Reply With QuoteAs a spanner spinner I worked on many of these in my early days and to be fair to them they weren't too bad. Suffered from a bit of rot in the sills but didn't everything back then!
Mechanically sound and easy to work on.
Engine bay and back end.Originally Posted by leefowler
As a spanner spinner I worked on many of these in my early days and to be fair to them they weren't too bad. Suffered from a bit of rot in the sills but didn't everything back then!
Mechanically sound and easy to work on.
So what cars from the 80's 90's era do you appreciate or do you not look back with rose tinted glasses?
I have a classic 80's car that i'm currently lightly restoring and as you get older you can appreciate these cars, Nova's or Vauxhalls were never my thing (apart from a MK1 Astra GTE) but seeing your Nova does bring back great memories..
Loud and clear, Ally ;-)
Anyway, back on topic, I drove a green, saloon version, Nova back in the day. Ugly thing, but a fun car when you're 18.
Foggy
A little bit of retro cool. It brings a smile to your face, love it.
I do not have one of the complete engine bay but have some of bits of it!
Hah I remember the arse of them. Boxy as hell.
I think the sri was the coveted version in silver with the sri bit in a kind if pinstriped text.
Love the colour, interior and those wheels - so early 80's.
That interior reminds me of the check used in similar period 911's.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
That's a really nice example. My second car was a black 1.4 sri. Absolutely rapid.
I remember my mate who wasn't into cars was told novas were a good choice. Came to sixth form in a faded red nava saloon. Hilarious
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It is defo 80's alright!!
believe it or not I used to working in Hook Road (at Racal Defence). Directly opposite the Brabham Racing Team HQ - complete with Nelson Piquet who I saw a few times.I do not have one of the complete engine bay but have some of bits of it!
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Back in the early -mid 80s the Nova certainly wasn't shit. I came very close to buying a new Nova SR in 1986 to run as an everyday car alongside the 1968 MGB GT I'd just finished rebuilding. It was a totally different era, The MG was a fairly quick car with it's uprated engine and a Nova SR offered pretty respectable performance with low running costs. In the end I bought a 2 year old Opal Manta which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I'm a big fan of nostalgia, it's what these cars meant to you at the time that 's important and trying to make objective comparisons is futile. The OP's found a nice example and he'll enjoy the car......... it doesn't matter how good or otherwise it really was.
I started driving in 1975 and I lusted after MGs and TRs. I've had a few MGs and owned a TR6 for 10 years, there's nothing like owning the cars that were out of reach in your youth even though in later years their shortcomings are many. Ironically, with the congestion and speed limits that plague modern motoring the limited performance offered by old cars is entirely adequate, and there's a certain pleasure in driving a car with moderate performance to it's modest limits.
Strongly advise the OP to enjoy his car and ignore the negative comments.........I enjoy my 1970 MGB and plenty of people think they were shit. I've enjoyed getting back into old-school performance mods too, far more interesting than the modern 'chipping'!
Paul
Sums it up quite nicely, thank you Paul.
100% correct Paul,
I like my 80's classic cars and loved the rallying and touring cars from that era.. When I was in my early 20's I sooo badly wanted a whale tail Sierra Cosworth but insurance was stratospheric as it was THE car to steal and joyride, ram raids were a big thing too and the raiders needed a fast car to lose the police..
At the time I had just finished my apprenticeship and was on top rate money and remember banging in the overtime working late nights, Saturday and Sunday mornings for months on end, I saved like a squirrel until I had enough money to by a dream car. The Sierra Cosworth passion had died off for me and the car I really wanted was a BMW E30 M3, I searched the ad's and came across a respected importer who had a nice Diamond black 1987 M3.
After a quick call and fast drive down to Plymouth in my MK2 Golf GTI I was ready to see this M3, I was nervous about buying an E30 M3 as they are left hand drive with a motorsport dogleg gearbox (1st is down 2nd up and so on) I looked around the car and the dealer took me out for a spin and that was it I was hooked.. so a deal was done and after a RAC inspection which came back great I went to pick it up.
When I drove that car away from the dealer it was a feeling like I have never had before or since, a real grail moment, I also remember stopping in a garage to put in some fuel and as I walked in to pay I looked back and can still see that image in my mind now and the feeling of "it's mine", from that moment I think I told myself I could not sell that car and after several house moves ups and downs I still have my M3.
Last edited by murkeywaters; 21st September 2017 at 19:36.
Nice restoration OP, I would have my MK1 Astra GTE back in a heartbeat, torque steer and all.
I had a Mk 1 Astra SR, rare as hens teeth now!
I passed my driving test in a Nova SR! My driving instructor had it and his dad had a Nova GTE. I never thought I'd see another one in such condition. I also remember at the time really wanting a XR2 - my fav hot hatch in the late 80s/early 90s.
very nice, i had a 1.2, a 1.3sr and a 1.6gte, love a nova, creaky clutch pedal?Having had this for 5 years now I thought it was time to put it back on the road. Had the rear wheel arches done and painted down the sides only. Nova SR/Sport interior fitted and also a set of Compomotive wheels, I think it turned out ok! Sport engine with twin Webbers is waiting to be fitted as well. I am the third owner and it has only covered 54k from new.
Lee
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Surprisingly no!!
6R4 group b monsterAnd what's wrong with them ?
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gsi in purple/grey colour
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Plus 1 for this. A nice nostalgic look at car of yesteryear.
Tsk tsk tsk, PEERS dear boy.
Silk Violet, dontchaknow!gsi in purple/grey colour
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Very nice. I just realised I've never been in one but back in the day always liked the look of them.
"A man of little significance"
I've enjoyed this thread, tolling comments aside, and the eBay page, too! I flashed back very hard at some of the pictures, as I imagine many people my age did! That's a very clean Nova- love the colours!
This was the car I wanted back then but never got.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
And sold very very wellThat's why it was called a Corsa in Spain
My word '80's and early '90's car were such crap, but so much more fun back then.
Here's a link to a pic of a saloon in the same colour as the one my Mum owned and I drove, getting on for 30 years ago. Lots of good memories.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgk_88/12679659153
Cheers
Foggy
My brother had a Cossy.... he modified the engine, installed twin turbos, and re-bored the pistons. It was the fastest in the NE. The Police used to stop him just to have a look at the engine and listen to it! He installed a entertainment system costing nearly £2k. He took me out once in it and nearly put my neck out with the blistering acceleration. Now has a 911 turbo.
Fastest cars I've driven were 2 ltr Cortina GT's in the Police... ah those were the days, boy racers? no chance!
Last edited by Rod; 19th September 2017 at 09:07.
You guys have no idea how old this thread is making me feel.
There's enough room in the automotive world for everybody, and if the self-satisfied smug "considerably richer than yeouw" don't like what they see, they can go elsewhere. There's always somebody with better toys to play with.
I'm glad that there are guys like the OP prepared to follow their own interests, and if they're happy, then crack on. I was a VW GTI man back in those days,, and tended to be a bit sniffy about Novas, Fords etc, but I'll defend anybody's right to do their own thing. Cars like early hot hatchbacks represented a sea change in car design, and a welcome relief from stodgy underpowered dross. If you could afford the running costs (especially the insurance!) you could have a high performance car that you could use every day.
So keep up the good work!
Still never been faster in a car than in my friend's dad's Cortina on the A1 in 1981
Unfortunately I don't have a photo of my mid 80s run about, but I managed to find one on the net, many a weekends diving started with me firing up the turbo.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Uno? Bonkers cars those were.Unfortunately I don't have a photo of my mid 80s run about, but I managed to find one on the net, many a weekends diving started with me firing up the turbo.
We had a 1.9 Pug 205 GTi in for an MoT last week. Love all the old 80's and 90's stuff.
*off to google to search for a Clio Williams...
Op fantastic looking car, love the colour and wheels.
Used to see these quite often being prepared around Carlisle, Malcolm Wilson motorsports afik.
That's the one!gsi in purple/grey colour
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i used to have the mk1 uno i.e. turbo, with a testarossa wide arch kit, quick little car, ugly as hell through lol
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I remember me and a mate driving home in his Vauxhall Viva Magnum 2.3, scary driver...
Keep returning to this bringing back great memories! I had a mk1 and 2 golf gti a Renault 5 gordini and a turbo 2.
Vauxhall Nova.I remember buying a 1.2 "Diamond" in 1990.Same year I bought my first house.As soon as I got use to the mortgage payments I traded it in for a 1.6GSI .Great days.
The diamond was a limited edition that had alloy wheels.
Kid from my school days had a Nova, but was a special edition one in white with graphics all down the side that made the arches look wider. Pretty sure it had twin carbs too? Think his Dad was loaded as he had all the latest and greatest motorbikes at the time too (Aprillia)
1.3 sport irmsher edition
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[QUOTE=murkeywaters;4497321]100% correct Paul,
I like my 80's classic cars and loved the rallying and touring cars from that era.. When I was in my early 20's I sooo badly wanted a whale tail Sierra Cosworth but insurance was stratospheric as it was THE car to steal and joyride, ram raids were a big thing too and the raiders needed a fast car to lose the police..
At the time I had just finished my apprenticeship and was on top rate money and remember banging in the overtime working late nights, Saturday and Sunday mornings for months on end, I saved like a squirrel until I had enough money to by a dream car. The Sierra Cosworth passion had died off for me and the car I really wanted was a BMW E30 M3, I searched the ad's and came across a respected importer who had a nice Diamond black 1987 M3.
After a quick call and fast drive down to Plymouth in my MK2 Golf GTI I was ready to see this M3, I was nervous about buying an E30 M3 as they are left hand drive with a motorsport dogleg gearbox (1st is down 2nd up and so on) I looked around the car and the dealer took me out for a spin and that was it I was hooked.. so a deal was done and after a RAC inspection which came back great I went to pick it up.
When I drove that car away from the dealer it was a feeling like I have never had before or since, a real grail moment, I also remember stopping in a garage to put in some fuel and as I walked in to pay I looked back and can still see that image in my mind now and the feeling of "it's mine", from that moment I think I told myself I could not sell that car and after several house moves ups and downs I still have my M3.
Reminds me of the G reg Nove GTE I had in 1996...in white...fag burns covered with duck tape and the Chemical brothers and Prodigy on repeat (I was a more mature boy racer back then)...ran it for a year and loved it, as it was made out of biscuit tins it had a decent turn of pace...only car I've ever had that I sold for the same price I paid after 3 years....
The Nova's were the boy racers car of choice around here. The other was the Citroen Saxo suitably spoilered up but you never see one now.
BTW OP, really nice job.
Cheers,
Neil.
Nice car OP. Can't remember the last time I saw one on the road.
I used to have an XR2 Mkii and was always slightly jealous of my mates who had a 205 Gti and a Renault 5 Turbo. The Renault was made of tin foil and although not that quick by current standards, it felt like a rocketship back then. I've currently got an E30 M3 Evo II which I doubt I'll ever sell.
Maybe not the Metro, but I could definitely go for an MG Maestro. That was a great handling car.
I used to have a 205 GTI which I consider worse than the '65 VW I had. Electrics like tissue paper, and the block was porous.
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