My 1990 Nova GTE 2.0 16v Build

[Sherco]

Right, here goes thought I would join everyone else and do my own project thread on my GTE. :D

I bought my 1990 Vauxhall Nova GTE on the 20-07-2006 from an old dear in Luton, it had done just over 60,000 miles with full history and totally standard. My plans where to simply tidy it up and use the Nova as a weekend hobby. Here are a few photos from just after I purchased her bar the exhaust and plates:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/1.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/2.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/3.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/4.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/5.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/6.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/7.jpg

You got to love the number plate! :cool:

[chimp007_uk]

nice car! cool number plate lol

don't put a valver in it! use a 1.2 shell, less and less nice standard gte's about! :(

[Sherco]

The GTE was then took home and put in the garage till the following summer.

Summer 2007 came and out the Nova came for a few weekends, went out in her like this for a while until I got the urge to do some other bits and bobs.

So I took the old tatty rocker cover off, stripped the paint and gave it a good polish up, bought & fitted a Ashley 4 branch manifold, Scorpion Exhaust System, new number plates and got some good old? Speedline Allesios:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/8.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/9.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/10.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/11.jpg

[Sherco]

nice car! cool number plate lol

don't put a valver in it! use a 1.2 shell, less and less nice standard gte's about! :(

Thanks mate, but think its just a little to late. Check my avatar. lol

[Steve]

Looks very nice mate but please dont ruin a mint gte with an XE.

Keep her std there getting too thin on the ground.

[chimp007_uk]

oh... too late, i'll preach to another mint gte owner then :(

[Sherco]

That was it for the Nova as winter set in I took her off the road and set about tidying her up a little (or that was the plan lol ). I started by removing the whole engine bay so I could check all the bodywork and give it a fresh lick of paint etc:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/12.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/13.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/14.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/15.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/16.jpg

With the engine out:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/17.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/18.jpg

And then the rest of the engine bay and gave it a good degrease and steam clean:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/19.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/20.jpg

[krobinson]

Looked to be in very good condition before you even started mate!!

[Sherco]

With the whole engine bay out and all degreased I had a poke about to check for any rust, but to my surprise there was none apart from the real small areas of surface rust so I put the Nova out the way and called it a night and went home to have a think what to do next.


I left it a couple of weeks as I got waylaid with work and that?s when the plans took a U turn and I decided on going down the big block route after being offered a Calibra Redtop with 70,000 on the clock for ?175. Absolute bargain! :D


So a Chassis Strengthening Plate Kit was then purchased along with a pair of lower arm Strengthening Plates and I set about cleaning of the surface rust, stitch welding the whole bay and fitting the chassis plates:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/21.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/22.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/23.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/24.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/25.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/26.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/27.jpg

[Sherco]

Also treated the rust and zinc sprayed all fresh welds

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/28.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/29.jpg

After what seemed like ages of rubbing down the bay it was finally in primer:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/30.jpg

Into paint:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/31.jpg

And painted under the wheel arches etc:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/32.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/33.jpg

And a few photos of the engine while still in the Calibra:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/34.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/35.jpg

Check out that gaffer taped induction pipe! lol

[Adam]

That looked properly cool on the speedlines.
Keep the amber indicators!

Very good condition shell too.

[NovaLad]

Permission to sex wee?

[krobinson]

Looking good! Keep them coming!

[The Simps]

Excellent mate. Love GTEs and love white nova's!

Looks like quality workmanship too. You do the welding yourself?

[Sherco]

Thanks for the comments lads! And yeah i did the all the welding my self.

Will get another update together later. :thumb:

[Steve]

Although both the shell and the engine seems to be fine plus getting a bargain on the calibra I still couldnt bring myself to tear apart a mint gte.

Honestly, I haven't seem any gtes on the road for years now let alone a decent one!

[vaughanmc]

Tidy shell there mate - Good luck with it :)

[Mazz]

That looks ruddy awesome in the first pics, speedlines ruined it though imo...

[J4MES]

Does look brilliant!!

[*brunette_barbie*]

very nice

[Riggy]

That looks ruddy awesome in the first pics, speedlines ruined it though imo...


pmsl lol i was goin to say it looks mega in the first few pics, still looks mint on speedlines , but i love the std 3 spokes , if they only fitted over some decent brakes and put them on mine

[GTE TURBZ]

Was that a PAS filler tank i saw if so does that mean most if not all 2l conversions benefit from a power steering conversion too?

[Mike]

The PAS you saw was fitted to the engine whilst it was still in the Calibra :thumb:

[Steve]

Was that a PAS filler tank i saw if so does that mean most if not all 2l conversions benefit from a power steering conversion too?
Nah power steering is for pansies lol

[RYAN16V]

Nice GTE Pal!!! I have a Mint One Owner 60000 Miles Full History One in Carmine Red!!! Still Has Wheel Trims lol

Regards

Ryan

[Sherco]

Thanks for all the comments people, i need to get my **** into gear and get another update together. :tard:

[greg1.4]

yep i would like to see more updates/progress..stunning nova you got there..

[Sherco]

Next job was get the whole engine out of the Cali-barge which me and a mate tackled one Saturday morning. That afternoon I set about stripping the engine down to check it over and replace all worn and tatty parts, first job was to take the F20 box from the engine and get it the engine mounted on the engine stand.

Here are few photos of the engine on the stand with a few bits and bobs removed (Sorry about the crap pics):

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/36.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/37.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/38.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/39.jpg

Next job was to remove the head to see what sort of state that was in:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/40.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/41.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/42.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/43.jpg

As you can see from this photo, I got a nice surprise. COSCAST head :D

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/44.jpg

[Sherco]

Now the head was off the block I had a real good check round them both and started stripping the pair down further.

I removed everything from the head and gave the lot a damn good clean off as well as doing the block and pistons at the same time:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/45.jpg

Now it was time to start rebuilding the head, here it is when everything was cleaned and the valves half way through been re ground in with all new seals etc:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/46.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/47.jpg

Gave the block a rub down and a nice lick of paint:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/48.jpg

After checking over the block and replacing every gasket I fitted the sump back on with nice shiny stainless bolts:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/49.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x286/ntw1987/GTE%20Build/50.jpg

[RYAN16V]

Hi Mate

Have you still got Gte engine?

regards

Ryan

[Brodie_Sri]

Just read you full thread nick top work:thumb:
I need to get my finger out and get on with my nova!

[Matt GTE]

Absolutely stunning :p!!

[Neil 08]

mint shell, will be cool when finished

[twistysnovagte]

what happened to the gte engine pal? as mine is on its last legs(crank issues):( if you still have it, what would you be looking for it m8:thumb:please pm

the car is very sweet you have there,quality work aswell:)

[Sherco]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I shall get on with another update now.


what happened to the gte engine pal? as mine is on its last legs(crank issues):( if you still have it, what would you be looking for it m8:thumb:please pm

the car is very sweet you have there,quality work aswell:)

As i said in the Pm, i sold the engine a while back. Sorry and hope you find another.

[essexgte]

Nice looking GTE.

[cavlad]

buddy that is one clean nova there cant wait to see it done