My Nova More Door

[Skippy]

Hi All

I thought I'd start a thread about my 5 door Nova Merit, I bought it 6 years ago off ebay in flame pink needing an MOT, it had a recorded 37000 miles on the clock which I believe could be genuine there is no history to back it up but it had not had a hard life, as after a bottle of t-cut and a little repair to slam panel it was on the road again. I then used it mainly in the summer for the next few years, it even took part in the 25th anniversary display at pvs in 2008.

Then 3 years ago at the MOT a hole emerged in the corner of the boot floor, it was at this point I took it off the road with the intention to get it sorted, but a house purchase has put it on hold and it has spent the last 3 years covered up in my parents garage. I now feel it's time to get my finger out and get it back on the road and start enjoying it again. Below are some pictures of it when it last on the road.


http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k619/Skip346/NovaPNG3_zps1156c8df.jpg (http://s1118.photobucket.com/user/Skip346/media/NovaPNG3_zps1156c8df.jpg.html)


http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k619/Skip346/Nova010_zpsbfeea897.jpg (http://s1118.photobucket.com/user/Skip346/media/Nova010_zpsbfeea897.jpg.html)


http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k619/Skip346/NovaPNG2_zpsf5abd604.jpg (http://s1118.photobucket.com/user/Skip346/media/NovaPNG2_zpsf5abd604.jpg.html)

[cossienova]

Looks nice I have 2 5 door merits myself. Sadly 5 doors seem to be frowned upon on png!
Nice to see another.

[Skippy]

Thanks, I never set out to buy a 5 door but had to be bought at the price, gonna dig it out the garage within the next couple of weeks and make a start, more photos will follow.

[cossienova]

Cool. Same here mine was left to me when my grandad passed away, been in family 20 years, but nice to have something different.

[Novaload_Nick]

Looks good, did you use a machine polisher with the t-cut? Came up well!

[Skippy]

Looks good, did you use a machine polisher with the t-cut? Came up well!

Thanks, yeah a basic orbital polisher and a bottle of t-cut, was really pleased with it, could do with another going over after 3 years sat in the garage.

[Skippy]

Just a little update, decided to make a start of getting it moving again, so after moving all the junk that had been sat on the bonnet, and putting a battery on to my complete surprise after 30 seconds of turning over it burst into life and ran as sweetly as I remember. The brakes are a little seized but it managed to pull itself out of the garage and sat in the sun for the first time in a long while.

A little look around it and it has stood the time laid up very well, the drivers rear arch is looking a little crusty and the spare wheel well is starting to look a little tatty but nothing too serious. My first job now is to free the brakes off, give it service then the work can begin properly getting it back on the road.

A couple of more pics


http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k619/Skip346/220613067_zps837a719f.jpg (http://s1118.photobucket.com/user/Skip346/media/220613067_zps837a719f.jpg.html)

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k619/Skip346/220613066_zps2356f549.jpg (http://s1118.photobucket.com/user/Skip346/media/220613066_zps2356f549.jpg.html)

http://i1118.photobucket.com/albums/k619/Skip346/220613065_zpsf13a7d8f.jpg (http://s1118.photobucket.com/user/Skip346/media/220613065_zpsf13a7d8f.jpg.html)

[Skippy]

I took it for an MOT and to have the hole in the boot floor repaired yesterday, all it needed was a new front caliper and the rear brakes servicing and its now back on the road!!!!:d. Well chuffed, got the tax today and spent the afternoon aimlessly driving around.

It has got a few advisories for the cv gaitors as they are beginning to crack, and bits of rust underneath, which will hopefully clean up plan to make a start on the underneath tomorrow after work.

[jimbob-mcgrew]

its good that you hung onto it after her fail 3 years ago. back on the road now, go skippy !! :)

top man for reppin the 5-door too :) ...ignore the 3 door purists, the 5 doors are just as good in my opinion, and a must for bank jobs :)

[jimbob-mcgrew]

is it a 1.2 carb (12NV) with a 5 speed F10 ?

whats your plans with it bar to tidy her up ?

[Skippy]

its good that you hung onto it after her fail 3 years ago. back on the road now, go skippy !! :)

top man for reppin the 5-door too :) ...ignore the 3 door purists, the 5 doors are just as good in my opinion, and a must for bank jobs :)

Thanks man, good idea for funding the project :)


is it a 1.2 carb (12NV) with a 5 speed F10 ?

whats your plans with it bar to tidy her up ?

Yeah 1.2 carb with 4 speed box, mainly enjoy it for the rest of the summer and sort the advisories from the mot. I've got 2 rear quarter panels so hopefully replace those over the winter, then possibly lower it a touch which should improve the look no end and some new alloys and maybe a gsi front bumper and rear spoiler.

[jimbob-mcgrew]

sounds good. youll have to get some pics of the welding stages when you get round to doing the arches, I haven't seen many 5 doors been done.

the wheels would be a good idea (some other vauxhall types I reckon, to keep it classy). im a big fan of the classic nova 3 spokes, but strangely they don't suit the 5 door arches, which is a bit of a bummer, but hey, plenty more to choose from.

sometime down the road, i'd recommend a brake upgrade too, as the standard stoppers are pretty pants. (unless your happy with them that is, i guess it depends how fast you drive)
can pickup second hand calipers / discs / pads combo for not too much, and don't take long to fit. 256x24mm ATE brakes found on XE'd cav and calibra's are an awesome upgrade, but you'll need 14x5.5 inch wheels minimum to fit over them. if you want smaller wheels, 236x20mm corsa sport brakes are supposed to be good.

[Skippy]

Will take pictures for sure, was thinking of trying some Corsa C SXI alloys, Thanks for the idea with the brakes :thumb:, I'd forgotten how bad they were, came as quite a shock when I first pressed the pedal lol

[John]

Loving the 5 door, I loved my old one.

[zeifer33]

These red colour looks really well.