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Nova Spider Rebuild,
been on going with this since the end of 2005 after the last spider was stolen (nothing ever found) but its getting very close now to being finished so thought i'd stick a WIP thread up to help motivate me a bit more. Think i've done more work in the last 3 weeks than I have in 2-3 years.
Decided not to put a WIP thread up after the last car being stolen, always wondered if it was possibly (but unlikely) stolen to order.
Anyway.....
Not sure many of you will of done this but I bought the car purely by these pics. I bought the car from the isle of man (hence the plate, that has to go). The owner drove it to the port for me at Douglas? and the ferry company drove it on. It then sat in liverpool (and wasnt nicked???!!) until a local transport company brought it home on a 11 car artic, it was the only car on it at the time. It then came back to me with my cousins work, below are pics..
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ase/man31c.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...piderside2.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...piderside1.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3.../spider018.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...spider2015.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3.../spider018.jpg
Seats re-trimmed by Irmscher Germany
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...piderseats.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/seatwear.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...rchase/int.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...ase/strut2.jpg
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Looks good mate - Is that the one the old radio blank went to ?
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The car was used by Irmscher Uk for the 1985 (I think may be 86) motorshow at the NEC. I have been luckily enough to talk to Tom May( R.I.P) before he retired who sent me some original press pics and also some non publshed pics.
Steve Thompson cars (Irmscher's only uk importer in the 80's and early 90s) needed 2 cars for the NEC motorshow. They couldnt get 2 basic spec cars in time to get them converted so 2 1.3 SR Novas in white got delivered to the dealership. Tom and another driver drove them to Germany to Irmscher to get them converted. Tom remembered driving this home as it was the only one of the 2 to have the seats re-trimmed. A rare conversion in Germany let alone in the UK.
heres a pic of it when I first seen it and how it was back in the 80's
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...31c/spider.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...31c/man31c.jpg
Once home to Newcastle I had to get it to my House from the Transport compnay. Enter stage left, my cousins work and a nice big breakdown truck, (at this point I thought WTF have I bought!!)
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/Image048.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/Image047.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/Image049.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/Image050.jpg
To get a proper finish on it all round and no unpainted bits My Dad made me a frame to move it on, also comes in handy for to move it on the drive
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/Image063.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...e/Image064.jpg
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Once the frame was complete it was gutted of every last nut and bolt
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6117.jpg
Spider's use standard door chopped!! Not an easy thing to do to a new door
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6119.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6122.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6121.jpg
It was apparent that a lot of panel work was going to be needed, all panels got replaced with genuine new panels where possible, with the exception of one door. I had a mint door so put it to use
Lower 1/4, this was hidden under the skirts
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/Image052.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6120.jpg
Top seam on bulkhead had small rust, nothing major
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6118.jpg
Usual suspect battery tray
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6128.jpg
Inner wings suprisingly mint considering other areas
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6127.jpg
Lower cross member rotten
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6126.jpg
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An old leaky roof had led to some water getting in the car, before I started to strip it it had 2 inches of water in it
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6125.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6124.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/104_6123.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/Image072.jpg
Boredom is a wonderful thing, no paneling experience and I decided one day I had nothing else to do to it!!
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/Image070.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/Image069.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/Image068.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...n/Image071.jpg
So now the front panel was off I was stuck, Couldnt get it to the bodyshop as I had no way to get it on to the bodyshops truck, A mate welded the new cross member and slam panel on, sorry no pics of this...
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