NOVA BUYING GUIDE

Below is a brief guide on buying second hand Nova’s of all models, but particularly the SR and GTE/GSi models.

FRONT WINGS

Starting from the front. Nova wings are notorious for creasing in minor accidents, this will crack the paint and allow the water to get in and rust the wing. But don’t worry, these are very easy to replace as they simply bolt onto the chassis. They cost about £30-40 a wing, but remember to put some sealant on, so the water doesn’t run underneath and rust.

BEARINGS

Original wheel bearings will probably be worn so check these by jacking the car up and rock the wheel to see if there is any play. Or an easier way is to jack one front wheel up at a time and put the car in gear and start the engine. If there is a vibrating/rumbling sound, you’ve found the worn bearing, which needs replacing. This is a difficult job on the SR’s and GTE’s, but not bad for the price, expect to pay between £20-30 for a front bearing.

ENGINE

Nova engines have a strong bottom end and if it has been looked after then they should last a good 200k. At the top end, valve stems will go, which will cause blue smoke when it's started or during heavy acceleration. Black smoke on the other hand means that too much petrol is being burnt, while white clouds of dark grey smoke may point to an out-of-tune diesel engine. If you’re lucky, either fault might be put right by as little as a twist of a screwdriver on the carburetor, or fit a new air filter.

CARBURETTOR

All 1.3SR's were made with twin choke carburetors with auto chokes. This will cause the engine to run poorly in the cold. This type of carburetor is hard to repair and expensive to replace so avoid if knakcered.

SUSPENSION

Check the weld around the top of the suspension turrets on the inner wing (under the bonnet), most are rusty but if it’s bad it will only get worse. Check the suspension by pushing down on each corner separately. If it settles straight away then it's ok, but if it bounces around then it's shot and you will need new shockers. You can upgrade the OE set for performance shocks, try SPAX KIT which costs £250 for 4 shocks and springs, these should for ages.

GEARBOX

The gearbox on Novas normally last well but on older ones if you are in 1st or 2nd and it makes a wining it won't be long before you need to replace it. Also if it crunches in the transition from 1st to 2nd then the syncromesh is worn.

HEATERS

Various levers control the Nova’s heaters and cables so check they all work, as they are hard to fix. The clocks in SR's and GTE, GSi’s are a hassle to replace, hard to find and can be expensive. Note clocks on early models are not the best thing to read in the dark when they work so be sure the do.

INTERIOR

Early SR's had a brown check Recaro trim while the later versions had a grey look interior. As the sides of the seat stick out, after many years of people rubbing them on entry and exit they nearly all have a big hole there. They also have a habit of falling flat, the reclining mechanism gets worn, so the chair falls forward. The cloth is no longer available a and good condition second hand ones are like gold dust.

DOORS

Black stickers cover the doors lower surface on the SR models, this can hide the rust so tap and check with a magnet. There may be some surface rust thanks to stone chips etc, so long as it's not too bad. Also it’s a good idea to look on the bottom of the doors, for if the water escape holes are jammed up, it will begin to rust. What you might get are large gapping holes in the doors, which is an expensive welding job.

REAR ARCHES

The most common problem with the nova is rusty rear arches. The spot welds holding the inner and outer wing fail and water gets in and rusts it away. To fix this takes cutting, welding, prep, painting, loads of hassle, money and time. But don't give up hope, if the arches are only just a little bit rusty, then an arch repair get can be purchased for about £20 an arch. All that is required is to pay the labour to fit it and a small amount of re-spray on the arches. Remember it CAN be repaired, it all depends on how much money you want to spend. If it does get repaired, then it will easily outlast the rest of the car.

BRAKES

Check the rear drums don't stick when the handbrake is released, if it does then it's not a big problem. Look at the front discs, if there is a lip around the outside edge then this means the discs are worn and will need replacing shortly, but don’t worry as these are cheap and easy to replace.