Andys mk1 2.0 16v Build

Little mince update tonight,

I dropped off my plug cover, exhaust manifold heatshield and scuttle cover to be powdercoated the other day, i went and picked them up at dinner today and i'm well happy with the results!

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11072.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11080.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11081.jpg

I decided to go for matt black powdercoat in the end as i just wanted the bits too look nice and tidy in the bay and i think that matt black pulls it off quite well!

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11082.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11084.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11086.jpg

I wasnt sure about doing the manifold heatshield aswell but i think that there was a bit too much silver going on with the rocker cover and gearbox and manifold heatshield all being silver but i think it look squite good black and ties in with the scuttle cover and plug cover and other black bits in the bay! I've also got a spare rocker cover that i'll be getting painted at some point as my home done effort is a bit poor as you can see :tard:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11087.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11088.jpg

I couldnt trim the scuttle cover anymore so as you shut the bonnet the hinge catches slightly on the edging i have fitted but it will have to do because other wise i would have trimmed right through the scuttle cover and we couldnt be having that!

Thats it for tonight, plans before the end of the week are to trim the front arch lips, seal and then repaint the lip, get the car down on its wheels and try and get the ride height set in time for going having the exhaust fitted on friday, wooooo :cool:

Cheers

Andy

Looks really good dude, thing with scuttle covers is NO TWO nova's are the same! lol and if it was made from a template off another one it will always be different, as i found out when Ive made them, though most did fit quite well, also i made my covers so they lapped under the wings, but they weren't metal.

Scott

Cheers Scott,yeah I know I tried a template of one that you actually made dude that graeme dixon kindly let me try but it was a way off,like you said no two are the same,so I used lee h's template (cheers bud) and that was quite a good fit! Vauxhall build tolerances haha!

Not sure on the pure black plug cover - Looks very bland

Would be smart with silver or polished letters

All looks really smart.

Where can/did you get the scuttle cover from ?

Vaughan - I was going to do silver letters but I don't think my skills would let me do that without ruining it so I think it'll just have to stay as is for now ;)

Edd - I used a template off a member from on here and then gave the template to another member off here who cut it out of thin metal sheet with a jigsaw for me dude and then bought the edging off eBay!

Some wet & dry paper on a block ?

ahh right.

do you have a link to the edging from ebay ?

would be a great help.

The problem being that some of the chrome silver stuff on the letters had started flaking off so I don think I'd get a uniform finish on all the letters so the only way to do it would be too paint and I really don't want to do that!

Ahh right - If your happy with it then that's fine :thumb:

As said before, nice car

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PVC-Rubber-Gri...item5882ac7d39

This is the link for the rubber strip..

I made the scuttle. :thumb:

It was Rickardo who sourced it for me edd,I,ve pm'd him asking to post the link up if he can find it mate ;)

Cheers rick must have posted as I was writing!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rickardo

I made the scuttle. :thumb:

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cheers for the link, fancy making me a scuttle cover then ? lol

No problem Andy. lol

Edd, as Andy has found out, no 2 Novas are the same, i could do you one and it wouldn't fit. Or it would need some trimming.

I did Lee H's as well, his and Andys are nothing like each other.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by andy_017

The problem being that some of the chrome silver stuff on the letters had started flaking off so I don think I'd get a uniform finish on all the letters so the only way to do it would be too paint and I really don't want to do that!

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I wont clutter your thread with pics so here's a link, i did my Opel cover with sand paper then gradually graded it down to wet and dry mate, came out quite OK, BUT make sure you use the grits gradually, not leaving any big scratches in it, oh and it was a sweat and swear word job in summer lol

http://www.pngclub.com/forum/showthr...=90109&page=48

Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scott.parker

Looks really good dude, thing with scuttle covers is NO TWO nova's are the same! lol and if it was made from a template off another one it will always be different, as i found out when Ive made them, though most did fit quite well, also i made my covers so they lapped under the wings, but they weren't metal.

Scott

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Quote:

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RickardoNo problem Andy. lol

Edd, as Andy has found out, no 2 Novas are the same, i could do you one and it wouldn't fit. Or it would need some trimming.

I did Lee H's as well, his and Andys are nothing like each other.

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I agree! lol

Cheers for the link dude,the finish looks great,if I am going to attempt I'll build up some patience and have a go at it that way ;)

ok no probs il make one i think.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Edd

ok no probs il make one i think.

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Use card board mate, just cut it rough to the shape on top of the fire wall, then put it in behind it, mark where it need more off, or on, then make another, and try again, and repeat the process on card till it's right,then use something that suits you to make the final cover.

Scott

how does the scuttle cover mount to the car then ?

do you have to make up some brackets ?

Well the one i made just go under the wing edges and hold them self in place via sitting on the lip at the back edge of the fire wall, and sitting on the heater motor cover etc, but mine were made form light weight foamex.

Scott

The ones rickardo made for me and lee sit the same as Scotts mate apart from they don't go under the wings due to being made out of metal instead of foamex!

is that not going to rattle like a mo fo when driving tho ?

Can i just add, i think there really only a show piece, and should not be left in all the time while driving.

EDIT: lol was just wring as you replayed.

I think lee h has driven his with no problems but as Scott said maybe best as just a show piece as they tidy up the scuttle area and make the bay look so much neater! There's nothing for it to rattle on with the edging on mate!

Me drive my car, that can't be true! It won't rattle as the bonnet hinges rest on it when bonnet is closed.

Andy has just blatantly copied my engine bay theme but I will take it as a compliment mate.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lee H

Me drive my car, that can't be true! It won't rattle as the bonnet hinges rest on it when bonnet is closed.

Andy has just blatantly copied my engine bay theme but I will take it as a compliment mate.

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I can't think of a better car to copy pal ;)

Top work Andy

good to see you Sunday, im really a big big fan of this car

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scott.parker

Can i just add, i think there really only a show piece, and should not be left in all the time while driving.

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Mines plastic, but it stays in all year round. Never comes out, anless i need to get in the scuttle.

New changes Look well Andy..... Subtlety always goes down well on novas.;)

Nick.

Update time,

Well i said a couple of pages ago that i was going to book a day off work today to get the exhaust done on my car and try and get a couple of other bits and pieces done the same day!

So starting off with last night, had a disaster with the car, the engine had all been plumbed in, all fluids in etc about 3 days ago so i thought meh i'll just check if the car will start, (just in case in the morning it wont), so tried to start it and guess what it wouldnt start! Big thanks to Lee H for being patient with it last night and helping me troubleshoot the car, to have no success but anyway more on that later!

The recovery fella turned up at 8am this morning with the wagon to load the car on, so the car had to be towed up the drive rather than driven as it wouldnt bloody start, so towed up and onto the recovery truck and then onto the exhaust place, after lots of nervous on looking at bumper/floor clearance!

Only got one pic at the exhaust place as the guys doing it were a bit strange to be honest, but anyhoo, up on the ramp,

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11090.jpg

The only pics i have after is of it fitted, on all the magnex exhausts i've seen they always have a stupid little box just after were the gearlever mounts to the car and i would imagine it would make ground clearance low so i got them to remove said box and weld a new piece of stainless in and all was good!

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11107.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11111.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11097.jpg

It sits really well IMO and totally finishes off the back end of the car, it seems to be rattling from one of the joins though so i need to crawl under and look into that at some point, job for next week i think! Then a picture of him on the way home :cool:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11098.jpg

All in all quite a good do, it was a long day to be honest as i got messed about a little by some people that i had to rely on etc but i think when you're relying on people in the 'motor trade' so to speak theres always going to be a bit of messing etc but meh all turned out well.

Then onto the problem of it not starting, i got him home with the exhaust a fitted and stuff ad i thought i'll just gove the key a shot at turning, turned it and it started first time, ran it up to temp and got all the air bubbles out of the cooling system etc and all seemed fine, the engines a bit tappy but its not been ran for about 18 months so as soon as its insured and stuff hopefully taking it out for a drive will sort that!

Another update to follow:

That looks really really well, liking it a lot :cool:
Even the speedlines look cool! Lol

What did you have done to the exhaust? Modded so it joins to the xe manifold??

Ive got the same system to go on mine.

Another little update,

Since i have had the gte bumpers fitted i havent really had any chance of getting some proper pics of the car with the bumpers on and stuff, but today seen as it was out i thought i would take some,

The car hasnt had a clean for weeks on these pics, so is very dusty and a bit manky :cool:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11093.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11094.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11095.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11096.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11099.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11100.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11101.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11102.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c2...7/SDC11105.jpg

Little bit of pic whoring there but i think that i definitly made the right choce for changing the once piece bumpers for the gte jobies, IMO they look cool as fook!

Theres still abpsolutely loads to do on the car, camber and tracking and all that stuff needs sorting as its miles out due to uber lowness, front wings need the lips trimming but i'll sort camber and tracking and stuff first, needs a good clean and polish which i'm going to do properly and take my time with and it also needs interior bits finishing off but i'm putting them off as theyre really fiddly and i cnt be arsed with them yet!

Thats all for now!

Cheers

Andy

THats done it. I need some gte bumpers! lol lol

You need your grab handle and spoiler done in the same colour :)

Looks ace Andy, can't wait to see it

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam

That looks really really well, liking it a lot :cool:
Even the speedlines look cool! Lol

What did you have done to the exhaust? Modded so it joins to the xe manifold??

Ive got the same system to go on mine.

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Cheers Adam :thumb:

Yeah the exhaust was bought for a 1.3sr i think, so at the exhaust place they cut the system just after it bends round the transmission thing, then welded a new piece of stainless steel in there with the original flange welded back onto this new piece of stainless steel and then cut and welded a flange onto the manifold as i bought an ashley 4-2-1 so they joined it to that! The box they removed is just after were the exhaust joins the manifold, its only small but my brother runs it on his nova and it smashes off everything because its right behind the front wheels and cant be tucked up into the transmission tunnel because it sits directly below the rod that goes to the gear linkage, stupid design really but oh well! So with that removed it still sounds really nice though, not loud at all just nice and subtle :cool:

Yeah for some reason the speedlines dont look that odd even though they are a different grey to the bumpers!

Andy

Cheers Graeme !

Hhhhmmm i know adam, that boot and spoiler may be coming off at some point though for something a little different, we'll see!

Looks great Andy. Really love the look and the rear end looks very sexy. Need to invest in a GTE rear bumper me thinks for my car. Was that a custom sysytem or off the shelf?

Looks awesome mate, so simple yet so effective. Creat colour choice on the bumpers. Now i want a MK1 front end and a red car again!!! Get some super resin on it this weekend and post up some more pics!