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Author Vauxhall Nova GSi Project.
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:10   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Ok, this is a copy and paste from a few other sites, this has been running for over a year already!

Right, well since me and Lou have moved in together the Nova has taken a back seat, well infact its been suffering since we bought the house, running on 3. so back in July it was driven gentally from Lou's parents to the New house and placed in the garage and parked! due to working on the house i had no chance of getting any work done on her.

The Garage - since we've moved in and after speaking to the neighbours we now understand why A, the owners had "lost" the keys to the garage and B, the walls are covers in polystrene! most of it adds up to how come they had 100k for a deposit!


The Nova checking out her new home... as seen in the last post i made about her in her new home. parking her bonnet out so i could get her out if need be due to the fact that the battery is on its last legs!


Then just recently after most of the little jobs had been finished i gave her a wash and turned her round ready for working on, some how she had been covered in saw dust.....


The working area.... cupboards from the old kitchen.... they were worse than that the 1st time we looked at the house! oh and the shelves.....Ex-Kitchen as well!

suspect i shall try and get a few bits and bobs to kit myself out.

and just to prove there is work being carried out, the engine bay with bits missing!


I know its fairly dark in the pictures, that is something that is being worked on, there is no power to the garage, so no lights etc, but that is all in hand, Lou's dad has picked up a new Dis-board for the house which will cover the garage as well, just got to find time to run the cable to the garage. in the meantime i'll just have to use an extension lead and plug in a light or 2!

Plans for the nova....
well sort out the miss fire
replace tailgate - rotten is an understatement!
look at the inner arches on the front and repair
check all of the last advisorys for the last MOT
new inlet pipe from Air box to throttle body
respray wheels again!

hope to have it done for PVS..... but we'll see!

oh and one last final picture
the Nova that have gone to heaven under mine and Lou's ownership!


will update this as i go along, but not sure how quickly this will move... defo not as quick as any of Geordie Boy's in progresses!

Well a slight update, this will not be out for PV..... infact it'll not be out on the road for a while yet, maybe next year it will return!
Update 29/03/09

well had sometime to in the garage today, Enigne stripped and head is now ready for the valves to be removed as well. Garage as moved on abit now, plenty of tools to my disposal now!




head and inlet off


And on the bench!


Head and Inlet separated


and the Tool for the next time i'm out there!


been back out again, Valves all removed, number 3 looks like its been running abit weak.


Number 1

and valves


Number 2

and Valves


Number 3

and Valves


Number 4

and its Valves


have now Lapped in the Inlets again but will need new oil seals etc. need to get a dremmel to clean up the coke on the Exhaust outlets.

Bit of an update, have finished off lapping in the Valves, just waiting to buy my Head gasket set with new Valve Stem Oil seals before i can finish off putting the head back together, then it'll be cleaned up.
and here is what i have been working on over the last few weeks, the Throttle Body. i have been playing with the idea of swapping it to a C20NE (2ltr 8v) TB but i think that will come, fittings are the same but some of the water connection are different.
Ok, so when i started it looked like this

this is the inlet manifold which will be on my cleaning hit list!

TB cleaned, then smoothed. before wet and dryed to remove any small scratches out.

next, a coating of Autosol (quite a few!) and a drill with a polishing buffer on it and the result.


TB complete


not much to impeed airflow, just got to work out what to do about the 2 extra holes but i might be able to adjust the tick over to suit.
Next on the polishing list the Fuel Rail.

the original one from the car, seems to be slightly damaged

and the one that will be polished and refitted.
final thing, changed the rear lights from this

to this


Just thought this would finish off the rear end, blend the lights into the boot. ****** pain in the butt to find Genuine smoked rear lights for a Nova! now just got to rewire the reverse light so both sides work and get a new fog light.

Well have not been doing much to this recently due to working away. so have just carried on with the TB and Head work.


shineyer than a shiney thing!!!



Have now started on the inlet ports. not sure wether to remove the Valve guides which would make the inlets slightly bigger.
Bonnet is now off the car as well making it abit eaiser to work in the engine bay.

So have made abit more progress this weekend.
finished off the polishing in the top of the inlet then moved on to some bits you will see!

Inlet, not too bad but difficult to get a good polish all the way down, might have another go soon.

Fuel Rail



EFI Badge

will repaint the badge lettering, either in white or black.

Inlet back together minus the TB, which needs a replacement bit.



Air Filter

Bottom half

Top half

bottom half derestricted, should get tiny bit more air in to the box.


and look what i found in a box in the back of the car!


Double valve springs, plus modified valve seats. had these ages and had them on the car. not sure if to fit them or not.
also sorted out the Oil Pressure sensor, plus while i was at the wiring started working out how to rewire the rear lights for the reversing lights to be both sides and prep the wiring for the new fog light which i am yet to decide on what one to go for.
Hopefully Dad will be dropping off his Jack on Tuesday so i can get it up on th eaxle stands and change the sump gaskets as well.

Well had a little bit of time out in the Garage today.

Had a go at getting the exhaust ports nice and shiney

All 4 now look like the above.
so i stripped down the rest ready to fully rebuild it.


and while i was doing that the sump was drying! not a perfect job but alot of rust removed and now given a nice coat of paint.

High temp paint

Coat of VW Diamond black


quick coat of laquare.
just waiting to get on the floor and clean up the bottom of the block to fit the new Sump gaskets.

then thought i would strip down the boot....ready for when i pick the other boot up from the Parents.
Why??

good enough reason??
No?


well i would say there is about an Inch of metal holding the 2 skins together!

Now would any of you who would take on the job of spraying body panels keep parts like the Handles on while spraying???
Well the Bodyshop that sprayed this did!

the Handles was stuck on plus 2 bolts have snapped due to the nut being rusted on!
Took the Rear Strut brace off to take out the spare wheel coverand found it to be damp...

I suspect it was due to water ingress from the rubber pipe at the top of the boot.
So the Boot floor.


Drivers side, just needs a clean up and respray.


Spare Wheel Well.... just needs cleaning up!


Now it looks quite bad.... but i think its just surface rust that just needs cleaning up.


and how sad it looks now... no Spoiler, no plate, no grab handle.... no nothing!

Update...... Sump is back on again.... i'm never going to try anf fit a sump to an engine while its still in the car! what a pain in the ass!
after that took the front bumper off to have a look behind there and this is what i found....

small hole along the bottom of the Valance, should be able to patch it but shall see.




Drivers side on the front Cross member is Fubar'd.... new one required... will get the wings off once the engine is back together.

Aye i think thats the option i will be going for..... the list of things to be done is growing... Last night poped out to use the battery to charge my RC car batts and thought i would take off my bonnet lifters as i would take them off to get the wings off.

while i was at it i thought i would have a feel around the bonnet hinges as they seemed a little stiff and felt the nice feel of crunchy metal.....
this will be a dash out weld up job i think!

Passenger side.


Drivers side


In the middle....


Only looked at this as Paul's old nova had to have this area welded up before. 2 options here really, as been suggested, Reshell or go all out and fix the whole xxxxing thing up!

Right this has been quiet for a few months now, mainly due to other things coming up, abit of Drifting etc. anyway, I had to sign for this

Full head gasket set, so this afternoon i fitted the inlet gasket, and fitted the head onto the block with the cam carriarer.

Its taken 6 months to get back to this state! need to find a new Rocker cover breather pipe (expect theres one in my spares bin!), get the timing belt on, wired up and started, hopefully without a misfire now!
I also bought a Richbrooke Oil Filler cap, which i thought i would try out and to my suprize it doesnt fit correctly! think it will fit the Corsa though!

Ok, so thats the project so far, next few weeks it will be running i hope, then i can set about getting the rot sorted out. Comments welcome, this thread will be updated as i go along!

Ok, had a bit of a tidy up in the garage. bought some Shelfing after getting the ZR MOT'd, So the Garage now looks like this.


SO whats been done today, well the Manifold is back on, the Engine loom is back in and its basically ready to be turned over once the Cambelt is on.

So you can see i have replaced the AFM to TB pipe with A silicone pipe, i dont think i've done a bad job for the mo, but i think it will need adjusting as the inlet to the Airbox in heading towards the Cambelt but has a good 40mm clearance.



So Cambelt next, bit of Fuel and see if it starts!

Not updated for a few months but...... its ALIVE!!!!

had an intake of air from a hole in the Fuel line to the pump. once that was cleared with a wiff of Lynx it started! ok it ran on 3 so will investigate that and it will be mobile soon!

And Finally.......Its on 4 now! after having a little play with the injectors i ended up changing 2 and it fires 1st time, every time now with no miss fire.

Had to do some adjustments to the TB butterfly to remove the 2 extra holes in it making it tick over at 2.5k!

So on to the next part then, have some boarding to do in the Loft so i can get some of the parts out of the way then will make a list of things that need doing and also what i want to do. hopefully by then the Side door will be replaced on the garage so it opens outwards, then it will be working from back to front i think.

Whilst playing with the boot i thought i would get the side skirts off the Nova to have a look at the Sills. Passenger side doesnt look too bad really,


But i think i'll still replace it, then there is the drivers side.....


this is the worst section which i think we may have repaired at some stage for an MOT, so this i think will have to be replaced.
Sandsy
Member

Registered: 29th Oct 04
Location: Tilney All Saints Drives: V6 Corsa
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:20   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

cant wait to see it back on the road adam last time i se it was at clive athroes rolling road day, when i had the black corsa
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:23   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Aye, that was a long time ago bud, it'll be back on the road maybe by the end of the year, who knows! but it will be nice to drive it again! The Corsa is nice, but its not a Nova!
Sandsy
Member

Registered: 29th Oct 04
Location: Tilney All Saints Drives: V6 Corsa
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:25   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

youve had that little nova since ive known you mate must be a good five years, dont think i could part with it
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:28   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

that is true mate, its at least 6 years, This is the car that i have learnt most of my Mechaincal skills..... or lack of them! lol
Sandsy
Member

Registered: 29th Oct 04
Location: Tilney All Saints Drives: V6 Corsa
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:36   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

nowt wrong with that lol, i dont mind giving things a bash now, learnt by alot of mistakes tho............
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:44   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

i can see my Mistakes coming up soon, Engine work is in my comfort zone, I've never welded in my life and as you can see the Nova requires plenty..... Aiming to have the Dash 90% out by the end of the weekend.....
Ste L
Member

Registered: 3rd Jul 06
Location: Manchester Drives: 106 16v Rallye
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:48   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

bloody hell, still got this nova then fella

remember it on the Jov stand, when i used to go on there many years ago

[Edited on 03-04-2010 by Ste L]
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:54   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Indeed Ste, it will be back on a Stand some day, wether it'll be JOV is another question....
Ste L
Member

Registered: 3rd Jul 06
Location: Manchester Drives: 106 16v Rallye
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 19:57   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

not been on there for a while, might show my face sometime


still an RC on there?
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 20:07   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Yeh i am bud, not that i've been doing much on there, too much going on at home each. infact i'll be up round your way with work soon.
Ste L
Member

Registered: 3rd Jul 06
Location: Manchester Drives: 106 16v Rallye
User status: Offline
3rd Apr 10 at 20:10   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

ahh cool

just signed in, for the first time in ages...
changed abit, ie admin team mod's etc, noticed Howell doesn't do the web stuff on there anymore?
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
4th Apr 10 at 09:31   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Yeh Long story there Ste. if you sign in again today and see how many posts have been made.....
Ste L
Member

Registered: 3rd Jul 06
Location: Manchester Drives: 106 16v Rallye
User status: Offline
4th Apr 10 at 13:23   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

3 posts


whats the story is short
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
4th Apr 10 at 15:54   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

See what i mean..... I'll have to U2U you on that one!
Archie
Organiser: Scotland
Premium Member


Registered: 18th Dec 07
Location: South Ayrshire
User status: Offline
4th Apr 10 at 16:07   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Subscribed
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd May 10 at 10:28   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Maybe you guys will change your mind after this post. I think i'm going to need some help with this!

Looks like i'll have to get working on Plates to bridge the holes, the below also answers why i used to get water in the passenger side foot well.

Anyway the pictures,
Dash out



Drivers side - there is an internal angled bracket that runs the full lenght of the dash, this has rotted Drivers side but the bulkhead is just very scabby.


Passenger side, doesnt look that great but looks a tiny bit better than the Drivers side.


Scuttle Panel. Drivers side

Scuttle Panel Middle - seems to be the corner of the screen that has rotted.


Scuttle Passenger side


The hole on the drivers side appeared after a wee prod with a finger.....

So this project could well be at a turning point..with 3 options,
Strip it completely and keep the bits to go on another Shell,
Strip it completely and Sell it all
Fix it......
Mark B
Member

Registered: 15th Mar 07
Location: Galston, East Ayrshire
User status: Offline
3rd May 10 at 10:36   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Reshell
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
3rd May 10 at 10:46   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Thats would be the clear winner Mark, but i have to get it past the Other half, for a start shes not keen on the idea of having a 3rd car on the drive with the Nova in the garage, plus shes now saying that it was a waste of money getting the engine sorted and fired back up again and would go for the option of Scrap it and sell it all, then Sell the Corsa too! (thats makes her sound like a right cow!)
Mark.W
Member

Registered: 3rd Jan 07
Location: County Durham
User status: Offline
3rd May 10 at 11:09   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Bodywork needs a lot of attention by the looks of it mate,apart from that it could be a good project
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
28th Apr 11 at 19:15   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

been alot time since i've touched this post, i'll let the posts from VODC speak for themselves...
an extract from the VODC post

To start with there had been discussions with a guy in Newcastle who was after a new Floor pan for his Nova Spider, he's about to pick up a fairly tidy looking E reg hatch, which he will be stripping for bits. now i thought the ideal opertunity, a swap, his "tidy" shell for mine so he can chop it up for the floor..... at least i thought it was, until yesterday morning when i put a screw driver through the rear passenger floor.... OOOPS.
Anyway after doing that, Paul thought it a good idea to start from the rear and work forwards..... so basically, the rear is stripped, Sunroof is out, glass is out apart from the rear screen.

So its going.... but i dont know what or if it will be replaced with.

I'm not sure what will be happening car wise, Bits are coming off that i want, anything i dont will go back in it and get "Cubed". the bits i want will sit in the garage for the time being, I know Lou has explained her postion on the matter and that even though we can live comfortablly a 2nd car in the garage would be that extra strain on the cash side of things, in theory with both the Corsa and Nova on the road, road tax would be £312.50 a year plus about £800 for insurance, thats before the running costs.

Anyway, in the time its taken me to type this, the pictures have uploaded so heres the full horror....
Drivers side footwell


back end of the drivers footwell


Chassis Rail


All was looking okish, it was repairable until this.......


Rust In Pieces J838DUC..... Another Nova GSi off the Sorn List???
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
28th Apr 11 at 19:21   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

So after some 6 months and seeing a posts saving Novas from worse than this, the porject takes a slight twist... i need power in the garage for lighting and welding it up!
So Part 1 of Phase 1 of a 3 phase project!
Right, something as started to move! Part one of Phase one of the project. i've just spent about 4 hours with some help from Lou to do that following.....

Take one garden.....

Remove plum slate so lovingly laid....


Rake back gravel....


Take Spade and dig holes....



Keep digging whilst laying cable and back fill with cable below tape (i know my 17th Regs you know.....)


And finish for the day

Cable under on the right and leftover soil on the left.......HOW does that happen???

have probably covered 4 metres of the 20 odd metre run for power to the garage.
Roll on Part 2!
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
28th Apr 11 at 19:22   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Part 2 of phase 1.....
More digging....

Little bit further

not far to go now



so its about 2 metres to the end of the house, then a further 1 metre to the point of cutting across the grass which is about 4 metres from the goal!
Anyway, last weekend i had off digging whilst cleaning the Corsa and found that the Astra GSi steering wheel had done this....


So had to clean that up as well.... After pictures to follow!
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
30th Apr 11 at 19:04   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Right, Part 3 of phase 1, completed yesterday.





At a Turning point??



finish for the night





Part 4 of Phase 1....





Also found this only about 4 inches below the surface, looks big enough for the mains incomer to the house....





Anyway, the cable is installed, so its now on to phase 2! the fit out work in the garage!
NovalutionGSi
Member

Registered: 20th Feb 07
Location: East Poringland, Norfolk
User status: Offline
30th May 11 at 08:33   View User's Profile U2U Member Reply With Quote

Remember this cable...... well its made it into the Garage now.


Last weekend Lou's Dad came over to get the cable into the garage, Clip it up the wall, fit the Disboard to the wall and wire in the cable.
Whilst this was going on i fitted my Strip lights but this would be abit more tricky that i was expecting!
The fact that the Nova has lived in the Garage for a good 6 months now it didnt want to get out of it home to make way for me to fit the Lights.....Passenger Rear Brake Drum..... Sezied Solid.....well that was until we had a half an hour fight freed it off and look.... It moves!


So Strip lights fitted, just need to purchase a few more sockets and Cable to finish off the Garage.

 
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