JMotor

I admire your progress and feel your pain... Doing spot welds is a PITA regardless. Doing them while you're crawling about a floor just plain sucks. Not to mention the sparks! At the point now, it's starting to not hurt as bad. Although a stray spark in behind your welding helmet is unpleasant surprise! Also get your want to cut stuff back off and redo it. Find it hard to do myself, but ultimately it's the only way to do it to how you want it. Can vouch for the fit of panels on a Midget, great uncle of mine has a unrestored '72 one that he has owned since '77 and the panel gaps are bloody awful 😂!

Sorry for the crap pictures. Lights in the unit are currently fooked due to electrical issues. Had an issue with the car loosing water. Checked to see what the issue was. Finally found the rad was leaking from a bottom corner. So ordered a new one. As expected, this wasn't straight forward. Not because they are hard to get. Just the time waiting for getting these parts. Dingbro coming through for me with one in, didn't have too long of a wait in the end. Price wasn't horrible either. Nissens made. Not bad quality at all. Recommended brand for the 306 GTI-6 crowd in fact. Set about changing this out. Easy job and Daewoo had added a drain tap into the rad which was a surprise.... To find after, I dumped a bit of coolant on the floor! Dang it!! Another important job I wanted to do while the cooling system was drained. Was replacing the thermostat. Was interesting to see the 'stat housing is in two parts that you had to separate. Such a strange set up! Had to scrounge a new seal for the stat. Because it was the original one as fitted by the lads in Korea. Luckily a pal had thermostat kit for a Ford Escort with a suitable (well close enough to work!) seal in it. Little smear of RTV just as a little insurance. Once all built up and filled up with water (for now). Ran it up and was greeted with a nice hot heater and the cooling fan kicked in as it should. Next task is to start finishing more jobs on the Corsa. I want to stonechip the underneath so I can get the fuel pipes clipped back in. Which means I have it running and driving again. Less of a pain in the ass to move!

Short(ish) update on cars. Toyota was easy enough to replace the bottom ball joints. So replaced both at them same time. Discs and pads all round were changed as well. No more wobble when braking at any speed now. Been using again while the Nexia is sat. Daewoo will hopefully see the road this week as the new rad turned up yesterday. While the coolant is drained out, I'll fit a NOS Daewoo thermostat too. Find OEM is best for that sort of thing, had aftermarket ones fail quickly or just don't work at all. These 1.5 16v's need little to no excuse to blow the head gasket.

Happy ending! Had a parcel waiting for me today. Thought this was fuckin quality! 😂 Tanks! AS Sandy Claws! Oh cheers for the gummy bears too! Edit - saw it was sent yesterday on the label. Whoever sent this. Thank you very much! I wasn't expecting anything and I feel bad someone went to the effort. Still appreciate it anyway.

My first Nova before it did it's geyser trick from the header tank because the head gasket had blew two minutes before .

Laugh for the song line. Love the chod spots! Ooffftttt I'll hae the Corsa A too in all!

Trying to get a rad for Nexia. Tried a couple of Evilbay sellers. Out of stock or February delivery. Shit! Then phoned local factors. Yep! One can get me a rad. Not badly priced either. until they gave me the delivery date, which is the end of this month. Shite! Ordered it anyway as it was the same as price and waiting time. It can sit until then, not chucking rad weld in it, hate the stuff! No worries! Got the Toyota to run... Ahhh! Forgot there's play in a bottom ball joint! Have to get some ordered! Ebay! £50 delivered. Phew!

Just make your own! These lads have got a great recipe! Some good spots there @Sunny Jim. I'll hae the scruffy Corsa!

Several things happened. First was already on the news Fred. Daewoo, good for another year. Actually impressive its given me two advisory free passes. So to celebrate. It sprang a leak in the radiator. I just need to order one. Been checking and topping up the coolant. Got a weeping rocker cover gasket to replace too. Again, will be done. Have found some Nova six dials. Yay! Less gooder... The printed ribbon/circuit on the back is not good at all. Like it's had it. Which is also properly NLA. Cannot find one at all. Might see if I can cobble something up. Got a good lead on a lad who might have dials AND a much better Mk2 SRi blue interior. I had planned something else. But I already have the same interior and it'll be easier to make one good interior out of two. Lastly. I'm trying to tidy up my workshop space. Amazing at how much crap you accumulate over the years.

Fine then!! 😝🤣 Yeah, heck a load cheaper. So yeah, no point in paying extra. I need to have a look see at that site (ahhh it's for Oldtimer Opels, fudge!). After a print circuit for some SR six dials I've picked up. Sheesh! Since when was GM stuff up in price!? Be near Ford money now 🤣.

That sucks! Dunno if it's any help, but.... https://www.mm-opelparts.com/speedometer-drive-transmission-blue-20-teeth-seal-installation-set Probably already have used them with owning a Manta. I personally find the site dangerous. Because they had a few Astra F parts I've needed. Already eyed up a Nova front panel AND an injection tank on there.

Sadly I've not seen anything from my AS Santa. Fear I may have left it too long to say anything too. Sorry to that person if that's the case 😔. Ahh fudge!

That was my favourite word with MG Rover products that my parents owned. Specially when there was a fault or "quirk".

Threw the Nexia in for test. No prep. Just see what happens and at least I'll have a list to work from. Oh! Ok, that's a surprise. Clutch, tyres and a spot of welding. That's the total of issues in the last year.

They do. The 80's did produce some tidy looking superminis.

Oh boy. Well this happened. Nae moving pics or anything to say on getting it back. Other than it was soggy as fuck the night and the collection day was brought forward massively to tonight. Anyway. I've got it. Happy as owt. It's actually more soild than I thought for a shonky Spanish shopping trolley. I have put the Corsa up for sale on here. Only reason, because I'd been after another Nova for years. I wasn't passing this up. Because they are only getting more expensive I've found now. This weekend I'll clear a proper space for it. Because it can wait for now.

Can weld. Maybe for FOC, but too much my own shite needs done first! As for divorce... Honestly Lionel Hutz would a better job than me 🤣.

Also known as... "Ahhh I see you have chosen death!" 🤣 @Motown If you buy this. PM me your address, as I've got a few Ambassador HBOL's that I'll happily send you one FOC. BUT! Only if you do a buy and haven't been killed to death by the wife lol.

Well I said to myself. "Feeling good at the moment, cars are progressing nicely" You know actual progress. Then spot an F20 gearbox for sale local. Excellent! Was at a good price too. Aye, I'll hae that! Awa doon to fetch it. Started chatting to the fella. Turns out he was having a clear out and would I be interested in what he had sat... Now own another Nova. MK1 Merit on an F reg. This time with a V5. Last white one didn't and wasn't able to get one either. Shell is pretty good considering it's age. Needs some welding, standard Nova really. With a good stash of spares and I have a 1600 8v that would be right at home in it. For now it'll be thrown in a corner. Badly want to tear into it, better not though as there is other cars need done first!

For 2023 I really want to start on my Astra Saloon. It's been ten years in my ownership now. Just finding panels and parts has kicked my ass, as I've wanted good repro or genuine panels for it. Have enough now to start it. I'll finish the Corsa first. But it'll likely be up for sale soon. As on the last day of 2022 I made another purchase of something I wanted for years.

Waay better with the dents pushed out. Should be not to bad to sort the remains of the dents now? As the doors look soild.

Onyx Black GTI-6 ♥. Ph3? As not on the two tone side skirts? Yes very good cars. Also much better than people give them credit for.

Thank you, genuinely. As I like sharing my work as it may help someone out in the future. I've learned a fair bit from other people on this forum. So do not mind returning that favour back if I can. I also get exactly what you mean about the Corsa pages. Found them less than helpful at times and that's being polite too. Most just fanny about or be just fannies! Because these shitboxes are going to be harder to get soon like Novas. Then they'll greet when they are paying daft money for them.

GM just used two spot welds and black PU mastic to attach them. So cleaned everything up, tiger seal on the same areas and tacked up the holes. Dab of primer applied. Then flipped over and welded the cracks up. Made sure to tack into the plate too. Light clean up after that. Hot snottered the area back in. Once the welds are knocked down it'll look just fine. I'll repeat this on the passenger side soon. Glad I did it this way. As some have gone through the inside to get to this area. That's at least three layers of metal to chop through. Seemed daft to do that. This way means I can fix it on the bench.

Holy moly! More welding done! If anyone is familiar with Corsa B's. You'll know the early Pre-97 cars were prone to cracked B pillars. Mine was cracked on both sides. Pondered on how to fix it. I might of went a tad overboard? Wasn't worried if I had taken any strength out of the shell. As it's just an outer skin. Then same donor Corsa I took cuts from was a Post-97 car. These cars were fitted with reinforcement plates to stop this issue. Ground the cracks out of the plate. Save any issues with fit. I fixed them and attached the plate. You'll see how they fit in the next post.