Nova Spider Rebuild,

[novacabrio]

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..













Seats re-trimmed by Irmscher Germany

[novacabrio]

[vaughanmc]

Looks good mate - Is that the one the old radio blank went to ?

[novacabrio]

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





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!!)









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

[novacabrio]

Once the frame was complete it was gutted of every last nut and bolt



Spider's use standard door chopped!! Not an easy thing to do to a new door







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





Top seam on bulkhead had small rust, nothing major



Usual suspect battery tray



Inner wings suprisingly mint considering other areas



Lower cross member rotten

[novacabrio]

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









Boredom is a wonderful thing, no paneling experience and I decided one day I had nothing else to do to it!!









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...

[novacabrio]

So wheels back on etc, off we go for what was going to be a 2 month job













Wagon roll!!!!!!!!!!

[novacabrio]

The 2 month stay at the bodyshop became 11 months so plenty pics, I also left 2 disposable cameras with them but I don't think they have heard of a flash so excuse the quality of some, pics are in no order due to the quailty, better pics first

[novacabrio]

Nice crisp arches, what isnt seen here is the quality of the inner arch, the panel beater remade the whole lot where most would bodge it!!

[novacabrio]