It's a great car! The engine is standard out of a Calibra, and there you have a very fast a reliable car. I have fitted a chip, bleed valve and hybrid turbo, and I'm running 310bhp with a 6 speed LSD box. It is hard to get traction, but once it grips it's a flying machine.

I would recommend this experience to anyone. It's a great cheap toy that won't keep eating your wages.

Personally I wouldn't have a 2.0lt turbo in my own Vauxhall Nova that I still own! I would opt for a friendlier 1600 GTE lump with modifications!
I don't know where you guys are getting your info on nova handling but fair enough standard suspension was a bit lame with excessive body roll but have you actually tried a new car the body roll is better but still not superb, handling both the nova and newer cars require suspension upgrades to fit in with the supposed sports car handling! My Vauxhall nova lowered initially 60mm was superb was like a go-kart (bilstien sprintline kit, powerflex poly bushes & also wore yokohama rubber 15" and at this point was a 1.2 and could hold its own on back roads against cars with twice the power!(1.2 = 45hp) Was going to upgrade the engine and box to a 2.0lt 16v lump but when I looked into it I found the weight of the 2.0lt block was excessive for the car for the power output so that killed the thought of even contemplating a 2.0lt turbo lump (although the conversion is relatively cheap compared to other makes of cars conversions) so in the end I opted for a 1600 that could easily have the power output raised to that of the 2.0lt 16v around 150hp also got the 1600 engine blueprinted and now weighs around 800kg with around 180bhp and revs to 10000rpm (with no turbo lag!!)This cost a fraction of the usually new car price (£7000/£8000) my engine built and suspension only cost around a grand including the powerflex poly bushes oh and the yokohama rubber! And the car cost me £1500 4 years ago so work the logic out (I have also replaced all brakes and ball joints through time too and it drives like new).
For anyone buying a nova I would highly recommend one as they are cheap to buy cheap to mod and cheap to run unless you have fitted a 2.0lt 16v turbo and cranked the fuel pressure and the boost up through the roof then it wont be driveable anyway 2.0lt 16v turbos are only good as track day cars as I have had a few friends that have had them in novas and spent a fortune to turn the boost down to gain traction lol!
But a nova is a must for the boy racer!

It is worth modifying a golf mk2 more than a nova, as a graduate Engineer I know that golfs are built stronger and last better, however any car nacks up if u dont look after it. For many people the mk2 has more class and is acceptable for a person who has a second car such as a BMW, or Lotus Elise to own a nice wolfsburg edition golf, they are just as classy, if done tastefully (ie no stickers and blue lights on the bonnet). Check out the ones at Http://awesome-gti.com/ Novas always look rude no matter how they are done up, however golf mk2 has potential to look v classy, i would rather a nice one than many new cars on the road today, and i could afford a subaru if i wanted; but i dont think they have nowhere near the class of my resprayed bbs alloyed 16v-g60 2.0lt wolfsberg! (200bhp) But live and let live i guess with the nova nuts and subaru nutts etc. The fact is someone will always have a faster car (maybe this nova could out do mine?) I dont care really... has it got air con, electric.... mirrors/sunroof/windows, dvd, tv, leather recaros? There are not many tasteful modifed cars out there! People like tac for some reason??? why why why!! Show me a classy nova and i will eat my words. For me German quality is the way to go. Other cars are ok? (it depends on your values and class really). Do you enjoy a sip of fine red wine or 6 skol???

Nova are as good as you make them, and even enjoy.. if you dont like it stay away, reading through you all sound like kids "mines better than yours" etc.. I own a nova with the same engine conversions.. all I can say is it great fun and I'll put off buying that sensible family car for as long as I have it!!
Job done properly it still as reliable as a factory motor. even in without mods the standard engine's power to wieght in a nova produces excellent power to pound spent.. and the conversions quite simple (for though's technically minded-I know I've done it) my conversion cost little over a grand.. including buying a mig welder!! and as for insurance if you don't drive like a twit and havent spoilt your past no claims then you'll be fine.. make sure the alarms top spec ie CAT 1 Thatham.. it helps by a few hundred squid in insurance money.
As for the engine it can be modded quite easily and cheaply... strenghtenings where I'd put my money first.. with high tensile bottom end bolts to keep things in check and reliable. Anyway lads keep up the good motoring.. enjoy what you have and I'll see ya at the 1/4 dragways .. hillclimbs..

The same old story you love them or hate them i never known any one whos said there ok i've had 2 novas a 1.8 and a gsi thats my current car i had the 1.2 cos it was mt first car it was really fast but not as fast as my nova

VAUXHALL ENGINES GO FOREVER. VERY NIPPY CHEAP TO RUN AND THEY LOOK NICE TOO.