Decisions for the car....

[red_devil]

I'm having thoughts about what to do with my widearched nova...
Having a few cracks that i know i can sort out with some carefull rubbing down and also i'm thinking of putting some Suberu Impreza Sti front seats in it.... ?250 for a pair... not bad at all...

Anyway i want to make the car abit more comfortable to drive but keep it able to look well low.... hydraulics then for the looks but i've heard they are too hard..... airbags then ... any ideas.....

What should i do... keep the nova and finish it till its a show winner or get a BMW 3 Series and keep it nearly standard...

I love novas but i want to get it finished and can't really afford to lose ?2500 on what i've spent and only sell it for ?2500

Anyway please tell me loads of ideas like engine conversion to make me think that i could drive the best car around my area and it be my nova

[Chris LR]

I'd Keep it as simple as possible....

Airbags are far too much hassle, too heavy and too dangerous. The Nova was never designed with them in mind and they should be avoided.

Hydralics are too much hassle too, taking up engine power....... :?

If you want such things as airbags get yourself a Saxo... If not spend your money on a suspension setup, struts, exhaust and engine mods. Not forgetting security if you haven't already done it.

[red_devil]

Have you seen my car Chris... its got exhaust sorted etc... just want to make it more upto date with new suspension setup and maybe some grphixs....

And NO I WILL NEVER HAVE A SAXO>>>>> BORING

[Chris LR]

Saxos out perform Novas in so many ways... :P

'Novas' and 'up to date' I think not. They were designed about 25 years ago. You've got to accept some of their bad points, and live with them.

[brian]

whatever happens DO NOT put any graphics on it!

Airbags are not suitable for any sort of rough road. they just wont survive. so forget about that too.

As for the cracks! thats gonna happen anyway. was one of the things that really pissed me off with mine.

Are you restricted by insurance or budget as regards engines?

I ran a valver in mine and did the job. kinda reliable and a bit of go too.

I recommend Bilstein for yer underside. I had Coilovers up front and regular bilstein shocks in the rear with Tarmac rate springs (about 30mm drop.
and of course wide track.

Ill tell ya don't give up on it but i know all too well how frustrating it can get. it got to me and i flogged it in bits!

[?Marty?]

I'd recommend airbags over juice, but then i think they're really more suitable for bigger cars.

And, as flash as they look, i'd ultimately go for a good set of coilovers. Like Billstein.

Yeah, get the seats! Look good, and at that price it'd be rude not to!

I understand what you mean about losing the ?2500.

It's like when you spend ?3k on an engine or bodywork, then when it comes to selling you only get ?3k, it's like 'why didn't i just keep the ?3k and sell the car for whatever it was worth before!? Which would have still been over a ?1k if everything else is properly 'sorted'.

But once you get to a certain point, you're going to lose money whatever you do. So it's like deciding whether you wanna cut your loses now, or lose the money later. Shit isn't it.

Personally, i'd go for the BM. Been looking at the new Compacts. Think they look quite nice, and only ?16k or so.

But then again, do you want to have a nearly standard 3 series, or do you want to turn heads in your sorted Nova, and smile coz you've done it so everything about it is just as YOU want/like!?

[Neil.]

get coil over thingy's. and get ur interior and FRONT INDICATORS changed!

Mesh the gril,
sort out cracks and it'll be sorted!

[ade]

got any pics?

Keep it and spec it up - you wont make any money back on it selling it coz no matter what mods you do it'll still be a nova to many (which is shite coz many modded novas cant really be classed as novas due to the amount of mods!) so getting the price you want massively limits the audience your targetting (someone who appreciates the work).
Use it as a show car and get an old beemer and do that up - not modded just rebuild it to orogonal...

I love the old 318's (think thats the one I'm on about) - twin headlights and pointed front...

Ade

[olly55]

deffo carry on wit hthe nova m8 at the end of the day ur gonna lose money on every car u mod so u may as well finish it, otherwise if u get the bm ull always wonder wat the nova will have looked liek right in the end etc..

and where u found sti seats for 250?

[Tilly]

pics in his profile.


car look spot on to me. dont sell it.

why arw there cracks appearing thought its only been done a few weeks?

[?Marty?]

why arw there cracks appearing thought its only been done a few weeks?

The quickest crack i've ever had, is the one between my ass cheeks. But i was born with it.

R-D - keep the Nova mate.

[red_devil]

Tilly its been done for months now but only just got pics done....

I'm now getting all the rear interior seam welded and engine bay same... Group A strengthening kit and front and rear strut braces...

Its having Subaru Impreza Sti Front seats and my Cobra Clubmans in the back all trimmed in Leather and Flip Vynel (high quality gear not that cheap shite vynel)

Then gonna wait till everything is sorted and set the lads at work on the bodywork once and for all and repray same colour as vynel (may even be same colour as it is now but i'll be worth it)

Then the whole thing will be ready for the suspension and engine at a later date

Cheers for all the tips and if you agree or disagree with my choice/plan of action then please tell me but with at least a reason or excuse why...

[Ste_Nova]

do all the heavy work

metals/engine etc

before doing bodywork/interior...