View Full Version : My Nova Project.
SimonTW
15-10-11, 01:00 PM
Which doesn't contain a Nova as such....
Which at the moment doesn't include a Nova as such. But here is a bit of background of where I'm coming from with it.
Back in 2002ish I set about building my first project. I went for a Nova, picked up a rolling shell and set about kitting it out. At that time my only ever modification was a mesh grill for a Saxo.
After about a year or so of tinkering I ended up with this...
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v256/26/25/870525719/n870525719_2902751_7208.jpg
Sadly not knowing much about cars I managed to buy a bit of a bodged shell. It failed the first MOT and I was advised it wasn't worth saving. Luckily the second time round I knew what i was looking for to find a mint shell. I set about re-shelling the Nova I literally just finished building. While doing all this I decided to put a C16XE in it. I spent another long while putting this new car together, sourcing new parts for it. On it's first drive out the engine jammed itself. The bottom end cap on cylinder 3 wasn't tight and I managed to fire the piston into the head. By this time I was completely loosing patience with the car in general. I had been sourcing a lot of parts from my local Vaux dealer so I decided just to buy a new engine from Vauxhall. Again, the car was back in the garage but I got it finished and I took it out for it's first trip at the first Performance Vauxhall show.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v256/26/25/870525719/n870525719_2902746_6707.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v256/26/25/870525719/n870525719_2902757_2027.jpg
Once the car was built I got bored as I had nothing to tinker with so sold it on and bought a Ford Ka.
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/260386_112878342137188_100002450688375_133437_4466 005_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/254156_112878048803884_100002450688375_133420_2864 627_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/264091_112878188803870_100002450688375_133428_8975 7_n.jpg
It was a bit quirky but at the time was the right choice. It didn't last long as a gypsy in a luton van cut into my lane and wiped me out. Anyway, 2 more Ka's, an Audi A3, Golf Cabriolet with a VR6 conversion, bike engined kit car and now my current car being where i'm happy with it being at I want to get something new to mess with so want to go back to my first love and do a Nova as I still have a few parts to work with including a full C16XE conversion in the garage.
At the monent I'm lacking time and space to start with a full car so my plan is to rebuild the engine conversion ready to drop in. And put together a full front and rear running gear set-up togethor. This should keep me busy for a while and get me a lot nearer to having the car finished when I do have the time to grab a shell.
This week I have mostly been collecting bits.
Rear Beam
Hub Carriers
Steering Rack
Protec VW rear disc conversion
Rose jointed TCA mounts
Coilovers
Alloy topmounts
Wishbones
Wishbone plating kit
Polybushes
Bearings
Plus a few more bits I probably forgot
It's just going to be a simple, clean daily/track build I can use when I want to take the Mini off the road to keep nice as at the moment it takes a bit of a battering at the moment.
I just wanted to add this thread to document it, and also ask questions from people in the know as I go along with the build.
And a few of my Mini for those who are interested. Recently featured in Redline magazine. Wrapped in RAL5012, usual power and suspension upgrades with totally one off BBS wheels built by me.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/254739_195519707176219_195429780518545_547971_6042 005_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/267554_204307306282703_100001103046447_547390_5730 230_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/259940_10150693791865720_870525719_19198548_488165 8_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249060_10150614304310720_870525719_18622927_917991 _n.jpg
i fookin love that yellow one do your new one like that looks like you no what your doin with cars mini is nice aswell
Like the previous cars and also the current mini, loving the look of that yellow nova in first pic.
SimonTW
15-10-11, 03:11 PM
I loved the yellow Nova. It was Jamaica yellow but repainted to BMW Dakar Yellow (E36 M3 colour) It looked like it should be okay but it was just bodged all over.
Current Mini is my fave car so far. I'm looking forward to being able to take off the road and strip it down once the Nova is done. I can't see myself ever selling the Mini. It's a brilliant car to drive on and off track.
I'm thinking of doing the Nova a dark none metallic grey. Like Audi Nimbus grey and do the chassis metal work in a blue similar to that on the Mini. I think the yellow of the previous one might look a little dated.
The grey colour you mentioned does sound awesome, but i think that jamaican yellow would look even more awesome ;)
SimonTW
15-10-11, 03:54 PM
LOL. Will have to have a play in photoshop.
Thought I'd also add a little bit about the wheels on the Mini. Might interest a few people.
I bought some BMW 328i RC041 wheels for about £50 (7.5x17" 5x120 PCD)
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02892.jpg
But being 5x120 and not being able to use adapters I had to fill and redrill so bought a lathe and made some plugs
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02553.JPG
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02549.JPG
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC00052.JPG
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02586.JPG
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_WHEELS2.JPG
As I was going to so much work on the inners I decided I should make the barrels wider. For this I had to cut the lips of them. I didn't have a big enough lathe so this was done by hand.
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02530.JPG
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02532.JPG
I then ordered new lips from image and set about drilling them for the new wheels.
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02594.JPG
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02578.JPG
Then I drilled the new PCD using a hubcentric spacer
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02455.JPG
And then once everything had come together I ended up with 7.75" and 8.75" BBS RC041 with staggered lips in 4x100.
http://www.obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/normal_DSC02614.JPG
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/39905_10150234941290720_870525719_14100361_931076_ n.jpg
I have had these on for about a year now. I have just split them down to do them blue to match the bodywork. I have also ordered a wider outer lips to make the rears wider and then run the rear lips on the fronts. Just to give it a bit more poke and look a little more stanced.
Awesome project's you've had, personally I think you remake the yellow one with an MOT this time though!
Nice work with BBS', but what do the bolt holes look like now?
SimonTW
16-10-11, 12:29 PM
I don't have a picture but will sort one out. They are hidden behind the caps obviously so its not a mega neat job but I used a 60deg countersink to drop the recess for the proper wheel bolts in there. Due to limited space under the caps I also had a set of tuner bolts and turned them down to make them a little narrower and shallower on the head.
I'm just doing a little more planning on the Nova project today and was thinking about having the track rod end connection on the hub carrier welded up and having the tapered hole inverted to run the ball joint upside down so the track control arms sitting a bit more level. Anyone had any experience with doing this and know if it's worth the effort for cars running really low?
Love the wheels, awesome work rebuilding them. Never seen that done before. They look fantastic.
Love the yellow Nova, thought i'd seen it before.. Then saw the red one.
SimonTW
17-10-11, 09:14 AM
Cheers Benn!
Here is a picture of the wheel redrill.
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/312742_10150875079855720_870525719_21014426_214009 3288_n.jpg
Even the welds are nice!!
SimonTW
19-10-11, 10:40 AM
Nice little batch of goodies arrived yesterday. Going to burn the bushes out of the wishbones and take them for plating at the weekend.
http://obsessivecompulsivedevelopments.com/albums/userpics/IMG_2062.JPG
I'm also going to burn the bushes out of the beam when that arrives from Colin and get the front hubs split so I can take them all for powdercoating.
No need to burn the bushes dude, just cut one end it will hammer out very easily.
I would have bought Corsa bottom arms personally, because when you weld plates onto Nova ones they warp sometimes. Corsa arms have plates as standard.
SimonTW
19-10-11, 11:52 AM
Thanks for the advice on getting the old bushes out. Ah well, they are bought now so will stick with the plan!
Gareth_C
19-10-11, 11:57 AM
No need to burn the bushes dude, just cut one end it will hammer out very easily.
I would have bought Corsa bottom arms personally, because when you weld plates onto Nova ones they warp sometimes. Corsa arms have plates as standard.
I have tried this before and so has a few mates and the corsa seem to be longer iirc
I have tried this before and so has a few mates and the corsa seem to be longer iirc
Pre 97 are the same as Nova ones, post 97 are longer.
Come to think of it I've got some pre 97 Corsa ones somewhere.
andyrs1800
07-12-11, 09:19 PM
Love you Simon
Looks good where did you get that lot from? Could do with a new clutch cable...
SimonTW
14-12-11, 05:27 PM
Sorry for the delay in replying. I had a months reflection period granted by the powers that be. lol. Anyway, I'm back
I bought them from a company I found on Google. They are all Firstline parts. http://www.firstline.co.uk/ I have used them on alot of my previous cars and always found them good quality but cheap too.
Few updates that I have been working on. Just images in chronological order
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6104/6347653785_e437aba202_b.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6036/6348404656_8d3c6080a5_b.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6035/6348406752_3816442f23_b.jpg
Picked up my batch from the powdercoaters. I had a look at them at the powdercoaters place but then they were all wrapped up so here is a picture of the hub carrier I unwrapped just to have a peek at.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6053/6357807211_f414231dee_b.jpg
Unwrapped a few more bits. I was hoping to assemble the beam up but I didn't get as much time in the garage as I'd hoped. I have the Golf rear disc conversion assembled onto the stub axles and the bushes fitted so shouldn't take too long to bolt together next weekend.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6236/6359192493_ce9ca93b31_o.jpg
Mocked up the BBS for the Mini
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6099/6369414165_97d91c2c25_o.jpg
Put the coilovers together with the compbrake topmounts
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6232/6369412481_9e65027eaa_o.jpg
And quickly dropped the bushes into the lower arms.
I had a bit of time this morning so I partially stripped the steering rack, installed the front hubs and mounted the front coilovers. I also fired my compressor up for the first time in years so I could remove the nuts from the tie bars.
Also knocked this up.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6412553617_57efde6f22_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6412549607_7648d52eda_b.jpg
Then I found some braided brake line from when I built my kit car and some fittings so made up the lines to fit between the flexy and the caliper.
Since these pictures I haven't really done alot. Works been busy, weather been ****, been ill and saving a little for the missus xmas pressies.
I did get some time to spend on the Mini bits too
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6486255239_1fe347304a_z.jpg
I have had a few more bits coated. I'm going to finish assembling them and then crack on with the engine. I have my C16XE that's been sat in the garage for ages but I love my Mini Cooper S engine. It would be so awesome to get one into a Nova. I might follow that route when my lotto number come up.
I have been keeping my eyes open for the right shell but nothing that I have been 110% on. Ideally I just want to get it dipped at a place in Preston then round to my powder coaters to have the underside, inside, arches and bay powdercoated then have the outside properly painted.
Hi Andy. What you do lurking round these parts?!
Looks good already pal that mini is class fair play lad!
SimonTW
18-12-11, 04:08 PM
Had some free time today. Spent most of it stripping the silicone off my BBS wheels I used to seal them with as it didn't take.
Also dug a few more bits of the Nova out. I found some of my SVA compliant nut and bolt head covers left over from the kit car so I stuck them one for attention to detail.
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/396256_10151061050455720_870525719_21840210_839459 35_n.jpg
I also decided to put the C16XE on bike carbs. I was doing a bit of junk clearing in the garage and found an EDIS, coilpack, leads and RST wiring loom so going to use a mega jolt setup and asked Tom Reid to make me a suitable manifold so looking forward to getting that around early spring. It should make the whole installation of the engine very neat and minimal which I like the idea of.
flol "i needed some plugs so i bought a lathe"
thats some pretty mental cutting and welding of wheels.
Them tie bar brackets should be facing the other way
SimonTW
18-12-11, 05:41 PM
Cheers for that. Much appreciated. One of the disadvantages of building a nova without actually having a Nova.
SimonTW
11-01-12, 11:38 AM
Well not a lot to update pics wise apart from putting a deposit down on this. Thanks for Will F for getting in touch with the details.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v401/Foy/2011-08-02190723.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v401/Foy/2011-09-25182845.jpg
All being well it will be sat on my drive Sunday evening.
Just realised that we have actually met a few times before - I remember that Ka and red Nova with the c16xe. Did you used to live in Warwickshire??
PS - just been out in the Silver beast and she drives like a 3 year old car - forgot what a difference low mileage makes!
I see you have hand brake cables, what cables do you use when using mk4 Astra stuff?
SimonTW
11-01-12, 08:03 PM
The rear setup uses Mk2 rear discs and Mk4 Golf calipers. The cables will be Golf ones with a modified ends to match up to the Nova handbrake setup.
I'm really looking forward to getting this car home and gutting it lol. Just currently reading Austins beige saloon project and i'm drawing loads of inspiration from it. Especially the lead filled & smoothed bay. I need to know where I want to take this car as at the moment in my head it's built to Benn's quality, styled like Merris' SR but being a track car.
That looks very clean
Excellent base for a good build
Good luck with it all
Smoothing a track cars dont really go together dude... and oh they look just like Astra stuff...
Looks very clean, what mileage is it on?
SimonTW
12-01-12, 08:52 AM
Cheers Ed
Yeah I know what you mean Benn. I had seen lead filling on American Hotrod for years and always thought it would be ideal for smoothing bay seams out. Then seeing Austin had already done it on his sparked up the idea again. Will see how I get on I guess. I might just remove the engine and clean the untidyness (servo/mc replaced with the floor mounted pedal box, header tank incorporated to the radiator, washer bottle mounted inside and maybe even the wiper motor inside too using kit car parts.
My plan was to do the car a battleship grey with the blue metalwork but the silver and blue might work out pretty well.
I think Will said the car had done 49k.
Stunning work so far fella, nice clean wee swing there too. Is that a CVH I see in the Ka?
SimonTW
14-01-12, 10:06 AM
Yeah thats the car that led me away from my Nova. Was a beast and so much fun to drive. Shame it was written off pretty much as soon as I had got it running. I hadn't even had the car painted. I was on my way home from Blackpool where i'd been to collect/fit a 165bhp chip and actuator and then a gypsy managed to pull into my lane on a slip road and wipe out the front quarter of the car. I was gutted.
All set for collecting the car from Will tomorrow. 4 hour train journey followed by a 4 hour drive. I also managed to insure it for a ridiculous £90 a year fully comp.
I also sold my intercooler from the Mini and put the proceeds to a set of silver GTE bumpers, some Cav GSI fan blade wheels and a HID kit.
I'm taking my bucket seats and steering wheel out of the Mini to put in the Nova and refitting my heated leather back into it. I have missed the comfort of the heated leather this winter.
SimonTW
14-01-12, 10:08 AM
Someone over on mig commented the side strips on the early cars are rivetted on? Can anyone confirm this or have any pictures of them after removal?
pikey1986
14-01-12, 02:25 PM
this might not help but my were stuck on with that tape crap, its an E reg btw
scott.parker
15-01-12, 01:20 PM
Yep anything on ABC plate is riveted on the sides, you need to just grind them off after un clipping them.
Nice shell btw, best ebay or break mine now then as you were my last hope! lol
SimonTW
15-01-12, 07:52 PM
Sorry Scott. For what I needed it was just too good to pass up. If I grind the rivets doe it leave holes needed welding and refilling?
Well after a four hour train ride. A quick spin in Wills awesome turbo saloon and then a four hour drive home I'm the owner or a really solid honest spin. It was a pleasure to drive in all it's 1.2, 4 speed glory.
It will need filling/welding to get ride of them rivets
Why not keep them on?
I would sell it on......to me lol
Looks like a nice clean nova to start with enjoy.
Yay - glad you enjoyed the drive home. They do go well for a 1.2, shame its a 4 speed, it would have used a quarter of a tank if it had a fifth! lol
Best package all the brown stuff and post it back! :-)
SimonTW
16-01-12, 10:07 AM
I just hate the way the side trims look. I want it nice and clean like my previous one. I'm not even a fan of the smaller rubber style one so they have to go sadly. There will be quite a few bits destined to end up in the bin or sold. For a few hours last night I did think about having all the blue stuff recoated and making this into a normal tidy road car but I have the Mini for that so changed my mind back again.
I had a tough choice this morning. Brave it in the Nova or take the Mini with it's heated seats and windscreen... I chose the Nova :D
I took some decent pictures of it too.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6707092205_21273927e8_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6707090201_60d4c756f2_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6707087761_e979927fb9_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6707082013_5fc2999605_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6707079275_e7afe83b7a_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6707077321_1018e40c15_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6707075221_fc7c117c0c_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6707068941_f5222f02f2_z.jpg
SimonTW
16-01-12, 10:07 AM
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6707066419_7ae34fa0d7_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6707062333_0ff785fed6_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6707057739_3bed9343c5_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6707054935_e9bc8cd1f3_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6707052955_40f3c7384a_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6707049697_11bd27f269_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6707045509_76637a1793_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6707039811_41e7626e48_z.jpg
Hello Si, I remember your Ka from RoyBacer. Almost bought it off you after the incident with the Van...
Nova looks to be a nice base to start with. Love what your doing with the running gear :)
SimonTW
19-01-12, 01:20 PM
Haha, The good old Roybacer days! Some good laughs were had on there!
No much to report really. I have been part hunting though.
Bought some weld in seat rail kits
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzY4WDEwMjQ=/$(KGrHqQOKiIE5dGCtu0mBOky(Sb7Hw~~60_12.JPG
Some GTE bumpers
http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/smith9051/dark054.jpg
Also an SR grill and Euro rear light with fog. I'm also off to grab a set of the Astra GSi fan blade wheels from a mate this weekend.
I wasn't sure how it would all look together but found this on another thread.
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/C7LJN/IMG_0582.jpg
http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l211/Ricky_Glendening/Picture017.jpg
I'm not sure what do do with the car colour wise.
Silver with grey bumpers and wheels.
All silver with silver wheels
All silver with grey wheel
Or stick to my original plan... All grey with blue wheels.
scott.parker
19-01-12, 01:31 PM
Keep it silver saves painting it in and out (unless you plan to anyway) with grey bumpers wheels.
SimonTW
19-01-12, 02:22 PM
Couple of quick photoshops!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6725629397_cfefb9e944_z.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6725628891_a8c6706375_z.jpg
Stick to silver, silver rims too.
Silver is boring, needs to go another colour imo
Disagree - stay silver. Its getting a rare colour now (esp original!) and its an easy colour to work with.
Also its such a straigh shell, it would be a shale to paint it another colour (plus its cheaper not too! lol)
Liking the idea of grey bumpers too...
Silver is boring, needs to go another colour imo
Why is it?
SimonTW
23-01-12, 09:54 AM
I do find silver a little boring. But it's a better colour than most offered on Nova's of the same era. The Mini was Silver to start with too and being a bit dull was the reason I changed to Blue.
Bumpers arrived but the rear is a little scabby so needs a repaint so will be doing them grey. Also will be leaving the car silver as I think it will work nicely with the blue bits etc.
This weekend I started taking bits off the car to sell.
I did some prep work on the grill I bought
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6735710087_45462d21f7_b.jpg
Also discovered a nice oil leak whilst showing off the mint engine bay to some mates lol
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6747948067_8d52c4a4fd_b.jpg
I also removed the side trims to take a look at the rivets that hold them in place and was pretty shocked at the weight of the side trims themselves so I'm glad they will also be being ditched.
SimonTW
26-01-12, 11:56 AM
My chosen Grey colour. I have stuck to the RAL colour pallet as I can then have anything powdercoated in a matching Grey.
First coat going on while I wait for my dinner to cook. Only two bumpers and 4 wheels to go!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6765096773_e6383ba9a3_b.jpg
Nice - close to the original grey isnt it?
What colour is it?
SimonTW
26-01-12, 03:12 PM
Yeah I was surprised how close to the original it was! The colour is RAL7021 (Black Grey). It's supposed to have been gloss but it's ended up a satin finish out of the can but I don't think I'm going to polish it up just yet. If I can get the bumpers finished the same I will leave it like that.
I decided to pick up a set of cheap JOM coilovers to throw on it while I'm putting together my blue running gear. Hopefully after weekend it should look a little different time permitting!
It is also booked in at Custom Auto Fabrications in St Annes to have the seat rails welded in Monday (providing they turn up in time).
SimonTW
28-01-12, 02:36 PM
Got a reply from the paint suppliers. Turns out they have sent me satin finish and not gloss. I'm pretty happy with the satin (standard almost) finish to it so I have decided to leave it and crack on with the front bumper.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6776044113_37d0a473a3_b.jpg
and also the wheels (which the paint they had sent for that IS gloss)
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6776028465_885bf4dd99_b.jpg
Apart from the cock up. The Paints4u stuff is awesome. I can't believe how many cans of Halfords paint I have had over the years and failed to get a decent finish.
The Simps
28-01-12, 03:33 PM
Looking forward to seeing this come together.
PM coming your way....
SimonTW
28-01-12, 05:34 PM
Cheers chaps. The bumper is now dry and it looks fantastic I think. The wheels could do with wet sanding and painting as they aren't quite as good as I'd like. I'm not sure if I should do the bumper again to get a nice thick coat of paint on there. I know it's going to get chipped within days of fitting it but I just hope all the paint doesn't fall off.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6776884371_2eefd6f5c0_b.jpg
Another of the wheel now it's dry
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6776899529_82fa126676_b.jpg
SimonTW
29-01-12, 07:19 PM
Cheers mate. Cant wait to fit it on there!
Today I did some stripping. I took the majority of the interior out as it's pretty much all sold.
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/423033_10151216418925720_870525719_22474543_116087 2653_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/396224_10151216420910720_870525719_22474548_159679 9851_n.jpg
The passenger side carpet underfelt was a bit wet so I have a leak coming in from somewhere. Luckily the carpet hasn't been marked. I threw all the underlay away and the sponge/lead style sound deadening.
I removed the boot lock ready to smooth it over in the future. I also rigged up a ghetto boot release too lol
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6783576423_558398201f_b.jpg
I also got round to changing the rocker cover gasket. Hopefully that should put a stop to the leak. I didn't get enough time to fit my coilovers fitted though which is a bit of a shame. Maybe next time I get some tinkering time.
dannymcc
29-01-12, 07:48 PM
Looks like an excellent base to be starting from. Looking forward to seeing the new parts fitted too. :)
it will feel like a 1.3 now with all that weight saved! lol
SimonTW
30-01-12, 07:24 PM
Defo got the power to weight of a 1.3 now....maybe
I fitted the bumper after work. It looks so naff without decent wheels and being lowered though and then sods law literally two mins after leaving work a had a gritter fire grit all over it. I haven't had chance to look it over yet but I bet there will be at least one chip. :(
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6791015395_d4394f17a8_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6790982777_435bd863b9_b.jpg
SimonTW
04-02-12, 04:53 PM
I hate relying on other people to carry out work for me. I have had the seat rails welded in yesterday.
I dropped off the car and the rails I bought and told the guy to weld the rails in like the ones in this picture.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/fearlessmotorsport/seatrails.jpg
I picked the car up and he's basically welded them how he thought it should look. The front rail is about 4" backwards to the one in the picture and the rear one has been welded in so it lines up with the back of the seat frame meaning I have no room for adjustment.
I did mention he might need to trim the standard rails. I didn't want the spot welds drilling out as the floor would end up damaged. The floors ended up damaged and he has had to weld holes left by removing the bracket and the drivers side is just rough cut so also looks cack. What's done is done though so I picked up some red oxide primer to get it all protected.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6817576729_a4195a3ede_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6817586581_7f140875a5_b.jpg
A pretty depressing day all in all.
I am going to have to sort undersealing the car now there is bare metal and welds. What do people recommend using? I don't want any black sticky stuff or gutter sealant. I'm looking for something that can go over what's already on the car but dries matte maybe and could possibly be overcoated for doing in inner wheel arch areas. Or should I just silver hammerite the entire underside and inside the arches to protect everything?
I'm going to try cheer myself up by buying some parts to relocate the battery to the boot.
Get a can of Upol Gravi Guard, paintable underseal
If you dont like the rails where they are I would sort that first, from the pics they look a little far back to me
SimonTW
04-02-12, 05:15 PM
I don't want to have any more cutting and welding done to the seat rails. They are in I have to deal with them being the way they are. I think I'm going to have some new side brackets sorted to give a little adjustment. The pedals and wheel might need a little tweeking to bring them closer to me.
Cheers for the advice on the underseal. Is it okay to go over the factory style stuff under there or do I need to wire brush it all out.
Cant you weld in some new eye brackets on the other side of the rail?
I hope you got a huge discount dude!!
scott.parker
04-02-12, 09:14 PM
Thats a bummer dude, hate it when some one your paying ****s things up!
Oh and i placed my mounts the other way round to allow me more forward/backward movement and also more tilt on the front edge etc...
Looks OK though mate.
Novasport
04-02-12, 09:20 PM
I know what you mean about not liking relying upon other people to do work for you.
I trust very few people to do a good job and I will pay well for an A1 job but there are a lot of trades people who like to charge well for a less than average job.
I am a fussy sod and I try to make clear to people what I want but it does not always happen how you want it which piisses me off.
This is why I do most jobs myself as I know it will be done right first time and to my standard.
Agreed, I never wanted to do any work on a car, but through many bad experiences I have had to learn as it is the only way that things are done properly.
Clean car by the way, a good find.
SimonTW
06-02-12, 10:29 AM
The welds are all good. I can't place the brackets on the front side of the front rail as the rear of the side mount wouldn't even touch the rear rail/bracket.
I do try to attempt most things myself rather than rely on anybody. I had some welding done by him a few weeks back on my cage and it was good which is why I took it to him, but I was there during the cage alterations though to oversee it and make sure it was spot on. I thought the picture I supplied would have been good enough to work from this time as I wasn't able to be there. I guess I need to learn to weld properly next.
I spent a bit of time yesterday clearing out the grinding dust and filth that was coating the entire inside of the car.
I then decided to get cracking on some more messing. I fitted the GTE bumper as it is as I find it easier to sand while its mounted. There is a lot of flakey paint I need to get rid of so that will be an ongoing thing. I also fitted the JOM coilovers I'd picked up as a temporary set to get the car a bit lower and fitted the Astra wheels I'd been painting.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6828760795_a285e5933f_b.jpg
Does anyone have any pictures of the harness mounting points they have added to the car exhaust tunnel side?
The only one i have on my PB, captive nuts on spreader plates welded underneath
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/mrmazz/Nova/Image018.jpg
SimonTW
06-02-12, 11:34 AM
Is that just two of the universal threaded plates welded into the underside of the tunnel or a custom.
http://images.esellerpro.com/2489/I/172/040/images_medium500px_DB421.JPG
I actually have two of these from the mini I could use. Maybe get a different welder involved this time though lol
More like this
http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=66_72&products_id=306
http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/images/RD7328Product.jpg
scott.parker
06-02-12, 08:49 PM
I had one of them, and overlapped the belt mount points, so you only needed one bolt with to spacing washers so they can still rotate when clamped in place etc.
Wheels look good dude, but the rear needs to come down loads IMO.
SimonTW
06-02-12, 10:39 PM
The whole lot needs to come down to make me happy with how it sits. It may settle a little once driven on but only slightly. The rear springs have the adjusters out and the helpers are out on the front. I need to roll the arches before it gets lowered any more and I need to space the wheels out by 10mm or maybe 13-15mm if I can. I think we have an arch roller kicking around at work which is handy. May as well **** my own arches up rather than paying someone to do it then moaning about it on here :D
I have been spending the evening looking over Iains build thread for pointers. I think this might be the solution to my seat rail problem. Not the prettiest but would give me the adjustment I need.
http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/NovaWIP2/301.JPG
scott.parker
06-02-12, 10:44 PM
Yep them will work a treat mate for what you need, unless you can spin yours round and they work any better?
Arch roller, dam i could do with one form my loon, might look into making one!
SimonTW
18-02-12, 10:34 AM
I tried to spin the brackets round but it just made the seat sit further away from the wheel. I have the replacements on order so should be sorted soon.
I haven't really touched, driven or looked at the car since the seat disaster. I have been doing a few bits and generally wasting my time and money.
Edd kindly did me a deal on a rear brace. It's a perfect grey colour to match the bumpers too which is nice. I'll use that to mount my harnesses too probably.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6895591399_ac0792ffe5_b.jpg
I bought a pair of standard mirrors as I have been finding it difficult to use just the one small one to reverse out of the drive and down my road and the mattig ones I ordered never turned up. These were odd colours so I gave them a spray. I'm not sure if they would look better in silver so I may end up trying to get some spare covers to spray silver to swap them as I please.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6895597589_c00184b3bb_b.jpg
I also learned a lesson the hard way. I tried to reassemble my steering rack but there was a piece of plastic melted inside the casing. Where it's been baked, the heat has melted the bush inside. I couldn't find a replacement or any reference to it in the haynes so I sourced a replacement rack with a quick rack installed from Colin Smith. I removed the quick rack parts, then tried to get the bush out and failed so had to chop the casing up to get the bush out . I fitted this into my blue casing but the rack feels very tight passing through it. I think I may have damaged it tapping it into place. I think I will cut my losses and just have the rack installed into recon unit or the one fitted to the car and then paint it blue. I'm going to hang onto the casing just incase I can get a plastic bush made or maybe a brass one might do the trick. I hate waste and the rack looks amazing powdercoated.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6895613607_2613b6713d_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6895609555_8ae8fc1ebe_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6895601595_0ea8c2321f_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6895605019_a1dec879bd_b.jpg
Hopefully if the weather is dry tomorrow I can get round to sorting a few bits and make it drivable.
I bought some parts to relocate the battery and windscreen washer bottle to the boot
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/6895712507_f306faf621_b.jpg
So I can eventually get this fitted maybe. I spotted it on ebay cheap so thought it was worth getting. I can always sell it on if I have a change of plan.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6895707367_83917865ae_b.jpg
Sorry for the daft question but did this have SR seats? (look like it to me)
SimonTW
18-02-12, 10:40 AM
They were a similar style seats I had in my old G reg SR (grey with colour stripes) but these ones were beige and brown colour.
Do they still have the side supports like SR seats, if so do you want to sell them? :)
SimonTW
18-02-12, 11:04 AM
No, they are pretty flat to be honest. Already sold them though. They will soon reside in Scott Parkers saloon. I have pretty much sold everything on now except the 13" steelies and the roof lining. With the money I made back the car now only cost me £200 :)
scott.parker
18-02-12, 01:55 PM
lol at the rack fail mate, we all do silly things etc, think its another reason no one PC's suspension shocks etc.
Will look nice though once all done, an yep them seats are going to be dam good in my loon! i got in on them at the right time it seams!
SimonTW
20-02-12, 08:37 PM
Yeah. I didn't think there was any plastic in there. Ah well, got a nice garage ornament to show for it.
As the weather was nice yesterday I decided to take a look at the mess that was the seat rails. I painted the bare metal with some redoxide to stop any rust forming
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6904895727_79093c2bcf_b.jpg
The mess he made welding the old seat rail holes up :(
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6905058781_7b71d533fb_b.jpg
Here's how the camber and toe in looked before I started tweeking as it was pretty undrivable like this.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7055/6904931389_090f3518f6_b.jpg
Here's how the tracking looked after a bit of playing. Almost perfect just by sight but at least I can take it to be properly set up now.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6904913529_4cf0e67cbe_b.jpg
Anyone know a way to remove the aerial without the hole normally found in the inner arch or is it a wing off job
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7200/6904944131_01c9b8de9c_b.jpg
General picture of the overall condition. If I want to graviguard inside here and paint it would I need to strip back all the factory underseal or will I just get away with cleaning it and making sure its fully dried out.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6904999637_c166dc9091_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6904985111_eeac7a9cac_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7062/6904958935_1e7d70e119_b.jpg
I had a bit of free time left so set about starting the battery relocation
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6905086293_a6dba4bc37_b.jpg
I also tried taking the wheel off. I tried a bit of heat the a bit of WD40 but didn't have any luck. I think I might have to invest in a proper puller as I need my nice sparco wheel fitted.
I took the car out today though to see how it drove and I love it. Looking forward to getting my polybushes, quick rack, and other bits fitted. I need to get the MOT sorted next month first though.
The only prob with the factory sealant is it can be finding bad bits. So it's your call... But yes make sure before you paint or reseal any thing is is bone dry. As you dont wanna seal damp in.
SimonTW
02-03-12, 11:04 AM
I made a cheeky ebay purchase over the weekend. Just sat awaiting collection from the seller at the moment.
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/431071_10151348635375720_870525719_22903280_117308 6798_n.jpg
SimonTW
02-03-12, 11:55 AM
Yeah, but the baby XE. C16. Managed to pick one up off ebay for £142. Comes complete and with F15 box. Done 80k with cambelt done at 66k. It should save me alot of time and money rebuilding the one I have in the garage. I'm now on the lookout for an injection tank so I can throw it in and get some track use out of it over summer.
Nice one! I wonder how long until you get TBs!? lol
I saw that engine on ebay, went for peanuts imo!! Was so far from and was collection only :(
SimonTW
03-03-12, 10:24 AM
I have had a few bits off Craig (the seller) so sent him a message asking if I could arrange a courier to come collect if I won. When the auction ended I was really surprised at what I got it for for. Hopefully it should arrive Tuesday. I'm on the lookout for a injection fuel tank but if I'm not having much luck at the moment.
I also bit the bullet and bought a steering wheel puller so my suede MOMO wheel is making driving alot nicer as its a good size and spaced out a little to make reaching it a little easier.
I'll have to pop into Vauxhall this week and see about getting a radiator top hose and a alternator bracket
SimonTW
03-03-12, 10:28 AM
Nice one! I wonder how long until you get TBs!? lol
With a wedding to pay for probably a few years lol. Even the bike carb conversion is going on hold for the time being. But saying that it's come a lot further than I thought it would be when I started messing before Xmas. I just want to get this engine in now and blast about in it.
I have an almost new GSI fuel tank in my unit, I'll let you know if I decide to sell it
SimonTW
03-03-12, 10:46 AM
Awesome. I'll keep my fingers crossed.
scott.parker
03-03-12, 11:18 AM
I have an almost new GSI fuel tank in my unit, I'll let you know if I decide to sell it
That just plain nasty teasing you! lol
SimonTW
07-03-12, 02:29 PM
My engine arrived yesterday and it all looks spot on as I'd hoped. I just need to pick up a few extra bits like the radiator top hose and a throttle cable.
I got a fuel tank sorted too. I spotted this badly listed item on ebay the other day and noticed it was an injection tank.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Nova-Fuel-Tank-/251007072299?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3a712ff82b#ht_500wt_1361
Offered him £40, but didn't get a reply but ended up winning it for £26. I also bought a Sytec pump and filter and going to call in at B&Q on my way home to pick up some 8mm copper pipe.
I'd like to get to a point where I have everything ready to attack the car and get it converted over a weekend at the end of the month.
SimonTW
24-03-12, 11:50 AM
Not alot to update as I have been busy the last few weekends. Just mainly collecting a few little bits to build the running gear up.
Brakes coated and built up
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/6839469228_c1f5098173_b.jpg
Driveshafts, no point but as I was having the calipers done.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6984724905_188e02a8e8_b.jpg
And the same with the tank straps :D
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7048/6984723441_218124643d_b.jpg
This morning I thought I'd redrill my discs. I used the 4x100 spacer I used for redrilling my BBS wheels. By a brilliant stroke of luck the spacer was an exact fit into the back of the disc so with that being bang of centre I just popped a few holes through them. The picture on the left shows the reverse of the disc with the spacer placed in.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7217/6864609264_709e77c880_b.jpg
scott.parker
24-03-12, 01:51 PM
What disks are they Si?
And did you get them calipers/shafts/straps powder coated then? didn't think you could do calipers/shocks or did you take the calipers 100% apart so new seals etc?
Scott
SimonTW
24-03-12, 02:02 PM
They are just our own brand Venom ones that we buy in from a brake disc supplier.
Yeah I had all the parts powdercoated again. The calipers had about 3 different colours of caliper paint on them like a gobstobber so just had the powdercoat place fully strip them back to metal and derust them. I stripped all the rubber parts out of them. There is basically just the slider pin guides, main seal and an inner fluid seal. No hidden plastic bushes to repeat my steering rack fiasco with!:thumb:
SimonTW
24-03-12, 09:41 PM
As the weather was nice I did a bit more on the car.
Built my gauge panel up. I want to keep the original clocks so got myself a 52mm rev counter, water temp and oil pressure gauge in an old school style
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7012046697_c17d8238b3_b.jpg
Made the wiring loom for it
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7202/6865933520_bd01f86df6_b.jpg
My garage find Jetex filter ready to go
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7051/7012049351_99f3f1b8fb_b.jpg
Built up the front running gear. I just need to add the brake pads and whack it on there
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7095/6865936534_caf2661ea8_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7012057657_6544f12eaf_b.jpg
All wrapped up ready to put away until go time
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7064/7012052589_b77d9579c7_b.jpg
Shot of the power plant. Needs more cleaning though.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7138/7012055883_219529b809_b.jpg
The powder coated parts look fantastic. I really like the colour!
Colour coded cable ties! lol That all looks proper mint, great work
Those clocks look ace - but drinking during the day!? Tut tut! :-)
scott.parker
25-03-12, 02:39 PM
Simon, are them dials from the tweaks classic style range? if so can you confirm there diameter from the inside as if there is no bezal or surrounds on them, if there not from tweaks send me link also, as I'm after some to place inside a calibra holder i have so i can have a boot gage and a oil temp/or air fuel etc..
Also loving the color theam!
Scott
SimonTW
25-03-12, 04:02 PM
Well it would be rude not to have a cheeky beer while the weathers nice! The colour coded zip ties were just luckily left over from when I did the tow strap on the Mini. Thought I may as well use them being a good match (I may have OCD I think).
Scott, the gauges are another product I got through work lol. They are JOM 52mm ones.
http://www.venommotorsport.com/manufacturer_product.php?manufacturer=JOM&category=Interior&product=Gauges
The surround is is a stereo slot sized one and the holes are angled slightly.
http://www.venommotorsport.com/product_details.php?id=707&manufacturer=SWG&category=Interior
SimonTW
04-04-12, 09:54 PM
MOT is due on the 10th so I have finally finished my battery relocation and washer bottle relocation. I ended up having to use the washer pump off the old bottle as the new one (albeit not been used since I bought it about 5 years ago) didn't work. It will be nice to be able to wash the window again as I removed the old one about a month ago.
I've also been meaning to remove the roof lining to sell and make the car a little more stripped out. After about 2 mins it tore as it was quite brittle so I just ripped and cut it out. I still have a little cleaning to do on the insulation that was stuck to the roof skin.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7263/6899873536_b6b3a75ef3_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/6899873578_3bbf08fc9b_b.jpg
Nice work. Is that all the bracing the roof has?
SimonTW
04-04-12, 10:11 PM
Yeah. I think the poles for the roof lining probably braced the car more though to be honest.
Sweet, cheers dude. Looking good too. Washer bottle under the dash for easier pumping...
BRoadGhost
04-04-12, 10:59 PM
Those brackets look quite interesting; not seen ones like that before.
SimonTW
05-04-12, 10:30 AM
Which brackets are you referring to?
The Nova has just passed its MOT with no problems what so ever. Something even my Mini has never managed. As it's got a fresh MOT I'm going to take the oppertunity to take it off the road and do my engine and running gear overhaul.
SimonTW
06-04-12, 08:38 PM
I got home from work last night and got cracking with removing the wiring and plumbing from the engine.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7066/6902643500_6634830e4e_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7048765789_59343677d6_b.jpg
This morning I woke up full of a cold but decided to crack on anyway. I got the old engine out and fuel lines off and transferred the mounts and a few other bits over to the new engine.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5350/6904925416_e90e542dcd_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/7051017723_bfe3df75da_b.jpg
And then two things held me up. The first was the drivers side out cv circlip isn't visible to get the pliers into. I will have to brake cleaner it and hope it's tucked away somewhere.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7108/6904934382_ca132ed97b_b.jpg
And found this lurking under the radiator. I'm pretty gutted as on the whole the car is really solid. This will put the car on hold for a while until I can get it sorted. :(
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5232/6904929452_1581e626d1_b.jpg
Also, I'm thinking of ditching the heaters in the car as I plan on eventually running the car without a dash. Am I right in thinking it's just a case of joining the outlets on the inlet manifold and the plastic coolant pipe on the back of the engine?
Rust isnt that bad looking, its not holed which is a good start. Id keep the heat for cold/wet track days, but yea joining the out lets in a loop will work.
RUST! Nooooo! I guess it had to be somewhere!
On the plus side - the bay looks minty
SimonTW
09-04-12, 11:28 AM
It's probably happened since buying it after driving it since Jan. It has holed through sadly. It's not major but with wanting to run polybushes and the rose jointed tie bar mounts I'm slightly worried it might rip the seam apart. Part of me thinks leave it for this year and sort it when I have a bit more work done on the chassis in winter when I have the bulkhead/firewall, cage and paint. Decisions, decisions!!
The heaters are pretty much non existent anyway. I'm not sure if that's because I'm used to the Minis heaters and heated seats though. As I want to run without a dash and without the bulkhead I'm not too bothered about the lack of heaters but can always look at using a 12v type kit car setup.
Progress has been none existent this weekend since removing the engine. I'm in bed ill trying to muster the engine to go clean the bay and get 1600 at least bolted in.
scott.parker
10-04-12, 08:22 PM
Fix the tie bar mounts now mate IMO, do it once and forget it, funny, my loons gone in the same places! lol
SimonTW
14-04-12, 09:38 PM
I decided to get the car running then I can drive it to someone who can do the weld repair and strengthening plate on the front panel for me. I'm going to use the lads up at Coastal Racing who do bits of work on my Mini and race in the Mini challenge so they should be able to sort pretty easily.
Tonight I went outside to extend the wires on the speed sensor before I ordered some takeaway. I ended up dragging the engine out of the garage and getting it mounted in the car. It feels a lot tighter in the engine bay than I remember it being last time. I can start on neatening everything up and sorting the wiring tomorrow
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7096/6931470288_367342c284_b.jpg
That's impressive to do while waiting on a takeaway... Altho i'd order from some where else next time..lol
Nice - I usually have a beer and watch TV whilst wating for a takeaway.... outrageous commitmnet!
maddogdaz666
16-04-12, 09:42 AM
Baby xe's look so at home in the nova bay. Good work!
SimonTW
16-04-12, 10:13 AM
The sad thing is I was going to do the wiring before I ordered the takeaway and by the time I was done (about 9pm), I couldn't be bothered to order one. I got a few more bits done yesterday but still having a cold and chesty cough was really holding me up.
Still yesterdays jobs were, massive hole in the bulkhead drilled, wiring routed into the car and all connected up, clutch cable in and adjusted, throttle cable fitted, 4 speed lever modified and linkage set up. I also carefully handled and manoeuvred the powder coated shafts into position.
I'm hoping I can shift this cold this week so I can get cracking without being held up. :thumb:
SimonTW
16-04-12, 10:17 AM
Also I think the reason the engine seems alot tighter in the engine bay than my last one is the servo is deeper so sits the master cylinder and reservoir alot further out making it very close to the engine.. I think
SimonTW
23-04-12, 08:37 PM
The servo has been causing me problems. I tried to re assemble more of the engine this weekend. The throttle body to afm pipe has an oil breather pipe attached. Once fitted it makes contact with the servo. I tried to trim the pipe down a little bit but its not really got enough clearance. I've now cut it off and blocked it up completely with tigerseal. I'll have to drill and re-add the pipe into the bottom of the hose maybe.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/6961044882_83a8fe7a96_b.jpg
I also tidied the bay up with some split wiring cover.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8141/7107115417_5a4fcd3086_b.jpg
General WIP sunshine picture
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/6961049554_f34afff14f_b.jpg
Very old style servo, a new style one might fit in there better...
SimonTW
23-04-12, 09:46 PM
Yeah defo as my previous 86 and 89 had a different style. Just another problem to work around until I can afford to have my Corsa pedal box fitted.
I would deffo change the servo - not only for space - but so you can actually stop!
I know a chap who has a lovely GTE servo... lol
SimonTW
28-04-12, 09:56 AM
Haha. Tempting mate but at the moment will have to hold off as I need to stop spending. For a cheap car, lots of cheap parts add up to a fair whack. I have a little pot put aside to top up for the compbrake pedal box. I might need to have a garage junk clearout to make it happen.
SimonTW
08-05-12, 09:42 AM
Few more bits completed making the most of the nice weather this bank hol weekend.
EBC Redstuff V6 Brake Pads
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7094/7000211748_2f1b060497_c.jpg
Stealthed them up with a bit of rattle can action so they don't look too noticeable behind the wheels.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7103/7000215264_8be5281c3c_c.jpg
Painted the slam panel brace to match the bumper so it's not as noticeable.
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5193/7146318867_f9bf990d2a_c.jpg[img]
Front suspension all built up and refitted.
[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7044/7146312741_17706f8623_c.jpg
Up behind the fuel tank area. Nice and clean and mint around the tank vent area.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7065/7146307185_89076de831_c.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5464/7000217314_5b3825e037_c.jpg
I didn't get much chance to take many other pictures as I was filthy but I managed to get the car built back up and got the engine running after tracing a dodgy earth causing it not to spark. I took it for a quick spin round the block and it all seems fine. I was very wary doing this as once I built the red one and took it for a spin I smashed a piston into the head. It's very tappy from the top end but I think it could be down to a lifter being a bit dry after being stood without oil for so long. Hopefully this will sort itself out with a bit more gentle running.
i love this car i hope i get to see it regular in the summer etc will you be going to the nw meets?
SimonTW
09-05-12, 03:11 PM
Yeah might have to look into bringing it along to one of them now the engines done. :thumb:
I bled the coolant system last night, checked a few things over and took it out for longer drive, giving it a few quick blasts through the gears. The tapping top end noise has gone and everything seems to be holding together well. It's no where near as quick or nimble feeling as the Mini though but I'm happy with it as my daily driver.
My next jobs are to fit the suspension with compbrake topmounts and powdercoated hub carriers, fit the quickrack and paint the casing, and get the rear beam and disc conversion fitted. Then maybe look at track days at Oulton Park.
Southie
09-05-12, 03:17 PM
My advice would be to get rid of the plastic inlet, I know it's taking away the OEM look but my god do they suffocate those engines.
Looking good though Simon :thumb:
SimonTW
09-05-12, 03:39 PM
The plan originally was to build the C16XE I have in the garage stripped down and use it on bike carbs but as this whole package was so cheap I decided to just fit it as it is and do the bike carb conversion in the future. If I was going to do the inlet replacement I would want a proper mantzel ones. It sounds daft but I hate the look of the VX performance ones.
Glad to hear she's up and running - I always find the engines a bit of a disappointment when I drive them tbh - they promise so much when you give them an initial tickle, but they really need all the inlet dumping to get the most out of them (but you knew that already!)
Southie
10-05-12, 11:43 AM
The plan originally was to build the C16XE I have in the garage stripped down and use it on bike carbs but as this whole package was so cheap I decided to just fit it as it is and do the bike carb conversion in the future. If I was going to do the inlet replacement I would want a proper mantzel ones. It sounds daft but I hate the look of the VX performance ones.
I also hate the tackyness of the VX performance ones that's why I had the Mantzel on my old one lol
http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p379/SOUTHIE01/MINE/4bd39ea2.jpg
SimonTW
11-05-12, 08:55 PM
Yeah that's the type of thing I need. I occasionally look on ebay.de for one and also for cheap throttle bodies.
I got home this evening and fitted a cheapo 10" fan
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7214/7178121886_1c604c6d2c_b.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7089/7178124502_dfbb14910e_b.jpg
That should keep things good and cool^
SimonTW
11-05-12, 09:54 PM
Yeah, anything's got to be better than the one tiny 3 blade giant thing that used to be in there.
SimonTW
14-05-12, 07:50 PM
Something that has bugged me for a while was the leftover mess from when the guy who welded the seat rails in kindly offered to remove the sound deadening from the floorpan for not much money
A bit more of a reliable friend of mine who does detailing saw it and told me he had some spray that would remove it. I was a bit sceptical as it was fairly hard and having had a poke at it with a screwdriver it didn't seem to want to budge. Anyway, I sprayed the floorpan, left it for 10 minutes and the wiped it off. I'm pretty amazed at the results. I just have a few bit bits left. Having removed it all has revealed the mess of a floor pan that has loads of chisel dings in it now.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7195966796_869d6ee253_b.jpg
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/7195950834_c6d2ecd9f2_b.jpg
After using the car for a few days with the new engine is it seems to be running a fairly high temp. The coolant gauge hits 100 deg pretty quick and doesn't really go higher or lower from then onwards, even with the fan overidden and on permanently. Has anyone else had a similar thing? Any suggestions on potential cures/causes or is this just normal?
What that does work, you'll want skate board grip tape now, to stop your feet sliding...
Air block??
What spray did that?? I need some of that!
Temp wise - it could be an air lock - but that would cause erratic temp readings - it could be just an unreliable dash reading. As long as its constant and doesnt overheat (fans cut in at 105 on these iirc?)
SimonTW
15-05-12, 09:28 AM
It's called Autosmart Tardis. It didn't need any scrubbing just wiping down once it had time to melt.
I have bled the system as best I can. Looking on other forums and google a lot of people report 100 degree running temps. I'm going to add some watter wetter additive which helped a little on my Ka. I might look into getting a cooler running thermostat.
Old man Jimbo
15-05-12, 09:51 AM
A real simple one and you'll be surprised how many people I've seen do this exact thing.
Is the fan wired correctly? The number of people whose over heating issues are down to the fan blowing the wrong way. As in pushing air out the front and in effect stalling any real air flow through the rad.
SimonTW
15-05-12, 10:32 AM
Yeah fans wired in right. I test by sticking a sheet of paper to the rad and starting the fan to make sure its blown into the bay and not sucked up against the back of the rad.
BRoadGhost
15-05-12, 11:07 AM
I recently did the head gasket on my twin cam and it made the world of difference in terms of operating temperatures.
SimonTW
15-05-12, 01:25 PM
What would the technical reason be behind that?
Southie
15-05-12, 01:36 PM
My old C16xe always ran fairly high in warmer weather so I also wired in a override switch for the fan for piece of mind as it seemed to get warm very quickly, on a good drive though it always sat about half way, not sure though if having a Mantzel airbox may of helped in some way with having less plastic piping kicking about the bay.
peester
15-05-12, 07:55 PM
what radiator and coolant hoses are you currently using si?
SimonTW
15-05-12, 08:26 PM
Standard radiator (flushed through during the conversion) and GM hoses.
peester
15-05-12, 09:21 PM
standard 20 year old 1.2 nova radiator and same for hoses? Or they bit newer than that? using a decent coolant mix?
I did notice a drop on the gauge when i went from a 15,20 year old radiator to a new tx autosport one, with accompanying new silicon hoses and a fancier antifreeze/coolant mix.
SimonTW
15-05-12, 09:38 PM
I changed all the coolant with some new stuff from Opie Oils. Mixture is right according to small pipette tester kit I have. The S shaped hose is a brand new one, the rest are the old original ones apart from a few bits of silicone joiners. A new radiator might make a bit of difference so worth looking at. At the price of the TX one it might be worth while investing in that to see if it makes any difference.
I have used 20+ year old rads on c20xes and lets, and never had any issues!
I had an xe that the timing was a few teeth out and that obviously made it run a bit hot! worth a check!
peester
16-05-12, 06:22 PM
yeah no worries, just my two pence worth from what ive experienced once.
SimonTW
16-05-12, 10:27 PM
All and any advice is much appreciated thanks fellas! Been looking at cooler running thermostats from LMF. Might be worth looking at as well as exploring improving other areas of the coolant system, especially as I want to drive it hard and do a track day!
Is it the tiny rad on legs? If so bin that out. Stat opening ok? Pump ok?
SimonTW
17-05-12, 09:21 AM
It didn't look that tiny. It's full height between the crossmember and the slam panel pretty much. The car ran much cooler today but the outside temp is also much cooler. The needle hovered around the 90 degrees mark most the journey. I'm presuming the stat's opening okay as once the temp hits 100 it tends to stay there. OpelOEM says the stat is a 92 degree one so sounds about right.
So sits at the first line(around 70i think) while driving and that, then goes to half when stopped (95-100) and then the fan comes on.. Does it go down when the fan is on?
Crack a alloy TX autosport rad in there imo
SimonTW
19-05-12, 12:08 PM
Not a clue about the readings of the standard gauge sorry Ben, It's not worked since I bought the car so I'm taking the readings off a electronic 52mm one I bought.
I've bypassed the fan now to work it permanently as it did seem to be kicking in only when the car reached just below 100 on the gauge and didn't seem to make a massive difference to the temp dropping.
Is the TX rad any good? I can't understand how it can be so cheap and that puts me off a little I guess. Almost too good to be true.
SimonTW
19-05-12, 12:15 PM
Bit of tinkering for Saturday before work, at lunch and a bit to come after work.
I sold the side strips that were fitted to the car as they were heavy and badly painted but as it's been fitted with the small mounting pegs coming out they look a little messy. I got a really good price for them on ebay so I decided to try my luck and keep my eyes open for some replacements. Count Vaux Alot listed some for sale so I quickly jumped on them as they were about half the price of the ones I sold.
They arrived in great condition but a little green from being mouldy I presume so I cleaned them up and got busy with my grey rattle cans.
After cleaning
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7226183366_2970e28809_b.jpg
A quick spray with my direct to PVC paint from Paints 4 U
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7084/7226176816_e77560f077_b.jpg
I also masked up and acid etched the coilovers I'll be fitting when I fit my powdercoated hubs and V6 brakes. I'll probably just give these a quick blast with the Grey too to keep them from corroding up.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7226179706_3837c83a39_b.jpg
peester
19-05-12, 12:35 PM
^^what coilovers are they?
TX autosport rads arent THE best, theyre just good for the money. They are cheap chinese made, have seen some quality issues. The welds are very inconsistant. Mine was a 'tidy-looking, nice welds' one - but it did leak a bit.
Still, for the £150 they are worth while. Twin core, and can allow o.e gm fan to be fitted; but they can be bettered for not much more £ as well.
SimonTW
19-05-12, 12:38 PM
They are just a set of budget FK ones. They are just cheap and cheerful ones while I save for the KW's I eventually want to run on it.
Will probably check out the TX rad with next months pay cheque. I'm hoping to take it to Oulton early September which gives me a good few months to make sure everythings right and won't destroy itself while out on track.
Ive had two TX rads both have been very well welded, alot better than some ive seen on here and neither leaked. My fans only come on when the needle is just under the middle line which i believe is about 95. Is it just one fan sucking air?
I really dont see the point in getting a TX rad - a GTE/Gsi/Sri etc rad is more than man enough! I gave my saloon holy death earlier (c20let) and the needle never went above 1/4! And mine is a pikey Nissens rad! lol
^ Your lucky, with a new GSi rad mine would heat up faster(sat half way between 1/4 and 1/2 all the time with just normal driving and took longer too cool down, with the TX one it holds a temp better(1/4 when driving hard or soft) and cools down faster (fans on)
But i really got mine cause it looks pretty..lol
SimonTW
22-05-12, 09:44 AM
If I go down the TX route I'll get it painted or powder coated black for a nice oem look. I'm going to also try mounting the fan onto the inside of the rad just incase it works better in pull mode rather than push mode.
Few more bits done on Sunday.
Coilovers all painted up and ready to fit.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7247630942_beae794393_h.jpg
I'm well happy with the finish and they should stay looking nice for a long while. Almost seems a shame to fit them :)
I picked up both the side trims that I'd been painting and noticed the tolerances for the front wing moulds must have been a little out lol
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7079/7247641926_d39819cd91_b.jpg
I was told the pushing the air is better. Coilovers look great.
peester
22-05-12, 09:04 PM
my two pence is the fan isnt as much of a blockage/obsticle..age for air to pass through the grill straight through the radiator. If mounted in the engine bay-side.
Painted parts look amazing.
SimonTW
23-05-12, 12:48 PM
Yeah I see where your coming from.
TX say the fan is a puller fan so designed to be mounted in the engine bay but the polarity can be reversed to make it a pusher fan. The blades on the fan are curved along the length of them so I'm presuming as the design of the blade is changed it probably won't be as efficient as a pusher than as a puller. Anyway, I'm off work next week so got lots of jobs to do on it.
I have also been reading up on coolant mixtures for track use and it seems a lot of people on forums I was reading through are just using 100% water with the Redline Water Wetter additive for summer use. I removed the coolant from the header tank and replaced it with water and on the run in this morning the temps were running at 95 instead of the 100 previously being the norm.
In addition to running hot the cars also developed a really bad misfire when warm and under load. It's not consistently doing it though. I'm hoping it's nothing more than the coil pack needing changing but will whip all the plugs out for a check and do a compression test. If the engines duff though I'm putting for sale lol! I'll take it as a sign I'm not meant to own a C16XE nova after having the problem with my last red one!
SimonTW
02-06-12, 02:58 PM
I had a bit of time off work so I decided to swap all the front hubs, brakes and coilovers over to my new parts.
First off was modifying the strut top area. I had seen Iains pictures so used these as my guide and took it easy with the hand file.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7218/7320361626_55382394d1_b.jpg
Brakes before
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7320367630_71e0c4398d_b.jpg
Brakes after. Changing the topmounts has given the car a little more drop too which is nice. I was struggling getting the car any lower without changing the springs or using spacers to give more clearance behind the tyre.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7320358240_2fbde4aef1_b.jpg
They are a tight fit. Not sure if the blue is a bit too much though.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7090/7320377926_b6651d95b0_b.jpg
And an engine bay shot with an engine cover I painted up
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7320372408_7e7459c4a9_b.jpg
I'm just waiting on my rear discs to come back from machining them from 57.1mm down to 56.5mm and then I can swap the beam over.
bay looks sweeeeeeet dude :)
Brakes and wheels look very nice, what colour are they?
SimonTW
02-06-12, 05:30 PM
Thanks for the comments!
Brakes are RAL5012 and the wheels are RAL7021. They are both just standard industrial colours so I can have it paint and powder colour matched easily when needed.
TPS ok? Stat ok?
Love the brake to wheel fitment... Love the shot of the engine bay too.
Neat work on the turrets, glad my pics helped. :)
I like the blue brakes, match the suspension and other highlights that makes it a bit different.
SimonTW
12-06-12, 10:05 PM
I managed up a decent condition boggo grey bumper for reasonable money so whipped the GTE splitter off the old bumper and attached it to the grey one.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7181082511_0636035a77_h.jpg
Being grey it matches the wheels and front bumper/grill a lot better and it's in much better condition than the GTE one. I just need to give it a good clean and get some plastic bumper treatment on it to make it all the same colour.
scott.parker
12-06-12, 10:49 PM
Use the autoglym stuff for your bumpers dude, its ace!
SimonTW
11-08-12, 04:45 PM
Wow! Time flies. It's a few months since I updated this thread. I've not really done much. It's actually taken a few steps backwards since my last update
First off a hose burst on the back of the engine so I needed to replace that. Luckily I have a full spare C16XE engine so I dug out a replacement hose and that fixed the problem. While I had the coolant drained I filled it up with the distilled water and the water wetter solution. I haven't added any antifreeze at the moment. I also changed the thermostat for the 82 degree one I bought from LMF to try and stabilise the coolant temps a little. Since fitting the thermostat and changing the coolant the temp doesn't go above 100 degrees even when driving it hard even on hot days.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7759355278_c38c55653f_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/7759367856_cd89e06c1b_c.jpg
Sadly, while I was pulling onto the drive to fix the hose I managed to clip the wall and damaged the bumper. I mangled it good and proper! The seem to be a very rare part now though so I'm struggling to find something to replace it. I also managed to catch the wing and kink it splitting the paint. DOH! I'm a moron!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8286/7759204608_8016302b9d_c.jpg
I rebuilt and fitted a quick rack I bought a while ago. While doing this I managed to damage the internal bush so it ended up having play in it once fitted. Luckily I managed to pick up a reconditioned unit that had been on a steering rack suppliers shelf for 12 years. It was a bit of a bargain at £30 delivered. While fitting the new rack that I encountered another problem with the track rod ends I'd fitted with it. The nuts rounded off which meant I had to take a grinder to them. I think once pulled into position there isn't many threads making contact and its just shreaded them. A new, better set of track rod ends later meant I was back on the road!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7759181502_4472987ecb_c.jpg
I also cocked up by buying a off the shelf strut brace, then getting it powder coated in my favourite colour. When I tried to fit it I found out it wouldn't go on due to the topmounts so I needed to take a flap wheel to the fresh powdercoat.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7276/7759262250_b3a5f899a0_c.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7759225996_b5a85c2bcf_c.jpg
To cheer myself up I bought some Whiteline roll bars only to find out the Corsa B ones aren't a direct fit to the Nova. I should have also done a little research into them before buying but maybe I can heat up and bend the roll bar to make it fit. I have been doing some research on the internet and it seems like it should be doable.
I'm a little closer to being ready for a track day but I'm also toying with selling up as I drove the Mini for the first time in ages and the power and razor sharp handling blew me away. I'd forgot what a little rocket it was!
Loving what your doing, you still been having cooling probs then? Could you not repair the bumper? Plastic weld the crack... And yea i found out a few years back that the corsa dont fit. Cav ones fit better...
pikey1986
11-08-12, 07:13 PM
have you read meirens(sp) write up about fitting rear anti roll bar?
edit
http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?185728-How-I-fitted-a-secondary-rear-ARB-on-a-Nova-beam
scott.parker
11-08-12, 08:14 PM
Shame to here about the bump mate, just a quick Q, whats the switched part by your air filter, is it a MAS from the C16XE?
Wow it all looks so neat! iv only scimmed through but from the pictures iv seen i cant actually wait for this project to finnish im so excited for the end result! Looks amazing and im really jelous! lol
SimonTW
11-08-12, 11:13 PM
No the cooling issues seem to be alright now. I recently took it to Newcastle which is the only time I've driven it other than taking it to work. The temp stayed under 100 the whole time, even in traffic. Silicone hoses and a tx rad can only really improve things now. The engine may be designed to run hotter but I feel happier with it running cooler.
Thats the air flow meter next to the filter. I think they are only used on the C16
I have seen Mierans thread about the roll bar. Being able to use the whiteline ones would be good. Apparantly heating the bar up to bend it is okay as long as I let it cool naturally. From what I can see I need to bring the bar in about 3cm per side. I'd want to have powdercoated anyway so the silver coating being damaged during heating wouldnt be a problem.
Thanks for the comments Yorkie, it's getting there slowly. Hopefully one day I'll be able to afford a respray one it.
I havent looked at repairing the bumper, it looked a little to wrecked. I might keep hold of it and see if something can be done if I fully smoothed it maybe.
SimonTW
12-08-12, 09:35 AM
Another little update with other goings on.
I found a cheap second hand Pipercross Viper kit so decided an enclosed filter would be better for track days. It came in the dashing shade of red. A quick blast with some paint later makes such a big difference to the looks.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7759194030_9c3b5a6d9b_c.jpg
I had an idea to route a cold air feed through the headlight (for day use) but obviously I would need to retain an indicator to be legal and so people could see the indicator, hazards if being used on track. I had a spare headlight so salvaged the backing plate to mount the indicator onto. The nice round hole in the middle will be good to mount the cold air feed too.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7759275690_732bed1b3c_c.jpg
Another problem I was having is when I was cornering hard the camber would slip and throw the alignment out due to the coilovers having elongated holes for camber adjustment. I got a spare set of front coilovers and had a washer welded onto the hole to use with an Eibach camber bolt. Since doing this mod I have had no camber changes when cornering.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/7759172440_11be1d9742_c.jpg
After damaging the bumper I have been searching ebay for a new one to paint and fit to make the car look a little more respectable. I managed to find an auction on ebay for a Nova being broken for spares. I recognised the car straight away as it's one of my favourite Nova's
http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/C7LJN/IMG_0582.jpg
As with most things the seller described the bumper as just needing paint so I made a trip to Newcastle to collect. I managed to get the full front bumper from £80 which I think is a fair price. The plough is in need of totally stripping and painting and two small scuffs repairing. It did come with all the screw covers, towing eye cover, two end brackets, rubber top seal but only four of the plastic brackets so it's pretty much complete. I'm not going to bother sanding it down as it would need totally stripping back as no primer has been used. I found someone local who does soda blasting which is a safe paint removal method that can be used on plastics withouth causing any damage to the plastic or the texture. I would prefer an SR/GTE front so if anyone fancys a straight swap for SR bumper and grill for my plough and bumper let me know. Any colour bumper considered.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8427/7759302988_c8a6f8dac7_c.jpg
I went to see that car when it was for sale on ebay couple of weeks ago ^^ was a complete dog compared to that pic, not looked after at all, all the paint fell off the bumper too
Someone else ended up buying to break so I'm guessing thats who you bought the bumper off.
As for the camber going out I've never had that issue, just use big washers and tighten it like f**k with a breaker bar lol
And to make the whiteline fit you don't need to heat it up and shrink it, you can use my method of welding bolts on the beam or kev's idea of drilling holes through.
is that the brace you got off me? looks to have come up well mate.
rick
peester
12-08-12, 05:02 PM
yeah imo there is something more trendy about the earlier one-piece bumpers now, compared to the later facelift two piece; when talking in dark grey/o.e colours.
SimonTW
27-08-12, 09:22 AM
Time for a little update. Time is quickly approaching the track day at Oulton Park I want to do mid September and there is still a fair bit I want to get done in time for it.
I have been messing with coilovers for it pretty much since I bought it. I have had a few cheap sets on there to get an idea of what open and closed length dampers would be good and to get an idea of what spring sizes would lower the car the amount I wanted. I didn't want to go full coilover on the rear and I also didn't want to use AVO or GAZ.
After much faffing I decided to go for the AP adjustable coilovers. They are pretty much KW Variant 2 Basic coilovers. I placed the order but when the invoice came through it said the rears weren't damping adjustable which I thought was bizzare as they are advertised as an adjustable coilover, so I cancelled the order. I thought about the KW V3 for a while but I just can't justify the money for them at the moment. In the end I went for the Spax RSX as they were running a Diamond Jubilee trade offer of 50% off which they extended for me. The Spax kit is a really nice kit, the only downside is the rear springs were longer than what I want to run so the car won't sit that low on the rear end.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7115/7829879296_07c067e5c8_c.jpg
The bump stops and dust covers that came in the kit were very cheap and looked like they would break at any time so I ditched them in favour of some Powerflex ones. I also swapped the upper spring cap over to a shallower one just to get a few extra mm of lowering from them. I always ditch the helpers too just so I can run the spring platform higher up to give more clearance for the wheels.
Once I had fitted the rear kit to the car I set the dampers to soft and then hard to see how much difference there was in the movement. With them set all the way to soft I was really surprised at how much movement/travel there is in the springs. I have seen a few people switching to stiffer springs on the rear. This is a bit harder to do with the standard style spring but I have a set of springs in the garage from my old Audi after I fitted the air ride system. Looking at the Audi ones next to the budget Nova ones they are a lot shorter but also a fair bit stiffer. Can anyone see any problems with trying these on the car from a safety aspect? Would a stiffer spring help improve the handling as it would if I was using a GAZ rear coilover?
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7866120208_f30698e385_c.jpg
My Whiteline roll bars turned up. I had been panicking about not being able to use them.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7866005380_3b336e7b60_c.jpg
The aren't a direct fit as I pretty much already knew but after looking at Mierans guide having bolts welded to the underside of the beam seemed the best way forward. Drilled a new hole and using a bolt is pretty much a no go due to the way the beam is made.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7866132936_563ac94477_c.jpg
I'm off to get the bolts welded to the beam today which is no big deal. The main hassle will be doing this to my blue beam when I swap them over eventually!
I decided to add a vacuum gauge to the heater vent. No real reason other than I could and I thought it might be useful to monitor what the air flow is like
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8424/7866041420_e365fa2e3f_c.jpg
I'm also currently waiting on some pictures from Prey of my black flocked dash to replace my brown one with.
I finally got round to fitting my rear strut brace that I've had in the garage for ages.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7866176968_e3345bdaf6_c.jpg
Mounted using some big spreader plates so I can mount my harnesses to it.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7866086566_129d4dfefa_c.jpg
I bought a replacement bumper from Mieran to replace my damaged one. Finding a decent GTE/SR one is a nightmare so this will do to neaten the car up until I can find a better one. I have pretty much decided to sell the plough. I thought I would like it once fitted but after trying it on the car I wasn't all that keen.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8009/7865978140_5777e7b0f7_c.jpg
I sold the damaged one to Scott.Parker so it's worked out alight in the end and hasn't ended up costing me too much to sort out.
SimonTW
27-08-12, 01:36 PM
I made a quick trip to my local friendly welder who kindly opened up on a bank holiday to help me out (what a guy!) with welding the bolts to the beam to mount the roll bar.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7112/7871793614_0c9cd48f97_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/7871800242_ae4c0e9b8c_c.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7121/7871813898_8ea392a839_c.jpg
Whiteline roll bar now mounted! JOY!
And an arty farty black and white shot
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7132/7871829648_518732a710_c.jpg
Vlietje
27-08-12, 01:47 PM
Looks ace mate! Love it!
Good work on the beam roll bar. I have to say after i spent ages messing with shocks and coilovers.. Wish i had just done it the right way at the start.
peester
27-08-12, 07:37 PM
proper good work going on.
masseyk@deeside.ac.uk
27-08-12, 08:42 PM
Great build, some great looking mods, a credit to you .
Well done, keep it going.
SimonTW
04-09-12, 10:49 AM
Thanks for the comments. It helps keep to stick with it and not get annoyed and sell up!
Cheers Massey! Your build's awesome. I'll hopefully get the shell up to the same standard as yours at some point!
Nothing much to report on my build other than I fitted the coilover kit and it's awful. None of the components on the front suspension work as they should. I'm having to remove it and send it back and try and source a different kit. I've managed to muller both front arches and chip the powdercoat off the hub carriers. JOY!
Just seen the above update now, good progress dude
I've tried many coilover kits and I swear by the spax rsx, its a very good kit only thing that lets it down is the rear springs cos they don't go that low and they are a bit soft.
The other option of going lower on the rear is using 2.25" coilover springs, a 4" spring is about 100mm drop then you can you one of them rear spring height adjusters to raise it up if needed.
SimonTW
04-09-12, 11:27 AM
I had no issues at all on the rears. I just can't get the fronts to work.
The main issue is the spring platform has to be wound all the way up to the top of the threads so it clears the tyres/wheels. This means the spring is compressed up by about 40mm so it's under constant tension. Once on the car this is causing the damper to constantly top out when driving and there is very little travel on the suspension when pushing the front suspension turret. I have had to roll the arches and use an 8mm spacer so this pushes the tyres pretty much in line with the arches. It's just un-drivable in my opinion. There are a few other things I would change if designing the kit too apart from threaded body being welded higher up. Narrower body and spring platforms. Longer piston rods for increaded open length and hub carrier clamp bolts positioned further away from the body to just give more clearance between the back of the wheel and coilover body.
They also constantly squeak
JOM v's SPAX
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7928857010_bb0b2cabf1_b.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7928857010_bb0b2cabf1_b.jpg
The JOM platform is set to the absolute minimum height I need to clear the tyres for reference.
SimonTW
04-09-12, 11:41 AM
Oh and thanks to Prey, this arrived with me. I can't wait to get it fitted. He's done and awesome job. I can't recommend him enough!
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8038/7928925970_f729bae8e9_h.jpg
I don't like that the shock bottom mount isn't welded all round on the JOV one.
Dash is mega sexy.
SimonTW
04-09-12, 09:20 PM
Didn't really give it much thought to be honest Benn but good point comparing the two. I've not noticed any problems or cracking on ones I have fitted. I've not had any returned at work with damage either.
Night number 3 and suspension stripped down and changed 3 times. I have the JOMs back on and they are just instantly 100 times better. The platforms clear the tyres and there is still plenty of suspension travel unlike the Spax.
I'll hopefully get round to doing the dash this weekend. I want to remove all the redundant loom and re-route the battery to fuse box cables while I have the dash out.
Ah so you've gone back to the JoV ones, there isn't much thread on either really. My Gaz have thread top to bottom.
Does de wiring the loom save much weight? Or is it a tidy thing?
SimonTW
05-09-12, 09:37 AM
More of a tidying thing really as the heaters are gone so there is a fair bit of redundant loom, the washer bottle is in the boot so I want to remove that loom also. I might reroute the wiper wiring up through the bulkead in the middle of the dash too so it's a bit neater as I eventually want to remove that section of rain tray/bulkhead. There is no real point to any of this really. I just like messing and keeping myself busy I guess. It's when I stop doing that I get bored and toy with selling up.
SimonTW
11-09-12, 11:16 AM
This weekend I had a break from messing the suspension and decided to work on the interior as not much could go wrong with that.
Dash out. A nice, simple job until I dropped the instrument cluster and kicked it pretty much ruining it. I also took a bit of time to remove the rest of the heater system that was behind the old dash which saves a bit more weight.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/7975814316_7cfd58270a_c.jpg
Nice shot of the dash in. Having it fitted not only actually looks great but does make a lot of difference to the glare and reflection up onto the screen.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8039/7975781024_d98ec92248_c.jpg
I also got round to finally relocating the battery to the boot using the terminal posts in the driver footwell.
maddogdaz666
11-09-12, 07:49 PM
Dash does look very very sexy
Dash looks very nice
Seen your wanted advert for a Sprint kit, you wanting to go wide arch then?
Think you might find it hard to find that kit
Ooooohhh, that dash looks sexy, i really need to get mine done too :d
SimonTW
15-09-12, 08:55 AM
I love the dash. It looks loads better than it did when it was brown. People like to touch it when they see it though so I might have to stop showing it off.
Yeah I would like to go wide arch on it. I looked at the protec arch kit but its just a massive amount of work. I love the look of the Sprint kit. I tried to get the one that came for sale on here but the time I collected the monies together it had sold. I will just have to keep checking here and German ebay in hope.
Spax have finally agreed to take back the coilovers and alter the piston rod open lengt, spring length and platform threaded section at no charge. I'm glad of this really as I couldn't even sell them at half retail price or even offers.
Plans sound good
Good luck with finding the Sprint kit hope you find one, protec ones look good tho IMO
It was me that bought the one forsale, it's just in case the Sport gets damaged or rots out
SimonTW
15-09-12, 11:34 AM
I thought it could only be one of a few people on here. I really wanted it to be chris who does the grp bits lol. If you ever decide you want to part with it let me know. The problem with the protec one is it needs work around the headlights and indicators, It needs alot of filler and fiberglass work and the side skirts don't look that great. I have plenty of time to plan it all. Got lots I want to do before I start on the shell.
Driving it without heaters and blowers is starting to become interesting. Might have to invest in a thicker fleece lol.
When I did the conversion I dropped the engine back in on its original mounts so I thought it was time to change them. As the engine bay isn't seem welded I worried that solid mounts + enthusiastic driving might result in the brackets being pulled off the car. As a compromise and reading a post by Turbojolt I decided to fill the voids in some new mounts up to stiffen them up. I have loads of tiger seal knocking around from when I did my kit car and use it for sealing split rims so I gooped a load in.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/7987995950_32fe3fa9e1_b.jpg
They have been done a week but still feel soft in places as it's still curing on the inside so I'll give them another week before I fit them. Not very pretty but will do the job!
SimonTW
21-09-12, 02:14 PM
Finally a bit of a positive result from Spax regarding the RSX kit I bought a few weeks back. I wound the platforms all the way up to get the ride height right, this meant the spring was compressed by about 40mm and the piston rod was full extended so I couldn't even use a longer spring. It would be awesome for giving a big drop but I need something that gives good travel and can be set quite high. The £165 JOM kit, size and spec wise was perfect for what I wanted so after an email to SPAX and them taking on board my opinions they asked me to return the kit to them so they could make some changes.
BEFORE
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8455/7935652408_4486aa31d8_c.jpg
So SPAX listened to what I told them and they made a few changes. Firstly they extended the casing and added a longer piston rod for better stroke and larger open length. They also altered the threaded section to sit further up which allows the spring platform to sit higher up when mounted, giving more room between the tyre and the damper body/adjustment rings. They have tweeked the spring length also to suit all the changes.
AFTER
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/8008910325_e8ad2b5d65_h.jpg
Much happier with how they look and that I don't have to sell them at a loss. I can't wait to get them on again and see how it handles.
The only other change I have made is one for self preservation. The mornings are getting a little colder now so I decided to buy a 12v heater as the car has no heaters anymore. It's not a bad bit of kit and the noise of the fan drowns out the noise from the fuel pump lol.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/7995498443_838fb1baa3_b.jpg
thats a good result with the shockers and lmao at the heaters
keep the updates coming buddy.
rick
Nice to see a relatively big company go to those kind of lengths to keep a customer happy.
(pun not intended, but fcuk it, it works quite well! lol)
Good work on getting the coilovers re made. Glued engine mounts are one of the best cheap mods that can be done.
peester
23-09-12, 07:15 PM
wow, spax thing is quite cool. It cost a lot to get that done?
SimonTW
23-09-12, 08:04 PM
They initially wanted to charge me parts and labour but have finally given in and sorted it for no extra cost. Once I have fitted them and tested them for function and adjustability they will probably look at using this design when making them for Novas. I hope they will anyway as they will work alot better. Spent yesterday making wedding invites and today working on a mates Corsa B so mines been neglected. Got two nice packages arriving this week hopefully so will have a decent update next weekend
SimonTW
26-09-12, 03:21 PM
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8026572203_fb51692c39_c.jpg
Little parcel arrived just now. :) Hopefully got another arriving later.
SimonTW
26-09-12, 06:55 PM
My second parcel arrived. I've been using a modified standard system since I did the conversion so I'm looking forward to getting a performance one fitted. I wanted a Magnex one as the tailpipe comes straight out, rather than at an angle so I was pretty happy with AlexJ put one for sale.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8027222237_b64a9dcaff_c.jpg
Novasport
26-09-12, 06:57 PM
Magnex are the best sounding exhausts on a Nova IMO, I have a couple of new full systems and can't wait to get one on the Swing.
A friend had one on his Sport many moons ago and it sounded great.
I agree^ I had a box just like that, did sound very nice. They polish up real nice too.
SimonTW
26-09-12, 08:39 PM
I also agree they sound AWESOME. http://youtu.be/UrezUVx2qIg
Novasport
26-09-12, 09:03 PM
Pity they don't make them anymore, supply and demand I suppose.
I bought one of the last systems on Ebay direct from them a few years back for £60 when they were clearing the stock.
Acerliam
26-09-12, 09:15 PM
The magnex exhaust sounds amazing, I've got one on mine
scott.parker
26-09-12, 10:59 PM
Lol got a magnex back box on my 1.2 don't sound like that! Mr thinks I need a race pipe lol
Nice updates, I enjoy this thread. Bet you're dead chuffed Spax went out of their way to help you like that. Usually the problems are the other way round, running out of suspension travel as you want it lower!
Magnex are the best sounding exhausts on a Nova IMO
I agree with this
Almost silent driving normally and sounds mint when you floor it
SimonTW
27-09-12, 10:04 AM
Scott, my old red one in the video had just the standard Magnex 3 silencer system attached to a standard C16XE running a K&N.
It did work out okay with Spax in the end but it had got to the point where I had given up hope of it being sorted which is why I put them for sale at a loss to get some of my money back with the intention of buying some KW V2's. What I will say though is if I was just a regular customer I don't think I would have got anywhere as they just dug their heals in but I work for a company that sells a lot of Spax so I did eventually get somewhere, but only when they asked why we weren't pushing the products. I basically said because I can't recommend a company that doesn't help it's customers when they have problems. The products are good quality in general and I do like them but when we do get aftersales issues they are usually difficult to get sorted.
corsapowerr
27-09-12, 10:33 PM
That looks like my backbox, is it stamped on it anywhere? Mine sounds great I think lol
http://i1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc520/sean_16v/1DA826D9-4F01-4C5F-913C-50857C9A3BA0-4872-0000084089FE452E.jpg
^^^ that's mine
SimonTW
28-09-12, 11:39 AM
It has got some markings on it I think but can't remember what they were.
One down, 4 to go.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/8032290804_9fb42afbb3_c.jpg
SimonTW
30-09-12, 10:39 AM
As the weathers been a bit too crap to get stuff done I decided to give the exhaust a good clean up before fitting. One pack of brillo pads later resulted in a pretty mint exhaust system. I also got the rear side windows installed too.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8038645473_ca706fb2c4_c.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8038646181_112f8a3a37_c.jpg
corsapowerr
30-09-12, 12:02 PM
Looking good, I've recently bought some polycarb windows are the fronts hard to fit? What do you do about rubbers?
Calamity Josh
03-10-12, 03:08 PM
pretty sure i saw you are after a sprint kit, would this not be worth a buy if you can get it shipped?-http://www.ebay.de/itm/Original-Opel-Corsa-A-CD-Design-Spoiler-Set-Tuning-Paket-komplett-/180987160940?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item2a23ace96c#ht_2543wt_1126
8valve-craig
03-10-12, 03:38 PM
Would be interested to see the side windows fitted Si.
SimonTW
03-10-12, 03:56 PM
I haven't had the weather to attempt the fronts yet sadly. Its been crap pretty much all week so I managed to get the rear quarters in between showers. I have a building list of jobs to do and the realisation that without a garage it's going to get harder and harder to get things done.
Good find that Josh. I'm more after something wide arch to be honest but that kit is a bargain! Might have to see if any of my German contacts could sort something out.
Edit: A guy I know is only 30mins drive from the area that kit is.... I best start asking nicely if he might be able to do me a massive favour lol
Calamity Josh
03-10-12, 04:10 PM
[QUOTE=SimonTW;2077348
Good find that Josh. I'm more after something wide arch to be honest but that kit is a bargain! Might have to see if any of my German contacts could sort something out.
Edit: A guy I know is only 30mins drive from the area that kit is.... I best start asking nicely if he might be able to do me a massive favour lol[/QUOTE]
Thats great news, fingers crossed, it'd look great on your hatch, could you not still wide arch with that kit anyway? and if you got it and decided you didn't want it i'll buy it off you lol
Very rare and unique kit that
Some don't but I like it
SimonTW
08-10-12, 09:36 AM
Well I didn't end up getting the kit as my German friend wasn't keen on collecting then wrapping it all up and posting it which was a shame!
I got the exhaust fitted over the weekend. I'm pretty sure it's not a Magnex though now as it sounds totally different to my previous one. In fact it makes very little noise which is a shame as I wanted a bit of grunt from it. I'm going to look into taking the front silencer out but make it so I can refit it back in if I ever need to.
SimonTW
19-10-12, 11:24 PM
Well I've been looking into replacing the upper inlet for a while but due to most of the budget offerings on the market looking cheap, bulky and boxy I have never bothered doing it. I spotted this up for sale though the other day so decided to snap it up.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8188/8100479988_14ffa51f45_c.jpg
And I'll obviously need one of these with mine being a C16
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8327/8102989031_abd9d0cacf.jpg
It would obviously be insane to fit them at they are so I think a trip to the powdercoaters will be in order.
Should be alot better with that fitted
Do you know what car that pipe is off of as I need one for my inlet?
SimonTW
16-11-12, 03:46 PM
I have this one going spare. It wont mate up to my air flow meter so its no use to me. £10 posted and it's yours!
SimonTW
16-11-12, 03:53 PM
Since I bought the inlet I have pretty much done nothing. I've not even been living at home so the Nova has been neglected. We ended up having to have our living room and hallway floor ripped out and replaced so the last five weeks has been working, diy, then sleep and repeat none stop.
It's been a horrible project but luckily I just have skirtings to paint and the blinds to fit now.
How it looked 5 weeks ago on the right and now on the left. All the works been done by family members chucking in free time when they can. We can hopefully move back in this weekend.
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/430626_10152248478275720_1926506269_n.jpg
Why did yhe whole floor have to come out? seems very excessive!
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