Jim's VW NOVA restoration

99 dreams I have had

2010-03-11T17:18:00.003Z

99 dreams I have had.

In every one a red balloon.

It's all over and I'm standing pretty.

In this dust that was a city.

If I could find a souvenir.

Just to prove the world was here.

And here is a red balloon.

I think of you and let it go.

Goodbye Nena.......................................

Yep that's right - Nena has been sold - good luck Ces and Rose, look after her..................

Watch this space for a new project soon !

With this Nova I thee wed

2009-09-29T17:18:00.005Z

Hi all,

Been a while since the last post as I haven't done much with Nena the Nova. This was because I knew she had some important duties coming up. On Saturday 26th September Sarah and I got married !

And what else would the groom and best man go to church in?

You guessed it !

Sarah and I also left the registry office in the Nova, and as you can see that was an interesting challenge with the dress !

We had an amazing day, and would like to thank everyone who made it so special,

All the best,

James & Sarah Horsley

Goodwood House GRRC Open Day

2009-08-10T20:53:00.004Z

Been a while, but what a way to get back into blogging about the life of Nena the Nova !

Sunday 9th August was the Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC) Summer Open day, and we were lucky enough to have Nena on display.

There were just 44 cars on display, varying from early Porsches (356 & 911 & 912), a Ferrari Dino, Pagoni Zonda, Alvis, Astons and early Lotus.

We were the only kit car - but the car was very well received and created much interest.

Thought you might like to see below shots, the weather was superb which helped a lot, as did the 3 course meal, with champagne and wine for all exhibitors !

We also broke the Goodwood curse with no car problems, and a great drive to/from the ground, with the drive to the house taking in some of the hill climb run- you could still see the rubber laid down at the start !

One day I will get to do the whole run on the hill.....................

Supercar Sunday

2009-06-08T19:14:00.003Z

Sunday 7th June saw the sunshine hit Sussex, and the Supercars hit the country roads on route to Goodwood, for the monthly breakfast club meeting - the theme 'Supercar Sunday'.

We headed off in Nena hoping to get in on the action, and were not disappointed. Not only did we have a great drive over (overheating problems now resolved), meeting Ferrari's, Porsches and Lotus's. We also got right in on the heart of the action when we arrived.

A queue of motoring exotica gathered outside the track, caused in part by an accident in Arundel. We found ourselves tucked behind a Lotus Exige nearing the entrance, and as soon as the exhibitors gate beckoned we signalled to join. The format is a good one, free entry to qualifying cars which then park along the race track for one and all to enjoy perusing. As we watched the Marshalls arranging entrants it became clear the Lotus ahead was being directed to the public car park, and refused entry to the track. We feared a similar response, but shouldn't have feared. The Nova clearly is a 'Supercar' and Nena was beckoned into the main track, and we parked up on the start line between a Masserati and Marcos - fantastic !

I never saw the Lotus again, but can't help thinking that if the driver had realised he had been pipped by a beetle he would have been even more unhappy !

Here are just a few pictures from the day. Next stop Newark 09.

All the best,

Jim

Stoneleigh 2009 - A record year for Novas

2009-05-05T19:11:00.004Z

Stoneleigh 2009 was the first time Nena had made it that far - last year carb problems saw her having to stay at home ! Not so this year, and we had a ball.

Here is our take on the weekend:

Sarah and I left home (Worthing) at 11.30 and inevitably met a tailback on the M25. We did manage to cut the corner via the M4 and miss the worst, meeting Ben, Josh, Gizmo, Mike, Elaine and Purple Passion at Warwick services roughly on time

Shortly afterwards Mick, Sue, Petra and Mick’s Red Nova arrived.

We then had a convoy going on,

On Sunday morning I took myself to the entrance and managed to snap one of the club arriving

Then later in the day the club held it's AGm and prize giving. Sarah and I (and Nena) were given the 'Putting it about Award' for getting Nena and other Novas into the press and many shows - great news, and a cool trophy made by Alex - a miniture Nova

On the subject of ‘Putting it about’ Nena is in this month’s PPC mag, and we have had a heads up from Ian of CKC that Sarah is credited for a photo in the next issue – hopefully the Club shot from Detling, so watch this space.

And then the meeting ended with a group shot of the cars, and the very important club members – Sarah even made it into the photo thanks to the wonders of time delay

Despite rain on Sunday spirits were not dampened and Lauren arrived with Green Machine to fill the gap left by Essex Dave

The final journey home went really well – we left early afternoon (thanks to those who packed up the gazebos etc) and made it in 2 hours 45mins.

That was 161 miles, we averaged 58.5 mph, and fuel economy was a highly respectable 36.6mpg,
A great weekend – big thanks to the club committee for all the hard work,

Hope you enjoy the pictures

Detling 2009 - a repeat appearance by Nena

2009-04-20T09:47:00.002Z

Seems hard to believe, but Nena has been on the road for a year now. Easter weekend saw the annual event that is the Detling Kit Car Show.

Loads of variety of club cars, and single owners/drivers, as well as some good trade stands and new manufacturers.

My favourite car remained a very nice new GT40 kit, after Nena of course.

Club Nova put on an excellent display as always, with Bushboy (aka Martin) and Mick (Mick's Red Nova) putting in debuts of freshly MOt'd Novas. Nena also sported her new interior - pictures to follow soon, and we had a good run up and down without event.

Stoneleigh next !

More soon,

Jim

Show season is here

2009-03-31T09:07:00.002Z

Yep, Spring has arrived which can mean only one thing - the Volksworld Show 2009.

Masses of VW hardcore fans arrived to see in the new show season, with some amazing show cars, and great car displays.

I even got to do a bit of shopping for Nena - a set of spark plugs and a deep sump to help with engine cooling - will post photos in due course.

Here are a few shots from the show

You may have spotted that i haven't included any of Nena - that is because she is away at the upholsterers (Whiffs), due back imminently.

Watch this space !

All the best,

Jim

Nena makes it into print for 2009

2008-12-28T19:44:00.001Z

CKC Jan 09
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

As if 2008 didn't bring enough accolades ! Nena has made it into print again, in January's Complete Kit car magazine.

Thanks go to Ian for giving us a small mention on their 'Living It' pages, with a picture of us at Brighton Breeze - also got the club info published - cheers !

Nena gets into print again !

2008-12-14T22:41:00.001Z

Nena Ultra VW
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

Hi all,

Been a while, but thought I would share the atached picture. This is a page of November's Ultra VW magazine's Readers Rides page.

It stems from a meeting with James Hale at the SDBC (Southern Dune Buggy Club) meet in August. I know James from my beach buggy days and he passed me the editors details for the magazine as he writes for them.

Well low and behold, some 3 months later I was flicking through the mag and find a picture has made its way in - nice one !

It's been quite a year for articles and photos !

Nena gets pimped

2008-11-21T19:59:00.001Z

Nena pimped
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

Cheers Adam for giving Nena a set of huge rims and a lowering job.

Now need to do it for real !

Brighton Breeze 2008

2008-11-04T09:53:00.003Z

Wow, what a weekend. Saturday 18th October was Brighton Breeze, a cruise of mainly air cooled VWs from Epsom to Brighton.

Living close to Brighton we had an early start to get to Epsom, and then cruise to Brighton with hundreds of VWs.

Nena lines up at Epsom

It was a cold start on the day, but as we joined the masses at Epsom the mist lifted and the sun shone bright. Nena also drew many an admiring glance, as she was the only Nova amongst hundreds of bugs, and campers.

Nena arriving in Brighton

Nena draws lots of curious onlookers

Volkswagens as far as the eye can see.

We had an excellent drive down, taking in a stop at Pease Pottage services to chat to other Volkswagen drivers, and general public who were very curious about what was going on. There is nothing to beat a VW cruise, the sight of campers filling the inside, and middle lanes of the M23 makes you smile.

As you can as at Brighton the line up was huge. The atmosphere was also great, with plenty of BBQs, beer in the sunshine, and a great relaxed feel. What a way to end the show season.

For us, (and Nena), this was the last show of 2008. As I write this Nena already is topless in the garage, with the roof off to allow for a few winter tweaks - more of that soon,

All the best,

Jim

Kingsfold Steam & Vintage Vehicle Show

2008-10-12T08:03:00.002Z

A late summer, hoorah - and another opportunity to exhibit Nena.

This was also our first opportunity to exhibit with Sussex VW Owners club - thanks to everyone at the club who made us feel welcome.

A great show was had by all, spectacular weather, and a great variety of cars and commercial vehicles

This observation coach was a clear favourite - what a project !

Sussex VW Owners Club Summer Festival

2008-08-12T08:40:00.002Z

What a difference a day makes !

The weather was spot on, and we had a great day at a brilliantly organised show. Make it one for your diaries next year.

Nena was entered in the Custom class Show n Shine, against some hardcore buggies, so no prizes, but lots of admirers.

The event also reminded me what a great sense of humour VW fans have !

What more do I need to say...........................

Wheels 08 - here comes the rain again !

2008-08-12T08:32:00.003Z

Another weekend, another local show, and yes, more rain.

This weekend saw Wheels 08 in Littlehampton get a little wet, well on the Saturday. We didn't go on Sunday as we were at the Sussex VW Owners Club Event, but Saturday was particularly miserable !

Also the organizers had failed to put a ramp or sleeper on the kerb at the entrance, so to avoid damaging Nena's nose we had to reverse in !

Here are a couple of photos:

Well done to the dirty low down dubbers for putting on a good display

As you can see below the event thinned out pretty quickly, and we got wet !

British weather huh !

Nena hangs out with the beach buggy crew

2008-08-04T08:52:00.002Z

Well the weather wasn't kind, particularly to those without wet weather gear, but this Sunday saw the SDBC (Southern Dune Buggy Club) Annual meet.

I am still a member from my beach buggy days, but non members are also welcome and a host of buggies, a few campers and beetles and one Nova made the day.

Here are a few pictures from the day

The benefit of a roof was clearly demonstrated to the beach buggy crew, and Nena drew many admirers.

We had a good run there and back, about 1hr 15 each way, with no events to report. I recently fitted a Pertronix ignition system to the 009 dizzy, and that seems to be working well. Overall a very enjoyable day,

More show reports soon,

Jim

Goodwood Festival 2008 Friday & Saturday report

2008-07-13T07:25:00.002Z

What a weekend so far.

The Part 2 magazine article in CKC is out, Nena is on display in the sunshine at the festival and getting loads of attention.

We have seen 3 Bugatti Veyrons, F1 cars from McLaren, Honda, Ferrari, Toyota and many more. Been in touching distance of Derek Bell & Alan McNeish.

The feedback from CKC is that Nena is the most photographed on the stand, and I have spoken to lots (and I do mean lots) of kit car builders who were going to go home, look up the blog and euronova/club nova, and get searching e-bay for Nova projects ! Great. It's been a great feeling of acheivment getting to this point, and we have enjoyed supporting the magazine who continue to be great fans of the Nova and promote the club.

Oh, and I got to hold a Silverstone 2008 Trophy in the McLaren garage !

Here are a couple of photos - off to the Sunday show now, more soon !

Nena into print - Part 2

2008-07-11T20:42:00.001Z

scan0002
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

Well the day is finally here. Part 2 of Nena's story has hit press, advance copies are on sale at Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Nena is on display this weekend too !

What a weekend. 5 pages, plus another shot on the cover. Get down to the shops and buy it !!

Nena gets in on Goodwood

2008-07-10T15:56:00.004Z

If you are a kit car follower you may have read in CKC (Complete Kit Car), this year is the first time a kit car mag has got a stand, and Justin, Adam and Ian will be there all weekend.

I got in touch with them all after Newark and sent on the Club Nova Newark photos as well as enquiring how the Goodwood preparations were going.The outcome was that Ian had a look at the layout of their stand, decided they could accomodate three cars rather than the orignal plan of 2. They have a very early Lotus Seven and their latest Adrenaline Murtaya there, and something iconic in the middle which they though would work really well.

Any guesses what the Iconic kit car in the middle is? Yep, you guessed it, Nena is off to Goodwood !Exhibitor passes arrived just in time and Dad and I delivered the car today - I have spent the last two nights polishing!

The magazine are putting together some background displays on the cars, and I have supplied him some info. Also Part 2 of Nena' article is in the August magazine, which will go on sale at the show. I will of course get lots of photos - but for now here are a few of the show in set up mode, without the thousands that will flood through the gate tomorrow
Driving into the show - a Kit Car queue ! This year's 'sculpture'

Race cars lining up in the Paddock - my favourite GT40 colour scheme, recognize the blue at all ??

And finally, Nena outside the CKC stand whilst the stand was being set up.

Lots more photos soon, Jim

Newark 2008

2008-06-22T19:36:00.006Z

A long run for Nena this weekend - near to Nottingham, and she ran faultlessly. The new engine is definately run in now !

Well the journey up on the Friday was sunny, and the journey home on Sunday too !

Saturday however was a wet affair with Nova roofs firmly down for much of the day ! Sunday was a lot better, though very windy.

Here are a few pics:

Rendevouz at the services – sorry we were late ! Convoy to the showground

Setting up in the sunshine

Kevin & Nova ICE:Mike & Purple Passion

There are many more from the show, including the other show cars here
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jim73vw/sets/72157605752325712/

Nena makes a full feature

2008-06-19T13:07:00.003Z

CKC Cover July 08
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

Another day, another magazine ! I have been waiting for this moment for some time.

The main reason I was browsing the mags yesterday was to see if the latest Complete Kit Car mag was out.

As some of those at Stoneleigh may recall Ian of CKC had been to see Nena re running a feature.

Well, that went ahead and this month's edition shows part 1 of Nena's story

We have already done a outdoors photo shoot with Ian for Part 2 which will be in next months mag, and the pics are superb I have promised to not put any up online until the mag hits the shops so will have to wait for those. We had a great day with Ian out in the sunshine, and even got some good driving shots.

To say the least I am really chuffed, particularly to get into 2 mags in the same month.

Much of the build story in this month's CKC (5 pages & 41 pics) will be very familiar to you all, if you have followed this blog.

Also for the keen readers you will spot the Club Nova contact details are a little out of date (Part 1 was prepped pre Stones). Up to date info will be in Part 2.

Here is this month's cover, not a great scan but you can just about make out me and Nena in the picture at the bottom (first time I turned over the engine).

Now get out and buy it !

Nena makes it into print again !

2008-06-18T18:21:00.001Z

Buglovin Ultra
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

What a surprise. There I was browsing the mags in WHSmiths, and I saw Ultra VW.

I don't usually buy it, but remembered they were at Buglovin, so had a look for a show write up.

Yep, Nena made it into the photos, and got a comment 'We haven't seen a Nova kit car at a VW show for some years - this one was cool!

Well chuffed !

Nena gets snapped

2008-05-29T16:05:00.002Z

Presentation1
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

There I was browsing through the Volksworld website and I stumble across their blog coverage of the recent Buglovin show at Ardingly.

Which pale blue Nova managed to sneak into one of the shots !?! You guessed it:

You can see the full picture, and others from the show here: http://www.volksworld.com/photos/events/6773/4/4/bug-lovin-vw-show-2008.html

Who knows, maybe Nena will make it into print too !

More soon,

Jim

PS Drove Nena to work today, new Weber 32/36 carb working well, and newly wired up stereo worked well also !

Nena on show again, and what an entrance !

2008-05-19T13:52:00.004Z

This weekend was the Retro, Custom and Classic Show at Merrist Wood, Guilford.

A great day was had by all, and a superb variety of cars attended. Everything from Pontiacs, Drag Racers, Beach Buggies, Campers, even a Delorian.

However, our entrance was a little challenging, as the roof jammed in the up position, and wouldn't return !

A kind spectator helped investigate the fault, and we just about managed to open the bonnet 6" to get in, disconnect the battery, and find a blown fuse. The cause? A faulty £2 switch !

Once that was resolved we were able to enjoy the show and had a great day looking at the other machines on display, and chatting to other show goers about Nena.

Here are some pictures of other cars at the show:

Again, she was really well received, and days like this make the last 2 years worthwhile !

Fire up the flux capacitor !

Nena makes it into print

2008-05-15T15:49:00.001Z

Detling
Originally uploaded by Jim and Sarah's photos

Fame, fortune, glamour - well nearly !

This month's (June) Complete Kit Car Magazine features a shot of the Club Nova stand at Detling.

Well done everyone,

Jim

Nena on show - A VW Show debut at Buglovin 2008

2008-05-14T08:39:00.005Z

Some good news at last !

Nena made it to her first VW show of the year, as a show car.

The show was Buglovin, a new VW show for all the family at the South of England Ardingly Showground. The showground is a great place, where I have enjoyed many Country Shows, Steam Rallies and Vintage vehicle shows over the years.

The organizers even managed to secure the best weather of the year, which really helped the weekend be a success.

Nena had to get there early on the Friday to set up in the show hall, so Thursday night was 5 hours of polishing for me ! Fortunately it didn't rain on our way to the show so little further polishing was needed when we arrived.

As you can see she really shone when we arrived, as was the first show car to arrive.

I also took the opportunity to set us up a camping spot on the Friday morning, which Sarah and I returned to Friday evening, to start chilling out. We had definitely made the right decision to get Nena in early as the frantic polishing by torchlight looked like hard work, but the show hall was getting there:

The weather got better and better over the weekend and by the Sunday was a real scorcher. There were some amazing VW's in the showhall, and also on club stands and the show n shine.

Bands and DJs were laid on both nights, and lots of entertainment.

Hopefully some of these pictures give you a feel for the show, I really hope it is run again next year, and would strongly recommend it to everyone.

By the Sunday morning the showground was buzzing, and I was really pleased to see how many people were taking Nena's photo, and wanted to learn more about the NOVA. She certainly drew a crowd, and it really made the hard work worth it all. I took the photo album of the restoration along with me and it was certainly well thumbed.

VW shows continue to impress me with how friendly everyone is, and I had many enjoyable chats with VW fans over the weekend, many of whom I referred to the club, so perhaps a few more Nova restorations will start up soon !

Here are a few more pictures showing Nena lapping up the attention !

And if you are feeling sorry for Nena as she was shut away indoors all weekend and missed the sunshine, don't worry - she did get out in the sun at the end of the day.

A good weekend.............................. Jim

A no show for Stoneleigh

2008-05-14T08:09:00.002Z

As you will have seen on the last post a new engine was fitted to Nena just 2 weeks before the Stoneleigh show.

In theory this should have given me 2 weeks to bed the engine in and iron out the teething problems. Theory doesn't always become practice ! A lot (every evening) of time was spent on the new carb which I could not get running smoothly.

The carb, a Weber 32/36 is a well established carb, and recommended by many VW drivers. However I was getting poor acceleration, juddering, and was also unhappy with the throttle mechanism.

After methodically running through the adjustment progress two nights I concluded there was a fault with the mixture adjustment screw. The theory is that this can be wound in until the car nearly stalls, then backed off slightly. However whatever I did with the screw it didn't change at all ! Discussions with many confirmed this sounded like a dodgy carb, so the hard decision was made to take it, and it's own manifold out and replace the VW unit.

This took me all of the Saturday before Stoneleigh, and when I had re attached the VW carb I realised that the trimmed throttle cable (to meet the Weber) no longer reached the VW unit. So I had to put a joiner on the cable.

Based on this joiner being a weak point, and the new engine having had little running the hard decision was made on Sunday morning to leave Nena at home and go up to Stoneleigh in the daily driver.

Despite this we had a lovely day in the sun at Stoneleigh, catching up with Club Nova, and I answered some more questions re the Weber carb with owners running this. In fact we found Karman Ghias, Campers, Porsche 356 Replicas and Novas all successfully using the carb.

I have now made the decision to run in the new engine a little more on the existing carb, and then switch over to the new Weber unit I have when time allows. I also picked up some great tips on how to modify the throttle linkage to ensure the second inlet opens on 2/3rds throttle travel, and avoid cutting the new throttle cable I bought at Stoneleigh !

Nena also got a few more presents at Stoneleigh ! A footrest plate for the passenger side to ease Sarah's back, and some aluminium mesh grille for the bonnet and side air scoops! My aim is to get these bits all fitted prior to Buglovin, a VW show where Nena has been accepted as a show car.

Hopefully more on that soon, Jim

A lot has been happening

2008-05-14T07:45:00.003Z

Well since the highlight of the Detling show a lot has been happening. A few blogs will follow in short succession soon as I need to catch up a bit !

After Detling my focus was one or two simple little jobs - trim out rest of carpet, wire up stereo etc. And more importantly, enjoy driving Nena. I had been taking her out for a drive each evening for two key reasons - one, because I could, and two - to reassure myself about her intermittent starting problem. At Detling she started very sluggishly, despite a long run to charge the battery. However for the whole week after this I couldn't get her to do this again, so wasn't sure if it was a charging or starter issue.

Anyhow, around a week after Detling, with just a fortnight till Stoneleigh we got home after a quick evening drive to the smell of warm engine oil.

Not what you want to see on your new paint job !

A quick think prompted the decision to plump for a new 1641 lump from VW Heritage, as the detonated engine was from my second donor car and a bit of an unknown quantity. The oil cooler seal, and flywheel seal had let go at the same time, and I felt more would follow.

The new engine is, according to the manufacturers, Remtec, built to the same specification as their Premium units but with an increased capacity of 1641cc. They are also fitted with a Scat C25 mild sports cam (Valve lift 0.423” / Duration 275 degrees). This combination provides a reliable increase in power and torque at a reasonable price. Results are especially good if used in conjunction with a 4 into 1 sport exhaust and aftermarket carburettors. Customers typically report 94 BHP at the flywheel! A new 009 distributor is also fitted, and the engine is hot tested prior to shipping which should aid set up. A call was made on the Wednesday, and by Thursday I had a new engine in the garage. (Join a VW/Specialist club to get a discount)

Friday night saw the old lump removed, and all ancillaries removed. Saturday saw the new engine in, and fired up. I am skimming over the knuckle grazing process a little here, but if you are methodical it is a day's job. I also took the opportunity to change over to a Weber 32/36 progressive carb, which as you can see in the pictures necessitated the modification of the engine lid - more on this in later posts !

One positive to come out of the whole process was that I also took the opportunity to change the starter motor and bush. I figured they were also original parts, and would only let me down later. This revealed the cause of the intermittent starting - a damaged bush.

This is a cheap part (£1) but only easily changed with engine out (unless you buy a £40 tool) so well worth checking when you drop your engine.

So now Nena has a new engine we should be cruising nicely to all the shows ................

Nena on show at Detling 2008

2008-04-13T11:17:00.004Z

Well we made it ! After all the hard work we had a great run up to Detling including a nice pitstop at Clacket Lane where we got chatting to an Ultima driver on his way to the show too.

We made quite a site at the petrol station.

I have been testing Nena over the last week or so and the engine was a bit lumpy but Nena definitely ran better on the way home, a good run always helps blow away the cobwebs !
Highlight of the day – arriving to see everyone at Club Nova on an excellently positioned stand waiting for us (we didn’t brave the camping Friday night!), and a Nena shaped hole in the middle of the display – cheers !
Great to see a line up of 5 Novas, and good to catch up with everyone that was on the stand or came to say hello.

Some snagging items to sort – the hailstorm and rains found some areas where the canopy and sunroof don’t fully seal yet !
Overall though a great day, which we ended by crusing along the Southcoast from Brighton to Worthing.
Here are some pictures from the show,

Bet you were wondering if she would ever make it to a show !

The colour, in case you were wondering, is Volkswagen Vapor blue.

Well done to everyone from Club Nova who made the show, and a great display - sorry we didn't make the camping but it seemed a little ambitious for Nena's first trip out ! Stoneleigh will be a 2 day event - I promise !

All the best,

Jim

She made it

2008-04-06T20:39:00.002Z

Many days, hours and grazed knuckles have passed.

Detling 2008 will see Nena on show.

She passed the MOT last week, but the clutch slipped all the way to, and from the MOT station ! In fact, it slipped so badly I needed a push off the brake rollers !

This weekend I dropped the engine, fitted a new clutch and did some fine tuning. The snow on Sunday did look likely to stop any test drives, but come lunchtime the thaw started and Nena glided gracefully onto the road.

Sarah and I did a quick spin around Worthing, and Nena behaved perfectly. Roll on Detling !

PS I won the bet.

What a difference 516 days make

2008-03-23T17:56:00.004Z

Birthday celebrations were the order of the day this weekend, and a chance to recreate a photo from an earlier blog entry (Oh Dear Nena).

What a difference those 516 days make !

From this

to this:

and yes, I am still keeping current pictures black and white as the colour will be shown for the first time (hopefully) at the Detling kit car show !

She is nearly there, just the front bumper, wiper and interior to go !

More soon,

Jim

PS Hasn't Nick changed (back left)

Shiny painted things

2008-03-13T21:43:00.002Z

Firstly I have to thank Sarah for letting me fill the house with painted body panels !

In the last fortnight the rolling bodyshell, bumpers x 2, side panels, dashboard and pods, louvres and canopy have arrived back from the paintshop.

Until these parts can get mounted onto the car they need to be looked after carefully. I am absolutely paranoid about damaging them, so as each one is bolted up (louvres, engine lid and rear bumper so far) I am masking up well, and the garage floor is lined with bubble wrap !

All of the panels not yet on the car are dotted around the house - please note our lovely new dining room (just moved house), housing the canopy, louvres, bumper and seats !

The observant amongst you may well have noticed the pictures are in black and white - this is because I am keeping the colour of the car a closely guarded secret, until she is debuted at the Detling Kit Car show 2008 (12th April).

Hopefully, despite the lack of colour you start to get the idea - and can see the shine !

It was the first time I had seen Nena in one colour when she came back from the paintshop, and I am really starting to believe I will end the project soon !!

More very soon,

Jim

Shiny things

2008-02-26T21:20:00.002Z

The list of things to do while Nena is in for paint is getting shorter !

This week I took delivery of my nicely polished wheels. I am determined to keep Nena's history, both in terms of the donor (switches etc) and the original accessories/fittings. A key part of this approach for me was retaining the original Wolfrace slotmags.

I was pleased to find a local polishing company who have done me a great job.

You can just about make out the condition of the original wheels when I took delivery in this photo. They were very dull and oxidized, though pleasingly with little damage.

Well here they are now, awaiting new tyres, and much much shinier. Even the slots have been bead blasted, and all I have to decide now is how much to spend on tyres, and whether to paint the slots in true 1970's fashion !

It is all coming together ! Much more soon, Jim

Shades of grey

2008-02-23T18:37:00.002Z

Paid a visit to Nena today at the paintshop.
She has been sanded down to gelcoat, repairs done, and first coats of primer laid down.

The rest of the panels are sanded down ready for primer, and it is hoped colour will be on by the end of next week. I wouldn't mind the stand they have used to rest the bumper on !!

Au revoir Nena

2008-02-04T18:10:00.000Z

Well the day has come,

Nena has gone to the paintshop, and will be away for around 3 weeks.

It was a significant landmark sending her off, and I just hope I have remembered to cut and drill all the holes I needed ! I am not looking forward to having to drill my lovely new paint. Here is Nena being sent off:

Pleasingly her component parts were gathered up and shipped off in another Volkswagen:

I have decided on my colour (will be revealed soon), to be accented with satin black parts - louvres, dash, window tunnel, underside of canopy and bonnet.

Wing mirrors and reversing sensors will be colour coded body colour.

Once she arrives back I will be laying out lots of sheets, bubble wrap etc and assembling with care !

Now the Detling Kit Car show in April looks like a strong possibility !

More soon, from an empty garage !!

Jim

The moment I have been waiting for

2008-01-27T08:36:00.000Z

It has to be said that the NOVA's crowning glory is it's roof. And if I am honest it was the sight of a white NOVA with it's roof up at the top of the road when I was around 17 that got me interested. Back then I hadn't realised the VW beetle link, despite being a keen V dubber.

Well at last all the pieces of the jigsaw have been joined up. New stainless steel hinges (cheers Mike and Elaine), new pump and rams (cheers Paul at Club Nova), new wiring loom (thanks Paul again), and a remote kit.

Now I am no plumber, so there was an initial leak when I set it up, as I made one connection wrongly! Also when I dry fitted it all I realised the pin on the hinges was too high, meaning the roof wouldn't open far enough ! But after a quick bit of welding (thanks Martin at Mataan), a visit to Pirtek for some fittings, and Harry's expertise in bleeding the system, and remote gizmos I was there.

Still some fine tuning and adjustment to go, but it shows it all works !

Now I take it all apart and store it safely whilst Nena goes to the paintshop. this was the last big job to do pre-paint, I just need to mount the seats now and I beleive I am ready to hand Nena over - scarey !

For now, enjoy the moment with me:

More soon, and hopefully pictures of an empty garage as Nena goes for paint !

All the best,

Jim

The long and windy road

2008-01-26T19:20:00.001Z

I should have posted this a while ago, as you can see it is at the old house, but sums up how kit car building can make you feel at times !

It was the first drive (with lots of clutch slip) in Nena !

It will get better !

Why the 3 month gap ?

2008-01-23T14:08:00.000Z

Moving house, Xmas, decorating.

That ok with you !

Anyhow, back to it all now, and set myself another deadline ! Paintshop by 3rd February, so as I write this I have 7 free evenings and two weekends to do all the snagging jobs before the paint goes on !

Scary !

Still on a positive note I have a new garage for Nena, which is much bigger than the last:

The downside is that it can easily become a dumping ground !

More soon, and hopefully you will find out if I make the painting deadline !

All the best,

Jim

A Sunday drive

2007-10-21T18:52:00.000Z

Well progress is fast now ! After the success of the wiring, and engine test last weekend I am getting more confident.

Sarah went through a lesson in bleeding brakes (and hydraulic clutch), and here are the results. This is the first tentative drive out of the garage:

and after that, and some small adjustments (including fuel !) it was onto the open road. As you can hear there is some clutch slip going on. Initially I put this down to the clutch (still the original from the donor), but further investigation revealed some adjustment of the slave cylinder is required. Brakes also need some more bleeding, but it is getting there:

Hopefully more updates soon - the next week is going to be spent fine tuning the clutch, and re bleeding brakes. Next weekend I hope to get it over 20mph !

One British motoring victory this weekend then !

Racers, start your engines … and deafen the neighbours

2007-10-15T20:32:00.000Z

Real progress is at last being made. This weekend I finished the installation of the wiring loom, refilled the gearbox oil, and gave the engine an oil change.

This put me in the exciting position of being able to test the wiring, and ultimately fire up the engine. Sarah was on hand as the able assistant to turn the key, turn on and off switches, and of course moral support.

For now a temporary speedo and fuel guage are wired up, with relevant warning lights. Once I know this all works fine I will test up the other spare gauges I have, and decide which go into the car.

Most circuits were tested prior to the engine test, and aside from a loose connection on the headlight circuit, and a fault on the indicators all seemed fine. As you can see the foliage is making work a little difficult, I can't wait to move as a double garage is waiting!

So time to get brave, and turn the key:

The trusty Volkswagen Flat 4 did the business (ever seen Woody Allen Sleeper??) and on the 4th turn of the key we had ignition. The accelerator cable is still to be fitted up at the pedal box, and the brakes need commisioning, so a drive wasn't possible, but we could at last hear the engine, and give it a bit of a work out !

With a new exhaust fitted, (which will probably need modifying to suit the bumper) there was a lot of paint to be burnt off the inside surfaces. The haze of black smoke soon filled the garage, and the car had to be wheeled outside. You can still see some of the smoke in the air in the below video !

Finally, all I have to say is thank you to Sarah for braving the smoke, and noise, to help in the tests, and sorry to the neighbours for the Sunday afternoon entertainment !

and this week I am an electrician !

2007-09-12T20:41:00.000Z

Hi all,

Been a while since I posted any progress as house move has taken priority (well packing the garage to be precise).

Anyhow chain collapsed, another 4 weeks minimum living out of boxes so thought I would get back to Nena !

So this week I am turning my hand to electrics (needed the smallest amount of tools that are packed). So in the wiring loom goes !

I am using the donor beetle's(http://jimsvwnovarestoration.blogspot.com/2006/10/your-donor-card-please.html) wiring loom as a template but making up new wires as I go. So far I have run wires to the switches, steering column and front loom (lights etc).

It isn't looking that neat at the moment but I am going to pull through the slack to switches/lamps etc at the end and cable tie it all in place.

I now remember why I hate wiring, but after three evenings (around 2 hours a night) it is starting to come together. More detail shots when it looks neater

All the best, Jim

I've been plumbing !

2007-08-08T19:44:00.000Z

With the prospect of having to push the car to her new home soon (it is only 0.4 miles away) I felt brakes would be helpful !

Up until this Saturday none of the short runs of copper line had been fitted, and the flexible lines to the callipers were still to be fitted also.

So I spent an achy Saturday under each corner fitting the pipes, sealing all joints and running pipes to the reservoir. I didn't complete the job as inevitably the last fitting cross threaded, and my flaring tool had broken ! Still, I have found a local company who will make me up the final line cheap, and hope therefore to be able to commission the brakes and hydraulic clutch soon.

The pedal box and pipework look really neat, and I have managed to keep everything in the bulkhead neat and tidy.

Hopefully the combination of an adjustable front/rear brake balance, full discs all round and braided (expensive) flexible lines should mean Nena stops sharply and safely - I will let you know !

Now back to the packing, Jim

All bets are off

2007-07-31T18:45:00.000Z

For those following this blog you will know that tomorrow (01/08/07) was the deadline for completion of Nena the NOVA.

Well all bets are off, and this is why:

Yep, we are moving ! Just need to complete on the sale of two houses, move all furniture into the new one, and move two engines, one unfinished car and a pile of parts. No problem.

So the new date for Nena's completion is 29th March 2008 (the date of the Volksworld VW Show). As always I have a contingency date in mind - 13th April 2008 (the date of the Detling Kit Car Show).

More updates soon, I think! I have already moved a car load of stuff from the garage into another garage (thanks Gran) and it still looks no better.

Anyone got a flatbed trailer I can borrow ?

Light up, light up

2007-07-29T21:02:00.000Z

Another week, another set of holes to cut. Also another set of back lights - this is the third set I have bought now, but I am at last happy ! The scary part was getting the holes in the right place - measure twice and cut once as they say! With this bumper having never been cut or fitted I didn't want to get it wrong.

Well, I am really pleased with the outcome - these units are much more modern looking, and with the chrome bezels catch the light really well.

I just need to choose the right number plate light now, and can then complete the cutting.

And yes, I know a new number plate is required, black and silver plates will be ordered this week.

I also got the mounting holes for the bumper sorted today - it is only clamped in place in these pictures, so at least I know it can be bolted up well, once it is painted.

I aim to get the engine in this week as well, as I may be needing to move the car to a new workshop soon (more of that soon), so need to get it mobile.

More soon, and yes I know August 1st is even nearer !

Jim

More bodywork testing, and more changes

2007-07-25T17:42:00.000Z

Yes I know - August 1st is fast approaching !

Anyway, putting aside the impending deadline I have changed my plans for the rear end. I got a chance to purchase an unused Mk4 rear bumper, so after a long drive to Lancashire and back (in an evening) I am the proud owner of the bumper seen below !

The bumper is just clamped in place here, and you can see it lines up well with little work - once bolted up with a joining trim in place it should look good.

The white paper discs are templates for the lights I had aimed to fit, but I have decided they are a little to large, so am going for some 2.5cm smaller in diameter ! That will be the third set of lights I have bought then !

I now need to mark up and drill mounting holes, adjust the exhaust to line up with the holes and choose a number plate light. It is getting there, honest ........................... Jim

More bodywork testing

2007-07-08T21:53:00.000Z

Yes that's right, more time has been spent test fitting panels, and then taking them back off again! The side pods haven't been on the car since I bought it, and I have to admit I didn't pay much attention to how they fitted when I removed them.

So, with the sun shining I decided to graze my knuckles, and test fit them.

Much to my surprise they went on well, and the original mounting holes are in good order - I just need extra long arms to get my hands on either side of the mounting lips !

Starting to come together, and looking more like a car at last, more soon, Jim

I have been doing stuff - honest !

2007-07-06T15:29:00.000Z

Yes I know it's been a while. But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. The real focus now is to complete panel by panel any repairs needed, whilst also ensuring I have cut any holes I need before the paint is laid down.

In addition to that I want to get the car drivable before it gets painted - don't want much do I !?

Most of the chassis is finished but it just needs connecting together ! The steering is a good example of this. The column had been shortened, custom support bars welded up, a new steering damper and box fitted to the axle, and a VW Beetle 1303 universal joint welded onto the shortened column. However, this had never been permanently fitted together.

Well as you can see from the photo below it is now, and boy does it make it easier moving the car in and out of the garage! I wish I had done it sooner. I am really pleeased with how solid it feels, it just shows it is wortth spending time on these areas.

So, having already test fitted the bonnet hinges and locks, and the engine lid the rear louvres were next. This involved sourcing the right style hinges for the top end (as unobtrusive as possible) and bonnet retaining pins for the bottom end. As you can see I got there, with Sarah's help it has to be said - she spotted a crack through the louvres which could have caused them to split in two if not supported correctly, and also stopped me drilling in the wrong place ! Now the louvres can be added to the finished pile.

Look -

Nena is starting to come together,

More soon, Jim

Back together again

2007-06-08T21:24:00.000Z

Well its been a long time coming, but at last the body is back on the chassis.

This time around I am happy with the alignment, and have protected the fibreglass mounting lip by using some steel plates to bolt through onto the chassis.

I am really pleased to get the shell and chassis reunited, particularly with the fuel tank and engine now fitted - it starts to look like a car !

Once the body was mounted it was a good opportunity to fit the canopy and test seating positions again. This time I was working out mirror positions, and side window vents - there is lots to still do, but I feel it is getting there.

I have decided to get the shell resprayed professionally, so over the next few weeks my aim is to fit everything together, and ensure it all works - then strip down and hand over to the paint shop (with a few quid!) and cross my fingers I have chosen the right colour (more of that soon).

Next job is to fit the steering column supports and lock the steering together, then the pedal box, then the wiring loom. It never ends !

More soon, Jim

Lights, sander, action

2007-05-27T12:39:00.000Z

Well I have nearly made my mind up that Nena is off to the paint shop. With that in mind I need to get all the holes cut on the shell for lights etc and test fit panels.

I have had a couple of estimates for the paint and prep, and as those who have been through similar projects will know, it is not a cheap job. It is estimated that it will take 4 man days to sand and prep all the panels, or I can get them all down to gelcoat myself and save a few quid! The red respray Nena had some time ago doesn't seem to be great quality so the professionals opinion is to remove it all.

So before the rain started this weekend I got out my sander and boxes of parts and started cutting holes !

The bonnet and engine lid have been sanded using a dual action orbital sander, I just need to do the fiddly curves by hand. The engine lid lock and hinges are test fitted, and at the front the headlight/indicator units (1980's metro) are in, the bonnet hinges and locks test fitted.

Next I need to prep and test fit the side panels, and decide which of my rear panels to use. I then need to make up a rear light panel and cut a few more holes !

Ideally I would like to test fit everything to the car prior to paint, so, knowing the local paint shop has a long waiting list I need to be brave, book it in, and get on with it.

I hate to say it but the August 1st 2007 aim is looking doubtful ! You never know though, more soon (if it stops raining), Jim

Now that's a makeover !

2007-05-16T19:13:00.000Z

After much head scratching I have gone with the simpler engine option (for the moment). I had a stock 1600 lying about in the garage from donor car 2 (Your donor card please) which was turning over when I cut up the car ! The other spare engine I have is a Type 3 unit which has been modified to run with an external cooler and breather box. It is apparently 1800 plus and is set up to run on twin Kadrons. I know less about this type of engine so have decided to make setting this up a winter project ! Other NOVA owners at Stoneleigh 2007 assure me the engine is good - it seems to have changed hands through at least 3 NOVAs !

How's this for a before and after ! Here is the lump stripped of all ancillaries and mounted up onto the gearbox:

and here it is with everything back in place, a liberal degreasing, tinwear painted, new alternator conversion kit fitted, and a lick of paint here and there:

I'm not a big fan of too much chrome - more often than not the chrome tinwear and bolt on goodies are a poorer quality, and don't last. I have gone for new stock rocker covers and clips from VW Heritage, all original tinwear has been stripped and painted in a hammer finish and all tinwear bolts replaced with stainless steel. The alternator kit was a bit of a bi**h to fit, with the old fan seized to the dynamo, and the new fan and bolts/lock nuts/washers all being a slightly off fit. Also if you go for a similar conversion be aware the right hand moving parts of the carb do foul the larger alternator body and need bending slightly. In this case the fuel pump didn't foul, but I know it can depending on type. I felt the alternator was a worthwhile addition as the roof pump will suck up some volts ! As you can see stock pulleys have been used - they are solid and rarely warp, and for now a stock carb remains. I hope this engine will do me a while until I have the funds and time to put something hotter in !!

Right, that's the chassis virtually done, just need to fill up the hydraulic circuits and bolt in the pedal box. I now need to decide whether I bolt up the shell (again) and fit a wiring loom and test everything, or send the body off for paint. More on that decision soon - Jim

The car is the star - the NOVA gets recognition

2007-05-07T10:42:00.000Z

It was mentioned in the last post (Stoneleigh - NOVAs a plenty) but I feel Mike and Elaine's acheivement from Club NOVA is worth a separate mention.

They got their car on the Complete Kit Car stand, and it looked a million dollars.

One day Nena, one day !

All the best, Jim

Stoneleigh 2007 - NOVAs a plenty

2007-05-07T10:28:00.000Z

Another great show, well worth the drive from the sunny south ! We made it up to Stoneleigh in less than two hours and spent a great day with the folks from Club NOVA seeing even more NOVAs and shopping for those elusive parts.

Here are a few shots from the day - if anyone from Club NOVA wants more of the photos drop me an e-mail and I can sort out a CD.

Well done in particular to Mike and Elaine for getting their NOVA in the main hall. Good work Paul on the Club banners, and everyone who contributed, and Harry - top gizmo !

All the best, Jim

I've given the chassis a tickle !

2007-05-07T09:07:00.000Z

After a succesful session of painting the other weekend I realised that I need to get the chassis finished, and clear some of the stock pile of parts cluttering up the house. So, the hydraulic lines have been fitted to the brakes and hydraulic clutch, the repainted red brake callipers offered up.

I have also chosen which of the engines lying around the workshop are going in the car for now and started cleaning that up, including stripping down all of the tinwear, and repainting it. I have had experience of using aftermarket tinware, so whenever possible I re-use the german tinwear. It is worth doing as it is much thicker steel, and fits better. I have gone for a hammered paint finish as it hides the odd blemish and is typically hard wearing.

I have also finished painting up the fuel tank in bright red (the main accent colour is red), got hold of stainless tinwear fittings for the engine reassembly and spent time talking to the guys at Club NOVA working out roof options, and unfortunately realised my hinges are beyond repair - that' another one for the shopping list !

The chassis is not far away now, I hope to have the engine rebuilt and fully fitted inside the next week or so, e-bay has supplied the new manifold I needed for the carb. Once the chassis is done I will focus on the body and paint. I would like to get the main shell in paint before I fit it to the chassis, and run the wiring loom.

Have been spurred on by seeing more NOVAs at the Stoneleigh kit car show - photos will follow, more progress soon, Jim

The bugs, dust, pollen and litter

2007-04-30T11:45:00.000Z

is all landing on my fresh paint ! But I don't care ! The sun is shining, I have the day off work, and Nena is all one colour again.

After weeks of sanding and finding reactions and blemishes I decided I had to get the car in primer. These shots are just after a blast of Bar Coat, which fingers crossed has so far done its job and all previous reactions have disappeared.

The finish isn't great, a little too dry in parts, and very dusty in others, but for my first spraying effort in around 13 years I'm happy.

So, leave it a few hours and blast on some primer - please don't rain !

More very soon, I hope, Jim

What happened next ?

2007-04-29T22:26:00.000Z

So what have I been doing since Detling then you wonder ? Its hard to answer that question quickly, as I have been tackling lots of little jobs, and moving between the chassis and bodywork.

Harry and Paul from Club NOVA came down the following weekend to have a look at Nena and offer advice.

The body is back off and at last the shell is solid again with all major holes underneath fibreglassed up, and sealed.

and I have even test fitted the bonnet and hinges. On the chassis I have started fitting the pedal box, bolted in the hydraulic clutch slave and painted the brake callipers. I have also started making the copper brake lines. The fuel tank has also been treated to a lick of red paint and new shock absorbers fitted all round.

The aim is to buy up all final parts I need at Stoneleigh Kit Car Show and then get the chassis completed inside the next few weeks. The body has a few areas that keep reacting, so when the weather allows a coat of bar coat will be blown over the whole shell.

Once the chassis is finished and the body in bar coat I will mount it back up and test fit an engine and wiring loom. I have two engines which I am working with at the moment, hopefully to give me one usable one ! An alternator conversion kit has also been sourced to help with charging.

Lots to do, but a few more jobs off the list - keep watching !!!!

Jim

A useful distraction

2007-04-15T20:26:00.000Z

Another sunny weekend, another great chance to get ahead on the NOVA, another lazy weekend, with no work done !

However there was a reason for this - the Detling Kit Car Show ! Here I got to meet other NOVA owners, and at last sat in a finished NOVA - the news is good - I fit !!

Thanks to Mike & Elaine for letting me sit in their lovely finished NOVA, and also Harry and Paul for answering many simple questions.

A good bit of time was spent taking pictures of the fiddly bits, and working out how it all goes together. I also managed to get round the stands and buy some goodies - mainly electrical, at good prices.

This has definitely spurred me on to get finished, as I want to enjoy one of these shows with my car on display.

The seating test did also make me realise I wanted some seats with more adjustment, so a quick e-bay search sourced a pair of MX5 seats with runners, in my area for a bargain price - it is all coming together ! More soon, Jim

Steering test

2007-04-05T22:20:00.001Z

Just to prove it all works here is a quick video showing the steering working. Sorry about the poor video quality, but hopefully you get the idea !

Steer today, steer tomorrow

2007-04-05T20:13:00.000Z

My car has a steering wheel, briefly ! Have got the dashboard/steering support frames back from the metal fabricator and they work a treat. I found the steering the most annoying part of my buggy build so am determined to get it right with this project. I don't want any flex or movement on the column so have had two frames made up in 25mm steel box section. These run along under the dash pods and support the shortened steering column in two places.

They will ultimately bolt to the floor, the side fibreglass panels, the centre tunnel and the bulkhead.

As you can see they are pretty sturdy, and once bolted up should hold everything together well.

I also hope to be clever and run some of the wiring inside them to the steering column and switches - well that's the theory !

The dash slips over them and between the front brackets and the bulkhead, which also helps secure this, and once fitted the dash pods cover the cut outs on the dash.

Whilst it will never be seen, I will know the job is done properly. I have a stack of new stainless nuts and bolts to lock it all together, and have a new universal joint section for the steering column, designed for the 1303 beetle. This couples up to the new steering box, and the shortened original column.

This is another part of the jigsaw worked out and ready for final fit. Tomorrow the body comes off the pan again to allow for final repairs and paint on the shell. With the chassis exposed again I will be plumbing in the twin circuit brakes, pedal box and hydraulic clutch. I really feel it is getting there now as there are not many unknowns left. The sunshine and light evenings is a big help too! Off to the Detling Kit Car show next Saturday to get some detail pictures of Novas and maybe a few brake parts. More soon, Jim

Nena gets in on the celebrations

2007-03-26T13:55:00.000Z

As well as the weekend being the Volksworld Show it was my birthday.

This obviously distracted me further from the car, but a good time was had by all - thanks have to go to Sarah for arranging a surprise party, and to Roy, Lu, Anna, Tamara, Simon H, Simon B, Nick, Romano, Diana, Mum & Dad for all heading down to Esher.

Was the car forgotten during the celebrations ?? Of course not, she even got her picture on the cake !!

A welcome distraction

2007-03-25T20:11:00.000Z

Well this weekend I could have been working hard sanding and painting. But instead I have enjoyed a weekend away at Esher and the Volksworld Show 2007.

Saw some amazing cars, which has spurred me on to get mine finished, and used the opportunity to work through my shopping list for the car. I will do another post soon with details of all the goodies I bought, but for now enjoy the cars:

Right, better get on fitting these new parts ! Jim

The next car is going to have doors !

2007-03-04T19:51:00.000Z

No I hadn't fallen asleep - I was trying to fix the dash in place. I am still trying to decide on the exact seating and steering position so decided the dashboard had to go back in. To get as much leg room as possible (I am 6ft 3") I wanted the dash as high as possible. Sarah had the sensible suggestion of putting the canopy on to be sure it all fitted together, and it didn't !

So the dash was removed, the canopy refitted and then the dash re secured.

Once the dash is more securely fitted I can start on adapting the steering column to fit. Once the steering column is in place I can mount the pedal box. Once the pedal box is in place I can run the hydraulic lines - you see how it all interlinks !

Once I am confident that I have the steering right I may remove the body to clean and paint the underside - I have spent the last few weeks filling holes and prepping but have limited access to certain areas of the underneath. In an ideal world I would like to turn the shell over, sand and smooth any patchworkrepairs and paint the underside in a black chassis paint.

We shall see if I have the resolve to take the body off again!

I also need to start work on cleaning and prepping the canopy which still bears its original red paint. At least all of the bodywork (except bonnet and side panels) is one colour now. It all seems like slow progress at the moment, but once the weather is brighter I hope progress can be stepped up.

Right, off to e-bay to search for steering columns and deep dish steering wheels !

Mellow yellow

2007-02-24T19:33:00.000Z

Hi all, well after a couple of frustrating weeks with no real progress things are looking brighter (or should that be yellower?)! While scratching my head about seating positions, steering mounts etc I decided I should be doing something else. So, in every spare moment for the last week or so I have been filling the holes made by the last owner in the shell and prepping for paint.

Hand sanding, electric flatbed sanders, air sanders, and a lot of hard work. The previous owner obviously liked his pop rivet gun, so I have had around 50 holes to fill on the body where the canopy seals to it (presumably for a seal of some sort), and some larger holes on the shell where crude access holes were cut in to get to the hydraulics. These have been repaired from underneath with glass fibre matting and resin, and then filled from above with glass fibre filling paste, finishing with fine filler on top.

The rain managed to hold enough enough last weekend for Sarah and I to scrub down the whole bodyshell, and then this weekend I decided I needed to get it one colour to see how my filling had gone.

The front of the car is probably the worst, so has more work to do, but I have managed to repair some damage to the front edge and restore the body line. Under the hood needs a lot more work, with yet more rivet holes to address, and some larger lazy access holes that need repairing. I also need to restore some areas around the mounting points to the front axle so these can be used - not sure on that yet.

The back of the car, as you can see below, is starting to look ok. Most of the major holes are filled, including the old filler cap (I aim to relocate to one of the wings using an aero cap) and the high build primer has addressed many of the smaller blemishes.

If I could get it all in primer and smooth by the end of March that would be a real result. Birthday celebrations and the Volksworld show are going to drag me away from the garage but I have a lot of friends coming over who helped collect the car, and lift the shell off the first chassis (see 'Meet Nena' and 'Oh Dear Nena you have let me down' )and it would be great for them to see the progress.

The bonnet, engine lid and side panels all need prepping too of course, and I have started to spread these parts around various garages and sheds for prepping !

Right, better get back to it - Bye for now, Jim

Measure twice, cut once !

2007-02-08T22:02:00.000Z

The end of the world is nigh. Oops, I meant the end of the welding is nigh !

For a couple of weeks I have been saying that the only welding left is to 'just' move the gearstick and handbrake. It not that simple !

Firstly there was the conduits for the handbrake cables to free up, then cut shorter and reposition to line up with the new handbrake hole.

The handbrake bracket was re-used and relocated further down the tunnel.

This wasn't welded until cables had been fitted to both guide conduits/tunes to ensure they hadn't been crimped.

Then the gearstick and selector rod. The stick is the easy bit - cut out a section, cut a new section the right size and re-weld.

The tricky bit was cutting the selector rod to size and ensuring it was accurate. In the end I used a plumbing tube cutter and then a piece of 22mm copper pipe inside the rod (the rod is hollow) to give some strength and keep it straight while welding. The cut edges were also chamfered so the weld could be inside the overall diameter of the rod once it was ground off.

A temporary fit was tested with a tack welded rod and riveted gearstick mount to ensure all of the gears could be selected before final welds were made.

Also I liberally painted (poured !) anti rust products into the tunnel as I will never see the inside again !

A new gear rod coupler and guide bush were also fitted whilst in the area.

Give it all a lick of paint and who would know !

Soon the pedals will go in, then the seat mounts will be finalised - I am getting there, I am ! Jim

In the driving seat, nearly !

2007-02-04T23:52:00.001Z

Now to you, and the rest of the world this may seem like a mad man playing with his toy. To me this is progress. Sarah and I spent a productive few hours in the garage today! Yes really ! The garage is now very tidy, and the seating position has been worked out. The bedford rascal seats fit snugly into my dropped floorpans, and the second hand dash fits ok too.
I have now decided where the gearstick and handbrake need moving to, and hope to get the tunnel welded up soon.

On the road again !

Body on, its go go go !

2007-02-04T17:54:00.000Z

Progress !

At last, the drive is free because the body is where it belongs - on the chassis.

A lack of drive space combined with a dislike of the cold meant that I had to get the body mounted up.

I hope to really start getting the bodywork prepped for paint now. There isn't much damage, but the previous owner really liked his pop rivets !

Most of the chassis work is completed now, and I cannot fix the pedals and hydraulics (clutch and twin circuit brakes) until the body is in place, as the pedal box is a hanging version - bulkhead mounted.

The chassis has been painted liberally in smoothrite, though I know it will get knocked and marked during the build, so I will repaint nearer the end.

Mounting the shell up didn't take too long - about 3 hours for two people - cheers Dad.

Of course stainless bolts and washers were used. The VW chassis washers were painted with clear lacquer, and nylock nuts held them in place.

A new mounting gasket was sourced from VW heritage and to save it slipping around while we mounted up I had prefitted it the day before with some black rubber sealant.

The body lined up really well with the mounting holes - which was a good sign, and overall seems pretty well sealed. The only area where some work is needed is the rear corners and over the gear linkage coupling.

The rear body lip covers the original cover plate so for now I have removed this and will make a new cover to fit.

Now I aim to dummy up the dash and seats to help decide where to move the gearstick and handbrake to - then the welding can be completed.

That will be a good feeling, as everything is then under my control.

One positive is that Nigel, my friendly local welder has left his gear in the garage - so he can pop back anytime to complete it !

More pictures soon - enjoy the sunshine , Jim

Oh for a double garage !

2007-01-24T08:04:00.000Z

Well the plan had been to mount up the body this weekend.

The only preparation job left was to clean up the mounting lip on the shell and paint it.

I see a problem !

Wish I had my beach buggy now - that was always fun in the snow !

Jim

Back to reality

2007-01-21T11:20:00.000Z

Well, what else would you do the day after a 12 hour flight, feeling jet lagged and looking back on a great two weeks in Thailand ?

That's right - straight back to the garage !

Nigel had come up trumps with the welding while I was away so I wanted to get everything sealed and painted.

I am really pleased with how the new panels fit, and feel retaining the original floor pan and going for a sloping drop was the best way.

As you can see in the photos all metal work has been treated to a liberal dose of grey zinc anti-rust primer.

Each side will get two coats top and bottom as well as all seams being sealed. Then two coats of chassis black will follow.

I am concentrating on the upper side at the moment, as that is where most of the welding is and I want to protect the edges before the body is bolted on. That should happen in the next couple of weeks all being well.

Garage space remains a valuable commodity so the only real way to crack on with bodywork repairs and preparation is to mount the shell up. This will also give me the opportunity to dummy up seating and dash positions before committing to the final welding - moving the handbrake and gearstick.

I feel progress is being made - this year I will drive a NOVA on the road ! (If I keep saying it I might start believing it !)

More soon, Jim

Floor 2, going down

2006-12-22T13:23:00.000Z

After the success of dropping the first floorpan (photos here)it was with a little trepidation that I started on the passenger side !

The original chassis, which was in a pretty poor state (Oh Dear Nena)only had the drivers side dropped, but that just seemed lazy. Whilst I am going to be driving her most of the time Sarah is going to want to get behind the wheel too, so I need to know I would fit as a passenger !! Also if I lose my bet for 1/8/07 completion date Sarah gets the first drive on the road !

Anyway, the fitting of the new panels and cutting went very well. Lot's of measuring first, as always, and it all fits together well.

And, as you can see it all lines up, and looks symmetrical. Once welded in (still just wedged and a couple of holding rivets) it should look the business. I have had a quick test with my seats (Bedford rascals £30 e-bay) and they fit nicely, and sit at the right level now. I cannot wait to get the welding done and then mount up the bodyshell.

I have limited workshop space, so to start cleaning up the shell and filling the numerous holes the last owner made I need to get the shell mounted. The only welding job remaining will be the relocation of the handbrake and gearstick, but I won't do this until the dash is fitted and I can simulate the final seating position.

This will be the last post now till after Christmas, and the last work on the car for a while. I hope to have the welding completed 3/1/07, but then go off on holiday for 3 weeks so February is the target date for mounting the shell.

Happy Christmas all, Jim

The first cut is the scariest !

2006-12-21T15:01:00.000Z

So let me get this straight in my head:

Spend time and money getting new floors welded in.

Then cut holes in them and spend more time and money lowering the floors so my 6ft 3" 'should grow up' body can fit in a low slung fibreglass 'sports car' from the 70's.

Yep, that makes perfect sense !

Well, progress has again been slow due to the Xmas run up, work commitments etc, but another step has been taken - the floor drops are happening.

After the body fitting trials a decision was made, a 3" drop was needed. Much consultation with the forums and re-reading reference material later I chose to go for the 3 cut drop, using the original pan material and having 3 pieces fabricated per side to support the lowered pan.

A local metal fabricator (if you need one in Sussex mail me for details) did the business on the steel (I don't have folding equipment) and my plans were correct !

Beware - the NOVA original plans should be treated as a guide only, although I wasn't using the original style side panels the rear should have been identical - it wasn't. I made my own cardboard templates to be sure.

I have gone for a sloping floor drop, so had large triangular sections made up. I have been told that a sloping floor drop enables the seat to tilt and in turn aids the seating position and headroom. This seems to make sense and should help with my knee/leg angle for the pedals.

I have only cut the right hand pan so far and the panels fit well. They are pretty much holding themselves in place, with the aid of just a couple of rivets. I aim to get them welded ASAP. I go on holiday for 3 weeks in Jan and want to get them welded, sealed and primered by then.

One other change I have made from the original plans is for the outside edge of the new panel to wrap over the mounting lip, and fit between the body and chassis. I know this does potentially affect the distance between body and chassis, but a couple of mm can only help headroom, and the mating gasket should mask any changes in levels. I thought by making this additional lip it would be more secure and easier to weld - we shall see !

I have put a call into the welder and am currently booked in for Jan 3rd - more pictures will follow ! Jim

Body and chassis reunited - briefly !

2006-12-08T15:30:00.000Z

I thought it would never happen, but the chassis has made it out of the garage at last !

And the body briefly made it on top as well !

The aim of today, in between rain showers was to check the fit of the body on the new pans and front chassis bearer, and start to test seating positions.

I have very limited garage space so working on the body is only going to be possible once it is mounted on the chassis. However I cannot do this until I have finished the welding etc.

I did try and convince myself that a floor pan drop wouldn't be necessary, but even with the necessary Bedford rascal seats (runners removed) I was kidding myself. This was particularly evident once we got the dash and pedal set into place as well. A 3" drop, combined with keeping the seats right on the floor should enable my 6ft 3" to get behind the wheel !

Though little actual progress was made today it was a valuable process and bouncing ideas of others is always good in this situation. The last thing I want to do is mess up the seating position and curse to myself everytime I drive the car !

The gearstick, and possibly handbrake will need miving too, but this will be easier to judge once a fixed seat is in place and a steering column is roughly positioned.

If at all possible I would like to get the pans dropped and painted before Christmas, as then I can move the body into the dry. The gearstick etc can be moved later as access is reasonable, but dropping the pans is definately a 'body off' job. The positive today was rolling the chassis out and not hearing any grinding noises from my new brakes and bearings, and also seeing that the mounting holes on the body do line up with the chassis - always a good sign !

Right, back to the original build manual and the NOVA forums to decide upon the best drop procedure and out with the cutting gear !

Measure twice, cut once as my Dad would say !

Cheers to Dad and Nigel for lifting the roof on and off whilst I tried seating positions !

I've tidied up my rear end

2006-11-27T19:48:00.000Z

It's been a while since the last post. Work, Xmas parties (yes really) and a million and one other things have slowed me down, but I do think I'm getting there.

All of the rear metal work has now been cleaned up - lots of wire brushing (by hand and angle grinder). I have then treated it all with Hammerite anti rust treatment, zinc anti rust primer and Smoothrite. Hopefully that will keep things tidy for a while !

All nuts and bolts have been replaced with either stainless or zinc coated, and most importantly the right grade - particularly for the bolts that hold the swing arms to the axle tubes. I spent far too much of my life de-greasing the gearbox and removing 30 years worth of road grime ! It is now clean, and oil free. I did contemplate painting it, but don't want to take the detailing too far. As I have said in previous posts the aim is to build a solid fun and reliable car - not a precious show car. You may also spot a new engine support in the top photo - the last had been butchered with a home-made tow bar and weakened too much in my opinion. Gearbox mounts were also changed at this time.

Though not a fan of multicoloured underpinnings I am accenting in red. I prefer the urethane parts, where available. They seem to wear well, and are often cheaper than stock. To match the new bumpstops a set of red drive shaft boots will go on soon, then I can refill the gearbox oil ! I may detail some of the engine/tinwear in red eventually - the callipers will be sprayed red eventually as well.

That includes the rear callipers, on my new EMPI rear disc kit. This was the first time I have fitted rear discs, and I hope these will work well with the adjustable pedal assembly I have. The kit had reasonable instructions, but not great. The quality is reasonable, but not the best. I spoke to others who have fitted them, and the calliper alignment does seem to be the weakness. It seems to depend on the year as to where you put the spacer washers, and how many ! Also the castings of the callipers isn't spot on in places so if you go for similar to look carefully before fitting and ruining your new discs. I had to file a couple of spots, which now means the coating is lost and painting is a must. Might as well go for porsche red callipers then !!

Been shopping

2006-11-12T21:03:00.000Z

Progress may be slow, but the purchases have been mounting up !

I have started amassing many parts, both for the chassis/mechanical side of things, and also for the bodywork. In particular, a great find was a number of NOVA spares, through the Club NOVA/AVANTE website (see Sources of Inspiration) - cheers Adrian.

Room at home is getting tight so have put a number of spares up in the loft, and in the shed for now until they are needed, but thought I would post a few photos up here of them all first.

Canopy side interior panels (GRP) . These are in need of a good clean, and retrim, but the GRP is fine, aside from a couple of old mounting holes.

Pendulum mount pedal box, with three master cylinders. I will be having front and rear discs with a bias bar to adjust the front/rear braking. The clutch will be hydraulic as well, utilizing a NEAL slave cylinder.

Bedford rascal seats (e-bay £30 for 2), original NOVA dashboard and pods.

Now I can start testing out seating positions (yes I know this needs to be done in the car !).

Close up of dash, some patching required here and there, but overall solid.

Pods have been trimmed in PVC. I will probably strip these down and either paint, or re-cover.

Nice pair of headlights Sarah !

These were another e-bay bargain, chosen for their integral indicators. They should fit snugly in the existing light pods, with a bit of careful cutting. Now I just need to find rear lights and side repeaters (perhaps built into mirrors).

Well that's it for now, more pictures will follow as these bits start to get fitted, Jim.

4 wheels on my wagon

2006-11-11T22:19:00.000Z

Well, its been a while since my last entry, but today I got back to what I enjoy - rebuilding !
After a week or two of shopping and assembling the parts required I have rebuilt the front end, and re-installed the front axle.

I could have re-used one of my salvaged steering boxes, but think both are probably past there best, so chose to get a new one through VW Heritage. I went through the pain of stripping down the old tie rods - If you have done it you will now what I mean !! I figured its a pain to get to all the suspension and steering gear once the NOVA shell is back on, so have gone for the safe option of replacing everything ! I used a disc brake conversion kit from VW Heritage, which I have used before on my beach buggy. The parts are all VW and good quality. A 'How to' guide from Volksworld helped refresh my memory, with it being @3 years since I last did the conversion, but it went well, and hopefully should help stop me when I need it.

I know I should be working on the bodyshell, getting it straight and prepped for paint, but am struggling for room. I think the aim is now to re-build the back end and then mount the shell to it, which means I can keep it dry in the garage and start sanding etc.

It feels like major progress today to get front wheels back on, and it is nice to get the car out of the garage to enable me to have a good old clean ! Oh for a double garage !!

Well here it is - the rolling chassis - on the road again !!

Welding, Part 2

2006-10-27T13:21:00.000Z

Well, at last the end of the welding is in sight. This is the final structural stuff, and after all of this I can get on with building up a new rolling chassis.

As discussed under the first welding entry (Nice one Nigel) the new framehead was on, but as a precaution a further weld to the original tunnel was made, through a precut slot.

Also to be finished was a small plate underneath - hence getting the car high up in the air, where the original tunnel lower panel had rotted out. They all seem to go here as water collects through the pedal holes and has time to eat it out from within. I had cut back the rot and this left a 6 x 4" hole to be plated up, to meet the new framhead panel.

Patches were also cut to size to plate over the master cylinder holes in the chassis bearer (they were for LHD).

Finally an additional plate was made up to entirely cover the old pedal holes on either side of the tunnel, and add further strength to the tunnel at the point where the new framehead is welded up to the tunnel. This was made up in one piece, with folded edges being welded onto the floors themselves. This was fully seam welded all round.

Here it is, the nice all new framehead and associated panels, all aligned, fully welded and ready for painting.

I am sure the purists wouldn't be happy with the visible welds, but it is all going to be out of sight eventually. My main objective is to build a good looking car, which is structurally sound and easy to maintain. Once these areas are fully primered, seam sealed and have a number of coats of chassis black over them they should be good for years.

The removal of the original pedal holes also removes a possible water trap which has to be a good thing. The last welding job (for now) was re-welding a captive nut on top of the old axle, as one had sheared off. Welding will resume once I have decided on the amount of floor drop needed. Then I can relocate the gear lever and handbrake too. I have seats and a dashboard on their way which will help me mock up a seating position and make some decisions - at last I am building again !!

Nice one Nigel, the welding takes shape

2006-10-24T15:22:00.000Z

Phase 1 of the welding - get the framehead on square !
Pretty important as otherwise I could be driving in circles all day. Fortunately my friendly local welder Nigel was able to come and weld it all up in my garage. This meant I could spend many hours getting it all leveled first. All four corners were on axle stands with spirit levels across the torsion tubes front and rear and across the shock mounts. Jigs were made to measure the distance from the chassis bearer to the rear torsion tubes and these measurements were checked throughout the welding process. Initially I had planned to replace just the chassis bearer and lower framehead panel. As I said under the 'Donor card' blog the original framehead had been welded so many times it was impossible to get ay repair panels to fit. Fortunately VW Heritage (see links) do this great framehead replacement panel with all 3 parts pre assembled.
The framehead was initially tacked on, and then fully seam welded to good clean metal. As a further precaution a slot was cut in the repair panel 4 inches along to weld through to the tunnel below. The new panel overlaps the original tunnel by at least 6 inches allowing this second weld point which we thought was important for strength.

Once we were happy that the framehead was on in the right place the floorpans could go in. I had again taken many measurements to be sure I knew where the pans started and finished. Pleasingly, with the framehead secure the pans went in on their markings. This confirmed 3 things, Nigel had done a good job with the welding, the measurements were correct and the new pans were a decent quality and the same as the ones that came off - result !
The lower edge of the tunnel, near the mounting lip had been damaged in parts by sitting water - mainly near the pedals, so some right angle steel was welded in to give strength back here, and for good measure carried right along the flat sections. The final stage will be to fill in a hole cut in the top of the tunnel by the last owner (lazy) and plate over the pedal mounting holes (I am not using the original pedal set up). Also holes in the bulkhead for the master cylinder etc need plating as they are for LHD ! Then I will pump the tunnel full of Waxoyl and ensure the dreaded tin worm is banished.

Your donor card please

2006-10-24T14:49:00.000Z

Well here she is, the unsuspecting donor. As the eagle eyed will notice, she was quite a looker in her glory days, and in fact a rolling advert for my local VW specialist I have used since I was 17.
When I went to see what basket cases they had with a correct V5 (tax free) I was surprised to find out the garage had changed hands and that this multi coloured beauty was up for grabs.
If you are squeamish look away now ! After much cutting the chassis was exposed. In the process a good front axle, engine, gearbox, and full wiring loom were retained. However, as you can see the good parts of the chassis were easy to count !
The old framehead had been plated over so many times that the repair panels just wouldn't line up. I also had concerns, which were confirmed by my friendly welder Nigel, that the front end was out of line. The only sensible option in the end was to cut off the framehead entirely and weld a new complete head in - more of this in later blogs.

Oh dear NENA, you have let me down

2006-10-24T14:12:00.000Z

You will start to see a pattern emerging. Another weekend of drinks and more friends 'persuaded' to help with the project. This time to remove the body from the chassis.

Thanks Simon H (bottom left), Nick (top left), Paul (top right) and Simon (front right). It all went fine until I (top middle) realised the speedo cable was still connected ! Anyway, once the body was off NENA revealed some nasty surprises. The drivers 'lowered' footwell was a combination of scrap steel, sheet aluminum, a plastic tray and a lot of rivets ! The tunnel had significant damage to it where attempts had been made to cut in a new handbrake mounting and brake fluid had eaten through much of the front framehead lower panel. The diagnosis was not good. This coupled with a 1978 V5, meaning no free road tax made the next decision that bit easier - find a new chassis !

Meet NENA

2006-10-24T13:57:00.000Z

Meet NENA, a 1978 VW NOVA kit car, registered, rather amuzingly on her V5 as a VW NOVA Porshe (yes no c ).

What would you do with your weekend, when 3 old university friends are visiting to watch the start of the World Cup? Wrestle a very sorry NOVA home of course !!

Thanks Roy (bottom left), Mark (top right), Lucian (bottom right) for your help.

So here she is, looking reasonably complete, but hiding a multitude of horrors. More of that later ! What have I done ????? Jim (top left).

This is how it all begins.............................

2006-10-24T13:13:00.000Z

So this is how it all starts.

Man passes driving test, man buys beetle, man is nearly bankrupted by beetle.

Man sells beetle, man buys campervan, man is nearly bankrupted by campervan.

Campervan is sold, man buys beetle, man is nearly killed by beetle spontaneously combusting.

Man gets vaguely sensible, buys VW Golf, gets mortgage and proper job with company car.

Man sells VW Golf and builds VW Beach Buggy.

Man realises never uses VW Beach Buggy so sells it.

Man misses the VW Beach Buggy so buys a project VW NOVA kit car that has seen better days.

The restoration (fun) begins.......................................................................