1983 xe

[andyredtop83]

Im sure I started a thread on this nova last year but I cant seem to find it :confused:

Anyway this is my daily driver which I use for work, some of you may recognise this as it was owned by Dougie Rankine from Total Vauxhall and featured in their magazine regularly throughout 2008

http://img689.imageshack.us/img689/801/1001362q.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/689/1001362q.jpg/)
Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

It started off life as a 1.0 but was fitted with an xe by Total Vauxhall and Chris Astley Motorsport. I bought the car in 2011 when the shell had covered only 29k, I've done a few miles in it but its still only done 44k and is still pretty solid, the only bit of welding being done was a new battery tray a few years back

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1296/1000986y.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/444/1000986y.jpg/)
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/3240/1000989k.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/11/1000989k.jpg/)
http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/115/1000985k.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/808/1000985k.jpg/)
http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/1019/1000990k.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/193/1000990k.jpg/)

[Novaload_Nick]

I remember this, looks nice mate. Any plans?

[andyredtop83]

I just want to keep it as it is really as it looks pretty standard and is in good condition for its age. Also having the standard look is helpful for when the local boyracers try to beat you off the lights in their saxo/punto/clios and then look open mouthed as you go tearing past them in a standard looking nova lol

[_Jake]

Having seen it in the flesh i can confirm it is bloody spotless!

[Novaload_Nick]

Lol true!

[chrisd1986]

I always wanted this nova when dougie had it, just never had the cash when it came up for sale

[andyredtop83]

Having seen it in the flesh i can confirm it is bloody spotless!

Cheers Jake, your C reg was pretty clean too :thumb:

[John]

Very nice, has it had sills? Have you the centre caps for the wheels? :)

[marc69]

Gorgeous car, more pics please.

If you haven't brightened up your bumpers, I use a very thin layer of Linseed oil rubbed in, once a year, seems to work, bearing in mind mine were nearly white when I got it.

[Dan Stanley]

I had the original cream front seats from this car. I think they may be in my current brown saloon, or they may have got burnt in the fire. I never understood why Dougie changed the brown dash to grey, but each to their own I suppose.
I can imagine this is one hell of a sleeper and does surprise a few traffic light racers!

[marc69]

I had the original cream front seats from this car. I think they may be in my current brown saloon, or they may have got burnt in the fire. I never understood why Dougie changed the brown dash to grey, but each to their own I suppose.
I can imagine this is one hell of a sleeper and does surprise a few traffic light racers!

I changed my brown interior in my Breg from brown to grey in 2003 (it was mucky, thought the grey would brighten it all up), fortunately I stored it all, cleaned it and put it back in in 2008

[Steve]

Got any plans for it Andy? IMO it just needs the front valance painting and maybe de-sticker it :d

[andyredtop83]

Very nice, has it had sills? Have you the centre caps for the wheels? :)

No it hasn't had sills, its all original apart from the battery tray, I do have the center caps for the wheels but the griffin on them is the round shape like on the mk2 novas and mine being an early model has the square shaped griffin so I thought they wouldn't look right.

[andyredtop83]

I had the original cream front seats from this car. I think they may be in my current brown saloon, or they may have got burnt in the fire. I never understood why Dougie changed the brown dash to grey, but each to their own I suppose.
I can imagine this is one hell of a sleeper and does surprise a few traffic light racers!

I would prefer the original interior in it as it has a grey dash, but brown kick panels, SR clocks, GTE door cards and door cappings and the later mk1 SR rainbow style seats so is a bit of a mixture inside but trying to source all the original parts wouldn't be cheap or easy :(

[andyredtop83]

Got any plans for it Andy? IMO it just needs the front valance painting and maybe de-sticker it :d

Yer Steve that is next on my list to get the front valance treated as it does have some surface rust then get it sprayed in the brown so it looks original. I may de-sticker it to

[millworm]

did you get the suspension sorted on it mate?

[andyredtop83]

did you get the suspension sorted on it mate?

No not yet mate, im on the lookout for some coilovers for the front as its looks so stupid with the back of the car on the ground and a 3 foot gap inbetween the front wheel and the arch lol

[andyredtop83]

Been busy with this over the weekend just gone, the front number plate had seen better days and was cracked

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6620/haum.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/163/haum.jpg/)

So I wanted to have some new ones made up, i was going to go to Halfords a few months ago to get some but i waited till PVS and had some made up there. The ones on there are the original with the suppliers dealer name on there so im know im going to sound really sad doing this but i had them copy the original ones so they look the same as the old ones!

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8636/p8ks.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/42/p8ks.jpg/)
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/174/qka9.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/593/qka9.jpg/)

A few months ago the MOT was due and it failed on a rear wheel bearing and both the front shock absorbers were leaking badly:cry: (i shouldn't be to upset as that's not bad for a 30 year old daily driver) To keep it on the road and to get it through the MOT i had to fit standard shocks and springs on the front so now the car looked really odd with the front up in the air and the back sitting on the ground

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/4034/e8mh.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/5/e8mh.jpg/)

Its got AVO coilovers on the back and i wanted to put the same on the front but as most of you probably know AVO's aren't the cheapest :( but luckily i managed to get some front ones second hand for a good price and they were already assembled so i didn't even need to get my coil spring compressors out :thumb:

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8039/pj72.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/94/pj72.jpg/)

I fitted them and know it doesn't look odd anymore

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/5119/n0or.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/32/n0or.jpg/)

I gave the car a quick clean and found the center caps for the alloys and fitted those as well and now it all ready for Billing :d

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7610/wnpm.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/69/wnpm.jpg/)

[Novasport]

Replica dealer plates look good IMO and are worth the effort. I have had them made for my Sport and the Spider.

[andyredtop83]

Replica dealer plates look good IMO and are worth the effort. I have had them made for my Sport and the Spider.

Thanks, it actually worked out cheaper to have them done than go to Halfords anyway.

[Steve]

Haha, anything is cheaper than halfords! lol I'm with you on the original plates, its little touches that make all the difference.

Good to see its sitting level now and i think those wheels suit it better than the fanblades. Good work mate :thumb:

[andyredtop83]

Haha, anything is cheaper than halfords! lol I'm with you on the original plates, its little touches that make all the difference.

Good to see its sitting level now and i think those wheels suit it better than the fanblades. Good work mate :thumb:

Yer after re-fitting them I think they suit the nova better than the fan blades :)

[andyredtop83]

The front valance on this has a bit of surface rust and had been painted with underseal to try and stop it getting worse, I wanted the rust sorted out and it painted the same colour as the car so it looks like a nova should look

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/8027/anz9.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/anz9.jpg/)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/5387/ag9b.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/9/ag9b.jpg/)
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/7906/7grd.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/40/7grd.jpg/)

This is my daily driver and I drive it to work everyday so sorting it out is hard but luckily the bloke I work with has gone on holiday and lent me the works van while his away, so I got my skates on and booked it into the bodyshop, went to have a look at it after work today to see how its getting on. I also gave them strict orders I need it back for the weekend for Billing :)

Unfortunately the rust was worse than I thought and they had to cut a section out :(

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6946/4qmd.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/268/4qmd.jpg/)

But they have already welded a new plate in and were just rubbing down the filler round the welds when I got there today :d

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/7893/eui6.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/811/eui6.jpg/)

[Steve]

Nice one mate, I was thinking that looked a bit far gone from the first picture! Look forward to seeeing it nice and brown on sunday!

[andyredtop83]

Got this back from the bodyshop today, the front valance was then stone chipped and sprayed in Vauxhall mocca brown, I also had the bonnet and roof compounded as some t**t at work wrote "I am poo coloured" on the bonnet and even worse on the roof which I couldn't possibly repeat on here. Heres the finished work and just in time for Billing :d

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/3970/ggnm.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/600/ggnm.jpg/)

[kent14sr]

1000% improvement with body coloured valance!!

If I were me I would put the valance finishing strip/tow hook surround on too to finish it off!

[andyredtop83]

1000% improvement with body coloured valance!!

If I were me I would put the valance finishing strip/tow hook surround on too to finish it off!

I do have the valance finishing strip and am going to fit it but the bodyshop have advised to leave it over the weekend to let the paint harden fully so I don't shove it on and wreck the paint

[Steve]

Looking good mate, see you tomorrow.

[andyredtop83]

Looking good mate, see you tomorrow.

Will do mate, shame your not bringing the loon along, mine may be the oldest nova there now :d

[andyredtop83]

I gave the paint about a week to harden and then fitted the valance strip, but the bodyshop lost the tow hook surround so I wasn't best pleased :mad: but just fitting that made a big difference and makes it look a lot nicer :d

http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/2655/qfr2.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/547/qfr2.jpg/)
http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/1259/plr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/856/plr4.jpg/)

[kent14sr]

Looks great! Ill see if I have a tow hook surround for you - think I may have.

[andyredtop83]

Looks great! Ill see if I have a tow hook surround for you - think I may have.

Thanks, would be good if you did have :thumb:

[Steve]

Looks good mate