Project Sting, The complete Rebuild, yes or no? (pics)

[Will]

Those of you who know me well will know ive ben trying to decide this for quite a while....

May next year i will be looking at the possible purchase of a "normal everyday car"

:O yes i know, but i see absoultely no point in selling the nova, its worth more to me as a car than the ?400 odd pounds it wud pick up in its standard ish form.

Do i completely rebuild it, wot i mean by this is:

* New front and rear slam panels

* Mint doors / Door skins

* Mk1 mint wings

* I have GTE kit (bumpers, skirts in garage in good nick)

* new rear arch panels

* full spray including engine (the engine bay has depressed me since the day i got it cause its covered in that yellow cack sealer shite thats an arse to remove)

My wheels are being refurbed in the new year hopefully and the engine which is due to be done quite soon will be SR T40 100+bhp jobby

Cost of panels likely to be 200 / 300 quid, some mint 2nd GM parts and some new SEL - imperial parts

Bodyshop for the majority of the work, ?1500 approx

So do i run it into the ground or rebuild properly in a years time

Here are some pics of her as she was b4 the wheels came off etc

http://www.novaload.net/forums/album_see.php?id=1342

http://www.novaload.net/forums/album_see.php?id=1343

This was an idea i had, cheers to jim for the photshop for the rims etc, still undecided

http://www.novaload.net/forums/album_see.php?id=1344

comment away please......

Cheers

Will

[Dicko]

wheels are ok but the colour of them doesnt look v.good. thats a very dull grey :s

[Nova-Boy]

Why dont you make a poll?

And i think that spending all that money would be a bit much if your getting a new car next year or so. I would say dont go for the full re-biuld but just tidy up the edges so to speak and get the outside re-sprayed.

[Jim]

wheels are ok but the colour of them doesnt look v.good. thats a very dull grey :s

Was a 5 minute job in photoshop just to give Will an idea. I think he's getting the done in the proper Anthracite colour so will look alot brighter than that.

It's up to you Will. Personnaly I'd look at getting a newer, better conditioned shell. However, if you want a Mk1 look, then I suppose the only thing you can do is either try to find a mint Mk1 example (chances of this are slim) or get the work done to your current car.

Whatever you decide to do it's going to cost a fair bit of money and if you're thinking of getting a new car next year, will it all be worth it?

Jim

[burgo]

it depends if u are gonna do it do it properly and if u do do it properly it is gonna take ages so it all depends if u can b assed to do it in other words??

[Tilly]

will do what u want to do. i quite like it the way it is

[krobinson]

Rebuild it mate!!

But if you do decide to rebuild it, start gathering the pannels now, Get original GM as imperial dont fit as good, geniune is worth the extra! Vauxhall have limited supply of all pannels now as they dont make them, its only stock left!!

Strip it to the shell, get the pannels fitted, bare shell respray, and built it back up. Have it as a weekend toy while you drive your everyday car for work etc!

It will be all worth it when you still have a mint nova turning heads in 5 years time, when the majority have rotted away!

Keith

[Breeny]

For once I actually agree with keeping it...

Its always been your nova and you've always wanted to get it looking nice.. I love the pic of the dark wheels and dark bumpers, do ittt!

?2k will sort absoutely everything out you want to do with the car.. The bodyshop price will be closer to ?1k rather than ?1500.

As Keith says collect bits for it now... Don't botter with the door skins/arch panels etc cos there cheap as chips.

Keep an eye out for mint wings on for sale sections.. theres still a few of them about..

I actually disagree with Jim here... Your shell is fine... Its only cosmetic stuff thats wrong.. the chassis underneith is in pretty good condtion if i remember right. Wings/Doors/Arches will be replaced anyway.. thats where the main problem areas are.

I wouldnt bother with the front slam panel and rear valance... They can be welded up fine for pennies.. You don't see them anyway.

Speak to CP before you do anything drastic.. the man of wisewords ;)

oh and speak to Dan too, see what he thinks about bodywork.. You know what the state of my blue one was like before it went in... and how good the results were.

[ade]

Do it!

And do it yourself (unless you are unconfident ref respray)

1 year ago to the day almost I started my rebuild - did it in 5 weeks - wish I'd taken longer but what I accomplished in that time was MASSIVE and the complete and utter satisfaction I got from doing it was unreal.

To say you have completely rebuilt your car and you know the quality of work you've put into it outweighs anything.

If youre getting a runabout then you can take your time over it - start gathering parts and bit to help you now - that way you wont feel the pinch on the old wallet - I had panels and spoilers lying about for 9 months before I started mine.

If you want I can PM/email you a complete list of everything I got. I also highly recommend you yake TONS of pics, keep a daily log here of work done (like I did) and go round the car panel by panel and make a full note of what needs done. I can send you a CD of the work I did if you want (currently building a website of work but its taking forever! :roll: )

Then create a plan of action. Again, I can send you my breakdown if you want. Set a deadline for all major work and stick to it as best you can. Have goals for each stage - break it down to mechanical, body, interior, custom.

Go for it m8 - its well worth it and the satisfaction you get at seeing it develop is second to non (providing you complete it that its)

Also - I recommend you pic up a few books -

Haynes manual (obviously)
How to Paint you car - David H Jacobs Jr. MBI (www.motorbooks.com) ISBN 0-87938-523-5
Car Mechanics - Panel beating and paint spraying - Kelsey publishing - isbn 1-873098-29-4
Haynes Car Bodywork repair (www.haynes.co.uk) isbn 1-85960-657-1

These will give you all the info you need for everything

Good Luck
:wink:
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[?Marty?]

Rebuild it.

Project ring sting! (*snigger*) :lol:

:roll:

[dave.gsi]

:lol: lol

firstly, keep it white not grey.

secondly, is it woth rebuilding it if your getting a new car?

and thirdly if you really want a mint mark 1 can u not buy a late mark2 and swap over to the old bits to make it look like a mk1?