Hello Novaphiles

Here's one for the number crunchers. A red Nova finished on E-Bay this week for the paltry sum of £800. It required a windscreen, interior sorting out, wiper motor fitting (and sundry wiring, I'm guessing) and was running on a 1300cc lump.

So... what realistically would it cost to get this over Swansea's latest hurdles and looking the bee's knees? Assuming you're a muppet like me when it comes to mechanics and bodywork, have you any ideas? I ask this question not because I bought the car but because I'm increasingly seeing smart, restored sports cars going for a relative song. Things like a Ginneta G15 (great fun - I used to have one) can be had for around £5k, which is cheap in my book.

Back to the Nova: a screen will be £400 or so; interior can be relatively simple; rubbing down and a respray needed; and probably a better engine (does anyone run on a 1300 these days?) will be required. Answers on a postcard, please...[url][/url]

Nothing wrong with a 1300...... perfectly capable of being illegal and won't eat fuel like a 1600!

That depends on your attention to detail. You'll probably find that the project grows arms and legs. A different engine for example could mean a lot more money than sticking to a VW lump (wiring, adaptor plate, water system, different heater, exhaust system etc). The cost of the interior really could be anything. A decent body prep and re-spray will be at least £2,000. But as long as the chassis and running gear is OK and you stick to a beetle engine and don't sway away from the original concept then I reckon £5,000 should do it.

As the others will vouch for I'm a bit of a stickler for quality and attention to detail and my re-build is up to about 8k. I haven't done the interior or painted it yet and it needs a stainless exhaust system and...

Mostly I have been enjoying the project. It feels like I'm a designer and engineer rolled into one and I can't imagine being able to or wanting to do it to any other car. The Nova really lends itself to modifications and improvements to whatever degree of imagination is thrown at it.

Good luck with yours.

Giles

Oh and it would be great if you could show us a load of photos of your Nova. All angles please

Agree with Giles completely, as long as you're doing the work yourself, £5000 should cover the job with no problem, if you start paying someone else to do work you're risking opening a bottomless pit!

Providing that you want a driveable car and not a show'n'shine piece of art I reckon you can get on the road for about £3,000 (assuming you start with a body, chassis, engine and gearbox in need of repair or completion) and a whole lot of man-hours and waiting for parts to appear on eBay. You also need the tools and ability to do all your own work - paying someone else eats into your budget.

However, you have to put up with driving around in a 'work in progress' that some may be embarrassed with but even then it attracts admiration from others. You also need to be 'satisfied' with what you can get rather than have an unrealistic view of perfection.

The members of Club Nova and those on this forum are a significant aid to building your Nova, answers to questions and offers of help will be given if asked for.

Good luck

Mick

I think you need to re-read the original post........he doesn't have one but has been looking.

I would agree that a fair figure would be around £3k if you can do the more mundane works yourself, my one I think will come in at just about £2k but there again I have sourced loads from evilbay including the donor car for £16.50!!!! from which I got the engine (very low mileage pinto) and complete wiring loom, I already had wheels and tyres from various projects in the past, my headlights probably cost the most at about £120. Having said all that I haven't touched it for over probably four years now plus I have changed ideas along the way which doesn't help with progress. (also building other kits and a rod hasn't helped progress either).

If you decide on a Nova then look at what you start with, make a plan and then stick to it. The only thing to make sure of as far as I'm concerned is to ensure that the V5c states it isn't a Beetle anymore.

Good luck.

Oh I had assumed he was the winning bidder.

Agree with the OP.
Since joining this forum I've been really surprised to see how cheaply you can pick up a Nova (well, an unfinished project requiring 1-2 years work more like it).
I paid £800 for an unstarted Elam MK1 kit that had been sitting in someones' garden for 2 years. It also had a 2ft crack in the windscreen.
That was 1982.

Steve

Depends how much work you can do for yourself, I was 16 when I got my eagle SS and have done every job myself.
5 years later it still needs to be finished but I haven't spent a great deal of mula on it, by the time its done it will owe me around £3k.

Hi folks

Just to clarify: the red car is mine but wasn't the one on E-bay. Mine does need a respray and interior doing, though.

It looks like there are plenty of hands-on club members out there, which of course is great when it comes to these cars. However, getting jobs done yourself clearly can take time... and employing others isn't cheap, as has been mentioned. I've been quoted £6k for a prep and respray in Kent, for example: could the great North/South divide be at work here?

Oh, and no disrespect intended to anyone with a 1300cc car: I find the 1600cc in mine isn't exactly quick, so I was merely wondering! I'm told a twin carb set-up will greatly improve matters?

Once I figure out the niceties of uploading pix, I'll put some on-line.

Happy Novaing!

Morning again folks

Update on RHH 42F: I've just uploaded lots of shots of the car to the photobucket, plus two interior pix. This vehicle was repatriated from Holland earlier this year, where some of you may have seen it on a dealer's site. Prior to being exported, it was in Welsh Wales... maybe someone recalls it?

And yes, that is the remains of a Ferrari sticker on the bonnet

Al

Link for your photo bucket site would be good ?

As far as resprays go its the body prep that really costs and from my recent experience I would consider 6K to be good

I wouldn't pay £6k for a respray on a fiberglass car such as these.
For one the money can be spent in better areas such as mechanically, imagine the engine you could build for that.
Two fiberglass has a habit of cracking and crazing, the finish wouldn't last long before you get a huge spider crack in the most obvious of places.
And finally the cars are just not worth it, you will be climbing in and out and marking the paint every time, you would be scared of taking it out to shows etc in case it gets scratched and the resale value will never bring you anywhere near what you spent.

I know alot of people say its a labour of love and we dont spend money on the car for resale value, but times are hard and if you can do a good job yourself then why not, its a kit-car afterall.