hard on :thumb:
brainsnova
27-07-11, 06:58 PM
Ive got clear ovals on my transit mk6 lol but they are genuine transit mk7 items
Hello and a belated welcome from Sunny Fife. :d Thats a cracking Gte you've bought, must say i was tempted myself before i bought my current fleet. Look forward to seeing it in the flesh if the Scotland Region can get a meet sorted out sometime......
Hello and a belated welcome from Sunny Fife. :d Thats a cracking Gte you've bought, must say i was tempted myself before i bought my current fleet. Look forward to seeing it in the flesh if the Scotland Region can get a meet sorted out sometime......
Thanks :-). Yeah, keeping my eyes peeled and fingers crossed for a Scottish get together. It would be good to see a few other Novas as I've not laid eyes on any other Novas in months - although I'm secretly enjoying the exclusivity 8-)
Thanks :-). Yeah, keeping my eyes peeled and fingers crossed for a Scottish get together. It would be good to see a few other Novas as I've not laid eyes on any other Novas in months - although I'm secretly enjoying the exclusivity 8-)
Yeh i know what you mean, mines is pretty much the only one seen on the roads over dunfermline area just now. :d They kinda go through phases though :roll:
dougie_boi
28-07-11, 12:26 PM
just relised how many nova owners there is near me now lol oh my think a road trip is in order for viewing some nova porn haha
Wazza024
28-07-11, 02:59 PM
Welcome to png mate :) car looks very nice i do like GTEs looking like yours :)
welcome to the PNG good to see another scottish nova :thumb:
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