Brownnova’s eponymous vehicle... It might be over for my Nova.

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, cms206 said:

At times I'm enormously pleased that I mercilessly bullied you into buying this. It is ACE.

I'm 20 years driving next July 😳

It will be even more ace when it’s on the road. 

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, Rustybullethole said:

Still out in the elements? Drizzle and down pours on the wain fingers crossed though as a curb side fettler I would recommend a gazebo. 
 

It’ll be in the garage soon… I just need to sort alternative storage for the present garage dwellers. 

[High Jetter]

4 hours ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

Christ alive, it's been 17 years since I passed my driving test this year.

Junior, more like 45 years for me!

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 16/04/2023 at 23:29, High Jetter said:

Junior, more like 45 years for me!

yes 40 in October for me 😲

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

yes 40 in October for me 😲

By the time I get to 40 years I might just be getting the Yugo finished at my rates of progress 😂

[Talbot]

On 4/16/2023 at 9:57 AM, brownnova said:

20 years since I passed my driving test

 

On 4/16/2023 at 6:33 PM, GrumpiusMaximus said:

17 years since I passed my driving test this year.

 

On 4/16/2023 at 8:11 PM, cms206 said:

I'm 20 years driving next July

Youngsters, the lot of you.

30 years now for me...

[chaseracer]

On 16/04/2023 at 09:57, brownnova said:

16th September 2023 marks 20 years since I passed my driving test...

7th March 1983.  Thanks for the reminder! 😄

[RayMK]

Youngsters indeed ! (ref. driving test anniversaries)

The Nova and the Corsa A on which it was based were not even a glint in Vauxhall/Opel's eyes when I passed my car test in September 1975 in a Triumph Toledo, about 8 years before the Nova was launched.

47th anniversary for me (50th for full bike test and 55th for moped (that one was a British Forces Germany test)).  

[Dick Longbridge]

9 hours ago, Talbot said:

30 years now for me...

Same! 

Kids today, etc. 

[hairnet]

Can all the old people go away now

[EyesWeldedShut]

Next year is only the 11th anniversary of my test - does that make me young?
(Mind you I did pass on 29th February)

[horriblemercedes]

10 hours ago, Talbot said:

 

 

Youngsters, the lot of you.

30 years now for me...

I'm not trying to be ingratiating, but having met you at Shitefest '22, I thought you would be quite a bit younger than that! 

[horriblemercedes]

6 hours ago, chaseracer said:

7th March 1983.  Thanks for the reminder! 😄

My brother's birthday! Joint party? 

[666jjp]

On 21/04/2023 at 16:07, chaseracer said:

7th March 1983.  Thanks for the reminder! 😄

Day after my 17th and my first driving lesson, you passed on a Monday.

[Twiggy]

Hmmm !  August, 1963 I passed my test in a Daimler Conquest Century, with pre-select gears. Can`t remember the actual date though. So I`ve been driving for very nearly 60 years (!)

[brownnova]

So… 

Douglas Adams once wrote “I love deadlines, I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by” 

Another chunk of time has passed. Another deadline has flown by… and the Nova is still sitting on the drive.

A while ago I drained the tank, and bought some new fuel to put in. And then… nothing.

A recurring theme. 

This weekend having spent some time on eBay I set to working out the running issues. I refilled the tank, and set to replacing ignition components. New plugs, leads, distributor cap and rotor arm. New fuel in and a dribble down the carb and it started straight up.., and died. Interesting that with the old ignition parts it used to take a few goes, that’s a good sign. 

With an helpful assistant I ran it for a minute or two on easy start by squirting into the carb, so that proves we’re not getting fuel through. Not sure if that’s the empty tank not having enough in it from two Jerry cans to prime the pump. Or something more like a seized fuel pump.

In an ideal world I could do with it reliably running for next week… so will put a little more work in this weekend. 

[HMC]

This is wonderful. A whole generation of people now just think of novas being the GTE or GSI- and 3 door only. Brilliant reminder.

[EyesWeldedShut]

19 minutes ago, HMC said:

This is wonderful. A whole generation of people now just think of novas being the GTE or GSI- and 3 door only. Brilliant reminder.

I had the 2 door version as a GreenNova - 1.2L saloon on a B plate from new. Did sod all mileage in it and traded it in against a R5 GTX - that Nova turned up in Datchet where it seemed to spend all of its time parked outside an old biddy's house until, around 1994, it expired in a pile of rust - still with low miles. The 1.2 engine (at the time) was a lovely thing tbh.
They do seem very rare these days?

[beko1987]

My gran had 2! Was a green 3 door D reg hatch when I first had memories, not sure what engine, maybe carbed? Always remember I could vividly hear the fuel pump gurgling away from the back seat! And trapping my fingers in the (never used) ashtrays! 

Then a blue 1.2 luxe saloon in blue and the same colour interior as Chris's carlton at the fod throughout the 1990s with deep soft velour and the little removable code pad she always put in the leather pouch on EVERY journey. Chris booth or some other shite coming out of the tape player... 

If you ever get it going I'd love a ride 😂

[AnnoyingPentium]

My Grampa had a couple of two door saloons back in the day.

Was a D-reg black one as well, D457KSJ. No substantial photos of it to hand.

[brownnova]

12 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

They do seem very rare these days?

 They do seem it. I saw this one at a show in September

 

Very like mine.

9 hours ago, beko1987 said:

If you ever get it going I'd love a ride 😂

WHEN I get it going you’re welcome to one.

Aiming to be soon.  The Highlander sale was to fund work on this. I’m fed up with it sitting around! 
 

Loving the Nova memories! 

[brownnova]

13 hours ago, HMC said:

This is wonderful. A whole generation of people now just think of novas being the GTE or GSI- and 3 door only. Brilliant reminder.

Exactly this. I posted on a faceache group about looking for someone to do some work, and some of the replies were along the lines of “not worth keeping a saloon, break it for engine parts for an SR” 

[Dyslexic Viking]

10 minutes ago, brownnova said:

Exactly this. I posted on a faceache group about looking for someone to do some work, and some of the replies were along the lines of “not worth keeping a saloon, break it for engine parts for an SR” 

Stuff like this really annoys me, it's the same with many old American barges where good 4 doors are scrapped or parted out to save 2 door cars.

[adw1977]

The fact that some people think like that makes it even more worth keeping!

I reckon the four door is the best looking of the Nova bodystyles. 

[Matty]

37 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

The fact that some people think like that makes it even more worth keeping!

I reckon the four door is the best looking of the Nova bodystyles. 

Unless your talking an early SR hatch in Jamaica Yellow with brown check interior 😍

[cms206]

BROWN NOVA IS BEST NOVA

[adw1977]

25 minutes ago, Matty said:

Unless your talking an early SR hatch in Jamaica Yellow with brown check interior 😍

I still prefer brownnova's!

[brownnova]

1 hour ago, Matty said:

Unless your talking an early SR hatch in Jamaica Yellow with brown check interior 😍

There is one exactly like that I see at local shows… it’s awesome

[Floatylight]

52 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

I still prefer brownnova's!

I looked at a B plate one of these for my 2nd car in 1992, ended up buying an Astra 1.3l, one of my sisters had a J plate 1.2 flair she had off one of my friends for £500, she drove it for a couple of years, at one point the cambelt snapped and it was towed to Mum's I went up with a new belt, timed it up, slid a new belt on and it ran good as new, took about 15 minutes, other sister had a 1.2 saloon which was a big of a banger, whole floor was rotten, seat rocked when you sat in it..

Still great looking cars, love the baseness of brownnovas

[adw1977]

9 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

love the baseness of brownnovas

Baseness? It's a 1.3 L, the second most expensive of the seven Nova saloons at the time.  Positively luxurious!