WIP- Past to Present

Novas took a bit of a back seat until some metal sheet arrives to finish the cage with.

SOooo, i decided to P I M P the Astra :cool:
and yes i said i wouldnt, but got annoyed with it looking a bit sheddy everytime i see it parked up! Even though its a daily driver, i still dont like driving rough looking cars.

Picked up some 17" TSW Pace wheels in gunmetal, they look well against the dark bodywork IMO, car looks a sheeeet load better than it did previously.
I just need to replace the dented drivers door and it'll look sound :)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...w/Photo071.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...w/Photo070.jpg

Also going to paint the V in the grill Satin black, fit the HIDs off my old nova, get a Sport front bumper(not 1/2 colour coded like mine), and get a GSi rear spoiler on the back :)
I do have some 60mm springs, but i want to keep it 100% driveable as theres a load of speed humps where i live, and i dont want scrubbage with passengers in the back etc....

That is all.

60mm springs should be fine on that, my mate had one 60mm and it wasnt even that low.

Looks quite smart for an astra lol

Might stick them on then, only trouble is front springs on a mk3 are a right T**T, basically got to rip the whole front strut leg off, driveshaft,hub, track end, everything.....

I actually quite like the look of it now, even cleaned it today lol

Looks good but deffo needs dropppping.

Knew youd say that /\ :p lol

Will probably see if i can find another set of front legs, get the springs swapped, so its pretty much a straight leg swapover...

Rears are as simple as novas.

60mil and stock dampers FTW lol

Oh yeah i forgot about the front legs on them, pain in the **** even on a ramp lol

Yup, f**king nightmare they are. Just remembered even the brake caliper/pipe etc has to come off lol

I hate to admit the Astra looks quite good, just a shame the chassis is banana shaped.

ROFL lol lol
No, the rear panel took a 10mph hit which marked the bumper and creased the back panel :p

Yeah it does look quite well, find me a door you mofo!!!!!!!!

Right, had a bit of free time tonight so got jiggy with the nova
First of all, cage plates welded back onto the rear section legs, and then welded in the sill/rear floor
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo074.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo076.jpg

Bit of paperwork
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo073.jpg

Onto 2.5mil steel sheet
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo077.jpg

At this point i ran out of mig gas, so a quick trip to machine mart and i picked up some argon/co2 mix (was previously using pure co2)
And this argon mix welds soo much better than pure co2, much neater and you can watch the weld arc easier too
Plates seamed onto cage foot, and into floor/sill (still on co2 gas at this point)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo078.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo079.jpg

Finished and primered up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo086.jpg

Onto drivers side (onto argon/co2 gas, welds looker nicer)
End plate in
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo080.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo081.jpg

Got a nice weld on the top plate here, quite pleased with that! Lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo084.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo083.jpg

Primered up
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo085.jpg


So thats the cage sorted, not the neatest of jobs but its strong, so thats all that matters to me. Just got to bolt the rear and front down, and waxoyl the floor underside where ive drilled holes :d

Then onto respraying the floor, fitting passenger footrest, getting the seats back in, roll on Combe :cool:

cripes, good work!

Good going dude, only thing i think is would you not been better making a box type section for the legs to fix to instead of boxing them in (if that makes sense?)

Scott

Welding looks good Ad, but I agree with Scott. You really wanted some spreader plates and then the cage feet welded to the spreader plates! That way it will spread the load.

Ad here is how Dar's brother did mine on the center legs, it's a bit that been bent into a half box etc, and then welded to the floor/inside sill.

(if you can see it)

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/1...f0296small.jpg

But i guess it's too late for showing you this now lol

Yeah i get what you're saying. Nevermind, its staying now.

Actually, it never even crossed my mind about doing it that way till now, would of probably been easier tbh! lol

Adam who did you get the cage off of?

Good work.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo079.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...P/Photo080.jpg

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hi Adam, really good project and made for a good read, im not picking on your welds because im no where near a pro or even any good :). but over the last year iv larnt a hell of a lot and it looks to be as you have your wire speed a bit to low and im not sure but i think you might not be holding the torch at quite the right angle.

what welder are you running and settings?

Try just knocking up the feed a whole number and really go for it (move your hand faster)and hold the torch between 90-70 degrees and just listen to where sounds best.

all the best.

jord

nice work on welding the cage in :)

much better than i could do lol

Good efforts Adam :)

Good work dude.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nathnova

Adam who did you get the cage off of?

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Mike-Turbo iirc, ages ago.

Jora4n-Im using a 90A clarke welder, full power and about 5-6 wire speed. Will moving the torch quicker not give me even less penetration though....????

I always open to good or bad comments :thumb:


Cheers for other replies. Got the cage fully bolted down tonight, will be sorting the floor paint tomorrow hopefully so i can get the seats back in asap!!!

Floor all painted up(went with black for now)
Aplogies for the pic quality, they turned out terrible, my phone cam pics seem to be better than the pics from this digicam lol
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...1593Medium.jpg

Also resprayed the rear section of the floor
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v8...1596Medium.jpg

Rear arches will be getting covered by arch carpets :)

Also, im swapping the rear springs back to my old ones, longer and less poundage, rear end sits ghey high, but it needs to be higher and not bottomed out for track/road use!!!!!

Should get it 100% sorted tomorrow, might even clean it and take it out for a blast!!! Its sat for almost a month and half!!!!!!

Black floor looks very track slag, good progress sir.

Looking good, thought about fitting a cav shifter?

On track at combe on 5th?

Thought about it, but then thought nah lol lol
Maybe a future mod.

Looks better in the flesh than it does in pics imo.
Got an alloy pass footrest too :)


Yeah im on track at Combe :)

awsomeness - wanna do mine cage when i've got the rest of the car sorted lol

no messin about

Cheers :)

Ste-Is it a full cage or just rear??

full dash out jobbie :( lol

Quite a bit of work then lol

only really 6 foot plates...

front foot well
rear foot wells
rear turrets


hoping to get the dash out soon, so i can get the front trial fitted and start the dash chopping lol

Not too much work then. Might be able lend a hand when you get round to fitting it :)

shouldn't need raising up like yours, the rear sit's flat on the floor and near enough touches the roof, so should be an easy task lol

Looks spot on dude!

Got your text, I'll have to call you,or text back tomo in social times lol.

Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam

Jora4n-Im using a 90A clarke welder, full power and about 5-6 wire speed. Will moving the torch quicker not give me even less penetration though....????

---

hope posting links to other sites is ok cos im sick of the ban stick. try this site really helped me, iv posted a like to a thread with some good tips about wire speed and power setting.

http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/s...re+speed+power

jord

Scott, just pm'd you mate, ignore it though as i didnt see your post till now lol'

Jord4n-Cheers, im a member on there.


Everythings pretty much sorted now, rear springs are swapped back to the standard avo ones, sits high as fook but oh well.
Rear arch carpets are back fitted, harnesses are all bolted it. Reconnected the batt and it started 1st turn of the key :cool:

I then noticed a pool of oil developing under the engine, god damn sump bolts,had to tighten every bolt by a turn and half to get them back to "nicely done up" :eek: :eek: Solid engine mounts ftw lol

The journey back from billing is what must of loosened them right off.
Might fit every bolt with a spring washer, see if that helps.

Going for 1st proper drive in it tomorrow night, should be fun.

Locktite them up.

Your cars brother came into work today, got nowhere to keep it or i would be buying it. Bonnets not in very good condition :( 79k one owner from new, needs sills/arches to be nice and a patch on the front lower panel by the rad mount.

They were locktightened,Lol.

So mines still the only moss silver/green nova on here :p :p lol

Has anyone bought it???

Manager said he wants 100quid for it, said guys at another branch do banger racing etc so they will have it if i dont :(