Never ending Nova project

[paul james]

This will be a bit of an unsual project thread as the Nova in question has been rebuilt already. Unfortunately I didn't make a thread as I was going along as basically I never planned on doing quite so much in the first place! However since I intend to keep the car forever (or as long as I can at least) it will have more work done to maintain it and as funds allow new additions to improve it further, so it won't only be a thread about the past.

Heres the car in its current state:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova068_zpsjja7lxmv.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova068_zpsjja7lxmv.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova069_zpsqow34up4.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova069_zpsqow34up4.jpg.html)

So I will be going back in time with this thread to show how the car has progressed. Since I'm looking back I thought I might as well start from the very beginning...

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/firstnova_zpstrbga45v.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/firstnova_zpstrbga45v.jpg.html)

The car that started my love of Novas and eventual fascination with modifying and fixing cars. Back in 1991 my Mum bought this car to replace a horribly unreliable Metro. It served well as a family car but I didn't really think too much of it, it was just a basic car. It wasn't until I started learning to drive that I began to really appreciate the car, as my mum kindly put up with teaching me to drive in it. Eventually I passed my test and my Mum gave it to me as my first car, at this point it was very rusty and looked shabby but I absolutley loved it. The Nova bug had bitten, I had the freedom a car gave and the basicness of a Nova really won me over. The lack of power steering, abs, the fact you felt the road through the car much more because of its simplicity was a good thing for an eager new driver and I think I might well have crashed a different car.

I had the car for about 6 months then if memory serves correctly the head gasket went and a rear spring went straight through the rusty platform. I was told it was uneconomical to repair, and at the time I didn't know anywhere near enough about cars to fix it myself. It was really sad to see that car go and I couldn't even face seeing it get scrapped!

I just had to get another Nova, and somehow on a £3 something an hour weekend job I bought my own as quickly as I could. I bought myself for the grand sum of £800 a 1.2i (not so) special edition Spin, which was the most reliable car I've ever had. It was a bit slower than the old carb 1.2 saloon but I loved it all the same. It would have been at this point I first started visiting this forum, or Novaload as I think it was called then. Typically it wasn't long before I wanted to modify it, but thankfully since the over the top bodykits and such popular at the time were out of my spending reach it was all tasteful. So the car got kitted out with GSi three spokes, an induction kit, stainless rear box and a carb exhaust section to de-cat it.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/spin1_zpsq1mwxn6c.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/spin1_zpsq1mwxn6c.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/spin2_zpsbf00jzkx.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/spin2_zpsbf00jzkx.jpg.html)

Those modifications did little to really improve the pace of the car, it did sound nice though. So after a few years of motoring the time came to upgrade, I did consider perhaps putting a 1.6 in it, but then this car came up for sale and I just had to have it:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova001_zpsfcurvy0q.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova001_zpsfcurvy0q.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova002_zpszt0wyryo.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova002_zpszt0wyryo.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova003_zps6ltnvdhp.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova003_zps6ltnvdhp.jpg.html)

Still have the text from the original for sale ad:

For sale
E-reg metallic steel grey Nova 1.3sr on twin weber 40 carbs
Rolling road tuned at 100 bhp
As quick as a GTE/GSI but cheaper to insure!
Spec;
Rare pair of original nova sport carbs with irmsher inlet manifold, ITG racing air filter
Full GSI spec inc interior, dash, electric windows etc
Koni adjustable suspension
Astra GSI front brakes with braided hoses
Head rebuilt and Kent cam fitted by S.B.D Motorsport
Full stainless steel Magnex exhaust
Cat 1 alarm and immobiliser
£1300
Selling on Astra sport wheels fitted with Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres or cheap set of 14" alloys for bit less if you wanna source your own set of alloys, i.e. bigger than the astra wheels as the arches have been rolled when they were replaced 18months ago.

Driving it back home put a big smile on my face, the noise of the twin 40's is addictive and the speed of the car was so much better than I was used to. Eleven years later and it still makes me smile everytime I drive it.

It was my daily driver and it made driving to and from work the best part of the working day. A bad day in work would be remedied by getting in and firing it up. Then one summer I did one of the best things I've ever done and took it to the Ring:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova004_zpsmaleaisr.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova004_zpsmaleaisr.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova005_zpsap4hqavd.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova005_zpsap4hqavd.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova006_zpsermncs1o.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova006_zpsermncs1o.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova007_zpsfyplrkvv.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova007_zpsfyplrkvv.jpg.html)

It was a fantastic experience, drove the car all the way there through France and Belgium. I had bought Gran Turismo 4 on the PS2 the day before leaving to practive the green hell and it paid off. I managed to remember the track pretty well and since its so full of corners I could get around quicker than a lot of faster expensive cars apart from Sabine in the BMW ring taxi who flew past me. The only problem was when a motorbike decided to cut me up on a corner and I went off the track to avoid hitting him. The Nova didn't appreciate coming to a sudden stop, cut out and wouldn't start. Thankfully it did come to life before the tow guy could reach the car (caught in the photo above) and I sped off quickly, scared of a hefty tow charge as I'd read scare stories of expensive fines before going there. The Nova did me proud, I'd recommend the Nurburgring to anyone.

Not much of a project thread so far, but thats all to come...

[House]

Decent work!! What's on the horizon as a first job in the new restoration??

[paul james]

Part of my reasoning for buying the SR was that it was a ready made car, I didn't have to do anything to it. This assumption proved to be very wrong! To be fair the car gave me no problems for several years, but eventually the first trial arrived. On a long journey collecting my sister from Uni, the top radiator hose blew, the AA taped it up but that didn't help much and I limped the car home constanty filling it up with water. Thus came the first major car fix I had to undertake, fixing a head gasket.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova007b_zpsvzdft1ws.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova007b_zpsvzdft1ws.jpg.html)

This seemed to go well and the car was back on the road for daily duties.

Since the car was kept on the street outside my house it was vunerable, and sadly somebody drove into the side of it scratching up and denting the rear arch. So it was time to clear out the garage and fix it. Unfortunately a combination of not taking enough photos, and losing what I did take from a hard drive crash means my progress at this point can't be shown.

So with the car in the garage I decided to give the the car a good look over, and the perfect car I had bought wasn't quite as perfect as I had thought. The rear arches that had been repaired by the previous owner looked fine from the outside (other than the slight crash damage on one side) but weren't done properly on the inside with rusty metal left in to spread. Adding to that the cars high mileage, the shell had covered nearly 200,000 miles at that point between me and its eleven! previous owners. So there was rust to be found everywhere I started looking, this was going to be a big project.

So I got myself another car as a daily driver and started investing in my own tools, most importantly an angle grinder and a mig welder, essential kit for a Nova owner it seems. It was pretty scary the first time I started chopping out rust with the grinder as theres no going back at that point. A sensible person would have scrapped the car as the rust was pretty bad, but I was determined to save it. I taught myself to weld by reading a book on it and practicing on some scrap metal. I had to weld up the front turrets, rear spring platforms, floor pan, boot floor, new metal into the rear arches, lots in the inner arches etc. Basically everything other than the roof and bonnet needed doing, and its a shame I don't have photos of all that.

Looking back now I wish I had a roll over spit to repair the car on as grinding and welding lying underneath a car on axle stands isn't the easiest or most comfortable way of doing it, but at the time I didn't know such things existed. So eventually after a lot of welding work the car was patched up and ready to paint. I'd always wanted a black car (all the cool cars from my childhood were black - KITT from Knight Rider, Mad Max interceptor, Batmobile), so I decided since I'd welded it all up myself why not paint it myself too. Since it was a total colour change I painted the inside too, under the carpets, under the bonnet etc. Doing this in my little garage wasn't ideal, and it could have gone better but as a first attempt at painting a car it worked out well I think.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova008_zps21jry5pw.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova008_zps21jry5pw.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova009_zpsgxanswjt.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova009_zpsgxanswjt.jpg.html)

I sprayed the inside first, then the outside and did the wings, tailgate, spoiler and bumpers seperately

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova010_zpsfkpazo16.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova010_zpsfkpazo16.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova011_zpsnybgd5b6.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova011_zpsnybgd5b6.jpg.html)

The poor old scruffy GSi that had been my daily got trashed when some fool tried to steal it, so I ended up giving that away to another local Nova owner so it could live on in some way. So since the SR was finished it became my daily again.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/gsi_zpsym3cq6be.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/gsi_zpsym3cq6be.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova012_zpsagzdwfzn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova012_zpsagzdwfzn.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova013_zps0jis7n3d.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova013_zps0jis7n3d.jpg.html)

It no longer looks much like an SR, as I removed the last of the vinyl on it and didn't fancy replacing it. With the MK2 rear end it wasn't exactly standard looking anyway, and I prefer the clean de-badged look. The side skirts were a rust trap so I didn't bother putting them back on, and I think the car looks better without them. During the respray I also smoothed and colour coded the handles, got rid of the rear wiper and properly delocked the doors.

I was happy with the car and at that point I guess I considered it done, but that was all to change again.
To be continued... (with more actual project photos this time)

[paul james]

Decent work!! What's on the horizon as a first job in the new restoration??

Thanks, I've still got to update the thread with all the stuff I've already done previously. I'll reply with future plans in more detail later, but essentially I want to make it lighter and use it for a few track days next year when the decent weather returns if I can.

[paul james]

I used the Nova for about a year from then I guess, but then it failed the dreaded mot test. Most of the problems were small, but it failed miserably on the emissions test. So back into the garage the car went to hide, and I got myself a Celica GT as a runaround car, which marks the last time the Nova was used for daily duties.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova014_zps2eomrewt.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova014_zps2eomrewt.jpg.html)

It turned out the head gasket had failed again, so off with the head.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova015_zps5qltn6gn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova015_zps5qltn6gn.jpg.html)

The previous head gasket fix was just that, a straight swap of the failed gasket for a new one. I hadn't bothered getting the head skimmed as I'd read conflicing reports about the need for it, and at the time probably couldn't afford it anyway.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova016_zpsjqubdb1s.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova016_zpsjqubdb1s.jpg.html)

This time I had the head skimmed and replaced all the valve seals as one was damaged.

[paul james]

The Nova was running fine again, but I wasn't quite happy with it. Since I had another car to drive I made the decision to start tidying up the Nova a bit more. I had previously spread a whole large tin of waxoil underseal on the underneath of the car, the worst thing I've ever done to it. It really doesn't stop rust and since it doesn't dry out it makes working on the car a nightmare as you get covered in it. It took me countless hours to get all that gunk off the car, and I found more rust to deal with.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova017_zpsfscapbwq.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova017_zpsfscapbwq.jpg.html)

As I was properly looking over the car I got more unimpressed with how all the parts on it were rusty and tired looking. It seemed a shame that the car looked good from the outside, but once you looked under the bonnet or anywhere under the car it looked rough.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova019_zpsgnlpebdj.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova019_zpsgnlpebdj.jpg.html)

So I started stripping it down and began with the front suspension. It might not have been the standard equipment, but even these Konis had a hard life:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova017b_zpsuz8nyehh.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova017b_zpsuz8nyehh.jpg.html)

I was initially going to just sand down the rust and repaint them, but found one had poor movement and decided to just replace them both. This is when the project really started getting expensive, I haven't even dared try counting up what I've spent on it. Adding to the cost is when nearly every job requires a new tool, this occasion spring compressors. But I consider it money well spent, the cost of buying tools and doing it yourself is still cheaper than paying someone else to do it. I seperated all the parts from the struts which all needed a refurb or replacement too.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova018_zpsyt2bl5yb.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova018_zpsyt2bl5yb.jpg.html)

The Nova now looking very sorry for itself, I was slightly questioning should I really bother going further. The Nova pretty much stayed in this sad state for about 6 months as I was really busy in work over winter. But as soon as summer came I started spending all my spare time on it.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova021_zpsqnwckslm.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova021_zpsqnwckslm.jpg.html)

[paul james]

I then stripped down the back end, and started to realise just how much space a Nova takes up when its in bits!
The fuel tank wasn't in too bad shape, and surprisingly it was totally spotless inside, I'd asumed it would be full of dirt and rust as it was surely the original one from 1988.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova022_zpsplxbdjsx.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova022_zpsplxbdjsx.jpg.html)

The rear beam however was very rusty indeed. The slim layer of paint they get from the factory had for the most part long disappeared.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova023_zpsq7n3wzys.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova023_zpsq7n3wzys.jpg.html)

With the fuel filler neck off some hidden rust was discovered, which was a lot worse than this picture suggests once the area was cleaned up.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova024_zpsmzdyfqll.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova024_zpsmzdyfqll.jpg.html)

With the front suspension off the car I had a better view and access to more rust which needed fixing. A small rust spot showing through paint always ends up being a lot worse than it looks when you start attacking it and you end up with a pile of brown bits on the floor, quite disheartening! I removed the sound deadening from the firewall which weighed a lot more than I expected, wish I had weighed it now before binning it.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova025_zpsi85z4p2x.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova025_zpsi85z4p2x.jpg.html)

The back end was hiding more of the dreaded rusting metal, again it was a lot worse than the photo suggests:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova026_zpsyt30mchq.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova026_zpsyt30mchq.jpg.html)

The more rust I fixed the more I seemed to find, and it got to the point where I was so sick of seeing it that I chose to get rid of every last speck of it. I didn't want to see rust on any bit of the shell, the parts or the nuts and bolts holding them together.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova028_zpsp06x4stg.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova028_zpsp06x4stg.jpg.html)

[Southie]

Already liking this build just as I like old time nostalgia tbh, anything to do with some one who's always loved a Nova and has still got one after so long makes me smile somehow :)

[paul james]

My welding efforts might not always look very pretty, but they are strong, I could probably jack the car up from my repair sections lol

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova030_zpsw9sqxrvs.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova030_zpsw9sqxrvs.jpg.html)


I don't always make things easy for myself, for example repraying an engine bay with the engine still in there! It worked out ok though, and I hand brush painted some areas which you can't see anyway.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova029_zpsvsuitdoh.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova029_zpsvsuitdoh.jpg.html)

Like a magpie I became obsessed with shiney things. So I tracked down various bling and replacements for rusty parts to make the engine look better. A stainless washer bottle, Bailey header tank, stainless bonnet stay, new backing plate for the wiper motor, new coil, new fuel pump, roose silicone hoses with stainless steel clamps and polished rocker cover and oil cap. I used stainless bolts, nuts and washers to attach everything that didn't need high tensile fixings.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova031_zpshzsyrl4j.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova031_zpshzsyrl4j.jpg.html)

I managed to break one of the ignition leads, so following my principle of replace with better I got some 'performace' leads. Probably not worth the cost, but by now I was getting carried away!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova032_zps2xijx4zn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova032_zps2xijx4zn.jpg.html)

[paul james]

With the engine bay looking a whole lot better it was time to move onto everything else. The front hubs were far too rusty for my liking:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova033_zpshdxy8koc.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova033_zpshdxy8koc.jpg.html)


So Along with a lot of other parts to come I spent ages with wire wheel and brush attachements on a drill to get rid of all the rust. Bits of wire come off those attachments pretty easily and I ended up pulling quite a few of them out of myself. Thankfully not out of anywhere too delicate! I'd learned my lesson from past experience to be as careful as possible. I use goggles that fully fit the face rather than safety glasses with gaps that bits of metal can and will find their way through. When grinding the car previously I got a piece of metal stuck in my eye. It wasn't fun pulling that out with tweezers, even less fun was that the cut in my eyeball kept me awake for two nights!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova034_zpsmptxg8ud.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova034_zpsmptxg8ud.jpg.html)


The rear beam was a total mess of rust, this picture doesn't do it justice as I'd alreay spent ages getting it to this point:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova035_zps1ldwxocz.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova035_zps1ldwxocz.jpg.html)

The rubber bushes were a total pain to remove, only fire could coax them out of their homes.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova036_zpsjskzn4b9.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova036_zpsjskzn4b9.jpg.html)

Rusty in here too, I'm glad Vauxhall used thick metal for the drum backing plates as it meant I could rescue them instead of having to buy new ones.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova037_zps3klunf3e.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova037_zps3klunf3e.jpg.html)

[paul james]

The front brakes on the car were already an upgrade over standard being Astra 2.0 calipers. I did consider replacing them, but I had always been happy with how they worked and multi piston calipers were an expense too far at that time. As were new Astra calipers or refurbished ones so I decided to rebuild my own. They were very rusty to start with, but cleaned up very nicely with effort. I put new pistons in them along with new seals, I was quite surprised how simple design a brake caliper is. I don't know why I expected them to be more complicated, I just assumed they would be. The bleed screws are stainless steel ones, can't be putting in anything that will rust!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova038_zpsbkg1y8tu.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova038_zpsbkg1y8tu.jpg.html)

With the carriers (and some other bits) I'd experimented with different ways to remove rust. Leaving one in a bowl full of vinegar, and the other in a bowl of cola. Both removed rust pretty well after leaving them a couple of days, but the metal would rust over again exteremly quickly. I find it better to phyically attack the rust using wire wheels and polycarbide discs and don't stop untill theres no dark bits just clean metal.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova039_zpsuquunxp0.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova039_zpsuquunxp0.jpg.html)

The drum plates were restored to as new condition, I even painted the bare metal of the drum cylinders. The unions on the brake lines didn't all come loose without a fight and a couple ended up getting rounded off. Trying to cut and reflare the steel lines proved impossible so I set about making my own. I used the originals as a template to work from, for the most part I found the bending tool I bought too awkward to use and found my thumb did a much better job. I used stainless steel unions on my new lines and bought union spanners which I didn't realise existed before to fit them back in the car.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova040_zpsxnw85dvy.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova040_zpsxnw85dvy.jpg.html)

I had previously bought a four branch manifold to replace the standard SR set up, I soon regretted doing this as it didn't peform as well in my opinion. Since I'd foolishly recycled the original manifold I set about searching for a suitable replacement, which proved rather difficult. I spent months looking but eventually found a 4-2-1 manifold. Its a much better design, closer to the original one but no doubt lighter being made of steel rather than a mix of steel and cast iron.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova041_zpsewgsiq4w.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova041_zpsewgsiq4w.jpg.html)

[paul james]

When I reprayed the car I'd bought new pattern wings to put on it, but unfortunately they had already started to rust and the fitment wasn't exactly great either. So I got some very nice fibreglass wings from the guy who used to sell them on here, he kindly drilled out the top holes for me and I did the repeater and bumper holes so they could fit as normal. Its a shame they aren't available to buy any more as it gives a nice peace of mind knowing theres two less panels that can rust :)

Another added benefit is the nice bit of weight loss they give up front:

MK1 patttern steel wing – 3.3 Kg
MK1 Fibreglass wing – 1.49 Kg
Making a 3.62Kg saving

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova042_zps6u93tlqj.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova042_zps6u93tlqj.jpg.html)

I wanted to freshen up everything I could, including things like the gearbox bottom cover plate

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova043_zpsodwztrim.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova043_zpsodwztrim.jpg.html)

I rebuilt the driveshafts with new CV joints on both ends which along with the shafts themselves got several coats of paint to keep them looking new. It wasn't just the dining room table that took on car part storge and assembly, I think every room in the house had something in it, bumpers in bedrooms and such.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova044_zpsie7rxcb6.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova044_zpsie7rxcb6.jpg.html)

I spent a lot of time lying underneath the car using the angle grinder, drill and mig welder, removing all the rust and making the car strong. Numerous coats of etch/zinc primer, paint and stone chip were applied to keep it in good shape. When I later took it for its mot the tester asked how I put a new floor on the car! Which made me happy of the efforts I'd made in patching it up without it being obvious.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova045_zpsorv8a7mu.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova045_zpsorv8a7mu.jpg.html)

My new brank lines were put in place ready. I'd refurbished the tank straps, the nyloc nuts and even the dowel pins that attach them to shell had to be stainless steel.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova046_zpskvdfadm5.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova046_zpskvdfadm5.jpg.html)

The engine block got the rust killing treatment too, and then several coats of high temperature paint. The original sump on the car had suffered a dent at some point and despite being fairly well oil covered still managed to become rusty, so that had to be replaced with a new one.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova047_zpsdskhsmwy.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova047_zpsdskhsmwy.jpg.html)

The original fuel tank wasn't quite rust free enough for my liking, so I didn't want to put it back on the car.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova027_zpsxkmkrxsk.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova027_zpsxkmkrxsk.jpg.html)

The plastic ball in pipe thing that stops fuel flowing out the tank into the filler neck was a nightmare to get out of the old tank. But since I couldn't find a replacement one anywhere I had to persevere, and did manage to get it out in one piece without ruining it. The new tank had multiple coats of petrol resistant paint applied to it, along with stick on rubber strips where it meets the shell. I couldn't find a suitable normal hose to go between the tank and filler neck so ended up getting some fuel resistant silicone hose and putting a peice of that in. All the other hoses were also replaced with new ones.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova048_zpsucskivzn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova048_zpsucskivzn.jpg.html)

The front hubs were all fully painted up, and with more parts ready the car was starting to be built back up again.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova049_zpsf1cpyysd.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova049_zpsf1cpyysd.jpg.html)

Hubs on, along with new track rod ends, bottom ball joints, lower arms with polyurethane bushes. The steering arms had new gaitors put on them, even the gearbox was treated to a new earth strap.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova050_zpskxio0otd.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova050_zpskxio0otd.jpg.html)

The rear beam all cleaned up, painted and rebuilt. The anti roll bar makes a big difference, when I took it out the beam would flex a huge amount between each end. All new hand brake cables were obtained, and poly bushes installed.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova051_zpsqh0bhbdk.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova051_zpsqh0bhbdk.jpg.html)

The rear beam attached to the car as with everything else using brand new nuts and bolts. I replaced the Koni rear shocks with Spax ones as they are adjustable in place rather than needing to remove them to make any adjustment. I re-used the -40mm springs I had as once they were cleaned up and painted looked great again.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova052_zpsfxfwrf0c.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova052_zpsfxfwrf0c.jpg.html)

The rear brakes smartend up with new shoes, springs, cylinders and stub axles. The only bits I didn't replace were the few auto-adjusting parts which were in great shape anyway.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova053_zpsi50lu8fs.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova053_zpsi50lu8fs.jpg.html)

New drums in place painted up with silver brake paint to match the calipers in the front, along with new bearings.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova054_zpsxbxk8sut.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova054_zpsxbxk8sut.jpg.html)

[paul james]

I know the alloy TX radiators have a bit of a bad reputation now, but the one I bought was an older unused one and hasn't given me any issues. I attached a slim line fan which gives plenty of extra room and gives a nice little weight saving too:

Standard radiator fan and cowling - 2.05 Kg
9”/25cm 80w Slim Line radiator fan – 0.89 Kg

I used to have a manual switch for the fan, but I put a new working temp switch in this radiator so it would come on automatically. The alloy radiator seems to keep the car cooler than the old standard one managed to.

New heat wrapped 4-2-1 manfiold attached using stainless steel studs and new copper nuts. Used a small ratchet spanner which made it easier, wish I'd known about ratchet spanners before.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova055_zpsbyx6lcid.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova055_zpsbyx6lcid.jpg.html)

The ITG filter never really fitted well into the engine bay, so I replaced it with two paired filter socks. It seems a shame to cover up those lovely looking air trumpets, but I won't risk leaving them uncovered to suck in anything they shouldn't. I attached the fuel pressure regulator to the firewall with a proper alloy mount, replacing the old cable tie method.

One of the metal fuel union pipes which feed the carbs had developed a tiny hole so the first time I fired up the car it started leaking petrol. Thankfully I noticed this before taking it out and risking it catching on the hot exhaust or anything. So both pipes got replaced with new ones.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova056_zpsgtxelzur.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova056_zpsgtxelzur.jpg.html)

Front suspension installed, front anti roll bar painted and polubushes between them and the also painted tie bars.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova057_zpsix2qyfhg.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova057_zpsix2qyfhg.jpg.html)

The fibreglass wings fitted better than the pattern ones I'd had on it before. They are a single skin so to make them sit at the right position I had to make up some little spacers between the bottom bolt hole and the car. The finishing touch for the bay was a shiney sparco alloy strut brace.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova058_zpstiozgmug.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova058_zpstiozgmug.jpg.html)

And with that the car was done and ready for its mot. For the first time it passed the test with no issues at all, and has done so since too. Its a nice feeling to get that piece of paper without a list of things to pay for.

[paul james]

Some photos from its first outing after the rebuild and going back on the road again. I managed to get the car done in time to be able to enjoy some sunshine.

I ditched the normal rear passenger side light for a Euro one with no reverse section, so both sides match. A bit of form over function, I just use the hazards to let anyone else around know if I need to reverse.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova059_zpsvtqjfijq.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova059_zpsvtqjfijq.jpg.html)

A couple of under car shots. When it was off the car I polished up the stainless magnex exhaust, as it had been all dull and sad looking.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova060_zpso3khv4wn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova060_zpso3khv4wn.jpg.html)

The problem when you get a car to this point is you don't want it getting dirty again!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova061_zpsycc0zwav.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova061_zpsycc0zwav.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova063_zpskboveeyz.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova063_zpskboveeyz.jpg.html)

The MK3 Astra alloy wheels cleaned up nicely

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova062_zpsduyh8xyc.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova062_zpsduyh8xyc.jpg.html)

Although I don't time to drive the car that often, its always a treat when I do. I'm overly fussy now and won't take it out in the rain, I guess the car is enjoying semi-retirement in its old age.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova065_zpsaceohoqe.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova065_zpsaceohoqe.jpg.html)


http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova066_zpsyxw304bx.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova066_zpsyxw304bx.jpg.html)

[paul james]

For comparison, a before and after of the engine bay:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova007b_zpsvzdft1ws.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova007b_zpsvzdft1ws.jpg.html)
http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova064_zpst7739tsl.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova064_zpst7739tsl.jpg.html)

[House]

Love the attention to detail!!!

I'm starting my winter strip down on Monday, seeing this gives me the inspirastion of how good it could look inderneath!!

[paul james]

Love the attention to detail!!!

I'm starting my winter strip down on Monday, seeing this gives me the inspirastion of how good it could look inderneath!!

Thanks, I know it doesn't really ever get seen, but its nice to have the underneath of the car as mint as possible.

Good luck with yours. If you can't get it on a roll over spit then try and get it as high up as possible on axle stands. Its not much fun using power tools under a car with limited space. Had a scary moment with an angle grinder a few years back. The safety switch had broken on it, so it would stay on without my thumb pushing on it. Lost control and it flew straight into my head, thankfully the blade didn't hit me but it was a frightening dash to a mirror to realise that. That evil grinder went straight in the bin and I bought another one, which hasn't tried to kill me lol

[paddy235]

Great project looks great, nice to see another nova local to me

[paul james]

Since I have a daily car (now an unexciting but cheap to run diesel 206) I don't really need the Nova to be a practical car. With those Nova Sport twin 40's on the engine I felt why not embrace that racing heritage a bit more and make the car even more hardcore yet still entirely road legal. A few months ago I bought some nice OMP bucket seats from Willf, a very nice chap with a very impressive Nova. The seats were already on Nova sub-frames, which was ideal as I wasn't overly keen on adapting the shell too much. My intention is that it could be put back to standard if I ever felt like doing so. Being able to adjust the seat position on the rails is a good convenice to have too.

Side by side with the GSi seat I had in the car:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova070_zps7xwotfeg.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova070_zps7xwotfeg.jpg.html)

Trial fitted in the car, sitting in them seem to make the wonky position of a Nova steering wheel even more obvious to my eyes. The seats aren't really blue as these photos suggest and look black in real life.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova073_zpsfiijmbes.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova073_zpsfiijmbes.jpg.html)

I was going to try and save some money buy getting some used harnesses. But after looking for a while they were always in a colour I didn't want or in shabby condition. So I got fed up of looking and bought some new 4 point OMP harnesses.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova075_zpsbuxred4e.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova075_zpsbuxred4e.jpg.html)

Three of the four points on each harness could be bolted into the standard belt holes. The one in the sill, two in the rear, which left one to improvise. My initial plan was to drill through the exhaust tunnel, but I felt there wasn't much room on the passenger side with the handbrake cable mount being there. So I opted to replicate the standard seat method and weld a threaded hole piece onto the seat subframe.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova071_zpsttkgwx0i.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova071_zpsttkgwx0i.jpg.html)

I used an old car mat to protect the seat fabric when welding the new mounts on

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova074_zps0uplj1bi.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova074_zps0uplj1bi.jpg.html)

Gave them a couple of coats of paint

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova072_zpskdtb6zyn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova072_zpskdtb6zyn.jpg.html)

And the seats are in! The shape of the seats make getting into the car more cumbersome and the harnesses take much longer to put on than normal belts, but I love them. The extra effort makes driving the car feel like an event, even if it is just a Sunday drive somewhere.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova078_zpszxz1euos.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova078_zpszxz1euos.jpg.html)

Part of my justification for getting the buckets was to make the Nova lighter as well as more racing car like. I weighed them as well as my GSi seats to see the difference, each seat is 2 kilos lighter. Which was a little dissapointing, making just a 4 kilo saving, however since the rear seats no longer fitted thats where the real weight saving could be made.

Rear seats - 20.85 Kg
All the original belts and fixings - 5.08 Kg
Rear parcel shelf - 2.3 Kg

OMP harnesses - 3.02 Kg

So between the seats and belts I've ditched 29.21 Kilos out of the car.

The Twin's 40's make such a great noise that I rarely listed to music in the car, so I took out the old late 90's CD player and put a plastic blanking plate in, saving another 1.4 kilos

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova076_zps3yovphdx.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova076_zps3yovphdx.jpg.html)

Its surprising how much noise those rear seats would soak up, I get a clearer sound from my exhaust now!
I'd fitted the chrome strut brace when I put the suspension back in. I know it doesn't really achieve a lot, and actually is probably couter productive in a way since it adds weight (only 1.3Kg) but it does look cool and if nothing else adds to the image of the car.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova077_zps0sza8dfd.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova077_zps0sza8dfd.jpg.html)

[paul james]

And now the thread has caught up with how the car sits now. I'll try and keep the thread updated with any new things I do.

The latest small efforts include buying a Corsa C spare wheel holder. The original one wasn't long enough to reach through the bigger 15" alloy wheel. It dawned on me that if I should ever be in a shunt, a 15 kilo wheel flying about probably wouldn't be a great thing.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova079_zps6nevmnyc.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova079_zps6nevmnyc.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova082_zpsxzssyr0t.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova082_zpsxzssyr0t.jpg.html)

The original earth cable between the battery and the shell has seen better days and was falling apart. I did look for a replacement standard one but in the end ordered one from a seller on ebay who makes them to whatever spec you want, it was only a few quid posted too:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova080_zpsdhgcm1zu.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova080_zpsdhgcm1zu.jpg.html)

[AndrewC]

I can't quite believe how clean and tidy you've got the underside, rear beam, brakes etc. very nice...wish I'd had the patience. I started to refurb the standard brakes but got bored with it....hats off to you. Not sure you will ever get the seat to steering position optimal without butchering the shell and/or altering the column position.

[Will F]

Nice seats! Lol

[paul james]

I can't quite believe how clean and tidy you've got the underside, rear beam, brakes etc. very nice...wish I'd had the patience. I started to refurb the standard brakes but got bored with it....hats off to you. Not sure you will ever get the seat to steering position optimal without butchering the shell and/or altering the column position.

Thanks, it did take ages, but now all these things have been done in one go I don't have to worry about them again. It nice knowing it doesn't look like its gone around the clock twice any more.
I don't really mind the steering wheel position, I don't particularly notice it when driving. It's just very noticeable getting in the Nova after driving another car all week, I certainly don't feel the need to try and change it though.

[paul james]

When you have a reputation as a 'car guy' its funny how often you get asked to look at or fix cars for everyone you know. The most interesting repair I've taken on recently is my step dads MK1 MX5, which had a few little rust spots that needed attention.

Both front wings had a few bits of the brown stuff, which inevitably was much worse once I started poking at it with a screwdriver to see how bad it was. It was quite annoying getting some of the bolts undone as several were so rusty they had no hex shape to attach a spanner to any more. The damaged bolt removing tools never seem to work for me, so I ended up welding nuts to to top of them to get them out. Naturally I later replaced the useless old nuts and bolts with stainless ones, it's a shame cars didn't leave the factory with them, at least in places where they will meet the elements.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5001_zpsskppnbrb.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5001_zpsskppnbrb.jpg.html)

The lower part of the front wings sit flush with the body and are a real rust trap. So the wings were beyond help and had to be scrapped for new ones. The shell where the wings sit needed tidying up but thankfully the rot hadn't eaten too far so the metal underneath was ok.
Some piles of rust forming on the floor:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5002_zpsqzoz11ab.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5002_zpsqzoz11ab.jpg.html)

It was nice to be able to make more use out of the mig welder again. Sill repair sections are readily available for the old MX5, this one needed both the inner and outer sections.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5003_zpsrzpkh3rf.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5003_zpsrzpkh3rf.jpg.html)

The drivers side sill was in worse shape, its funny how much a cars paint can hold it together, as it actually looked fairly good before the screwdriver inspection happened. These cars like to rust almost as much as Novas it seems, particularly in this area as I now notice when I see other MX5s on the road.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5004_zps4duswvpc.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5004_zps4duswvpc.jpg.html)

Outer repair section going in

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5005_zps2gc2ai8w.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5005_zps2gc2ai8w.jpg.html)

All rust removed inside the wheel arch, painted up and protected ready for the new wings to go back on. MX5 pattern wings are a much better fit than Nova ones!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5006_zpsqpkxsn7z.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5006_zpsqpkxsn7z.jpg.html)

Its always a bit awkward when working on cars away from home as no matter how many of my tools I take with me the one I end up needing has frustratingly been left behind.

It took a few spare Sundays to finish, getting the filler to match the bodywork is probably my least favourite aspect. Obviously I try to get the metal near enough right in the first place so to use as little filler as possible on top. My technique of applying filler could probably be improved though, as it goes on quite messy and I end up having to spend ages sanding it down again and again.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5008_zpsei2ep5ko.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5008_zpsei2ep5ko.jpg.html)

The car all finished and looking nice again, another car saved from the scrapyard!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/mx5009_zpspwuorfdr.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/mx5009_zpspwuorfdr.jpg.html)

[paul james]

Back to the Nova:

I had bought some chrome door latches and pins ages ago and totally forgot about them. I remembered and dug them out this week, they add another bit of subtle shininess to the car.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova084_zpsysef7onr.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova084_zpsysef7onr.jpg.html)

I got fed up of the typical oil leaking from the rocker cover and having to clean it up. So I put another gasket in along with a small bit of gasket sealer around it. The oil cap was letting oil out too so I bought a new rubber seal for that which will hopefully cure it.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova085_zps9mzecklw.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova085_zps9mzecklw.jpg.html)

Its a much tighter fit now

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova086_zpswjvilwci.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova086_zpswjvilwci.jpg.html)

In my continuing quest to lose some weight from the Nova I decided to ditch the horn from inside the drivers side wheel arch. As its an SR it has a multi-tone horn which it managed to achieve by using two seperate horns, the other of which is still attached by the gearbox. This horn didn't work anyway and it still sounds fine with just the remaining one. Its not a big weight saving at 0.41 Kg, but every bit helps.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova087_zps2rlqaphq.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova087_zps2rlqaphq.jpg.html)

[paul james]

My future plans for the car will probably be slowed down by the boring reality of money, having a house that needs paying off gets in the way of spending on toys.

I do need to respray the front bumper when the weather is better again, as I got stuck behind a gritting lorry a while back which seemed to be dispensing stones, jagged rocks and the occasional boulder instead of grit. So my bumper currently looks like a star filled night sky with all the white dots of primer showing through.

I intend on keeping the 1.3 engine, and any further gains from that will be pricey. So I mostly want to improve it by further reducing the weight of the car. An easy start will be door cards without speakers in them, uncut GSi ones if I can find them for a reasonable price, or perhaps some carbon ones and ditch the door pockets too.

I would like a fibreglass (or even better carbon, I can dream) bonnet to help get rid of some weight in the front. A lighter battery might be a good option, no idea how good a racing type battery would be? I'm pretty sure I've currently got a heavier duty battery than I need.

Not sure if I want to reduce any more weight in the back by going for a fibreglass tailgate, losing the spare wheel etc. as I don't want the car to be completely unbalanced with all the weight at the front. I'm not keen on having polycarb windows as I really need to be able to stick my head out of the window to reverse the car into my garage, its a tight fit through the enterance! I'll probably stick with electric windows and keep the heater as thats too useful to ditch.

I had thought of getting lighter wheels but it turns out after doing some weighing that the Astra alloys are only 7 kilos each anyway. I doubt theres a huge amount of weight to be saved without going silly expensive. Surprisingly the Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres I run are heavier than the wheels at 8kilos each, as chunky as the alloys appear they are pretty light.

Since I've already stripped a good amount out my options are a bit limited for weight reduction without going extreme and removing the few luxuries like carpet and headlining etc. It probably doesn't help that I've recently put on a stone either, most of it muscle... I hope lol

[NovalutionGSi]

Good progress there.

I'm glad I looked through your project, did wonder where I could get a longer Spare wheel "holder" from and what car, now I know!

[paul james]

Good progress there.

I'm glad I looked through your project, did wonder where I could get a longer Spare wheel "holder" from and what car, now I know!

Thanks, glad I could help!
I was thinking of cutting out the normal metal support in the boot and replacing it with something else to hold the wheel. But then I had a look on ebay and found a much easier solution with the longer Corsa C plastic holder and noticed the bolt bit was the same type, nice of them not to change the basic design all those years later.

[NovalutionGSi]

No that's good that. Why change something when it ain't broke just increase the length.

[paul james]

First update of the year!

I figured the most cost effective way to reduce the weight up the front of the car was to get a lighter battery. Things have moved on since I last checked out 'racing' batteries and now lithium Ion batteries are available. It took me a while to make up my mind on getting one, as unlike fancy wheels or fibreglass parts, well a battery just isn't particularly exciting or even visibly noticeable with the bonnet down.

I opted for a Varley Li-5 battery, and a suitable charger to go with it. I know there are cheaper lithium batteries on ebay and such, but I thought I'd go with a trusted name.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova088_zpsncnxfjwx.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova088_zpsncnxfjwx.jpg.html)

The difference in size between the old and new battery makes a fun comparison! I laughed when it arrived and I took it out of the box.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova089_zpsxus8ozrj.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova089_zpsxus8ozrj.jpg.html)

The weight difference is crazy, I don't think there is anything I could buy for the car now that would reduce the weight so much in one go. The old battery weighed in at 13.8Kg, the Li-5 is just 1.1Kg!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova090_zpsp87znwvp.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova090_zpsp87znwvp.jpg.html)

I quickly used a bit of the usual CAD (cardboard aided design) to knock up a bracket to hold the battery down, since I'm putting it in the standard place. It was suggested to me to stick the battery inside the car somewhere, but I don't want to use a load of heavy battery cable.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova092_zpsj4z3k0i1.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova092_zpsj4z3k0i1.jpg.html)

Its more than a bit rough, but its just a quick solution for me to be able to try it out without the battery jumping around. I'll either improve it or come up with something else to do the job. The bracket currently weighs in at 200g, so between it and the new battery I'm currently saving 12.5 kilos. I'm going to have to get the car weighed somewhere one day. I guess it started out somewhere in the middle of an SR and GSI in weight terms, it will be interesting to see where its at now.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova091_zpsqgrpvupm.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova091_zpsqgrpvupm.jpg.html)

I also need to replace my earth cable again as its too short, it's temporary bodged with a second cable at the moment.
Since the car has been in hiberation all winter, I ended up draining the Lithium battery without the car getting to fire up. So I hooked up the old battery and turned the engine over enough for fuel to get back up to it so it would start. The Lithium battery fully charges pretty quickly, I didn't time it but I'd guess it took about an hour. I crossed my fingers, hooked it up and it started the car no problem this time. I took the car out for a good run, stopped and started it a few times along the way to make sure the battery could cope with multiple starts, which it managed to easily enough. I'll either have to use the car more often, or keep the old battery on a trickle charge in case I need it for starting. I should drive it more often anyway as its so much fun, especially after months of pretty slow French diesel motoring.

I'm happy with the upgrade, it wasn't a cheap purchase but I thought it was a better experiment than just buying something done before. I'd searched online and couldn't find any mention of one of these batteries being used in a road car, just proper racing ones and motorbikes. So it was good to find out it could cope with a normal alternator etc.

Oh and the oil filler cap rubber seal I'd changed before has definitely 100% cured the oil leak which I had always put down to shoddy cork rocker gaskets, no more annoying little oil leaks hooray!

[Iain]

Hahaha that battery is hilarious. That got similar specs and performance to an OE battery then?

[paul james]

It does look a bit silly sitting where a normal big battery would be!

I don't know the figures, but I think it has roughly the same crank current output as a normal battery, but not as much capacity - as in it won't do as many starts without being recharged by the alternator. I asked a bit much of it to get my car going after months of inactivity, takes a fair bit of engine turning to get the mechanical fuel pump feeding the twin40s then. But after the car had been bought back to life the lithium battery was just fine. Not sure how well it would cope with a big block engine though. According to the instructions the battery should be disconnected when not in use, which is fine for me as the Nova is garaged anyway. It shouldn't drain at all when left unplugged unlike a normal battery which is useful.

[slimtater]

Too late now but you can get the plastic fuel cradle/ball still! :-)

[paul james]

Too late now but you can get the plastic fuel cradle/ball still! :-)

Where have you seen them?

[Will F]

Are you sure that battery is beefy enough?? What amp/hours is it rated at? That's the important figure for being able to crank it over (more than once lol)

[paul james]

Specs for the battery are here:
http://www.varleyredtop.com/products_lithium.htm

I was a bit worried that I'd made an expensive misjudgement, but it can hande cranking the engine over multiple times as I've tried it. I bet it would be even better on an injection engine that actually always starts first time, unlike mine! It charges up from the alternator like a normal battery too.

[Will F]

Ideally under 'normal' operating conditions 14 a/h is needed.... well that's the rule I use!

[paul james]

Its taken me a month to do it, but I finally set about making a better bracket to hold the little battery in place.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova093_zpsvzcvgrgu.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova093_zpsvzcvgrgu.jpg.html)

Since the first attempt was incredibly wonky I raided my random bits of metal pile to start from scratch. It made a nice excuse for a little bit of welding practice.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova094_zpsbs9bz0az.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova094_zpsbs9bz0az.jpg.html)

I kept it pretty simple so it would use just the original threaded mount in the battery tray. I gave it a good spray with silver paint and some laquer to keep it tidy.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova095_zpsbxrawnex.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova095_zpsbxrawnex.jpg.html)

Then used some of the left over rubber stick on stuff I'd used on the petrol tank where the tank straps join on to fill the small gaps between the battery and the bracket for a nice snug vibration free fit.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova096_zpsl7rxmxai.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova096_zpsl7rxmxai.jpg.html)

I bought some good quality quick release battery clamps to make getting the battery out less of a hassle. I've only changed the negative clamp so far though. Don't be tempted by the cheap red and blue plastic covered quick release clamps on ebay, they are utterly useless and only fit for the bin, which is precisely where the ones I bought have now ended up.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova097_zps8gmfx6pf.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova097_zps8gmfx6pf.jpg.html)

Seeing as I'm so slow at progress with the car, and even at using it, it was a good test for the battery. I hadn't charged it in the month between driving it, nor started the car at all in that time. But it handled the neccessary multiple start attempts again with no problem. So I guess it makes the purchase a great success, expensive and a bit of hassle as theres no off the shelf battery support to buy unlike with the older racing batteries, but worth it. Oh and the new battery bracket weighs in at 350g, so now I've only saved 12.35 Kg over the old battery! lol

[Jonesfach]

Personally I would use something to insulate the bracket.

you wouldn't want to short one of the terminals to it, especially the positive terminal with your spanner say, whilst taking it off or putting it on. Would give you a bit of a fright !

insulation tape ?

[paul james]

Good point, I may just put some more of the stick on rubber stuff on the top.

Next on the list of things to do, repaint the front bumper and see about chopping out some of the supporting metal inside it. Its a shame Mk1 fibreglass front bumpers aren't available as I'd go for that option if I could. I know I have a Mk2 bumper on the back, but putting a fibreglass GSi style one on the front would be a bit too odd looking I expect.

Also I might take the doors off, tidy them up and respray them too. I'm not 100% pleased with them as theres a small bit of rust showing through on the bottom of both. I do have two mint totally rust free doors taking up space in the house which I've had spare for years. I'm not sure if I'll bother using them though as it will probably be more work to do the total colour change required on them and then swapping all the bits over than just properly repairing the current ones.

[BRoadGhost]

lol the bracket must weigh the same as the battery

[Southie]

If youve got a mk2 bumper I'd just get a grill and headlights and mk2 the whole front ;)

[paul james]

If youve got a mk2 bumper I'd just get a grill and headlights and mk2 the whole front ;)

I'll be keeping it mk1 up front I think. For one thing I don't want to have to replace the fibreglass wings on it.

[paul james]

lol the bracket must weigh the same as the battery

☺ It's not quite that bad, 350g compared to 1.1 Kg for the battery. Probably works out lighter than sticking the battery in the glove box or somewhere and needing heavy extra cabling.

[paul james]

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova098_zpsg2nfmazf.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova098_zpsg2nfmazf.jpg.html)

I spent a bit of time taking a few unnecessary bits out of the car. I won’t be bothering with a stereo again so the wiring for that and the aerial could go. I now regret keeping the bee-sting aerial on the car, I should have filled the hole when I resprayed it, oh well.
I removed the last fiddly bits of sound deadening I could reach from behind the dash, requiring some contortionist skills with the seats in place! I’d already binned most of it long ago, its pretty heavy stuff and well worth ditching. That little lot along with the cigarette lighter, stereo support thing and an accidentally snapped off wing mirror adjuster came to 1.39 Kg, not bad for some free weight reduction.

[paul james]

I haven't been able to do much in the last weeks as I'd smashed my shoulder up falling off my mountain bike, but now its pretty much all healed I can crack on with things again!

Not long after I resprayed the car originally, I got stuck behind a gritting lorry dropping not what I would consider mere 'grit', and it made a right mess of the front bumper. Its annoyed me ever since, so off it had to come for a freshen up

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova099_zps0uy6foyh.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova099_zps0uy6foyh.jpg.html)

For some reason I forgot to take a picture of all the stone chip damage, but heres a photo of the back of the bumper :roll:

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0100_zpszfat8mae.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0100_zpszfat8mae.jpg.html)

I decided to lighten the metal bumper holder a bit by chopping the ends off, getting rid of 466 grams. Also I wont be using all the square metal attaching bits, saving another 138 grams.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0101_zpslafsjzfn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0101_zpslafsjzfn.jpg.html)

I could probably have cut off even more to save weight, but oh well too late now as I spray painted them on the washing line, as is now tradition with any small parts that need painting.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0102_zpsuipvdptx.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0102_zpsuipvdptx.jpg.html)

Nice and clean and rust free, which will never be appreciated by anyone else once hidden behind the bumper again :-)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0103_zpsuun6yjiq.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0103_zpsuun6yjiq.jpg.html)

With daily checks of the weather forcast I managed to spot a day that actually could be described as somewhat summer like. So out came the heavy compressor toy (I've lost so much strength from my arm being in a sling for 6 weeks, scary how quick it goes) its nice to be able to have this stuff and use it when I like.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0104_zpsl2nltqp8.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0104_zpsl2nltqp8.jpg.html)

I weighed the bumper before doing anything, after cleaning off the dirt, sanding it down, then 4 good thick coats of paint its actually lighter. 4.27Kg when it was 4.37 before, which confirmed my suspicion that paint isn't all that heavy, at least once its been applied and dried.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0105_zpsipngmgnt.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0105_zpsipngmgnt.jpg.html)

The grill had suffered a few chips too, so I sorted that out at the same time

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0106_zpslwesbngp.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0106_zpslwesbngp.jpg.html)

I'm really getting into the idea of losing weight from the car, and its coming to the point where every little bit adds up. So I'm replacing bolts with shorter ones and washers with slimmer ones where I can get away with it. I did think about alloy or titanium bolts, but they are expensive (money I can better spend elsewhere) and just using smaller stainless stuff (which I already had anyway) gives a good weight saving really.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0107_zpsi9ccdvxk.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0107_zpsi9ccdvxk.jpg.html)http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0108_zpsf83qzgt3.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0108_zpsf83qzgt3.jpg.html)

For some reason I'd never thought of removing the now pointless rear seat retaining bolt things, which are pretty heavy all in at 230g for the pair

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0109_zpsdlirdbds.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0109_zpsdlirdbds.jpg.html)

The passenger side parcel shelf comes in at half a kilo. I'm keeping the drivers side one, for now...

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0110_zpsouxi1etu.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0110_zpsouxi1etu.jpg.html)

So this weeks total weight loss comes in at 1.5 Kilos (1535.5 grams to be precise).

[paul james]

I ordered some new aluminium number plates to replace my plastic ones, they look nicer and the front plastic one was looking a bit tired. But the main reason for getting them was to save some more weight. I didn't really know what kind of weight saving to expect, but assumed aluminium ones must be a fair bit lighter.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0111_zpstonxcpgs.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0111_zpstonxcpgs.jpg.html)

The initial plan was to attach them to the car with strong velcro, which according to the box could hold upto 2kilos with one pad. However once attached they were pretty wobbly, and I could just picture them flying off as soon as I got up to any sort of speed. So I drilled the plates and resorted to good old screws again, much safer! Velcro would have only saved 7grams anyway, silly purchase really, but all part of experimenting :-)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0112_zpsgixyegig.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0112_zpsgixyegig.jpg.html)

Now the bumper doesn't stink the house out any more I assumed the paint had fully hardened and put it back on the car.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0113_zpsjebnr9ko.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0113_zpsjebnr9ko.jpg.html)

The aluminium plates are 160g each, compared to the plastic ones at 240g each. Obviously we are talking about a pretty small amount of weight here, but they are a third lighter which is not bad. I know I could have just used number plate stickers, but these appeal more to me - still not compromising all style for weight saving!

so another 160 grams off the car, I'll try changing something a bit heavier next time :-)

[paul james]

Another little update. One of the alloys was looking pretty scruffy and was letting out air, so I bought a brand new one. It was still in its GM box and everything, quite surprising to be able to get these Astra wheels new after the 20+ years since they were made. I already had a new Goodyear Eagle F1 tyre to match the others as when I'd bought them online before they sent one too many and they never bothered arranging to collect the extra one from me :)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0114_zps53mcq3kn.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0114_zps53mcq3kn.jpg.html)

I have had a fire extinguisher in the car since owning it, thankfully never had the need to use it. It was however way past its expiry date and since I always like to replace any part with something better, I did some investigating. I found out about these extinguishers that were supposedly designed for space missions. They last longer than normal similar sized extinguishers, don't leave any residue behind and to top it off are lighter too. First ones I found were Sparco branded at about £80, I found this one on Amazon for £25

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0116_zpsmykgxty0.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0116_zpsmykgxty0.jpg.html)

Its 480g, a saving of 300g from the old one. Mounted it where the parcel shelf used to screw into.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0117_zpsdjzxdear.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0117_zpsdjzxdear.jpg.html)

Seeing as its a nice sunny day and I needed cheering up, I took the Nova outside to actually drive it!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0118_zpsn0zbpyh7.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0118_zpsn0zbpyh7.jpg.html)

Went to the beach first, ice cream was enjoyed, summer traffic not so much so off I went to Brecon instead. There are some awesome twisty roads up there, and thats really where the car shines. It put a big smile on my face, and reconfirmed why I still have this noisy old car :)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0119_zpsl7kdfkol.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0119_zpsl7kdfkol.jpg.html)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0120_zpsjtti5sat.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0120_zpsjtti5sat.jpg.html)

[paul james]

I finally decided to spend the coins to get some carbon door cards, from the Polish seller on ebay. They turned up pretty quickly and have the release handle holes pre-cut which is helpful.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0122_zpsx5rvefxg.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0122_zpsx5rvefxg.jpg.html)

I did think about getting some replacement GSi door cards without speaker holes cut into them, but since they fetch a lot of money now I thought I might aswell get something even better. I'm not sure if I'll keep the GSi ones as spares or sell them on yet. My Nova spares are starting to take up a lot of room now, and I'm probably not likely to get a second Nova again any time soon!

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0121_zpspmulhwew.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0121_zpspmulhwew.jpg.html)

Mmmm shiney carbon

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0124_zps3saffcmj.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0124_zps3saffcmj.jpg.html)

I invested in some basic grab straps, and used one of the original screws and hole in the door to mount them. I was going to mount the door cards with aluminium bolts and rubber well nuts, but the door pull alone makes the cards pretty sturdy. So I will use stick on velcro to attach them elsewhere, and save myself the hassle of trying to measure up and drill all the holes in them.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0123_zpssazfvzto.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0123_zpssazfvzto.jpg.html)

The original GSi door cards with the aftermarket speakers weighed 2.79 kilo each
The carbon door cards weigh 0.69 kilos each

So thats another 4 kilos of weight ditched from the car

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/nova0125_zpsdysbsvmv.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/nova0125_zpsdysbsvmv.jpg.html)

[paul james]

Passed the last MOT with an advisory on the tie bar bushes, which turned out to be worse than they first looked when the nut and washer were removed.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170521_141020_zpsdsvndg2t.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170521_141020_zpsdsvndg2t.jpg.html)

Flo-flex bushes have a crap reputation for a reason, now I know all too well. They hadn't covered much more than 1k miles.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170521_150647_zpshkqctxo2.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170521_150647_zpshkqctxo2.jpg.html)

So I did what I should have done in the first place and bought the better ones

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170521_150840_zpseauh4qbe.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170521_150840_zpseauh4qbe.jpg.html)

Since I didn't trust the flo-flex bushes I decided to take out the control arm ones too. I discovered the mounting hole at the rear was an oval shape on both sides. I asked on the facebook page and here, most people said they were worn and needed fixing...

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170521_161201_zps4bj6aml1.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170521_161201_zps4bj6aml1.jpg.html)

So after a bit of thinking I bought some 2mm thick square washers, and cut them to fit

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170527_163009_zpsfkxvrbsf.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170527_163009_zpsfkxvrbsf.jpg.html)

Used the bolts to line up the washers, ready to weld them in place

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170527_174309_zpsu1lpal6h.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170527_174309_zpsu1lpal6h.jpg.html)

All welded up, I'd forgotten how challenging it is to weld underneath a car on axle stands. Its not the tidiest of welding, but is strong and it was a bit too inaccessible to grind down. Shortly after doing this, the general opinion on the matter seemed to change, that the bolt holes are actually meant to be oval. Oh well, its stronger than originally now, and there's no benefit to the holes being oval that I can see anyway.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170529_140503_zpsn5gn0ofv.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170529_140503_zpsn5gn0ofv.jpg.html)

The Flo-Flex arm bushes hadn't split like the tie bar ones, but you can see the difference in quality from the Powerflex ones which are far better moulded.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170528_124552_zps0yurfes2.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170528_124552_zps0yurfes2.jpg.html)

Bolted back in

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170529_163229_zpsroifg6hl.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170529_163229_zpsroifg6hl.jpg.html)

Used a clamp to convince the tie bar bushes to stay in

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170529_163203_zpsvd3y0exy.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170529_163203_zpsvd3y0exy.jpg.html)

Since I'd added about 100g of metal to the car, I decided to counter that with a bit of removing. The pointless tailgate trim got taken off, which weighs 429g

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170603_151536_zps1yqgxapf.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170603_151536_zps1yqgxapf.jpg.html)

And then found a few other little bits, some of the rear headlining padding which was easily reached etc.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170603_220507_zpsk0qki5zo.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170603_220507_zpsk0qki5zo.jpg.html)

Took it out for a nice drive in the country today for a few hours, love driving it but ideally I need to do a trackday this summer to make proper use of it.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170603_204059_zps2knybpul.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170603_204059_zps2knybpul.jpg.html)

[paul james]

I've been meaning to remove the rest of the stereo wiring for ages, so decided to get on with it. I didn't really fancy taking the whole dash out, so just took all the various bits out to get access instead.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170611_201935_zps9v1h9j6o.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170611_201935_zps9v1h9j6o.jpg.html)

The car has previously had door speakers and speakers in the parcel shelf, as such the stereo wiring was a bit of a mess. So I didn't feel bad about getting rid of it all.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170611_200147_zpsd9hwfdyi.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170611_200147_zpsd9hwfdyi.jpg.html)

I hadn't realized the original dash speakers were still in the car, they weigh 296g each, a decent saving again. I also ripped out the remaining bits of sound proofing, its surprisingly heavy stuff.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170611_234235_zpsuanl7frh.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170611_234235_zpsuanl7frh.jpg.html)

So this little pile removed another 2.08 kg from the car, happy with that for an hour or so work and no cost.

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170611_232707_zpsxlhrawqw.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170611_232707_zpsxlhrawqw.jpg.html)

I think I may have reached the limits of weight reduction though, for now at least, as I rather like having whats left of the interior. I have no idea how much weight has been taken out in total, as I didn't keep note of it to begin with when I removed things like the rear wiper.

[paul james]

Interior back together pic, about as minimalist as its likely to get

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/20170613_193827_zpsjeb167md.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/20170613_193827_zpsjeb167md.jpg.html)

And definitely getting down to diminishing returns removing things, out goes the under bonnet light (which didn't work anyway)

http://i1159.photobucket.com/albums/p638/pauljames14/9af0147d-c5dd-4310-b7e1-c92ca8cc5c74_zpskebxmkaw.jpg (http://s1159.photobucket.com/user/pauljames14/media/9af0147d-c5dd-4310-b7e1-c92ca8cc5c74_zpskebxmkaw.jpg.html)

I did a bit of adding up, and I've taken 62kilos out of the car that I can accurately account for. That's not including things like the engine bay/firewall insulation stuff, the carpet underlay and a few other bits I never weighed. I assume that still leaves the car above 700kg