How long have people been carrying out XE conversions?

[dannyb]

How long have people been carrying out XE conversions on Novas and when was the first time you saw an XE Nova? Were any Novas converted from new?

[draper]

i reckon about 95/96 ??

the first one i saw was about 98 when i first started reading max power and fast car etc etc

[draper]

some of the oldies will know better lol

[R1CH]

I stuck my first Valver in my GSi back in 2001, armeed with a guide from REVS magazine !! lol
Wouldn't suprise me if it was late 80's / early 90's, there was a lad local to me who Mam had a an E reg SR that had an 1800 8v in it, his Dad bought it as a write off when it was about 6 month old then stick the 1800 in it then so that would've been late 80's !!

Rich

[letvalva]

early 90's late 80's iirc, i left school in 94 and i had seen them in mags long before that.

thats when mags were mags non of this bodykit ****e and egg beater power they have now

[draper]

thats when mags were mags non of this bodykit ****e and egg beater power they have now

they were still that when i was reading them in 98/99 - although the saxo was starting to get popular but 17s were as big as anyone could go

[Austin_Nova16]

Know of a guy who built a C20LET Nova back in 93... although I'm sure there was a 16v built in the late 80's

[Jack]

Would probably have been quite expensive back then I would assume - Novas being in-production cars meaning the value of the car itself would be higher; then add the cost of the donor car, and I can't imagine even rear ended XE'd Cavaliers, Astras and Calibras being that cheap as they were still quite modern at the time; then there's the lack of an off the shelf mount kit as well.

Still, it'd be interesting to find out who were the first people to have done it and start the craze... wonder if they changed the log book lol

[stuartp]

Wernt it the bloke who owns m-tech over in germany?? not sure of the date tho!!

[RJM25R]

Fearless did one in 1994, IIRC he was one of the first amateurs to build one.

I'd read about one in Fast Car back in 1992 but I think that was Courtenay.

A16VTB was done in 1995......

[Mazz]

I've got a C&CC mag somewhere with a RWD 1.8 8v Nova, which was done early 80's - 82/83 iirc..
If i remember, i'll dig it out and take some scans..

[loggyboy]

I was in a garage the other day and it had a fastcar from april 1989 on the wall (the garage owners car was featured)
The cover mentioned a 'Nova 2-Litre Conversion' on it, unfortunately it was framed with only the feature of his car and the cover, so couldnt read the rest of the magazine.

It was probly an 8v conversion, but we all know the process is pretty much the same.

the XE wasnt available till 88 so wont have been any before
then :lol:

[hendrix]

I thought the earliest XE came in G reg cars which were 89/90????
Proves what I know :confused:

[krobinson]

A16VTB was done in 1995......

Nope - A 16v TB was built in 1993 and first featured in Feb 1994!

Hard to believe that 13 years later its still around, when hundreds of thousands are in the scrap yard.

Proof:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/keithrobinson/a16vtb2.jpg

Keith

[draper]

i love that car !!!

[SGA33]

If memory serves me right there was a grass track 16v nova built early 89 by a bloke named Martyn Tinker.

[Lee]

I know Matt Searle had one of when they were still a rarity. he told me a story of when he had it at trax when it was only just becoming an all makes affair, and not just a ford thing. Blew a lot of peoples minds apparently, LMAO!

[RJM25R]

Nope - A 16v TB was built in 1993 and first featured in Feb 1994!

Hard to believe that 13 years later its still around, when hundreds of thousands are in the scrap yard.

Proof:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/keithrobinson/a16vtb2.jpg

Keith

OOppss typo should have said 1994. It was on top gear on telly in 1995 (!) I've still got the max power with the buying guide (loads of A16VTB pics!)

Didn't Tim Harvey **** it at 140mph at Millbrook in the turbo?

[loggyboy]

I thought the earliest XE came in G reg cars which were 89/90????
Proves what I know :confused:
Im not sure what letter, but i Assume F, but TV and most other sources list 88 as the start of the GTE 16v

[Ben]

If memory serves me right there was a grass track 16v nova built early 89 by a bloke named Martyn Tinker.

Makes sense as Martyn Tinkler is MANN Transmissions which make the 16v Shafts,

A RWD in 82/83 Now that i HAVE to see.

Guy with a smashed up one sounds like Joff.

[Ben]

Ive broke a F reg GTE 16v Astra, (wether this was factory fit or not i wouldnt like to say)

[S1 RST]

If memory serves me right there was a grass track 16v nova built early 89 by a bloke named Martyn Tinker.

indeed correct who do you think provided courtenay with there tapped driveshafts:thumb:

[Ben]

Makes sense as Martyn Tinkler is MANN Transmissions which make the 16v Shafts.

Ahem ;)