Awesome build thread mate
Looking forward to some new updates :cool:
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Awesome build thread mate
Looking forward to some new updates :cool:
Tuesday 05/08/20096
Well - new house, new (double) garage and lots of space so with a day off work I thought I'd restart project Puntova.
It's actually been really good to ignore it for so long because as mentioned a few posts back coming back to it after so long its amazing how many FAULTS were on it - especially the front end structure I;d built. I'd grown to hate every aspect of it - the welds were shoddy, it was uneven, it weighed a ton and looked gash!
So - armed with grinder - I hacked it ALL off -
from this -
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...ngbay008-1.jpg
To this -
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front004.jpg
drastic - perhaps (basically scrapped 8 weeks of work!) but my welding's improved 10 fold and I've also discovered that the actual Punto slam panel is a really good fit - and looks much better! The above pic shows the new panels I'm welding in on the inner arches.
The next step is to line up the Punto slam panel. The panel is wider than the Novas inner arches so needs cutting down. A simple case of splitting it in the middle, removing 10cm and rewelding -
The split panel-
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front001.jpg
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front002.jpg
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front003.jpg
Because I've cur the inner arches back so far I need to support it on tabs just now (see pic 1). Once the panels in place and the lights are aligned to the wings I'll weld up the sides of the inner arches to fit the lights snuggly.
Current process though it to ensure the panel fits the front. Apart from the obvious aesthetic improvements, the punto slam panel is obviously preset for the lights so they align perfectly and are level!
Also - the Punto slam panel has a built in bimper bar - the 2 "teeth" at the front. This pic shows the gaping holes at the side that will be filled once level -
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front005.jpg
I'll need to add some supports to the front however the Punto itself hardly has any supports relying on the bumper to anchor the slam panel in place!
Before I weld up the middle, I need to ensure that the wings still fit. These pics show how theyre almost perfect -
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front006.jpg
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front007.jpg
I'll need to adjust them a little and the panel will need fettling and bending a tad to get them flush but for a 1st time attempt theyre really close. I suppose it shows that my original light housings I'd built (and scrapped) were pretty bang on.
continued...
Looking good.
continued...
The next task was to weld the middle -
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front008.jpg
I'd added a support behind the weld cut from the original panel - this ave it excellent strength. This will help to keep the old centre bar on the Nova in position and assist in holding up the slam panel.
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front009.jpg
Once the panel was welded I moved on to plugging the gaps in the inner arches - Heres one of the panels in place ready to weld -
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front010.jpg
I havent taken any pics of them welded in place but they are all done.
Heres a couple of the current position...
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front011.jpg
http://www.modelnovas.com/gallery/front012.jpg
Tomorrow after work - plan is to fettle the slam panel a littl more and then build up the inner arches. I'll also test fit the bumper...
I'm off for a shower now - covered in grinding dust and I stink!
good work ade,are you re-doing the body kit etc?
nice work ade nice to see its still going after all this time
good work mate
ive been waiting a long time for an update on this :thumb: well worth it.
Glad to hear your all settled in now and a double garage :)
thats looking good and it will look better once finished with the punto slam panel, As said are you redoing the bodykit aswell or keaping it ?
Looking professional Ade! Top work :thumb:
Mincer lol x x
I like it that you've got the guts to start over because you've improved your skill at welding. :thumb:
I find it funny that all the vauxhalls are now starting to look like this anyway. lol
First time iv checked this in a long time! You have been a busy boy i see :cool:
Loving it, don't know why but I am!!
Wow ade thats a drastic move but it will be beneficial in the long run, you might wanna check the fit of the nearside wing as on the frontal shot it seems to havg lower than the other one, i know the bolts to the front panel arent in but it might be worth having a look see just to be sure:thumb:
Hmm. Punto slam panel look much easier on the eye. Good move.
those that asked I'm not changing the body kit - although it will need some tweakage.
And Spud - aye the wing needs fettling - it wasnt bolted on so sipped a tad.
Ahhh no worries, i thought that might be the case but thought it prudent to point it out just in case:thumb:
Sunday 09/08/2009
Spent most of the day at work but spent a few hours on the front end of Puntova. Managed to line up the slam panel perfectly and the wings need nor fettling at all!
My Nova original centre bar that runs in the middle of the radiator to support slam panel was f00ked so I salvaged the reinforcement from the underside of the old Punto bonnet I bought yrs ago (knew it'd come in handy some day!) and made 3 support bars - 1 in the middle and 2 either side to support the corners of the lights. I removed the wings then exposing the holes between the bacls of the new slam panel and the existing inner wings.
Tomorrow evenings game is to clean up welds, fabricate panels and weld up said holes.
Had a slight accident towards end of evening - mega burn across soft flesh on palm of hand as I vaulted out of the engine bay and used the new freshly welded (and very hot) centre of the slam panel to aim in supporting body!
Smelling your own cooked melted flesh is never good. have a HUGE burn across half of hand - stings like feck!
ouch not nice i spent 2 days last week welding in work. I burned my head/back/arms and legs lol even managed to burn my heel lol
sounds like your cracking on with it mate its going to be a beast when finished
i hate burns nothing worse
iv not been on in well over a year but my god it look relly realy good
that looks much much better, looks more proffesional and neater !! well done
Ade cannot reply to your posts at the moment. He is currently squatting in a tent eating what can only be described as baby sick. If you would like to leave a message after the tone, he will get back to you as soon as he can.
Beep
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lee
Oi, get off your holidays bitch and update your thread, have a good one this weekend though, i so wish i could come see you:cry:
how did i miss that update. new slam panel looks lush. should be able to achieve a factory look with that on there
all i can say is U ARE A LEDGAND
still looking amazing mate, keep up the good work
amazing work
why tho ???
Quote:
Originally Posted by pie1985
Why not?
cos you lot take the piss out of boys who kit novas up etc and this bloke puts punto headlights in a nova like. wtf
Quote:
Originally Posted by pie1985
it's more than just punto light's..
he's building a full one off body kit for it too, personally it's not to my taste, but i admire ade for the work he's doing on it, proper skilled stuff :thumb:
Pie - I own 2 Novas - a standard MK1 White SR (see ades drive in sig) and this red one now dubbed "puntova"Quote:
Originally Posted by pie1985
The red one was a 1.2merit originally - I modded it up to a GSi spec back in 2002 with a 1.4carb'd engine and resprayed it myself but I was never happy with it and wanted to do something "different".
I started the project 6 years ago when the modding scene still had lots of fibreglass kits and ott modded cars - styles have changed since then, however when I set out to do this project I wanted to do something that wasnt an ott modded car with an after market kit, but sa subtle design to my own style and tastes. I wanted something that would look good amongst other cars and not just out of the ordinary. I dont want a stickered up chav machine - the engine will be standard (apart from a cone filter) and the interior will just be retrimmed although I am planning a custom flocked dash with built in in car touch screen PC. This little luxury is more tfor the music and also to allow me to downbload and process the hundreds of images I always take at car shows.
The body kit I designed is an attempt to bring the Nova "up to date" and is based losely on the OPC Corsa C (bumpers), Monaro (side skirts and bumpers) and Astra H styling. I chose Punto lights because I always liked the power of them and the way they "twinkled" when you saw them in a rear view mirror coming up behind you. I also thing their rectangular shape suite the Nova.
Since I started modding this car (back when it was a GSi - many people off here will remember the thread) I always used the project as an excuse to practice new skills such as spraying, body work and now welding. This latest rendition is combining many of these skills and I'd like to think I'm doing something thats totally original.
I dont know anyone whos built their own body kit so from that perspective I'll have a unique car to my own style which to me makes is special.
Its also an excuse to get me out of the house and in to my garage!
:thumb:
I dont know if youve read the thread from the start but I think pages 3 and 7 shows the pics of how I want the car to look..
ive read ur thread and ya its different and i do admire all the work and effot you put in didnt mean to come across as a knob
no knobness came across - some people dont get it - sometimes I dont get it myselfQuote:
Originally Posted by pie1985
lol
In hindsight Ade wouldn't it have been easier to just stick an sr lump in a Punto lol
Have you set any deadlines then on when it's going to get finished?
This Thread is EPIC
Quote:
Originally Posted by pie1985
Aye i know what youre saying dude and tbh i think shoddykits are gash no matter what vehicle theyre bolted fillered or just plain hanging off, but the fact that its lil old ade tinkering away in his garage doing everything himself kinda makes it alright, plus anyways he is a nazi so will just ban anyone who disagrees lol
Still think you should change the engine to at least a 1.6 16v. A modern, sharp looking car will be severely let down by a ratty old 8v under the hood :(