vauxhall nova gte 2.0 turbo review

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Average Ratings
Performance	8.7/10
Practicality	7.6/10
Reliability	8.6/10
Value for Money	8.6/10
Reviewer Rating	8.5/10
Overall Rating	8.8/10

83% Recommended15 out of 18 Reviews

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Review of Vauxhall Nova GTE 2.0 Turbo

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By DeXx. on 27th Sep 2002

DeXx.'s Ratings
Performance	10/10
Practicality	8/10
Reliability	9/10
Value for money	10/10
Overall value	9/10
DeXx.'s recommendation

Good Points

VERY fast and handles well. Good fuel economy unless planting it :) Watch those supposed 'fast cars' disappear in rear view mirror. Most cars don't get a sniff.

Bad Points

Getting the right parts when things go wrong. Had a case of this recently when had to get MOT work done. Nightmare! Bought the car off someone so didn't know full history.

General Comments

The Vauxhall Nova ste turbo is one of the most fun per pound cars have ever owned. Citreon AX's are rattly biscuit tins, Peugeot 205's are fun but too tinny, fiesta's are just rubbish full stop, and you can't fit a big engine in a saxo! So for one of the best moddable cars around, buy a nova. Or if you want something newer, buy the corsa :) By the way, my mate has 320bhp pulsar and my 230bhp nova turbo can beat it :)

Respect given for DeXx.'s review.
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Total Respect: -3

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98 Comments on Review by DeXx. for Vauxhall Nova GTE 2.0 Turbo

stitch. on 13th Nov 2002

Thankyou for your review i am on the lookout for a 1.3sr and am reading up on them, i have had a nova before and think they are great, thankyou for your reviews, stitch
300 BHP GT Turbo. on 20th Nov 2002

My GT will do both the Nova & the pulsar - no probs. 230 BHP nova is all well & good in a straight line but hit that first corner at speed & watch the front end tear it's self apart or watch out for that tree.
DeXx. on 21st Nov 2002

Shows you don't know what your talking about GT boy. The front end won't rip itself apart cause its fully seam welded and strengthened. The only ones that might do are the ones done by dodgy kevs motorcompany. The handling isn't affected as far as I can tell by the weight of the engine. I have had a 1.2, 1.6 and now the 2 litre engined nova and they all handled well. If you are not running a slip diff in your car, you will waste a lot of power to wheelspin. I have had mine wheelspinning at about 70mph before and faster, cause I haven't got a slip diff. Went in a 260BHP nova with 6sp box and slip diff, and the amount of grip for a FWD car was amazing! Why do you bother running a poxy 1.4 with that much power? It wont last long, you hate to admit it but you know it's true. The best thing i've ever seen been done to a GT Turbo is a 1731cc engine conversion. Bigger and more reliable. The 1.4 (PUSHROD!!) GT engine hits power ceiling at about 350BHP whereas the Calibra Turbo (COSWORTH DESIGNED!!) can be tuned up to around 550BHP. PS. I have plans to 4x4 my car with 300BHP and 50BHP NOS. Stripped out with lightweight carbon fibre panels and full rollcage. Beat that :P
Glen Barnett. on 13th Dec 2002

I've just bought my very first Nova! It's a bog stock GTE 1.6i. I've had some wickedly quick cars in my time (Supercharged, V8 engined MkII escort, Capri RS 3.1, 230bhp cosworth tuned Mk I RS Turbo, Full race 1310 Mini Cooper S etc) and I can honestly say, this thing is awsome! I dread to think what over 200Bhp would be like. what sort of bucks did you spend to get it to that spec?
DeXx. on 15th Dec 2002

Glad to hear you're enjoying your GTE :D I used to have a GTE before I had this 2L 16v turbo'd one. Wasn't the fastest car in the world but a hell of a laugh to drive it. I bought the car ready done by someone else for £4K. Since I have changed the suspension, added a dump valve and changed all service parts. Unfortunately I had a close call in the car, when someone pulled out as I was overtaking them at 120mph+!!! Slammed the brakes on but had to jump road to avoid smacking into their rear end. Ended up in a ditch with a smashed sump, bent downpipe and busted ECU. I replaced the ECU with a MBE programmable one, got new sump but the downpipes were still wrecked :( Gonna be getting new exhaust and downpipe, forged pistons, quaife diff and uprate the brakes and then I should be touching 250bhp. The car is only running 10psi at the moment which is about 210-220BHP as its standard boost with modest engine changes. Am aiming at a 280-300BHP figure tho :D Will need to get an F28 box for that tho as the F20 I have will not survive!
monty1. on 19th Dec 2002

hello, JeXx I would be intrested to know how old you are and how much you are paying with what company for these kinds of mod's because it the insurance thats puts me off modding my car with an engine transplant. cheers
DeXx. on 21st Dec 2002

Well im 22 years old and have been driving for 2 years and 8 months. I have 2 years no claims and insurance is still horrendous!!! I pay £964 TPFT on my car. The only reason I dont pay Fully Comp is that it costs £1700!!! Insurance is done through Adrian Flux insurance, who are probably the best for modified cars. A 2l 16v non turbo conversion is much more insurance friendly, thats why there aren't that many turbo novas and more valvers. Insurance on my car is about the same as it would cost me to insure a Nissan Pulsar or any other group 19 car. So scope out how much it would cost you to insure yourself on a group 17-20 car, and that will give you a rough idea of what the insurance will be like to drive a car like mine.
LocK_sTocK. on 19th Feb 2003

Fair play to the nova turbo mate, I've got a 1ltr panda that will even speed through those bends and the fiat 995cc will charge into any hairpin! I want to fit it with 100bhp noz to give it that extra little bit, It's slamed on 23inch rims and cromed 1.1ltr head. keep up the good work and keep the sit posted on the 2ltr turbo mate.
Dorzy. on 21st Feb 2003

Just picked up my 2.0 turbo nova, didn't realise how fast it would be compared to all my mate pulsar's & scooby's! As you said, if the jobs been done properly, and fully seam welded, it still handles beautifully. What a car!
raj. on 22nd Feb 2003

Just wanted to ask the novaboy what exactly have you done to your nova to get that type of power? I'm askin as i am plannin to turbocharge my 2l nova. I am currently driving a 300zx twin turbo (even though its runnin 165bhp) i want atleast 300bhp
raj. on 22nd Feb 2003

You got a good deal mate. I'm planning to build my car myself, i'm gonna use forged pistons, conrods, steel crank, decent pistons. It should see a 7:1 compression ratio. Then i'm going to add a turbo and run it at about 30psi. This should show me figures easily over 300bhp maybe even towards the 400bhp mark. To give the car traction my cavalier 4x4 (rust bucket) is gonna give up its life as a donar car for the nova. The thought of a 2.2 turbo 4x4 nova really puts a smile on my face. Hopefully it wil be near complete next summer.
DeXx. on 24th Feb 2003

Hiya Raj, my car is running standard boost at the moment, because i haven't been able to afford the parts to up the boost :( 7:1 Compression seems pretty low seeing as the standard C20XE is running 10:1! If you have a normal C20XE lump in the car, it would be better to get hold of a decent 2nd hand C20LET lump, as will save you the cost of turbo converting it. This will slot straight in as replacement to old engine, but radiator may have to be moved to accommodate turbo and intercooler. Have seen these engines for £2k from www.vpsc.co.uk, but can be got cheaper elsewhere. Cheaper than converting existing engine to turbo, which would cost around £3k. The C20LET parts are much stronger as in standard form can take upto 320BHP, with only needing to change pistons (maybe injectors). There are 2 routes to go with tuning. You could go courtenay who are expensive but reliable. Or you could go with Regal, who sell the EDS chips, which will get you the power but reliabity is not quite as good. You had the same idea as me Raj, bout a 4x4 2.2 nova :D But i was quoted about £8k to have it done by regal :( Tell me how it goes with the conversion.
Chickenbone. on 27th Feb 2003

Dexx. If you add half as many mods on a GT5 as u've done on you're Nova, then you'd have an F1 car banned from the streets. Your car is the equivalent of a bodybuilder packed full of steroids. The nova is OK, but the Renault 5 GT is legendary...Vauxhall VS Renault?? Vive la Francais baby. And the calibra engine was not designed by cosworth, only a couple of parts (KBA heads) were planted in there. But well done though, best Nova i've ever read about.
DeXx. on 1st Mar 2003

Let me guess, R5 GTT owner? The R5 GTT is legendary for being fast, but also for overheating, breaking turbos etc etc... A couple of my mates have had them and wont have 1 again. 1 mate went through 2 engines, 4 turbos and a melted piston. Another has eaten 3 turbos. If i had to have a R5 GTT, it would have a 1721cc engine in it. Bigger and more reliable, seen it done before and produces bigger power without blowing up.
Mic Nova. on 12th Mar 2003

I m in england since 2001 and now (2003) I bought a nova, and for me this is a nice car!

My car is 1 litre, white, and I m a little bit sad because I start to change things now , and I don't know if the results will be exactlly I expect.

My car is white and I m just start to change things, like paint under the line in the door side, I ll paint in black color. I ll make this car a very good car, and I had a nice experience in Brazil with my Ford Verona and now I ll do my best. My Ford Verona was a perfect car, with agood sound, flogs lights , nice wheels and a very good engine 2.0 litres with speed of 198km p/h .

In 5 months time I ll send for all the pictcure of my nova, and everybody will see the diference...

if you knew places to buy accessories to the nova models, please send me a e mail to michelengas@hotmail.com, Thanks .
Larry. on 17th Mar 2003

Ive just bought a 1.4sr. Owner before me was a mechanic who maintained it for the previous owner. Anyway the car has a weber twin carb fitted and a sports ignition set. Loads of other little mods. The 1.4sr i currently own has immaculate body work. It's lowered and in excellent condition. I paid 700 notes for it. My mate a mechanic thinks i should sell it for double that. Two of my mates own VTR's and they cant do anything without seing me up their rear in the rear view mirror. I'm really considering getting a 2.0l turbo conversion. Don't mind the insurance its only money. Will it cost me considerably more because im converting an SR as opposed to a SRI or GTE. Or would the conversion to a 1.6 corsa GSI engine be more favourable. Bearing in mind i am throttle heavy. Cheers for your opinion.
DeXx. on 17th Mar 2003

Best cars for the 2l 16v conversion are Nova GTE/GSI and the corsa GSI. Thats because they have the right size radiator and are already wired for Injection. Also the Nova GTE/GSI and TD have thicker gauge engine bay metal. This makes it stronger and more able to take the engine weight. But it can be done with any other model, just have to do more work.
Jim. on 6th May 2003

I've recently aquired a 16v lump out of a astra GTE. It turns out that not only did Cosworth design the KBA heads but in fact made some for the early 2.0L's. The difference is they have a non-porous head and produce somewhere in the region of 10bhp more than other standard heads. The only identifying marks are that they have no core plug under the distributer and the word COSCAST is printed under the 2nd and 3rd exhaust port. I am curious if anyone knows whether there are any extra modifications made to the engine (ie forged steel crank etc)as I intend on rebuilding it before fitting it into my Nova.Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Email me at novajc@hotmail.com
MGTurbo. on 6th May 2003

Hmm, all this talk of cheap fast cars, well ive owned both a pug 19gti, and a nova gte, never bothered with droping a 16v norm asp or turbo in the nova, whats the point of going to all the hassle.

Slag me if you want but i settled for a MGMaestro 2lt 8v Turbo, lowered the compression to 7.1, fitted large exhaust, filter, alloy intercooler, and put the boost up to 1 bar, est 210 bhp, all i need next is a hybrid turbo turbo then the boost can go up to 20 psi. 0 to 60 in low 5's high 4's, and sould see 155 mph with no probs. and i can hontestly say this car out handles and perfomres better than any golf, pug, or nova i have driven.
440BHP Escort Cossy owner. on 15th May 2003

MG LOL, skips on wheels, 2 tonnes of rust, get a real car mate if ur gonna spend money on hybrid turbos etc..........
John O. on 16th May 2003

Skips in wheels? LOL!! Funny how it's a modified Maestro Turbo that's UK's fastest road-legal front-wheel drive car (0-100 in 8.2 sec).

If you want to buy an unreliable, over-priced piece of junk, that costs a fortune to maintain, most of which are patched together with fibre-glass and filler in an attempt to hide the grot and help the owners justify the rediculous prices they ask for them, by all means buy a Cossie ... and we 'in the know' will stick to OUR cars.
MGTurbo2. on 16th May 2003

I cannot slag off Cossies because i work with them and know there is nothing wrong with them, but no doubt you have no expereince with Maestro Turbo's so what makes you qualified to call them a 2 tonne skip on wheels? Fastest FWD car in the country is? Oh, its a Maestro....
dandare. on 17th May 2003

400bhp Escort Cossie - wi wot u spent mate on that daft high winged dagenham dustbin u cd prob have bought a Ferrari!!!!!!!!!!!!
As 4 Novas ........ITS A VAUXHALL for evins sake, chrise a Maestro Turbo wd blow it to pieces. Getalong 2 Santa Pod an cee wot i meen. u lot ave to spend all ur ruddy wages on ur cars yet a Maestro or Monty Turbo just needs lowering and set of allys straight off a MGF, and 3inch exhaust system (only part we really have to pay for) and we are strait up yr exhaust pipe. then wen we get fed up we sell for more than we spent while u lot are still paying for urs for yrs to come HO HO HO
turbomax. on 17th May 2003

oi cossie boy unless you have had one dont comment. just like the people that slag off the nova with the 2ltr turbo lump in it it turns it in to an animal of a car. i would like to own a cossie untill i see my mates and how rubbish they because there all ways going wrong and blowing diffs,clutchs,heads, as soon as they run decent power plus all that insurance for wot?
MGTurbo500. on 18th May 2003

What a wally Cosworth boy is. If he knew anything about anything at all, he would realise that the MG Maestro is fast because it is light so not two tonnes of anything! - and why do all the 5 or 6 year old Escorts and Fiestas I see have rust coming out of places you wouldn't even imagine?
MGTurbo. on 20th May 2003

Yeh u are totally right, well he`s a common from essex with a cossie. (how original)

He obviously dosnt Know anything about the Montys and Mastroes as u say, (too many people like this around)
Rob Russell. on 23rd May 2003

Look boys all this talk about the clasics you forgot to mention the Dubs!
ive got a mk1 golf GTi conv and im in the middle of an engine convirsion to 2ltr 16v..
now this is goner be a fun car and will give all your 205's saxo's and fords a whipping but as for the novers, my mate has a 1.6 on twin carbs and it go's like the wind and sounds amaising!!
so on the whole if your after one of the most respected and fun cars on the road you cant go wrong with a golf or if you dont fancy that a nova is a good 2nd best.
cheers lads and remember..
If they aint rubbin you aint dubbin ;)
BulletMagnet. on 4th Jun 2003

The C20LET rocks as a donor for a transplant. I had one planted (with F28) into my Astra 16v and the extra 60 hp adds massively to the grin-factor. Running standard boost, i;ve done 14.6 at SantaPod....more boost on the way......Keep up the good work boys
chrissy. on 11th Jun 2003

Fair play to the boys with the 2ltr turbo novas, im now planning to invest aswell after reading these reviews. In respect to the guy with the R5 turbo........ if even you have a thought of buying one, please, please please erase this thought out of your head( unless you have a fat wallet for all the repair bills). The reason i say this is cos i once owned one, and to cut a long story short.......... it was rubbish!. So to everyone who is modding novas, ill give you a big thumbs up........ and im pretty much sure i will be another nova modder soon.......gud luck 2ltr turbo guy!!
tom. on 23rd Jun 2003

hi... ive just motd my 8v astra gte... i also have a spare gte lump n box... i was wondering if any of u have info on converting to twin weber 40s(i have a pair of these). also the spare engine is to go into my(cough) nova (cough ) SALOON!! i het novas. they r rubbish. but im going to make this beast and itll b different... i have 17inch novaboy venoms for it too!can the webers b run using existing 1.2 nova sallon electrics? what engine can i gat a dizzy and fuel pump from?if this works well itll fund my next project... twin engine 4by4 4ltre gte quad twin 45 NOVA!lol. by the way im getting the MELVIN DICKSON van this week to put back on the road... it was the first calibra turbo 4by4 with 6speed box to b put in an astra max van!!250bhp rolling roaded and never featured!im helping him build a 3series bmw running 3litre twin turbo supra 4by4 gear! he can do it cos he has money. im doing the nova cos i dont!!! email with any questions/info. thanx tom.walters2@ntlworld.com
Nova Nick. on 24th Jun 2003

i have had four nova in my driving experience. and have only been driving just over a year. io started off with a 1.2 merit that was so rusty i gave it away, then a k reg merit 1.2 which was perfect cond. after ploughing it inbto the back of an fiesta XRpoo i got a 1.4l (because it was lower insurance than an SR) It was crazy power. I did nothing to the engine but it used to lick up GTE's and RS Turbos no problems. I had 124mph in 4th gear and there was still more in it. after many problems it caught fire and retired form service. i thought i would try my lcuk with something else so i got a golf 1.3 (slowest thing i have ever seen) sold it and got a mini 1 litre quicker than the golf! Then went back to nova's with a 1.4SR (no comparison to my 1.4l tho). but with the problems i had with them all i just thought screw it so i went out and brought a nearly new peugeot 106. i miss my nova's and am debating whether to get a 106 gti or a 2ltr 16v nova instead! suggestions?? PS i am off the road now anyway because i got 6 points in my first two years of driving. but will be back soon...cant wait!
gready. on 24th Jun 2003

Seems a bit daft investing shed loads of money in a nova, how much does it cost to put in a 2lt turbo engine? why not buy a fast car from the start? a nova was never designed to have all that power and this must effect the safty of the car. I bought a Nissan 300zx twin turbo for a little over £4000, it has around 300bhp as standard, with it chipped and a few other mods it now pushes out over 400bhp and the car is relativly safe. I would like to wager it will beat most cars on the road and any nova, it is a 10 second car after all.
tom. on 24th Jun 2003

hi agn... spending money on a nova IS daft! very true! but... cost of nova 30quid. gte engine an box was 60 including loom but i used it to repair my astra gte so its collecting dust. twin 45s 60 quid too. venoms 80 quid plus 15 for a refurb and 15 for three part worn tyres.im a welder so will b able to pay myself nothing to do the mods needed to take the powerr. all in all itll cost 260 for a nova pushing 130ish bhp on 17inch venoms that any nova boy would pay silly mony for cos they are stupid idiots!!! like i said im helping melvin dickson do his 3litre tt supra lump into a bmw. now thisll b a car worth doing and itll cost but he wants it and isnt a cashless brainlees novaboy!!!
gready. on 25th Jun 2003

Nova Nick, I'd get a 300zx, i reakon they must be one of the fastest standard cars under £5k.
4x4 Supra based BMW, sounds cool. I would kill for a supra, 300zx has to do, still outs a smile on my face.
zafira za faster. on 27th Jun 2003

Ok so it's not exactly relevant to the reviews so far- but i just wanted to mention my own car.
7 seats 0-60 in 5.5 secs and 160 mph flat out. Not bad for a minibus. Mods total a measly £1,400 giving overall output at 280bhp. Now i know everybody's gonna tripe me for having one but this is one seriously quick motor. Only problem is people keep on pulling out coz they don't expect you to be doing 140+ in a zafira!!!.
jamie cass. on 30th Jun 2003

just got a hold of a c20let 4 my corsa b but it has no ecu?!!!!.can any one help me out????.
jcasserly@hotmail.com
mickey the piky. on 1st Jul 2003

zafira 280hp ok but 0.60 5.5 from spending 1,400
yeah!!. The standard zafira turbo is the same speed as a standard gte16v and u reckon you've knocked 2.1 secs of the 0.60 yeah right try 330hp that might just do it
mickey the piky. on 1st Jul 2003

gready, 400hp does not make a 10sec car.
You need 700 or 800hp, 400hp should just get u high 13's as yours is so heavy.

This is going out to MG TURBO & MGTURBO500 Look mates you can't polish a turd. Meestro's are rubbish they rust. Just look at that grandad shape its so ugly.

It may be quick but its still a rubbish engine rubbish body, ugly interior, yuk its a rover how many meestros do u see about, oh i forgot they've all rotted away in some field or there at the scrappie.
A couple of years ago there were loads of em at the scrappie they must've rotted away! oops my mistake scrappies are to ashamed to take em! oh well. No spare parts for u then, better get the macharno out to fix it then.
zafira za faster. on 1st Jul 2003

The conversion included mods to the traction control which severely limits your off the line take off in standard form. Sampling time has been increased and brake activation and throttle control more accurately mapped with less aggressive changes when detecting wheel slip etc... Standing start time monitored by dash mounted giro device so it's not 100% accurate but not far off!!. One further point to mention for anyone out there with one of these you can get to 208 bhp from standard once your car has registered 1,000 miles or more with a simple tweak of the waste gate. Vauxhall restrict the allowed boost pressure in the ECU until the odo has more than 1k miles.
mickey the piky. on 1st Jul 2003

what colour is yours, if its that light mettalic blue thats nice, get some white wheels on it that would look sweet.

(wheres the MEESTRO kru then) oh yeah there just sticking black tape over those rusty arches, no one'll notice pucker job that!!!!
(MGTURBO, check list to self)
1.buy more mechano
2.build another shell with mechano
3.job well done!!!
still can't polish a turd
MG Driver. on 1st Jul 2003

FAO mickey the piky:

Your comments re MG Maestros are just like water off a ducks back to those of us who own them and who have actually driven them. Though you wouldn't dream of doing that because your kind are only interested in driving and owning a car which you perceive to have that all-important peer-group approval. I'm sure being made to drive a car which doesn't have what you call 'street cred' would give you impotence. Your loss, our gain, sucker.

Your comments will bring a smirk to the faces of like-minded (small minded) boys who, like you, obviously know no more about cars than what they are brainwashed to think through reading crap porno magazines, vaguely disguised as 'performance car mags'. But to those of us who have actually driven the cars you ignorantly sneer at you simply look a complete fool. Is the fact that YOU think they are ugly of any importance when discussing the merits or demerits of these cars? Shows you know so little about them. Crap engines? My, you have a lot to learn!

The 'modded' brigade make me laugh the most! Huge wings on the back slow cars like 1.4 Novas and 'snow plough' splitters and bumpers on the front that make the car as aerodynamic as a housebrick. Prats.

I came across a chap like you a few months ago. He was driving a 2001 Golf VR6. (Aren't modern Golfs a disgrace to their name? All fat, podgy and middle-aged. Bring back the slim, trim Mk1 & 2; true classics. Anyhow, I digress.) He was trying to overtake me on the inside as we decended the two-lane sliproad onto the motorway. Twit. He couldn't keep up with me in my old 'grandad' Maestro Turbo. I slipped down into third and literally blew him away. I'm sure had I been a passenger in his car I would have been able to see his manhood visibly shrink.

Looser.
mickey the piky. on 3rd Jul 2003

big words for someone who reads the "lover's guide to meestro's".I drive a nova gte and it has good basis to be quite fast, and i don't have any big spoilers or stupid graphics. I just like it simple. I drive what i can afford and i can afford to buy a meestro turbo if u can find a clean one "yeah right". like i said before i would not drive a meestro i don't care if its quick i won't drive it.
I used to know someone who had one it handle badly looked terrible was beastly. Meestros have horrible engines don't deny it.
MG Driver. on 5th Jul 2003

FAO Mickey the piky. Why does it not surprise me that you drive a Nova? Perfectly good cars spoiled by the fact that too many are bought by brainless morons such as your good self. The more you type on this review the more you make yourself look stupid. I quote from your post:

>would not drive a shed meestro i don't care if its quick i won't drive it.<

No, of course you wouldn't. I said as much in my last post. You'd be concerned that your street-cred would suffer too much and your manhood would shrivel, because to people like you a car is as more of an extension to your sexual organ than as a way to get from A to B.

I'm guessing you're still young and largely concerned with "fitting in" with your peer-group. I was like that once, and MG Maestros just don't have that image: I cannot deny that basic fact. But since I turned 30, I've learned that I actually possess the ability to think, and I chose my MG Maestro Turbo. It is very fast, usefully has five doors and is totally rust-free. Unlike the similar-aged Astra GTE across the road from me. It must go like a rocket: the spotty baseball-capped youth who owns it has totally rebuilt most of its rusted-out shell with fibre-glass and filler, so it's bound to be very light!

>I used to know someone who had one it handle rubbish ...<

Mine handles just as well as any other medium-sized hatchback that has an engine at the front and a lot of power delivered only to the front wheels, which includes quite a few well-regarded sports saloons. The one you tried must have been thrashed. Actually, I don't believe you've ever been behind the wheel of a Maestro Turbo at all. Or, for that matter, that you've ever known somebody who owned one. Tickford only made 500 of them (like Tickford Racing Pumas) so they were never plentiful when new, let alone 14 years later.

>...looked rubbish was rubbish...<

Your opinion. Give me facts. Oops! Sorry, I keep forgetting: you don’t know any facts. Your ‘facts’ are founded on urban myth, conjecture and your own opinions.

>...Meestros have rubbish engines don't denie it...<

Explain what's rubbish about a engine first seen in 1984 that was only a 4-cylinder 8-valve 1994cc SOHC unit, but which can do about 150,000 miles between major rebuilds, develops 152BHP at 5,500rpm and delivers 169lbs of torque at 3,500rpm 'out of the box'? Sounds pretty impressive for a 19-year-old design to me! Neither Ford nor Vauxhall had anything quite like it in rival cars. Which is why it blows away similar-aged 'out of the box' Escort RS Turbos and Astra GTEs (but probably not the GTE across the road, seeing that it's made largely from filler - see my previous comments). Even the normally-aspirated injected Maestro EFi blew away the likes of Golfs and XR3is. As for reliability, I’ve owned Maestros for the last 19 years, easily covered 100,000 miles and have spent more money on unused AA membership fees than I’ve spent on fixing the cars. Even Maestros’ most ardent detractors have to admit that the ‘O’-series engines are about as bullet-proof as you can get. Again, your comments betray your complete ignorance of the subject.

>I've been to MOTOBUILD looked at what they can do i am not impressed at all there all cowboys<

Many MG Maestro enthusiasts will agree with you there. How about that? We agree on something! But quite why you've been to Motobuild (a Rover performance specialist, for those reading this who don't know) when you own a Nova, is somewhat beyond my understanding...

By the way, learn to spell: it helps to make you look intelligent. And you need all the assistance you can get, because you're clearly arguing out of your depth and, in the process, making yourself look an idiot. I don't expect everyone to like Maestro Turbos: we all like our own cars and think they're the best; individuality is what makes the world go round. But you so obviously know nothing about the cars you're slagging off, you make such an easy target!!

I actually quite like Novas: it's just that some of their owners put themselves across as being brainwashed, myopic, mindless morons. Can't think what makes me think that.
DeXx on 4th Aug 2003

Yikes, my review has turnt into a slagging match for MG Turbo owners. Don't diss these cars, they go well (0-60 in 6.9 from factory i think?).
Who the hell has an MG Maestro turbo that can run 8.2 to 100mph :O Is it twin engined/rally gearbox or what????
The guy who thinks his 300ZX will do a SQM in 10 secs with 400bhp is dreaming (simon norris' EVO 7 715bhp will only do mid 10s). Mind you his gearing has been raised for higher top end, so he could probably get it lower.
Cossies are cool cars, mate has a Sapphire cosworth and it shifts well (yes it did melt, but he was doing 150mph and rising at the time).
I do think most fords should be melted down and the metal be reused to make a decent car, but cossies and RSTs are ok.
As for golfs, Mk2s are horid, Mk1s and Mk3s are much better (I owned a Mk2 golf and got rid of it A.S.A.P).
R5GTTs as ive said b4 are a waste of time, which chrissy has kindly confirmed for me. 5 minute racers is all they are.
The only downside of the 2L turbo nova conversion is the initial cost of the engine transplant (Unless your a competant mechanic then its much cheaper). Or you can do what i did and wait for some other poor sucker to pay for the conversion and buy the car off him when he sells it :D
Bertybassett2000 on 4th Aug 2003

Howdy Folks,

Its true, MG Maestros arn't the best looking cars out of the box, but there bloody good cheap fun.

But even you Nova boyz might admit that this is a mean maestro with a little tinkering here and there and he could have gone a lot further.

http://www.mgcars.org.uk/mgm/mgsd03/MGSD033310.jpg
TypeR03680. on 7th Aug 2003

MG's engine is rubbish- 150-160 Bhp stock from a 2000cc turbocharged engine, I know of a number of smaller normally aspirated engines that produce more power than that.

The cars being talked out in this thread were okay 15 years ago, these days they just don't cut it. Modern sports cars are better handling, more efficient, more reliable, need I go on.

The Guy who thinks he can run 10's with 400Bhp is either dreaming or on drugs, have you got any idea what it takes to make a 10 sec. car?

The 2L 16V convesrion in the Nova DOES affect the handling. I don't care what you say about having driven other Novas and it handles ok in comparison, have you even driven a car with REAL handling ability? The physics involved when change direction whilst going from corner to corner will have been altered, the front now has more mass, this means more inertia. (In simple terms). I've got a n/a 1800cc engine in my car and I would put money on you not being able to keep up cross country, and more than likely not in a straight line either.

In my opinion the cars being talked about make okay budget hacks to drive over the winter but as a drivers car they just don't cut it.

Note about Cosworth- Those of you who think you have something special because some of your engine components are made by Cosworth please think again. COSCAST means Cosworth Castings based in Worcester not Cosworth Racing based in Northhampton. The COSCAST parts are just standard parts made to a standard design, they are not special and are not performance parts.
DeXx on 7th Aug 2003

Let me guess, you drive a Civic VTI?
I agree with you that when you change direction in my car, it is a lil more sluggish than a GTE when u change direction. The front end does bounce a little bit more aswell, due to the 40-50kgs extra weight. But it can still go round corners at a good rate of speed :D
Ive been in a Civic Type R before, and they handle well, but arent the best thing since sliced bread.
At high speed cornering, i notice they do the same thing my old standard nova used to do. Back end swims back and forth on its suspension, most unnerving sensation :S
I've still blasted a Type R b4 at night time. All I could see was some fools headlights too close to my rear bumper >:( Was bumper hogging waiting to overtake. I thought by the shape of the lights it was a F*rd Focus. So when i turnt onto the next road, I floored it and left it for dust, and he was trying too. I could see the thing swinging round the corners in my rear view mirror. Eventually dropped back cuz he couldnt catch me. Its only when i got to the next junction and i was waiting to turn left, the car came up beside me. I was shocked when it was a brand spanking new Type R in black!!! He looked angry, and I was looking smug :D
There are things u can do to solve the handling problems with 2L novas. The engine doesnt weigh a vast amount more than a 1.6 GTE lump (I had one of those too), so the handling isnt too different.
MG Driver on 8th Aug 2003

Hi DeXx

>Don't diss these cars [MG Maestro Turbos], they go well (0-60 in 6.9 from factory i think?).

Thanks for the comments. Close guess ... 6.7 at standard boost (10 psi). Also thanks for proving to me that not all Nova drivers have no brain, unlike mickey the piky whom it seems I successfully out-argued (not a hard job, really!), seeing that he's not been seen again in this review.

>Who the heck has an MG Maestro turbo that can run 8.2 to 100mph :O
>Is it twin engined/rally gearbox or what????

LOL! No, it's powered by a highly-modified Rover T16 twin-cam turbo, probably originally from a Rover 220 Tomcat Coupe, delivering 418bhp @ 23 psi boost. The car's insides have been stripped and rebuilt for drag-racing, but the fun thing is it's still road legal :-) It belongs to a guy called Andy Nicholls, who runs a company called (not surprisingly) AN Racing, www.an-racing.co.uk

You and I may choose different cars, but we can sure agree on one thing: there's nothing quite like leaving someone for dead (in your case, a Type R driver) who thinks he can paste your backside. You don't get that fun from owning dedicated two-door sports-cars, as everyone expects to get pasted by one of those. But when you blow them away in a Nova (or in my case, a Maestro Turbo) you cannot put a price on the look on their faces :-)

Best wishes, "MG Driver"
gread on 13th Aug 2003

Think it was the drugs. It was supposed to mean it is possible to make it a 10 second, unlike a nova unless it has a helicopter engine strapped on its bum. there are many 10 second cars that have little more than 400bhp.
Snypa on 16th Aug 2003

amazing how many typial 'barryboys' in here going on about straight-line speed. what happened to handling and cornering?
a couple of people in here know what they are talking about, the others are just concerned with their image in typical fashion, who believe that having that extra speed means they have a better car and can actually drive. But the truth is you are not going to get anymore respect for a nova over a maestro for example, the money you spend on doing these conversions can be put towards a car with refinements inside and out which are missing from a standard model, making an overal better buy and driving experience. There are a few that seem to diss performance cars like cosworths and the like, have you ever driven one? i didnt think so, once you have you will know why they are legendary, so no need to come out with rather childish comments.
The sad fact is the scene is now ruined by the 'rudeboy burberry baseball capped wearing barrys' who try to gain an inch of respect from tired old rinsed motors with an f1 style spoiler on the boot, when it used to be about nothing but power and handling.
DeXx on 18th Aug 2003

Good thing im not a typical "barryboy". My name is Barry tho, seriously!
Im more into handling, go, and stopping than big bodykits. I used to be into that but grew up a bit. Of course the car is gonna get resprayed and some modest mods. Front GTE bumper being cut to take bigger intercooler, flushed tailgate, badboy extension(maybe), smoothed bumpers and functional scoop on bonnet to keep engine cool.
I've already uprated the suspension but want to go to coilovers. I have polyflex bushes all round and a front strut brace. I haven't got a back one yet but it is planned. Biggest Wheels im gonna have is 16", and thats just so the brakes i want will fit inside the rim :) Front willwood 4 pot calipers and rear astra 16v jobbies.
I dont dis cosworths cuz my mate has a saphy cosworth. Goes plenty fast, so does my mates R33 skyline GTS-T. After ive finished with the nova, i will be getting a different car. But im not bored of it yet, so im gonna keep going :P
The scene should be about the whole package, looks, handling and power. Don't forget stopping too, if you cant stop when youre horseing you car then its bloody dangerous!
tecw on 19th Aug 2003

by the way i have my old mi16 engine which is doing about 190bhp in a citroen zx. So far i've wiped the smile on many peoples faces including 2 novaboys in there turbo 2 litre courtney conversions! Sure the novas look good in the rear view but is that all they can do? Get blown away by real cars then the owner looked gobsmacked when you show him the n/a engine that a monkey could fit? Then you feel sorry for him when he tells you "but it said 180bhp on the rolling road" and " i paid them 3K". My car cost about 600 in all and looks better than a nova, goes faster, handles better, and has 4doors and bigger boot space!
DeXx on 19th Aug 2003

I think you leaving behind 2 nova turbos is more down to driving ability than anything else. For a start a nova turbo is lighter and has about 30bhp more. So if you were driving the nova, and they were the ZX, you'd drop em even more in a race :P
And as for a ZX lookin better than a Nova?!? Think thats just down to personal preference, but more would ppl i think would sooner have a Nova.
Mahoney on 17th Sep 2003

Note to MGdriver: you're over 30 years of age, drive a Maestro, yet still feel able to try and be-little a young chap with a Nova? I drive neither but would sooner have a Nova over a Maestro any day of the week. You obviously are unable to get out much (through being either ugly or socially inadequate) because if you did you'd realise just what society thinks of you in a Maestro. The excuse they're a good car doesn't even work as they are rubbish.. my grandparents used to own one so i know they are as reliable and good to drive as they are attractive. I think in your case a life is needed.
MG Driver on 18th Sep 2003

Mahoney,

Your opinions don't hurt me. Yes, I'm over 30, no: I don't belittle (all) Nova owners. If you had the ability to read at all you'd have read in my earlier posts that I said I LIKED Novas; I just said, perhaps in kinder words than those I’m about to use, that some Nova drivers are myopic morons (no doubt you'll need to look up that word in the dictionary).

I'll say to you what I said to the idiot further up the page: I DON'T CARE what you think of my car. Your opinion that “they’re rubbish” is just that: your opinion. Nothing more, nothing less, based on your own preconceived ideas. Having said that, I accept it’s probably also the opinion of other easily-influenced lads who have never owned nor driven a Maestro Turbo, and whose beliefs on what cars are good and bad is dictated solely by the views of journalists who earn more money to write such rubbish than many of their impressionable readers will ever earn.

>You obviously are unable to get out much (through being either ugly or socially inadequate)

Because you are such an idiot your only course of action while arguing against something that is completely out of your depth is to recourse to personal insult. That’s fine: I have a psychology degree, I spent a whole term studying reactions like that which often happen when people like you attempt to argue about something they know nothing about.

>because if you did you'd realise just what society thinks of you in a Maestro

Who’s society? Only a small percentage of ‘society’ are car-enthusiasts; 90% of the population don’t think twice about what cars they own; some people can just about tell you what colour their car is, let alone its make or model. Or is your definition of 'society' limited to your like-minded band of mates who are just as brain-washed as you are? Probably the latter.

>my grandparents used to own one [a Maestro] so i know they are as reliable and good to drive as they are attractive.

Glad you think so too! I’ve always liked the look of them, and I too have found them to be 100% reliable. See, we agree on something.

(note to readers: misinterpretation of Mahoney’s attempted insult intended)
Bertybassett2000 on 19th Sep 2003

Hi folks,

If anyone is interested I have now aquired the Maestro EVO kit has pictured in my earlier post. Also I have the meshed front grill, scooby scoop bonnet and Quadheadlight conversion (not stick ons). I've nearly finished my DTM/M3 mirror base plates and deep front grill. I'm currently talking to a couple of companies about Full exhaust system with twin 3" s/s tailpipes, 4 pot callipers and big discs and rear disc conversions. Once I have finished my EVO6 style bonnet vent i will take a mould. And I have nearly completed my smoothed and meshed version of the efi bumper. Let me know if your interested. robert.purser@btinternet.com
stubbsy on 18th Oct 2003

all I can say is silverstone- trax september 7th 2003 nova 0-60 2.83 seconds. wow.
fastdriver65992003 on 25th Oct 2003

hi dexx

i have just bought a nova 1.4sr, the reason why is because i had a nova 1.6 gsi and it was fun until i crashed it into a bus shelter . anyways im very intrested in the nova turbo, how much do reckon it would cost me to get it done?? the reason why i ask is because you seem more wised up then the ppl who are writing things about their puny r5 turbs and mgs

cheers
nova 1 - mg and r5 -10 ha ha ha
DeXx on 26th Oct 2003

Converting a Nova to a 2L 16V turbo can be expensive, unless your good at DIY :) Decent second hand engine can be bought for around £1200. Don't just snap up the first engine that becomes available, wait till something decent comes round. Or you have the other option of buying a tired old engine and doing a full rebuild (I'm in the process of doing this now because my engines knackered :( ). If your not gonna put any more than 250bhp through it, i'd recommend an F20 Gearbox as they're lighter and easier to put in than the F28 box. Anything more than 250bhp, and the F20 box will probably pop. Another good thing about the F20 is its cheap as chips to buy, normally costing around £50. Next thing you'll need to do is to buy a conversion kit to put the engine in. Best place i've seen to get a kit from is PVD. These kits include driveshafts and hubs, engine and gearbox mounts, induction kit, fitting guide and new anti-roll bar mounts. This all costs £440. If you want to fit the engine with an F28 box, it will cost you £780 for the fitting kit. The driveshafts in this kit are not tappered, so wont snap easily like the tappered ones do.
You'll also need to have a custom exhaust system made up for the car, which I reckon would cost you around £350 for a decent one. You'll need to have your engine bay fully seam welded and strengthened to take the power/weight of the engine. All the info on how to do this should be in the conversion kit. You'll need big brakes too to be able to stop the thing. I'm gonna have a Astra 16v setup all round on mine once its finished and eventually put Wilwood 4-Pots on the front. You'll need to put a bias valve in on the back if you fit a disc beam to stop the back end locking up. A new suspension system will also be needed to take the weight of the engine. Courtenay Sport sell a nice Bilstein Setup for £435, or i think AVO do a special set of coilovers for £550. So if your looking to do it yourself, I would say it would cost you around £2500-£3000. Courtenay Sport, Regal or Cosvaux would do this sort of conversion for you for about £5000-£6000. Hope i've been of help ;)
Bertybassett2000 on 27th Oct 2003

Bloody hell that seems expensive to fit a 16v engine into a Nova and lots of hassle. I'm in the process of converting my MG Maestro 2.0I to 16v Turbo power. Its going to cost the following:-

1. Engine and gearbox 67,000 includes 4,000 miles old turbo. £300
2. cut out section of front cross member £50
3. Strut brace £100
4. 305mm front discs and 4pot callipers £800
5. turbo drive shafts £40
6. K&N 57I £70

estimated 200bhp sub 6 seconds 0-60 and the ability to stop for about £1400

The block and mounts are excactly the same and the engine has 8 wires to connect up. Hardest bit is finding pipework to fit.
grubby on 29th Oct 2003

HELLO PEP, I OWN A NOVA SRI `92 K PLATE SHES IN MINT CONDITION AND IM LOOKING TO SELL IT BUT DONT NO HOW MUCH THERE SELL FOR WHAT DO U ALL RECON?, ITS GOT 76,000K ON CLOCK, R/C/L, ALARM/IMMOB, NEW CLUTCH, 12MONTHS MOT, 6 MONTHS TAX AL OLD MOT`S DIGITAL DASH PIPER BACKBOX RECENTLY FITTED ONLY MOD. BY THE WAY I HIGHLY RATE NOVA DUE TO THE FACT MY BROTHER DID HAVE A J PLATE NOVA SR 1400CC, AND WE HAD ACCIDENT INIT TRAVELING AT 60MPH HITTING A KERB AND ROLLING THREE TIME, THERE WERE THREE OFF US INIT, THE THE CAR ROOF CAVED IN ALL WINDOWS SMASHED, SUB AND SPARE WHEEL FELL OUT BACK WINDOW COME 2 STOP UPSIDE DOWN AFTER A LAMP POST STOPED US FROM GOING ANY FUTHER AND ALL THREE OFF US GOT OUT UN INJURED. IF YOU WANNA SEE PICKS OF HIS CAR BEFORE AND AFTER THEN E-MAIL grubby_southampton@yahoo.co.uk YOU WOULD HAVE DIED IF YOU DONE THAT IN A BEAK BEAN TIN MAESTRO.
mgturbo on 4th Nov 2003

turbo's rule
mgturbo on 4th Nov 2003

Beak bean tin maestro?.

Funny how a 16v turbo engine can put in a maestro without making the chasi stronger. Yet i hear the you need to strengthen the chasi on a NOVA to fit a 16 valve.

The maestro actually has a very strong build design as it was the first car to be built using C.A.D. and the chasi is good for well over 300bhp as prooved by Andy Nichols who holds the fastest FWD car record in the UK.

I own a 8vTurbo running low c/r and high boost, and have also just got an EFI to run about in the winter, theirs loads a Novas round here and most have more rust than either of my cars plus their also alot slower.
Matty Nova on 7th Jan 2004

Hi I am 18 and considering which Nova to buy. I can either buy 1.2i or 1.4i as its only £30 more insurance for the 1.4i is thier much difference in performance between the two. Is it much heavier on fuel and what are the biggest alloys able to fit without complicated arch work.
DeXx on 7th Jan 2004

get the 1.4i because at 60bhp, its 15bhp more than the 1.2i. Performance should be a bit better acceleration wise and top end should be better too. 1.4i a little bit heavier on fuel, but nothing major seeing as there is only 200cc between the 2. Anything 15" or bigger in wheel size is going to need arch mods. Rear arch lip normally has to be ground off and rolled to fit 15". 16" wheels look quite big on a nova and is the optimum size for handling and looks. Bigger Wheels affect handling.
niacuk on 12th Jan 2004

Fair play to all you old skool car boys. we need to keep the old cars that we drive 'on the street'. Im not a big fan of Novas to be honest but I admire your enthusiasm to keep a legend alive. im a 205 man running a 240bhp gti-6 rally spec car. Its no turbo freak but it'll do the job it has to. well, have fun lads and lasses, keep on enjoying your hobby and maybe i'll see you out there on those race track b-roads.
Matty Nova on 14th Jan 2004

Is there any differences between carbs or injection. I have seen both sorts advertised. What are the advantages/ disadvantages of each?. Also would an exhaust backbox sound the same on either? Are rage universal backboxes easy to fit?
DeXx on 14th Jan 2004

Cosmetically there are no differences between carb and injection. Electronically there will be and fuel tank will also be different with an external fuel pump underneath the rear of the car to the right of the spare wheel well. The carbed engines are more powerful than the injection engines of similar size normally. 1.2 carb is 55bhp and 1.2i is only 45bhp. Best novas to get are the multipoint injection models (1.4SRi and GTE/GSI). Backbox should sound the same cuz the engines are basically the same cept for the fueling system. Although if u get a model with a CAT, will probably be quieter. Abd no Rage backboxes arent easy to fit, at least by your own fair hand. Ive got an SP1 rage box on mine, and it was a pain to fit and still doesnt really sit properly. Would sooner have a full powerflow system :)
niacuk on 14th Jan 2004

The injection, as I imagine u already know is the electronic device that controls the amount and the pattern of which feul is allowed into the engine. from standard the electronic injection systems are mapped by the manufacturer to be as economical as possible. basically they have made a performance/fuel usage compromise. Usually meaning that the engines performance could be better. This can be re-mapped with a chip to bring out the full potential of the engine. Though with a standard remapped system you are only looking at an improvement of maybe 10-15% power. As with carbs, it does away with the electo gizmos and allows the tuner to manually set up the feul supply so that it is at its best setting for performance or economy. If you look at most properly tuned cars you will see that they have carbs of various sorts. they do need regular retuning though due to heat, vibration and general wear and tear. with proper tuning, carbs can see phenominal power gains with the addition of cams and other shiny bits. But power means money and the practicallity of it all depends upon your budget, age and will to pay the insurance man. In my opinion, which is what you asked for, you should weigh up all your options before setting your heart upon a mission to the stars in a Nova. But carbs are nice. next Q? backboxes. The backbox is a varied and rather inexpensive modification to a car. The backbox will not really provide any extra power but as you asked it can/will change the exhaust note of the car. The exhaust note is also determined by the number of silencers in the system, the more you have the less noise will be emited. am I right to assume that the Nova is fitted with 2 silencers including the backbox? As for the comparison between the backboxes, you are best phoning around to speak to the people who fit them. I can recommend sebring as a sporty sounding backbox, anything japanese will invariably be loud. and peco/or magnex produce quite mild sounding backboxes for the low key boy/girl racer. If you wanna do a performance upgrade with your exhaust you are best getting a full system. This should include a manifold as the power gains will come from this. ASACAR at http://www.exhaust.co.uk/ do some brilliant custom systems while magnex do off the shelf full systems at reasonable prices. Hopefully that answers your questions. Give me a bell on niacuk@yahoo.co.uk if you have any other queries
DeXx on 15th Jan 2004

OK that was a slightly longer explanation than mine...... Well written tho :)
niacuk on 16th Jan 2004

thanx DExx. are u male or female by the way?
DeXx on 17th Jan 2004

100% red blooded male :D My cars on www.novaload.net, just look under 2.0L 16v section for DeXx's Valver. Far from finished, did have a turbo engine but oil pump went causing loss of oil pressure and bottom end was starting to knock, so whipped the engine out and sticking a valver in for the mo.
niacuk on 24th Jan 2004

was just checkin. no offence like but you have a rather feminine writing style. look forward to seeing your valver.
DeXx on 26th Jan 2004

Feminine?!?! Cheeky git :P
novaboy on 1st Feb 2004

I need to ask a question, ive got a 1.2 carb 1990 Nova, at the moment. I'm sorting out the outside and inside but im worried about the lack of power I have, its nippy but by no means quick, so what engine can I put in? 2.0. Can I do a injection conversion, also is turbo power available, Supercharged? I know its going to cost but im willing to get a loan for it. can you guys help?
DeXx on 2nd Feb 2004

I wouldnt bother doing an injection conversion on the 1.2, injection 1.2s are 10bhp less for a start and getting the multipoint system to work off a 1.4SRi would mean a pain of a job and a remap. I'd go for any of the decent 16v engines vauxhall have. X14XE and X16XE engines are the best (Corsa SRi and GSi engines) for a balance of handling and power. Whereas the C20XE and C20LET engines (2L 16V and 2L 16V turbo engines) are best for power, even seen a V6 put in a nova!!! I did have a C20LET engine in mine and it went like the clappers. But that eventually died and im sticking in a C20XE (2L 16V) engine for the mo till the turbo engine gets rebuilt. Only problem with fitting the larger 2L blocks is the engine bay has to be stitch welded up to take the power and many other specialist parts used. I've heard the corsa GSi 1.6 engine uses basically the same bottom end as a GTE engine, so possible all mounts, gearbox, driveshafts etc can be used to fit it. Only go for the 2L 16V turbo conversion if your 22+ years old and got a good few years no claims behind you, cuz the insurance is very expensive. Unless your a competant mechanic, your going to have to pay someone to do the conversion. Regal and Courtenay can do this for you but ive heard good things about cossvaux, so give them a bell cuz i think they're quite a bit cheaper than the other 2 and do just as good, if not a better job.
Matty Nova on 4th Feb 2004

Just to let you lads know I bought a 1.2i K reg nova its in good condition. Full MOT and long tax etc. Its lowered and uprated on 15" alloys too. But the the petrol gauage seems to be going down quickly and a couple of people said they can smell petrol does it sound like I've got a leak?
novaboy on 6th Feb 2004

thanx for the info mate, do you know anything about flaming exhausts? will my 1.2 carb nova be ok to support one? Also does anyone know about fitting lambo doors. thanx for your help
novaboy on 7th Feb 2004

has anyone ever fitted lambo doors to a nova
DeXx on 9th Feb 2004

I think someone might have fitted lambo doors to a nova in the past, i know someone fitted suicide doors. As for the flame kit on a 1.2 nova it wont chuck enough fuel out to do it. I know there are some kits that do it with gas, but i'd steer well clear. High fueling NA and Turbo cars can spit flames without the need for a kit (My nova turbo, bros Celica GT4, mates Skyline and other mates Scooby have all spat flames without the need for kits :D ). Saying that my mates Supra wont flame, which he's a bit gutted about, he fitted a kit too.
spardz on 28th Mar 2004

Id just like to add that a 230 bhp Nova wouldnt beat a 320 bhp Pulsar at anything, for one the Pulsar is 4wd, better traction better handling, another its got another 100 bhp, + its probably 10 x more reliable, this is an impartial view as I drive a 600bhp Supra just thought id stick up for the pulsar a bit.
DeXx on 29th Mar 2004

My Nova would still do 0-60 in under 6 secs without an LSD, which would have improve traction. 0-100mph was timed at between 10-11 secs with wheelspin problems as I hadn't had the car for long when I tried it :P
Pulsars suffer with handling problems too, they have an understeer problem (although whiteline do a handling kit thats suposed to improve this). 4WD transmission suffers from large power loses through the drivetrain, FWD being the tranmission that loses the least amount. So the amount of power actually getting to the wheels would be far less on the pulsar.
It may have another 90bhp, but also weighs a darn sight more. Nova turbo weighs in at 880kgs whereas the Pulsar weighs in at about 1250kgs. Nova power to weight ratio = 261.4bhp, Pulsar power to weight ratio = 256bhp.
I didn't have any reliability problems as far as mechanicals went (no broken shafts or transmission problems, unlike the pulsar which transmission is a key factor in problems). The only problem I did have, was I caught the sump on something and smashed a hole in it. All the oil drained out and it ran dry long enough to cause long term damage to the bottom end :( Would've rebuilt the engine if it hadnt have split a bolt hole in the block. Now just about to put the car back on the road with a 2L 16V in it. Not as fast, but cheaper to maintain. 2 people I know have got, or have had pulsars. From their experiences they seem to be as reliable as chocolate fireguards.
And to end this arguement, i'd just like to say your car would wipe the floor with both :P Wanna give me your car? lol.
spardz on 30th Mar 2004

Hehe, I see what you mean, from my experience in the jap motors scene most Pulsars ive come across are unreliable due to very bad maintenence and not enough care when modding, lots have raised boost with no concern for detonation or fueling issues which leads to all sorts of problems, if looked after they should run well however.

Out of interest what 1/4 does your car do? and where was it, (Santa is notoriously slippy for FWD or RWD cars, very biased to the 4wd lot)
DeXx on 5th Apr 2004

I've never quarter miled my car personally, but there is a guy called breeny that did a 1/4 run in a similar spec car. He did it in 13.7 secs with 220bhp, and Isaac Hunts 2L 8V turbo did it in 12.4 with 280bhp.
Matty Nova on 26th Apr 2004

Can anyone help? I've decided to sell my 1.2 and get a SR/SRi what are the performance differences? I thought I might be better getting the SR then I could upgrade to webbers if I wanted more power. Any ideas lads?
DeXx on 26th Apr 2004

Get an SR if you want to go webber 40s, can get about 140bhp I think with that setup. Very revvy ;) Mates 1.3SR with twin 40s race engine makes 120bhp but its only tuned up to 6000revs. Theres more there.
Or can get a turbo conversion on an SRi which would take it up higher than carbs will with a bit of work :)
Saying that, to get 140bhp on carbs, the same sort of work with a turbo would get you more. Pistons, cam, headwork etc....
jsm on 26th Apr 2004

Quite a lot of spouting in this review! It is all too easy to boast on horsepower figures. Doing a fair bit of drag racing myself, just thought I'd add a few comments...
Santa Pod might have a slippery track on some FWD days, but when prepped I have no traction problems at all.
My fastest time 12.82 @ 107 (RWD Rover V8 power + nitrous)
The 200hp engine has run a best of 14.1 without nitrous at York.

Fastest street legal car in UK is 8.1 @ 170 ish

Also interesting that many V8 scene people spend a lot less cash than the FWD crowd.
(I only came here from Google looking for the injector flow rate on the C20XE engine)
Matty Nova on 27th Apr 2004

DeXx what is best in standard form? Because i'm only 18 and won't be able to do any work on it for a while because of insurance. I talked to a lad with a SRi and he has just spent about £1000 getting the injection system fixed is this a common problem? Would a flamer kit work on either of these?
DeXx on 27th Apr 2004

1.4 SR is 72bhp where as the 1.4SRi is 84bhp. I haven't heard of many injection systems going wrong. If anything its normally the airflow meter that goes on them. Similar system to what the GTE engine uses, if not the same.
Best thing to do is shop around to see what there is, don't just pick up the first car thats available. I've made that mistake before and bought a right pig :(
The usual mods such as full system, exhaust manifold, induction kit (make sure you have a decent cold air feed because the airflow meter doesnt like hot air) and chip would get you more on an SRi than similar mods would on an SR engine. So if your gonna modify the engine without going too far once the insurance lets you, go for an SRi.
Flamer kits that rely on extra fuel coming through the exhaust to be lit probably wont work because the engines dont fuel enough to do it. I have heard of ones using gas to ignite, but I dont fancy that myself lol.
Matty Nova on 28th Apr 2004

Theres a lad on novaload with a 1.2 carb with a flamer kit and his seems to work. Are all the features the same between them? E.g central locking, electric windows, buckets etc. Do you know the 0-60 and top end speed of SR/ SRi? Cheers DeXx
nass on 22nd May 2004

I've got a Corsa, maybe not as light as a nova but I'm about to get a mechanic to fit a 2lr 16v lump in, I've just got the conversion kit from pvd for £630, I was wanting a turbo lump but all the ones in Newcastle available at the minute are rubbish as they're mainly rebuilds or on there way out, but my brothers got an Evo 8fq300 running about 390bhp at the min, I've heard the discussions about big power means that it will go quicker, well to be honest that's a load of rubbish! Yea sure power is important but it's what you do with it that counts, my bother beat a Ferrari 360 up until 160 (or so he tells me) and I've been with him at 180mph, the point is it's how the power gets transferred to the ground that counts, (I know this sounds sad) but on Clarkson's latest DVD he's looking at the best cars of 2003 and he races an Evo 8 fq300 (300bhp) against a Scooby and a rs4 (350bhp/450bhp) I think) and the Evo whoops the rs4 and Scooby by quite a bit so in theory apart from the weight factor I'm assuming the power transfer is quite important?
DeXx on 21st Jun 2004

I'm not particularly keen on corsas, but at least it's a vauxhall :) I've got an XE lump in mine at the moment, she still pulls well but no way near as well as the turbo did. From experience I'd buy a turbo lump as cheap as possible and rebuild it totally from scratch. That's what I'm doing with mine at the moment. I agree with you that big power doesn't always mean it will go fast. No point sticking 300bhp in a 2 ton car and expecting it to be lightning quick. Stick that sort of power in a more lightweight car like a Nova or a Renault 5 turbo and your talking serious speed. I was at santa pod on the weekend and wasn't that impressed with the RS4 on the strip. For the power they have they aren't that quick. The scoobys, EVOs and pulsars were all chucking in times regularly faster. Fastest RS4 I saw did a 13.8 1/4 mile. Fastest car of the day which I saw was the GT-ART skyline with a 11.14 1/4 mile. A lot of things vary to make a car fast. Weight, horsepower, torque, transmission type and gear ratios are a few that I can think of just now.
OPELVAUX on 22nd Jun 2004

Hi I'm a vauxhall man all the way but for the cost of the conversion on the nova you can buy a cav or calibra turbo which is designed to hold the engine as standard which is a safer option all round !!
As for cossies I had a early E reg astra valver which only had a superchip fitted and it kicked cossies, gt turbos, mgs etc... not saying any of these cars are rubbish because they're not.
Everybody seems to forget it's not the car it's the driver and the size of your b**ls that count in every case.
Many thanks for keeping the Nova alive they are so much fun no matter what size engine is in them and will always look good because there not Japanese and don't carry a ford badge LOL sorry ford boys and girls but if it aint got rs500 on it buy a vauxhall.
keep up the good work...
:~)
Bobbins on 7th Jul 2004

Lads, why are we biteing each other's head off?

DeXx - well done, you've spent loads of money on a car that you like. Power to your elbow, but other people will have diffrent out looks. Just let them say there bit and move on.

To mikey the pikey & others - what is the problem with the whole MG Maestro thing? Have any of you actually driven one? Got behind the wheel and had a go?? No? so how can you comment?? If you haven't driven one then you have really missed it.
So the guy is 30, so the MG rusts - but so do 99% of cars yours and mine, so if looks like an old mans motor so?? Why the big show??
I had a 2.0 EFI Maestro, yes it rot, yes my bum does look better than it, but if your buying a car on grunt - do you know what 'normal' car holds the fastest 0-60 time at santa pod? (excluding the Supercars) mmmm? Its a MG Maestro Turbo!

You lot really do need to chill, different people have different idea's respect them for that and earn that respect back.
throttlebodied nova on 10th Jul 2004

hey peeps, drive a 2.0L 16V nova and all this arguing about the handling makes me chuckle! My engine bay has been fully seam welded and plated and i have some uprated bushes. I agree and disagree with various comments in the thread. I find that if i go into a sharp corner with no power it handles just as well as a standard nova but if you have try to hit the power too early then you drift out a bit.

MG Maestro's are quick cars but the design is a bit dated and parts aren't particularly readily available! (i think)

The man with the 400bhp 10 second car.......think i can smell some bull poo in the air! At santa pod this year my best time so far is a 14.23 quater, but i aint running a quaife diff yet so im hoping that with that in i might be able to get into the high 13's.
JULIAN123 on 3rd Aug 2004

Hello to all petrol heads out there. I have had n mg montego turbo, nova 2lt turbo also an astra gsi fitted with 2.0 16 turbo. Apart from the montego the conversions were done by myself....both were extremely easy particularly the astra....as a good brake mod oi converted over to 5 stud...used a v6 cavalier rears and clibra turbo fronts......amazing dceleration for little cost. The trick part is the exhaust systems...trial and error an flexipipe did the trick...stops stainless systems cracking.
now the montego was good in its day at acceleration ......but the disturbing torquesteer almost remover several road refuges !.......the nova was fast real fast....but the astra gsi was refined fast and handled it with ease. I fitted a hybrid turbo , large intercooler, bigger injectors, oversized valves ( inlet ), a little porting and and good mapping (a dutch guy whos name is erm incomprehensible )...all this managed 287bhp and the car was a delight.....tractable in town a with no detrent whatsoever.....but open it and it flew....it would particularly on cold mornings shred tyres in 3rd gear.....the nova was fast too....but the gsi was better quicker faster and safe......remember guys the more air/fuel you get in there for a given boost.....better the end result.ie get the bigger flowing turbos and a good manifold design......if you cant find one have one cast .but get the nickelcontent correct.....hope this has been some help..enjoy all what you do, that’s what lifes for.....and please you guys stop quarelling between you.
DeXx on 4th Aug 2004

I agree with you that the nova is sketchy fast with a turbo engine in it, but thats half the fun of driving one :) Wrestling the torque steer is great fun :D
farrant4246 on 29th Dec 2006

Some good info on here Dexx. You seem to know your stuff. I have just bought a Nova 1.2. The engine seized, so I bought a 1.6GTE with the shafts for £80, and all in all, with the new fuel tank and bits, it cost me £500 to fit. Have you got any advice on what to do next with it? It's flying at the moment, but I want some more speed. I'd say it's quicker than the 2l Nova I had before, and my reg 5GTT, but wouldn't touch my old Uno.

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