how much work is involved?

[Dave.]

right, ive finally saved up enough to start the bodywork on the nova now.. but im unsure how much work is involved. heres the jobs:

passenger side door skin, rust cutting out (its only the outer skin rust, the underneath's are mint), filling, sanding and spraying

drivers side door skin, again rust cutting out (as this doors exactly the same), fill, sand and spray. this ahs been sprayed with a b&q white rattle can

passenger rear 1/4, needs filling due to a rather nasty dent, its been filled before on the bottom and has been resprayed with a white b&q rattle can, so this will need sanding, filling and spraying etc.

my budget is ?540, i dont want new panels as i think it will be a waste as the nova isnt going to last long enough for them to start rotting, and the current arches doors etc are in pretty good nick, does anyone have any ideas how much work is involved? im plassing on prepping it all myself all the way upto spraying getting my uncle to do that for me in his workshop :thumb:

[just vaux trev]

i paid ?530 for 2 half sills 1 rear arch 1 new wing 1 patched arch, fitted, paint sides and rear bumper, i would think you have enough saved as i didnt even prep

[Adam]

Tbh the labour charge on repairing the doors would be more than a replacement set and getting them painted.
Repairing them would be difficult, as the skins too thin to weld etc, so i dont see how you could cut out the rust.

[Andy_L]

With the doors it would be a case of building up the cut out area with glass fibre or similar then?

[just vaux trev]

/\ thought the same thing on doors would prob be best/cheaper buying doors

[Dave.]

i only want a quick job.. nothing mint

[R1CH]

I wouldn't bother, you'll probly crash it the first month your on the road !!

[ade]

from experience I woudnt cut the rust out the outer door skin and rebuild up - eventually it will crack (I know as I rebuilt the lower section of my drivers door the same way).

I recommend you try here -
http://www.beeversautopanels.co.uk/
Link to Nova parts -
http://bap.dominohosting.biz/bap/bapdb01.nsf/$$ViewTemplate%20for%20MakeModel!OpenForm&RestrictToCategory=VAUXHALL%20NOVA%20(4/83-3/93)

I lower door skin will cost you ?12 per door - all you do it cut the section away and weld in the new one - grind back the weld, bend the edges round the original edge and seam seam. The edges arent welded. new door skin is only ?40

Same for the rear 1/4 panel.

You'd spend less than ?50 inc delivery for the parts.

If you can weld then it'll cost you time and gas - if not youre looking at ?150 max to replace the parts (much better than bodging).

That leaves you ?240ish for paint

If youve sprayed with B&Q rattle cans it'll be a crappy job (no offense but again I resprayed my nova in rattle cans back in 2001 and although the job was okay you can defo tell - I bought up the entire stock of carmine red cans in stafford!)
For 2 doors and a rear 1/4 you'd get a respray no probs - especially if the cars white (easiest and chreapest colour to spray).

Hope this helps!

Ade

[ade]

re welding the doors - you can weld them - use a lap weld (where one bit of metal sits behind the other - you'd need a "joggler" to make the edge - ?35 from clarke (or any machine mart).

[cooltom31]

just do it all your self mate then you will learn skills you can use in the future, i have just done a complete rebuild on mine and full bare shell respray and all it has cost is ?200 for the paint and ?100 for the panels. turned out ok saying as i have never done it before.

[dave.gsi]

my advice, don't bother with the door skins, its more hassle than its worth. just find a decent set of complete doors and bolt them on

[raymond]

surely it must be much easier to put two mint doors on for that money and have a fair bit left over

i have a brand new drivers door i may be tempted to selllol

[staggy_gsi]

yeah dont bother trying to repair the doors, get a good set and spray them instead. itl work out cheaper and easier anyway.

but if youre not bothered about getting a decent job done i really wouldnt bother mate. youre saying that your nova wont last that long so why not save your money instead of blowing half a grand on it?

[draper]

as said a decent set of second hand doors is your best bet, also bearing in mind your car wont see the road for at least 3years yet any cheap cover up job will only show itself again in a few years time and you'll have to pay more money out

[Dave.]

i will be filling the doors and 1/4, the 1/4 isnt really a big job imo, as im sure loads of novas out there have got some filler in them, but the doors im stumped in, i will fill the doors defo, but i dont know how to go about repairing it? as tbh my uncle is very slow.. he said he's do it for be before december, but hes done nothing, so i want to prep it all myself because im fed up of waiting, 5 months, so i will be filling the doors, if need me ill cut the rust out, fiberglass some plastic over the hole form the inside, and slooth it off with filler. i think if the jobs done properly then it shouldnt crack etc :thumb:

[dave.gsi]

^^ smells like a bodge to me lol

save all the fannying around and just stick new doors on it

#edit# found this in 'parts' section, 40 quid, can't go wrong

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l240/tooleater16v/042-1.jpg