rusty the 86' Nova project

[MrVauxMad94]

cheers mate. she has been sitting on the drive for a very long time, was given to my mum as a first car but she never learnt how to drive so now she has been handed over to me it has gone in all of the places novas tend to go like the doors, boot, behind the head light and she is startting to get a few tiny dots of surface rust on the roof :S i will keep you updated with pics of the car as it goes along and will be looking out for yours when you get them posted up mine is going to be a GTE replica but i am still looking for a genuine white GTE front bumper and side skirts, got the rear bumper on the car and ive got the spoiler and grille sitting around in the shed which came off a GTE which was being broken for parts. most people have condemned the car but i still see alot of potential in it. cheers again and good luck with your project too, hope to see the pictures soon and keep us updated with the progress (Y)

[MrVauxMad94]

The New DTM back box, last of the goodies for now, time to get down to business and get the body and engine sorted

[Dave.]

Looks a big project! Id do it properly, bodywork looks pretty bad but new doors, new arches and a repaint would see it right

Im always up and around Ellesmere Port mate if you ever need a hand or any help

[Graeme]

Welcome and good to see another NW member

[marc69]

Hi,
looks like a nice wee project. i have a 1.0 which I did up, initially I just had it patched up enough to get an mot on it so it was pretty rough, but then over the next 3 years I slowly got it all done properly. I found this method worked best as I have a mini which was taken off the road to rebuild at the same time (6 years ago), it is still sitting.

Everyone is different but I found that by running the car, things got done and when it was taken off the road for new arches/sills etc, it was done fairly quickly as I needed the car to drive.


Re the 1.0, if you have it all running correct, it is nippy, I once beat a guy in his 1.4 SR going up a hill in my 1.0. (turns out his ignition timing wa wrong!)

[MrVauxMad94]

Looks a big project! Id do it properly, bodywork looks pretty bad but new doors, new arches and a repaint would see it right

Im always up and around Ellesmere Port mate if you ever need a hand or any help

at the moment ive only got the drivers door which has no major signs of rust but now i need new front panels including the slam panel, passenger door, battery tray needs re-doing, theres a hole behind the drivers side light which needs seeing too and also a hole in the boot over the chassis rail, ill have to post some pics up and thanks, what type of things can you do?

[MrVauxMad94]

Welcome and good to see another NW member

Cheers and ive noticed there isnt many of those on here, suppose novas are just that rare :D

[MrVauxMad94]

Hi,
looks like a nice wee project. i have a 1.0 which I did up, initially I just had it patched up enough to get an mot on it so it was pretty rough, but then over the next 3 years I slowly got it all done properly. I found this method worked best as I have a mini which was taken off the road to rebuild at the same time (6 years ago), it is still sitting.

Everyone is different but I found that by running the car, things got done and when it was taken off the road for new arches/sills etc, it was done fairly quickly as I needed the car to drive.


Re the 1.0, if you have it all running correct, it is nippy, I once beat a guy in his 1.4 SR going up a hill in my 1.0. (turns out his ignition timing wa wrong!)

hey it is a nice project and im sure it will be a good run around when its finished, well it will need to be as it is also my first car. for the moment the majority of it will be welded just to get it on the road but i will be looking to do it properly when ive got more time, money and experience. since its my first project i'll be seeking alot of help as i dont want to mess it up its currently off the road but it has been for about 8 years but now its time to focus on getting it running

[marc69]

Something tells me the mk2 door brackets are different to yours , I could be wrong but it would be worth making sure before spending money mate. Doesn't look too bad though. Nice to see 18 year olds still interested in these things.

I put mk2 doors on my 1984 mk1, no problems although removal is the hardest part.

[marc69]

Hi, here is some advice which is hopefully helpful rather than patronising.

I am sure your welder will advise you as to what needs patched up.

The brakes...the calipers at the front will need to be freed out, this is a case of removing the brake pads and ensuring the calipers move in and out freely. If they dont, try a little careful sanding of any corrosion on the guides and use wd40 until you get them moving, then put in a drop of grease. If they still won't move you would probably be easier poutting in new guides if the car has sat that long same aplies to the piston. Obviously don't get wd40/grease on the disc, I am sure you can tell if a disc is solid or not.
Brake pipes, check condition, I have never had problems with a nova pipe apart from one I broke. The flexipipes need to be in good nick and not choked on the inside.
Rear brakes. The self adjuster are rubbish, better to just adjust them manually so that when the hub is on, they are just touching as you turn the wheel. Check the rear cylinders, they do leak and the rest is just checking including the servo.

Engine...apart from oil water etc. If it has lain for so long the carb may benefit from a wee clean, put in new points and condenser even if the old ones look good, check the coil is ok. Once you have the 1.0 engine running, I found that the gaps in haynes for the spark plugs and points do not give the most reliable service. I use champion plugs witha gap of 25thou and intermotor points with a gap of 13 thou although if you have the early delco remmy distributor (black cap with screws...I am looking for one) the gap may be what haynes said?

If you get through that lot you'll be partly on your way.