building a 180bhp Nova for a grand?

[RobMarriott]

Is it achievable?

I'd have to buy the car, get the engine, and the bits to get more power.

There's a couple of cars in the classifieds I have my eye on, for ?250 and ?150, so that's a good cheap base.

Then I'd be needing a 20XE, which I may have sourced cheap/free, with an F18 box.

How much would mounts be? and would the old cav mk2 inners be strong enough for more than standard power?

I can get cams cheap, from Newman, but what else would I need to get the power?

How much power would Cams, Throttle Bodies, Management and headwork give? and How much money would the TBs and Management be second hand?

I'd be happy with 180bhp and a decent spread of torque, but obviously more would be better.

Will it be possible?

[Mike]

not a chance, the throttle bodies alone are more then a grand ;)

[R1CH]

If you manage to get some good deals on 2nd hand stuff then i don't see why not.

Rich

[Martin]

Youre having a Laugh rite?

[RobMarriott]

not a chance, the throttle bodies alone are more then a grand ;)

is that not a brand new price though?

[RobMarriott]

Youre having a Laugh rite?

No :confused:

I was asking if it was possible, not saying it was, although I think it is, if the bits are cheap.

Headwork is next to nothing, cams are less than ?200, so that leaves 400-500 for second hand tbs and management...

[General Baxter]

you might get the TB's for ?500 secondhand! but then theres management!

[Adam]

Mapping is ?300-?500 at a guess.
TBs-?400
Management-?500

Plus buying cams, the engine itself etc.

Can't be done.

The cheapest i've ever seen a complete TB setup for a XE, inc management etc is about a grand.

A Std xe in a nova costs about ?400/?500 odd, after you've bought shafts, cv's, welded/sprayed the bay, serviced the engine before its fitted etc.

[RobMarriott]

ok, so what about without the TBs?

Cams, headwork, exhaust and some sort of management, what power would I see?

[RobMarriott]

Mapping is ?300-?500 at a guess.
TBs-?400
Management-?500

Plus buying cams, the engine itself etc.

Can't be done.

The cheapest i've ever seen a complete TB setup for a XE, inc management etc is about a grand.

A Std xe in a nova costs about ?400/?500 odd, after you've bought shafts, cv's, welded/sprayed the bay, serviced the engine before its fitted etc.

wouldn't be paying for mapping.

welding is free too.

[nova---chris]

wouldnt worry about power for a grand.
perhaps make sure the engine you have is going to last first. perhaps strip and rebuild it .

Then spend the rest in other areas? maybe handleing.
coil overs / lowerd tie bars / solid mounts / ect?

[Adam]

Management cost could be reduced with a Megasquirt ECU.

[Mike]

then theres brakes, adequate suspension, all the other associated bits and pieces let alone getting a decent shell!

[RobMarriott]

good point. any idea how much megasquirt is?

[RobMarriott]

then theres brakes, adequate suspension, all the other associated bits and pieces let alone getting a decent shell!

brakes are on one of the cars I'm intrested in, suspension I can sort cheap enough, with second hand bits, chassis strengthening plates cost whatever the metal does.

It won't be a road car, it'll mainly be for 1/4 miles, so brakes aren't really a major issue tbh, 16v discs/calipers will be fine, and they're what? ?50 at most from a scrappy, or ?120 for new bits.

[Timmy]

XE and use nitros get more BHp for money and easy to set up

[Adam]

good point. any idea how much megasquirt is?
About ?200 pre-built.
Then just make a loom.

[Novadave06]

Dont Have ago at me but if you was to buy a Gsi Nova or Gte ! you wouldnt need to weld the engine bay up for a 2lr redtop ! thats my opinion anyway !
So dont have ago at me like everyone always does

Cheers, Dangermouse

[Adam]

Dont Have ago at me but if you was to buy a Gsi Nova or Gte ! you wouldnt need to weld the engine bay up for a 2lr redtop ! thats my opinion anyway !

Why?
The bay is same as any other nova, apart from the strut top plates....

If he can do the welding for free tho, he might as well.
:)

[Mike]

?50 at most from a scrappy, or ?120 for new bits.

so that could leave anything from ?880-950ish left!

Then purchase price of car (say ?300) engine (say about ?200 if the engine is OK) then engine mounts (minimum of ?80 with p&p from chris astley motorsport) then the parts to try and an get 180bhp!! exhaust and manifold (used, say ?150ish) cams (?200ish) possibly megasquirt management (?200+) or even NOS kit (?500+)

Do the maths ;) , it could be possible yes, but it would take months and months off looking for bargains EVERYWHERE! ;)

[Novadave06]

Oh well if you could do the welding for free then sound get it done but all i was saying was that you wouldnt really need to weld it up just for a std redtop !

Cheers, Dangermouse

[RobMarriott]

Yeah, I'd weld it anyway, I was gonna weld my old Corsa bay, which had a 130bhp 1.6 16v in it, just to be on the safe side, but never got round to it.

[RobMarriott]

so that could leave anything from ?880-950ish left!

Then purchase price of car (say ?300) engine (say about ?200 if the engine is OK) then engine mounts (minimum of ?80 with p&p from chris astley motorsport) then the parts to try and an get 180bhp!! exhaust and manifold (used, say ?150ish) cams (?200ish) possibly megasquirt management (?200+) or even NOS kit (?500+)

Do the maths ;) , it could be possible yes, but it would take months and months off looking for bargains EVERYWHERE! ;)

yeah, car would be ?250, engine will probably be free tbh lol might be able to make an exhaust on a pipe bender, cams are ?200, so so far thats ?450, then I'd need to buy/make mounts.

I think the only things I'd be buying new would be the cams, and possibly the mounts, as it'd be easier than making them i think.

I could get the engine and car together for about ?325, plus gaskets for the engine.

Headwork would mean I could check the head for cracks, and make sure the bottom end looked ok, and it'd cost hardly anything.

I'd love to do it for ?1000 and prove some of you wrong, but I do agree, I think the TBs would push it over budget.

[General Baxter]

find another ?500 and just stick a LET into it lol

you can pick a LET up now for ?800 with box!

[Stuart]

if youve got it all budgeted in your head then why ask? lol

if putely for 1/4s ONLY then bung an xe in, and get a 2nd hand WON nitrous kit.... if its for track use then handling needs sorting first. etc.

[RobMarriott]

I just wanted opinions Stuart lol

With me living 3 miles from SantaPod, that's where it'd get used the most, but then Silverstone is only up the road, and I'd like to take on Mr Broster finally, or beat him on the 1/4 mile at least (which shouldn't be too hard, going on his normal performances ;))

[Martin]

http://www.novaload.net/forum/showthread.php?t=71091

[Stuart]

you could beat broster up the 1/4 with a 1.0 engine running on 2 cylinders lol

[KPautomotive]

XE + Carbs + Nitrous :) Sorted :)

Do it Rob!

[Philsutton]

get a nail of a GSI / GTE then a second nitrous kit with progressive controller. Only way i see you doing it really.

[lee 16v]

iv got a gte shell you can have, i started to put a let in it but sold the engine, the shell is going to the scrappy soon so if you want it come get it im only in cambridge, oh and my mate has the mounts for the 16v in to a nova, i have lots of bits from other novas you could have or have cheap, all you would need then is the engine, so if you can get that for free you could have a 16v nova for about ?200 all in and running this way m8

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c170/lee216v/DSC00662.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c170/lee216v/DSC00655.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c170/lee216v/DSC00659.jpg

[KPautomotive]

Sounds like a good deal to me Mr Marriott :)

You know it makes sence :)

PS ... Whats happened to the yellow nova you had?

[Austin_Nova16]

Can't see why this can't be done.

I've just done an XE GTE and below are the costs.

GTE - ebay 200quid
XE (is perfect) - MIG 100quid
F18 box - 20quid
front drivers-side mount - scrappy 2quid
G/box spacer - free (homemade)
inner cv's - 20quid each
welding - free
paint - 30quid
bushes - 26quid
rear suspension - koni adjustable 15quid
front FK coilovers - 35quid
casaro wheels - 30quid
paint - 10quid
4x Khumo tyres - 100quid


Total 518quid

so then another 500 quid for a carb set-up and you'll be around the 180bhp. Or go for NO2

just don't waist money on mounts n'stuff. Lower the drivers side mount and use a mk2 astra 1.6-2.0 mount. Costs can easily rise...

[loggyboy]

You can make an XE nova for under ?500. The money i paid for my complete donor car got me all the bits i needed like engine, box, brakes etc. Then i managed to sell bits like the dash, wheels, trim, kit, lights etcetc and make back more than i paid for it. If you take you time sourcing parts for the cheapest you can you could leave most of your ?1000 budget for tuning. If you want permant power (ir not NOS) then Bike carbs would be a cheap way to 180bhp.

[Adam]

Can't see why this can't be done.

I've just done an XE GTE and below are the costs.

GTE - ebay 200quid
XE (is perfect) - MIG 100quid
F18 box - 20quid
rear suspension - koni adjustable 15quid
front FK coilovers - 35quid
casaro wheels - 30quid

Fooook, how do you get those prices,Lol.

[NickWalliams]

lets face it even if you manage it for a grand its going to be a complete piece of sh1t!

[broster]

the cheek of it!

[Lee]

Its only going to be possible with little miss Lady Luck on your side. The right bits at the right time. Austin is a jammy mo fo by the look of that post lol. Im also surprised Carbs didnt come up sooner, TB's would never be on my list on a budget build!!

End of the day, if lucks on your side, its easily do-able, but by paying a premium for the bits you need, its not. Simple really.

[Gunzi]

As said nitrous is probably the easiest, cheapest & involving the least hassle way of doing it.

[craig green]

lets face it even if you manage it for a grand its going to be a complete piece of sh1t!

Hit the nail on the head! Infact it will be a nail......

Hardly anything to be proud of & if it goes BANG there will be a queue of onlookers ready to vent there frustration.

Anyone can put together a $hitt er.

[Chris]

nice one, build a car on a budget to go and do 1/4 miles. A budget of a grand then I would say ?50 per day to do the quarters. Actual driving time you get fook all, why not go out and buy a cheap 205GTi and do some trackdays. More driving time and much harder than squirting down a glued drag strip.

I really dont see the buzz people get out of quarter miles, I have done about 5 days of quarter miles in the last 3-4 years and it bores the hell out of me. My personal opinion of 1/4's are they are only any good to compare cars in Pub Top Trumps. *Dons retard voice* "My cars faster than Dave because I beat him down santa pod", when actually Dave fell asleep on the start line because it was that boring.

Chris

[scott.parker]

yeah i agree with chris...
my cars faster then a dead dog who cares..no one!..

[craig green]

nice one, build a car on a budget to go and do 1/4 miles. A budget of a grand then I would say ?50 per day to do the quarters. Actual driving time you get fook all, why not go out and buy a cheap 205GTi and do some trackdays. More driving time and much harder than squirting down a glued drag strip.

I really dont see the buzz people get out of quarter miles, I have done about 5 days of quarter miles in the last 3-4 years and it bores the hell out of me. My personal opinion of 1/4's are they are only any good to compare cars in Pub Top Trumps. *Dons retard voice* "My cars faster than Dave because I beat him down santa pod", when actually Dave fell asleep on the start line because it was that boring.

Chris

So because you find it boring means everyone else has to?

I'm not saying I disagree, but its a pretty one sided argument you put forward there. Should we all have Spiderman avatars too?

[Dar]

Should we all have Spiderman avatars too?
Yup:D
Mine was done and put on but someone was in trouble and now hes buggered off to help them:thumb:

Having read this thread I feel that there have been many correct answers and therefore I have nothing to add on a technical level. Certainly if its just a 1/4 car then the Nitrous option seems to be the easiest way forward. But then again a Nova is wrong wheel drive and will suffer as a budget performance 1/4 car. Then again if its just for fun then who cares and my car certainly seems to have no problems launching at sprints in comparison to alot of the RWD cars, but my car wasn't put together on a tight budget.

So I say yes its possible and via a few different ways. Good luck with it:thumb:

I also don't find the 1/4 thing that intresting and it annoys me when people say yeah my cars fastrer than yours because I beat you down the strip. Its only going in a straight ruddy line. Hardly a rounded test. But thats another thread altogether.

[RobMarriott]

Santapod is 3 miles from my door. It'd be rude not to.

I've got suspension bits laying about from my old B, so that'd be sorted, as well as the engine.

If someone can find a 205GTi for under ?300, show me... The reason I said a Nova, was because they are cheap, I know my way round them, I know how to make Vauxhalls faster. I have NO knowledge of 205s at all, so I'd be guessing all the time, and it'd cost me more.