View Full Version : Back on the road!!
MARTIN KELSON
01-04-05, 09:25 AM
As April is now here it was time yesterday to finally pull Nova out of garage after its winter rest and take it for a test drive to make sure all my winter mods are all working before i take it to body shop later today.
I remember now why i still love the old Nova. Had such a blast for hour or so last night. For everybody with a 2.0 16v Nova with a LSD in it, whot a difference power steering makes!!
Few knobbers out wanting to try it on, just had a smile side to side everytime i tickled the throttle!!
Cant wait now for the drive to bodyshop later this afternoon.
Hopefully this weekend should be dry (well, it is down here according to the BBC web site) so I'll probably take mine out for a spin.
Whats being done at the bodyshop?
Jim
just looked at your profile. how the hell could i have not seen this car before?? it looks awsome
MARTIN KELSON
01-04-05, 10:25 AM
Car been around for fair few years now at shows etc in one form or another.
Going to bodyshop to have fuel filler removed as i now have in car tank, and i put a small dent and scratch in wing when trolley jack slipped!!
what's the straight cut box like? did it make a big difference when you fitted it, or did you do i t with other mods?
nice one mate :lol:
would have love to seen the faces of all the nobbers tyring it on :lol:
MARTIN KELSON
01-04-05, 11:56 AM
Straight cut box great for track use and short blasts, as long as you dont mind constant whineing noise (i personally like) but on a motorway its crap. The gearing is totally different from standard F20 so at 70mph its doing 4500rpm and flat out at about 120ish!! Not good for fuel consumption (early teens maybe!) As the car is totally stripped with no sound deadening i have to use ear plugs to dampen the noise a bit!
Dont use it much, about 2-2500k a year so not a problem really.
Pulls really well as always seems to in the powerband with this gearing and 4.2 final drive.
Well worth the money if track days and short sprints are your thing. 1/4 mile not so good as i needed to go for 5th which aint that good for times, still 13.8 wasnt bad.
Cheers
I think I've got the old C&CC magazine feature of it somewhere before the respray.
One of my favourite Novas.
MARTIN KELSON
01-04-05, 03:53 PM
It was along time ago that it was in C&CC mag.
Changed quite a bit since then. Just dropped it off at bodyshop, big gap now in garage!!
nice to see its back on the road, just wish i could drive mine. going pv in it?
btw any news on bretts sale?
nick caros just put his for sale too, hope you arent next!
martweaver
01-04-05, 03:56 PM
Hi Martin, sounds your cars getting even better.
what sort of power steering have you gone for - Full on Pump etc.. or corsa epas?
While my car is in a million bits I wonder if its worth looking at
Mart
corsa epas is supposed to be worthwhile, i have it for mine, although obviously not used it yet, you will need an ecu for it from hockleys for ?200
MARTIN KELSON
01-04-05, 04:14 PM
Yea used the Electric Corsa B colum and a Hockley ECU. Really is worth the money if your running a 2.0 with a diff cos there so heavy as slow speed expecually if your small and puny like me!!
Didnt know Nick had put his for sale Ian. No plans to sell mine at all. Went out last night and cant imagine anything else for the money putting the smile on my face that it did.
Dont think anything as yet has happened with Bretts but had no contact for a week or so now.
Yes i am planning on going to PV show in June. Planned my holiday a little better this year so yea gonna be there.
nathan.
01-04-05, 04:26 PM
:o Awesome car mate. :D
Is it easy to flock the dash. looks really good.
Yea used the Electric Corsa B colum and a Hockley ECU. Really is worth the money if your running a 2.0 with a diff cos there so heavy as slow speed expecually if your small and puny like me!!
Didnt know Nick had put his for sale Ian. No plans to sell mine at all. Went out last night and cant imagine anything else for the money putting the smile on my face that it did.
Dont think anything as yet has happened with Bretts but had no contact for a week or so now.
Yes i am planning on going to PV show in June. Planned my holiday a little better this year so yea gonna be there.
Yeah thats what i like to hear, been so long, i get 2nd thoughts on whether itll all be worth it
nova---chris
01-04-05, 05:00 PM
I run a 3.94 final drive and didnt get near 5th gear at the pod.
Perhaps try a slightly longer one as i have. Still stays on the power band big style. 5 gear is longer on mine and is pretty useless. But the other 4 gears are just awesome. I suppose at some point i should start thinking about a quaife shifter ect.
hoping my Car should be driveable by the weekend. Then its just the body work and cleaning up things to be sorted. Be nice not to worry about the body work so much this year and have a car i can just enjoy for a change. Track days and pod take priority this year i hope. As for shows ill see how many i can be arsed going to.
One thing for sure tho im so lucking forward to getting it back on the road. And is the powersteering really that good?
Ste_Nova
01-04-05, 05:11 PM
Yeah thats what i like to hear, been so long, i get 2nd thoughts on whether itll all be worth it
not thinking of scrapping it are you ian?
how much do the straight cut boxes go for? and is it worth buying a used one or will it be dead?
krobinson
01-04-05, 05:42 PM
That makes two of us, one i get my engine sorted, the car's going back to the bodyshop to have the boot scratch sorted, and the new fresh scratch on the bumper. Ready to add more stone chips and scratches at the Ring! lol
Looking forward to seeing it this year mate! You car just gets better and better!
Keith
Yeah thats what i like to hear, been so long, i get 2nd thoughts on whether itll all be worth it
not thinking of scrapping it are you ian?
nope. too much gone into it and spent on parts to give up now, if it was more like yours and had nowt done to it maybe ;)
nathan.
01-04-05, 05:54 PM
how much do the straight cut boxes go for? and is it worth buying a used one or will it be dead?
theres an f13 sccr with quaife diff on ebay. if only i could afford it. :x
I think they go for around ?1200 second hand
Ste_Nova
01-04-05, 06:21 PM
Yeah thats what i like to hear, been so long, i get 2nd thoughts on whether itll all be worth it
not thinking of scrapping it are you ian?
nope. too much gone into it and spent on parts to give up now, if it was more like yours and had nowt done to it maybe ;)
lol i've got seats, cage, screen, etc etc sat in my garage now, gonna be getting my *top secret* in the next few weeks
karl Rowntree
01-04-05, 08:58 PM
Martin, your car just gets better every year mate! and you dont mind using it either :wink:
Seriously, everyone talks about bretts car being the best but i personally think Martins is on a par and will only get better. The attention to detail and the quality of parts is amazing, The only reason why it doesnt get as much attention as bretts in my opinion is because of the colour, i.e it doesnt stand out as much.
Looking forward to seeing the new mods over the summer mate, and you have to take me out in it at one of the PVG track days. I want to feel the benifits of the box etc compared to mine then i might be inspired to carry on with the old girl :wink:
Who did you get to do the bodywork in the end Martin?
Karl
Rick Draper
01-04-05, 09:23 PM
Bet you looking forward to getting it on the track again arnt you martin.
Out of interest how are you doing the filler cap and what cap are you using? I want one like karls but i can only find them with a little catch and not with just a key hole?
Last november i set a target that mine would be ready for the start of april ish, dont even look like its going to be ready for the start of june now though! lol
scott.parker
01-04-05, 11:21 PM
Nice one mate glad to here its all going well wish i had the time and be arsed factor to put into mine a t the mo,i have just taken on more work,and im flat out benn doing 12-14 hrs a day,worn out but will be loaded to put into the car :?
Ass karl said,but for me i think your cars better then brets as its that less in your face nice and sweet paint job that looks better in my mind,and yours must be better for trackdays as seen.. :wink:
Sitting pretty and ready to go!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/novaneil/Martin.jpg
And in full affect.. :P
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/novaneil/Martin4.jpg
The way yours could go through that bend made my jaw drop :o :lol:
Ace handling,do you think the powersteering is a must? its not to light then for high speed driving or wheel feedback from the road,as thats one of the things i like most from mine..
And looking cool in the passangers seat..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v12/novaneil/Martin3.jpg
Rick im sure you can use motorbike filler caps,as they are really small and fit very well in the door shut,they have the small flap and lock on them..
Scott
karl Rowntree
01-04-05, 11:35 PM
TBH Rick you dont really need one with a key as its behind the door anyway. Is it just that you are aftrer a key cap for cosmetic reasons?
Like scott said there are few options as far as bike caps go. Iam looking for a Hyabusa at the moment, you can go halfs with me and buy the fuel cap if you want :lol:
scott.parker
01-04-05, 11:40 PM
Iam looking for a Hyabusa at the moment, you can go halfs with me and buy the fuel cap if you want :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Dont he might,he seams to enjoy spending money :P
Scott
The way yours could go through that bend made my jaw drop :o :lol:
Ace handling
LIES, we all know 2.0 novas dont handle ;)
well if you listen to the 8v lot on here
scott.parker
01-04-05, 11:42 PM
The way yours could go through that bend made my jaw drop :o :lol:
Ace handling
LIES, we all know 2.0 novas dont handle ;)
well if you listen to the 8v lot on here
Well as almost standard,no the 2ltr is a bit limp through bends,falls into the oversteer to easy,without a diff you eat tyres look at my sig :lol:
Scott
karl Rowntree
01-04-05, 11:53 PM
If you want my personal opinion, i prefer the handling of my nova to the evo. The evo just does too much for you. I just dont understand why people slate 16v novas for handling, if they are set up correct and you are used to the car they feel amazing real drivers cars IMO. I can only imagine how well Martins fells to drive as his car made all ours look pap at curborough.
Rick Draper
02-04-05, 12:38 PM
TBH Rick you dont really need one with a key as its behind the door anyway. Is it just that you are aftrer a key cap for cosmetic reasons?
Like scott said there are few options as far as bike caps go. Iam looking for a Hyabusa at the moment, you can go halfs with me and buy the fuel cap if you want :lol:
I want the key for cosmetic reasons, dont like the flap! Where was yours from karl? Might as well get this doen while the back of the car is in 100's of bits. Also how did you go through the inner arch? Did you cut a hole out then weld a pipe in to seal the inner arch again? Ta
krobinson
02-04-05, 01:32 PM
Martin is just removing the filler, as his tank is now in the boot.
http://www.novaload.net/images/car_images/2544big7.jpg
Best Nova in the UK without a doubt.
Keith
MARTIN KELSON
03-04-05, 09:36 AM
Nice to read all the positive things said about the old girl. Thanks.
As for 2.0 Nova's dont handle, i personally feel in the hands of an average driver there perfectly ok.
The car was dropped off Friday with Aide Culley who did the rest of the work on it at the new garage he works at. Hopefully only be there a week to two then get it back.
Personally i feel Bretts is by far a much better Nova than mine. The attention to detail is in another league. As you can see though alot of my insperation as come from Bretts.
The Quaife straight cut synchro box in total prob cost me 1.5k!! Alot of money i know but i feel its made a big difference. I was loosing in the region of 25% of engine power through the box and Quaife reacon its now at about 15% so BHP at the wheels it found me about 15BHP which may not sound much, but every little helps.
Looking forward now to getting it back on the track and doing whot it likes best. Being Thrashed!!!
Cheers all.
Nova-Flair
03-04-05, 02:23 PM
what can i say that is just awesome! :o
how much do u reckon its cost you so far to get it like it is now? (if you dont mind me asking)
Seriously, everyone talks about bretts car being the best but i personally think Martins is on a par and will only get better. The attention to detail and the quality of parts is amazing, The only reason why it doesnt get as much attention as bretts in my opinion is because of the colour, i.e it doesnt stand out as much.
I much prefer the colour of Martins, I love Bretts car but the colour is just a bit too 'look at me!' for my liking although that's just personal taste!
Looking forward to seeing your car Martin at PV/VBOA this year assuming you'll be there?
Who knows I might even introduce myself to a few more NL people (Other than Ian and Epo!! :lol: )
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