Nova GSi L Reg - Progress Thread

[Kev Turbo]

Hi All,

Its been a long time since i have posted a progress thread up but a few members who have seen the car have suggested i throw one up so here we go.....

A lot of you will already know the car as the past two owners have been no strangers to PNG. Finally early this year i managed to get hold of the Star Silver L Reg GSi that i had been keen to get my hands on for so many years. It was formally owned by Caroline Pennington from 2001 -> 2011. I tried to purchase the car from Caroline in 2003 but she was not interested in selling and very attached to the car. Paul Wardman (W88RDY) managed to get Caroline to agree to sell in 2011 as he was local to her and similarly pestered her over the years in an attempt to purchase the car. In his ownership 2011 -> 2014 i badgered him a few times and luckily (as i don't think i was the only one) managed to catch him at a time when he wanted to focus on his new project and a deal was done.


The car is a genuine star silver GSi with the added rarity of being registered as an L reg with a 6 character number plate. I realize that this is seen by many members as no more valuable than the late K plates but it to me it adds something a little extra over a K and is great piece of history to know that i own one of the last Nova GSi's to leave the showroom. However everyone is entitled to their own opinion regarding the plate.:)
Knowing the car over the last 13 years was also a huge plus as i know Caroline loved the car obsessivly and still holds a keen interest as to its progress and it is great to keep in touch with her and give her regular updates. In the last 10 years the car has travelled very few miles and spent most of its days locked up in Carolines or Paul's garage.
Covering a genuine 85k miles it is an honest car which i hope to bring back to its former showroom glory over the next few years.

So onto some pictures.....

Some early shots Cira 2001 when Caroline first purchased the car, As you can see she added the obligatory Speedlines back in 2001. They are still in amazing shape and un refurbished which shows the little milage that the car has done. I understand the bulk of what mileage in her ownership was in the early 2000's traveling to see her boyfriend Karl's (now husband) which some of you will remember from early PNG days (Silk Violet Valver GSi)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/DE7D2F0D-BDF0-4730-96D7-3E7D60784145.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/DE7D2F0D-BDF0-4730-96D7-3E7D60784145.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/0FFAAB64-0715-4026-9E28-693E9A1C67E6.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/0FFAAB64-0715-4026-9E28-693E9A1C67E6.jpg.html)

The car was comprehensively restored by Caroline back in 2003 with doors, wings, tailgate and bonnet. Topped off with genuine decals and vinyls allround. All panels and decals were genuine with receipts to prove.

PV 2003 after the restoration

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/PVS2005002.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/PVS2005002.jpg.html)
Fortunately Carolines father was a mechanically minded and had the foresight to coat the entire underside of the car in white grease which has preserved all of the brake pipes and chassis areas very well. As far as i can tell so far the underside has no welding and all original.

After 2005ish Caroline parked the car in her garage and her dad kept an eye on it. The car has done very very few miles and scanning through the history i see only 1000 miles in the last 7 years.


Pickup Day,

I am currently living in Dubai and only have time to visit the UK a handful of times over the year so a deal had to be done remotely and Paul was very helpful in organising delivery of the car to my storage facility. Many thanks to Paul for his patience and help with the sale as i realize he could have easily posted this on the forum and sold it easily without any hassle.
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Purchase/IMG_3349.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Purchase/IMG_3349.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Purchase/IMG_3352.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Purchase/IMG_3352.jpg.html)

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Purchase/IMG_3350.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Purchase/IMG_3350.jpg.html)

And once the car was delivered this is where it sat for the next few months until my next visit to the UK.






More to come..............

[7ova]

Looks great Kev
Nice investment going up in value defiantly not down

[Southie]

That looks still in good condition, a rare breed now and wonder how many L reg Gsi's are left.

looking forward to updates ;)

[BRoadGhost]

Clean as; now cut it to bits with some transplanted engine

[Alex J]

Big block!

[Southie]

Big block!
Noooooooo! It's worth far far more than that as it is.

[Will F]

Saw this at Billing... Looked lovely, nice and clean and obviously in the best colour of all time....

[krobinson]

TURBO!!

haha Joking. Great purchase Kev, health to enjoy!

[johnd]

Very nice kev good luck with her looking forward to more updates

[Benn]

Saw the car years ago. Looked great then... still looks grest now.

[Kev Turbo]

Looks great Kev
Nice investment going up in value defiantly not down

Thanks 7ova - Always nice to see the values going the right way.


That looks still in good condition, a rare breed now and wonder how many L Reg Gsi's are left.

looking forward to updates ;)

This thread is quite interesting and has a reasonably comprehensive list of the L Reg cars. Rumours are there were 12 L registered GSi but I don't have any concrete evidence of this. Sure someone can enlighten us with some better information.

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?96484-L-reg-Nova-GSi-s

Further updates very soon so keep your eyes peeled.


Clean as; now cut it to bits with some transplanted engine

Nice idea but the 1.6 8v is ample for the annual trip to billing ;)


Big block!

Tempted but she's staying standard engine wise!

Noooooooo! It's worth far far more than that as it is.

I believe it will be in future. Rare enough with the standard engine these days. How times change!

Saw this at Billing... Looked lovely, nice and clean and obviously in the best colour of all time....

Thanks Will - Had a good look around yours too. Would be great to have them parked side by side one day for some pictures.
Debatable one on the colour as I typically hate silver but its pretty rare these days so happy with it. Also low maintenance scratches wise.



TURBO!!

haha Joking. Great purchase Kev, health to enjoy!



Thanks Keith



Very nice kev good luck with her looking forward to more updates



Much appreciated - More updates soon Johnd


Saw the car years ago. Looked great then... still looks great now.

Thanks Benn :)

[bazzap8389]

Very nice Kev, great buy!

[Kev Turbo]

So as soon as I landed in the UK I raced down to my unit to get the car in for MOT.

After wrestling with the Clifford alarm and immobiliser she fired up and ran nicely. Battery even held its charge which was a bonus.

So the race was on to get the old girl MOT'd and legal for the billing weekend. As we all know nothing is ever straight forward so I booked the car in with as much contingency time as possible to fix any issues that arise.

Bearing in mind that the car had hardly moved over the last few years I knew that there would be a few surprises in store.

Quick wash before the MOT at my friends house.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo09-07-2014124602.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo09-07-2014124602.jpg.html)

And the off to the MOT station we went. I was nervous as the whole weekend was in the balance and really wanted to take the Nova and not the Corsa hire car.

Damage was minimal with only the following at fault.....

-CV Boot perished (On way to the station due to standing)
-Tyre Split (perished due to standing which was annoying)
-Emissions high (Due to Standing) Fixed after a drive.

Luckily my friend Steve was in the MOT station at the same time of picking the car up and offered his services to rectify the problems which were all sorted 60 minutes later.

So we were in business for billing with time to spare.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo09-07-2014150157.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo09-07-2014150157.jpg.html)

With time on my side I booked the car in to my local tyre depot for a track and wheel balance as I noticed the wheels were loaded with weights.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014113747-1.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014113747-1.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014113755.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014113755.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014113800.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014113800.jpg.html)


As usual the track rod ends were seized due to standing for so long so we got these free'd off and tweaked the tracking. Noticed the improvement straight away and the car was driving much straighter.

Bad news was I noticed a fuel pipe weeping which much have only just started as wasn't picked up at MOT time. So back to my friend Steve who fitted new lines front to back as I didn't want to risk any faults over the weekend.

A big thank you to Daryl Morris, Steve Lawrence and Dan Williams for there speedy work and helping me collect the car. Billing would have not been an option without them!

So onto fitting a few parts I had waiting for me.

Standard fuel cap + Key was replaced and the old "Novatech" cap sold to Scottcopper85 - thanks for the quick payment!

This made a huge difference to the exterior and retuned a more "Stock" look. Thanks to NovaCabrio for sorting me out with this.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo14-07-2014130930-1.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo14-07-2014130930-1.jpg.html)

New matts were added as Paul was mean and kept the previous ones ;)

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014091653.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/Photo10-07-2014091653.jpg.html)

Car was thoroughly cleaned inside and out and treated to some Zymol wax. Also notice the number plate screw caps changes for the appropriate colour the old ones have driven me crazy for years!

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014113836.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014113836.jpg.html)

More to follow......

[Southie]

Wow it looks stunning, reminds me of an old mates silver gsi from about 15 years, we always preferred it to his silk violet one he'd just got rid of.

Well done in getting it to Billing though with it being off the road for a while.

[Kev Turbo]

As we started to load the car up we soon remebered how small the nova boot actually was and proceeded to load the Nova up to the roof with the weekends supplies.

After a wrestle with the alarm AGAIN!!! we were on our way. I really do want to get hold of a standard XB loom and cut the horrible clifford out. Dont get me wrong it does its job but isnt half annoying.

We stopped off at one of our favorite cafes for a full english to set us up fo the joruney.

Loaded up

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145651-1.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145651-1.jpg.html)

Couple of cheeky pictures while we were there. Weather was beattiful!!!

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145446.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145446.jpg.html)

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145502.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145502.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145456.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014145456.jpg.html)
Car drove faultlessly down to the services at the end of the m6 where we stumbled across a couple of familiar faces. Hadnt bumped into Darcy for years so it was great to catch up.Matts nova was looking stunning too!
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014195006.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014195006.jpg.html)

Fueled up with coffee we carried onto billing. It was like a being a teenager again travelling down in the Nova and i had forgotten just how small and low these cars are. However it was great fun.

We had booked a camping pod for the weekend to save the hassle of putting tents up! Quick picture as soon as we arrived.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014190636.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo11-07-2014190636.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo13-07-2014142703.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo13-07-2014142703.jpg.html)

Had a cracking weekend catching up with old aqutences from the forums and some new faces as well. Great to see so many quality novas throughout the show.

Couple of pictures i found online

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014211454.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014211454.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014231601.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014231601.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014164319.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014164319.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014231605.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo15-07-2014231605.jpg.html)

Packed up on the Sunday and one final shot before we left.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo13-07-20141426321.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Billing%202014/Photo13-07-20141426321.jpg.html)

Cracking weekend and i had a serious come down for the next few days - Roll on 2015!

[Scottcooper85]

It really does look stunning mate :)

also so glad you decided to change the fuel cap lol

[Vlietje]

Looking good Kev, should have known, this was yours...

[scorge01]

Looks amazing bud but where did you get those mats I am in desperate need of a set ��

[Kev Turbo]

So after the Billing I was on a huge come down but still had a few days to make some improvements to the GSi.

By this time she had clocked up a record 300 miles for the year and it was due for another coat of wax and a clean up prior to going back into storage.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo10-07-2014152027.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo10-07-2014152027.jpg.html)

Before billing I fixed a few bits and pieces in the cabin including removing all of Caroline's sub / amp wiring and tidying up the interior loom / refitting the fuse box. I also refitted the stereo and removed some more wiring from behind the dash that wasn't being used.

As previously mentioned I am very keen to get my hands on an uncut "XB" loom so I can replace the current car loom. If anyone knows of one I would be most grateful for lead.

Here is the identification lable

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/3458E5E7-533D-4408-AAE3-EFEE4FE93714.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Pre%20billing%20and%20first%20view/3458E5E7-533D-4408-AAE3-EFEE4FE93714.jpg.html)

Next job on the list was the interior. The one that came with the car could easily be described as "mint" but I was looing to go one step further and acquire the best set possible.

Thankfully L33LEG dropped me a PM as he was breaking his car and filled me in on the details of the interior he had for sale. It is claimed to have only covered 30k miles before being stored many years ago by the previous owner as the seats originated from his rally car shell. That being said the interior is in stunning condition and the bolsters are as they came out of the factory. No collapsing at all and the material still holds all of its fibres.

After a small wrestle with the drivers seat ( Lost my touch over the years )

A couple of pictures of them installed.....

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130005.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130005.jpg.html)


The back seats were changed as well. Previously the car had headrests in the rear which I must say had been converted well with the proper inserts but I wanted the OEM look.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130912.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130912.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130904.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130904.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130850.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130850.jpg.html)
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130920.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014130920.jpg.html)


The seats still need the wet vac treatment but time was not on my side so that will have to wait until my next trip home. But as I am sure you will agree they are in fabulous shape and to sit in they are much more solid than the previous ones especially after being stored for all those years.

Most people wont notice the difference initially but I think they really add something to the interior.

I must say a big thank you to L33LEG as we struck a deal a fair few months ago and he was even good enough to deliver them for me. Top seller and a honest member of PNG. Cant thank you enough!

The old interior is for sale if anyone is interested. It is in great shape!

Thanks for looking!

[Kev Turbo]

It really does look stunning mate :)

also so glad you decided to change the fuel cap lol

Hope you enjoyed that retro receipt from 2001 too !


Looking good Kev, should have known, this was yours...

Much inspiration taken from you Vlietje - Next phase of the project will be to source all new interior parts as per your build. I may be dropping you a PM very soon!
Cant wait for more updates on yours.


Looks amazing bud but where did you get those mats I am in desperate need of a set ��

Got tipped off about one set on eBay and found another set on a Facebook group. Made my friends weekend at billing by handing a set over to him for his GTE!
They were not in 100% mint condition and still are not but my mum made a dam good job of cleaning them up for me. A session with the wet vac at the end of the year should see a further improvement.

[L33 LEG]

Excellent thread, glad you finally started one.

I've seen some stunning novas over the years but this one has got to be the cleanest. Pictures don't show how immaculate it is. Will look forward to see the future updates and I'm glad you're happy with my interior, will be something that I regret selling no doubt.

[Kev Turbo]

Excellent thread, glad you finally started one.

I've seen some stunning novas over the years but this one has got to be the cleanest. Pictures don't show how immaculate it is. Will look forward to see the future updates and I'm glad you're happy with my interior, will be something that I regret selling no doubt.

Would have loved to chat more mate but I was super busy and should not have been spending anymore time on the car ;)

Would love to catch up with you at a show soon! Can't thank you enough!

[Balley]

Very nice and very rare car!

[Kev Turbo]

So the GSi took its final trip for the year into storage last week.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/4db2c039-6b70-4513-9e32-dd39351ac20e.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/4db2c039-6b70-4513-9e32-dd39351ac20e.jpg.html)

Then was zipped up into her bed

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014161545.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/Photo14-07-2014161545.jpg.html)

And inflated

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/c201c4d9-b108-43ac-877c-24a09a872890.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Interior%20Upgrade/c201c4d9-b108-43ac-877c-24a09a872890.jpg.html)

So sadly that brings this years progress to and end. I was gutted to leave the car for another 6 months as there is so much I would love to get on with before next years shows but will have to wait until I return to UK.

Future plans include......

- Paint both bumpers and mirrors due to minor chipping over the years,
- Re install the original red bumper tape (Still trying to find one)
- Start the hunt for as many "brand new" interior / engine pieces / parts I can find. Still waiting on my copy of EPC to source part numbers.
- I suspect the head gasket is on the way out so source a new genuine headset and rear plastic coolent pipe.
- Track down an uncut or repairable "XB" car loom.

Will update as and when I acquire parts. If any of you have anything in "stock / back of your loft" do the decent thing and drop me a PM! ;)

Thanks for reading.

[ben doodar]

Stunning car mate. Nice to see someone keeping 1 original + love the carcoon. Look forward to future updates.

[Kev Turbo]

Whilst bored at work I was doing a bit of research and noticed unsurprisingly GSi numbers appear to be super low now!

Not entirely sure how accurate this data is but certainly looks good for the few lucky owners who still have one in there garage.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/NovaGsiNumbers.png (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/NovaGsiNumbers.png.html)

[ben doodar]

Lol I still have my nova gsi sorned. Although it was scrapped years ago.

[tb16v]

That's lovely Kev. How come I missed it at billing! Would love to have a gsi in that condition. Good work mate.

[Kev Turbo]

Very nice and very rare car!

Thank you


Stunning car mate. Nice to see someone keeping 1 original + love the carcoon. Look forward to future updates.

I am looking forward to them soon. A few things in the pipeline which i will report on soon.


That's lovely Kev. How come I missed it at billing! Would love to have a gsi in that condition. Good work mate.

I didnt miss yours Steve :) - Looked Great. Cant wait to see the SR next year.

[andybishop]

Car looked Stunning at Billing Kev, and good to catch up!

[LDAWSON]

She's a beauty....so what are your plans exactly kev? There's not much room for improvement really....

[Kev Turbo]

Car looked Stunning at Billing Kev, and good to catch up!

Thanks Andy, No where near where i want it to be but with my limited time in UK its the best i can do for now. I suppose just getting to a show from 3000 miles away is some sort of achievement! Yours looked great as always and it was great to spend a couple of hours catching up. Roll on next year!


She's a beauty....so what are your plans exactly kev? There's not much room for improvement really....

Have lots I would love to do to it - Want to get the engine out and bring that back to original condition and the same with the floor pan.
Soon as i can put some solid hours in on it i will blitz through it.



As a side not i have just sourced a second hand cylinder head which i have sent for reconditioning. Pictures to follow.

[Kev Turbo]

No update on the cars progress but I do have a minor update on the cars history.

Managed to track down the "complete" (To my mind complete until proven otherwise) list of L Reg GSi's and from the DVLA worked out that L26 LUM is the 3rd last GSi to leave the dealers forecourt.

Interesting read for those that have not seen it with a complete table of the 12 vehicles on page 10.

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?96484-L-reg-Nova-GSi-s

Adds a little bit of something to the history so was a worthwhile exercise.

Next I will turn my attention to the previous owners and see how far back I can go - Will keep the thread updated with any progress.

[Kev Turbo]

Minor Update

I have managed to book some time off for the end of November to give the family and the Nova some TLC.

As we arrived home from billing I noticed the car had developed a tiny splutter. On further inspection the coolant tank was low and I noticed that the plastic water bar had minute hairline crack in it which after prolonged driving drained coolant and I think has cooked the head gasket.
The bottom hose form the header tank had been over tightened and caused the failure.

I am going to address this by fitting a new head gasket in November. In preparation for this I have had another head built so that I can make the change in one afternoon. No upgrades just a fresh rebuild to keep it OEM.
http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/10754943_842690589096004_372736484_n.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/10754943_842690589096004_372736484_n.jpg.html)

I have also sourced 2 plastic water bars in the hope that one is good enough to install. New gaskets throughout are also waiting for me at the engine builders.

I have not seen the car since July but I think she is tucked up in a brand new carcoon which I had sent home for it as well. The old man has apparently inflated it and put the car inside so will grab a few pictures on my return.

With only a few days at home I am sure something will go wrong but hoping I can get this back into drive able condition and ready for next years Billing.

Lets hope it all goes as smoothly as possible!

[Benn]

I know you want OEM as poss. But the plastic water bars are 20+ years old. Splitting is some that happens.. Not wont getting a metal one and painting it black? No worries that way...
Head looks very nice.

[Kev Turbo]

I take you point on board Benn and agree however the plastic one will be enough to get the car up and running again as I really don't have time to paint one up in black due to limited days in the UK.

I will look into sourcing a metal one and fit it when I take the engine out at a later date to clean up the bay etc.

[Benn]

Cool, just a thought so. I've had a few of them spilt too.

[krobinson]

Good times

[Kev Turbo]

Not updated this thread since late 2014 so here is a quick update.

Truth be told not a great deal has happened due to only visiting the UK twice last year fora family bereavement so progress on the little GSi was put on hold.
However late in 2014 I did manage to cure the running problems by fitting a new cylinder head and gasket set. The car runs faultlessly now.

Car off to the garage to receive new head

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/C97AF590-933C-4E0D-88AB-E3421D64FF67.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/C97AF590-933C-4E0D-88AB-E3421D64FF67.jpg.html)

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/3C01D0B7-C4D2-44AF-B988-B38EE7DBD718.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/3C01D0B7-C4D2-44AF-B988-B38EE7DBD718.jpg.html)

All fixed and running well. 2 years later I am still searching for a standard E16SE rocker cover with the "1.6 Injection" writing in red. The polished cover really does bug me.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/E58C553A-A2C7-4C92-A417-CBDAB7D9238A.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/E58C553A-A2C7-4C92-A417-CBDAB7D9238A.jpg.html)



http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/F0E05CA2-3F8D-4989-9969-D4A58BBDDC90.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/F0E05CA2-3F8D-4989-9969-D4A58BBDDC90.jpg.html)

I also managed to source a factory option CD player which I have yet to install.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/3A331447-3CEC-42A9-AFE5-E66683BA02AA.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/3A331447-3CEC-42A9-AFE5-E66683BA02AA.jpg.html)

My Carcoon fans died a death so I upgraded to a newer unit which is made of a softer material opposed to the plastic version which is prone to scratch the car. You can also see I cover the car in a very soft "Parachute" type material which in the event of the carcoon deflating stop and material abrasion on the paintwork.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/EED5137F-2A6B-4FC6-AC7F-E17D1A7673CD.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/EED5137F-2A6B-4FC6-AC7F-E17D1A7673CD.jpg.html)

All tucked up for the foreseeable future.

http://i707.photobucket.com/albums/ww78/kev_vaux/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/CC13CC88-EF79-452A-974E-2DC3732ABC2A.jpg (http://s707.photobucket.com/user/kev_vaux/media/Nova%20gsi/Random%20Uploads/CC13CC88-EF79-452A-974E-2DC3732ABC2A.jpg.html)

I do not expect to see the car for at least the next 12 months as my brother is getting married this year. He would not be best impressed if I skip the wedding to tinker with the GSi J Hopefully I can attend Billing 2017.
Work is very unstable in Dubai right now so I may return to the UK after 12 more months and go back to student life & study for an MBA. If things do pan out that way I anticipate spending a little more time on the car.

I have collected a fair amount of parts over the last 2 years in case I ever do decide to rebuild the car to concourse condition. I will grab some pictures of the parts and post them up in due course.

That is all for now :thumb:

[Ian_Gsi16v]

Very clean Nova, I remember seeing it at plenty of shows in the early noughties.

Does the carcoon have some sort of tyre inflator system to stop them from going flat?

[Kev Turbo]

Very clean Nova, I remember seeing it at plenty of shows in the early noughties.

Does the carcoon have some sort of tyre inflator system to stop them from going flat?

Thanks Ian,

No inflator but it does have a built in trickle charger for the battery.

[Ian_Gsi16v]

Thanks Ian,

No inflator but it does have a built in trickle charger for the battery.

Oh well, at least it keeps the battery conditioned. Pulled my Corsa GSi out of the garage on Saturday after 4 or 5 months and all the tyres where suitably flat, looks like there isn't a solution to that unless the cars are kept off there wheels I guess!

[Benn]

Love the cover, that is very cool. May i ask, what do you do out in Dubai?

[L33 LEG]

Good to see an update with this. Can't get over how clean this thing looked when I saw it. Bet you can't wait to get back to work on it lol

I'm surprised this car came with an E16, thought it would of been a C16SE being a late one.

[Kev Turbo]

Love the cover, that is very cool. May i ask, what do you do out in Dubai?

Hi Ben,
I am currently the Operations Manager of the Middle East for a US company who specialize in offshore / hazardous environment telecommunications.
Basically we connect offshore platforms & sites up to the real world via satellite links and provide voice and data services - Mainly energy & Government clients.

[Kev Turbo]

Good to see an update with this. Can't get over how clean this thing looked when I saw it. Bet you can't wait to get back to work on it lol

I'm surprised this car came with an E16, thought it would of been a C16SE being a late one.

Thanks mate - Hope things are well with you and the new pad!
The later L reg cars were the left overs K's which were not sold so the engines found in them are a mixed bag of E/C16's
If you have a look at this thread it gives you link to a spread sheet with details of most of the 15 L reg GSi's (Engines / colours etc)

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthread.php?96484-L-reg-Nova-GSi-s/page14

[L33 LEG]

Things are very well thanks apart from not having anywhere at home to store a nova lol

That's interesting to know. I hope one day I'll own an L reg GSi but in the meantime I'll just follow this and be very jealous of it.

[krobinson]

Looking good Kev

[Benn]

Hi Ben,
I am currently the Operations Manager of the Middle East for a US company who specialize in offshore / hazardous environment telecommunications.
Basically we connect offshore platforms & sites up to the real world via satellite links and provide voice and data services - Mainly energy & Government clients.

Ah i see. Thank you.

[tb16v]

looking good Kev, cover looks awesome! that will keep it well