RE: Vauxhall Nova SR: Spotted
Discussion
s m said:
SpudLink said:
gl20 said:
All contemporary reviews slated this car at the time. My Mum had the 1.3 GL and as far as I'm aware the SR was mechanically identical ie same engine, same suspension etc. Her car drove ok, nothing special, gearbox terrible. A million miles from the 205GTI I got as my first (used) car a few years later.
I get the nostalgia but am surprised at comments about how great they were.
The 205 GTI 1.6 was not a direct competitor buying new in 1988. It was a fair bit more expensive than the Nova SR. The difference might only be the cost of a paint option on a modern hatchback, but in the years before PCP if the Vauxhall was in your budget then the Pug would have been a stretch. I get the nostalgia but am surprised at comments about how great they were.
A few years later I did have a new 1.9 GTI, which was every bit as good as it’s legend suggests.
Here's the 'slating' Fast Lane mag dished out - seems reasonably positive to me.
Towards the end of its life in the early 90s it certainly wasn't class competitive ........but then the 205 Gti got beaten in group tests in its twilight years in 92/93 too
The SR had shorter gearing than the GL which pepped it up in gear a little but otherwise mechanically the same
A 205 Gti was about 20-25% more than the SR at launch - for a few hundred quid more than the SR you could get a 205 GT though
When I had my 309Gti I had a works Nova van ( only photo I can find below ) and had some reasonably entertaining drives cross the Welsh Marches. Used to go well with nothing in the back. Certainly don't recall it being that awful even compared to the class leading 309 ....but then it was new with tight suspension - I suspect some of the old ones recalled by posters here had been 'well used' over the years!
A modern 75hp VW UP or Skoda Citigo weighs about the same yet they are a full 3 or so seconds slower to 60mph, with fuel economy figures not far off those obtained in this old test.
I know modern metal is far safer, but you have to think wtf are they doing with the gearing in the newer cars to make them so bloody slow without that much of a benefit seen in fuel usage?
daveco said:
s m said:
SpudLink said:
gl20 said:
All contemporary reviews slated this car at the time. My Mum had the 1.3 GL and as far as I'm aware the SR was mechanically identical ie same engine, same suspension etc. Her car drove ok, nothing special, gearbox terrible. A million miles from the 205GTI I got as my first (used) car a few years later.
I get the nostalgia but am surprised at comments about how great they were.
The 205 GTI 1.6 was not a direct competitor buying new in 1988. It was a fair bit more expensive than the Nova SR. The difference might only be the cost of a paint option on a modern hatchback, but in the years before PCP if the Vauxhall was in your budget then the Pug would have been a stretch. I get the nostalgia but am surprised at comments about how great they were.
A few years later I did have a new 1.9 GTI, which was every bit as good as it’s legend suggests.
Here's the 'slating' Fast Lane mag dished out - seems reasonably positive to me.
Towards the end of its life in the early 90s it certainly wasn't class competitive ........but then the 205 Gti got beaten in group tests in its twilight years in 92/93 too
The SR had shorter gearing than the GL which pepped it up in gear a little but otherwise mechanically the same
A 205 Gti was about 20-25% more than the SR at launch - for a few hundred quid more than the SR you could get a 205 GT though
When I had my 309Gti I had a works Nova van ( only photo I can find below ) and had some reasonably entertaining drives cross the Welsh Marches. Used to go well with nothing in the back. Certainly don't recall it being that awful even compared to the class leading 309 ....but then it was new with tight suspension - I suspect some of the old ones recalled by posters here had been 'well used' over the years!
A modern 75hp VW UP or Skoda Citigo weighs about the same yet they are a full 3 or so seconds slower to 60mph, with fuel economy figures not far off those obtained in this old test.
I know modern metal is far safer, but you have to think wtf are they doing with the gearing in the newer cars to make them so bloody slow without that much of a benefit seen in fuel usage?
The comments on here make me smile as well - no doubt the SR wasn't a pinnacle but I do wonder what automotive deities some youngsters were driving in the mid 80s that were massively better at the price.
Of course, if you were driving a 20 year old shagged example in this millennium it's going to feel lacking compared to something two decades younger and fresher
eybic said:
You could also turn the ignition on by removing the hazard warning light switch on MK2's and turning it round 
They were great cars in their day.
I think the MK1 could also be bump started after whipping off the hazard warning light switch and refitting it upside down.They were great cars in their day.
It wasn't like it was difficult to break into either, I could unlock mine with a 12" rule after a few seconds practice. Pathetic really but typical of the era.
I bought my 1.3 SR for a princely £100 off a mate after it had been TWOC'd from outside his house for the second time and rolled into a tree, damaging the front bumper, probably while trying to bump start it (see above).
I 'did it up' (in the best possible taste of course) and treated it to a full respray with many new parts. Years later i managed to sell it for over a grand without too much difficulty.
Happy days. I loved that car.
DrSteveBrule said:
irish boy said:
Always wanted a blue sr but ended up with an Xs 205, which was superb.
The 205 XS was great if your finances/age didn't stretch to the GTI. I've been trying to find a decent one for a while but they've vanished. I'd love another.For me it had just enough performance and handling mixed with a decent ride and sounded good when the 2nd choke opened up when you floored it.
The car and this thread are bringing back the first 3 years of my driving life!!
Started with an AX 10e in a faded red that me and my dad T-Cut back to life, soon after my mate opened the door as we went up a multi storey car park ramp and caved the passenger door in - much laughs - dad “fixed” it with a hammer! Then Some drunk women coming out of a gym drove into the side of me and wrote it off.
And then the Nova with the insurance money. White, 1.2 but the one with the SR seats. De-badged it on my parents drive with a hair dryer to melt the glue - more T-Cut to remove the stained “Nova” text. Fitted a Peco big bore 2 the same day. Oh, the drone from that exhaust but got you noticed outside sixth form!! Brake fade, did someone mention brake fade! Awful. Manual choke, no central locking, huge steering wheel, lift off oversteer round roundabouts at 4am. Was a strong motor though. Sold it to my brother who promptly wrote it off by driving into the fridge in my parents garage!! My mate had a black one with an orange interior that smoked really badly when you started it. Petrol gauge didn’t work cue much running out and laughter!
Then the Saxo VTR. Wrote it off!!
I totally agree you had to be there - it was part of my growing up; learning to drive after your test, getting independence, socialising with mates by just driving around....loved it and have great memories. 16k. No way!
Started with an AX 10e in a faded red that me and my dad T-Cut back to life, soon after my mate opened the door as we went up a multi storey car park ramp and caved the passenger door in - much laughs - dad “fixed” it with a hammer! Then Some drunk women coming out of a gym drove into the side of me and wrote it off.
And then the Nova with the insurance money. White, 1.2 but the one with the SR seats. De-badged it on my parents drive with a hair dryer to melt the glue - more T-Cut to remove the stained “Nova” text. Fitted a Peco big bore 2 the same day. Oh, the drone from that exhaust but got you noticed outside sixth form!! Brake fade, did someone mention brake fade! Awful. Manual choke, no central locking, huge steering wheel, lift off oversteer round roundabouts at 4am. Was a strong motor though. Sold it to my brother who promptly wrote it off by driving into the fridge in my parents garage!! My mate had a black one with an orange interior that smoked really badly when you started it. Petrol gauge didn’t work cue much running out and laughter!
Then the Saxo VTR. Wrote it off!!
I totally agree you had to be there - it was part of my growing up; learning to drive after your test, getting independence, socialising with mates by just driving around....loved it and have great memories. 16k. No way!
I spent many happy years with mine.
My first Nova was a B plate 1.2 Swing, my 2nd one was a Facelifted H Plate 1.4 SR that 1.3 SR owners used to delight in telling me wasnt as fast as their 1.3's were, which I never really understood why it certainly wasnt the case in the traffic light grand prix's I engaged with them in !
the 1.4 got modified over the years, 60mm Jamex lowering springs, Front bumped from a GSi with the lower lip on it, Tarox Groved brake disks and uprated pads which did help with reducing the brake fade but never cured it. Peco Big Bore 2 exhaust that used to pop pleasingly on the over run. A pair of 6 x 9's in the rear parcel shelf and a sub in the boot that filled all the available space up.
I remember a history of worn wheel bearings, head gasket replacements and the 1.4 before I sold it developed a thirsty appetite for oil, only exceeded for its ability to rust in the usual places, i.e. rear arches and around the drivers side front wing where the aerial was mounted.
The 3 door shell with the boxed arches, made it superior in my mind to any other 3 door hatch of that time looks wise.
Ah happy days...
My first Nova was a B plate 1.2 Swing, my 2nd one was a Facelifted H Plate 1.4 SR that 1.3 SR owners used to delight in telling me wasnt as fast as their 1.3's were, which I never really understood why it certainly wasnt the case in the traffic light grand prix's I engaged with them in !
the 1.4 got modified over the years, 60mm Jamex lowering springs, Front bumped from a GSi with the lower lip on it, Tarox Groved brake disks and uprated pads which did help with reducing the brake fade but never cured it. Peco Big Bore 2 exhaust that used to pop pleasingly on the over run. A pair of 6 x 9's in the rear parcel shelf and a sub in the boot that filled all the available space up.
I remember a history of worn wheel bearings, head gasket replacements and the 1.4 before I sold it developed a thirsty appetite for oil, only exceeded for its ability to rust in the usual places, i.e. rear arches and around the drivers side front wing where the aerial was mounted.
The 3 door shell with the boxed arches, made it superior in my mind to any other 3 door hatch of that time looks wise.
Ah happy days...
Never owned a Nova myself but have fond memories of ragging around in my mate's 'Flair' which was basically a 1.2 but with all the cosmetics and interior from an SR, including a boot spoiler that had faded to a completely different shade of red to the rest of the car....
....We lowered it (too much!), fitted a set of Cavalier 15" alloys, a Laguna splitter (remember those?!), a cherry bomb exhaust and a HUGE stereo, those were the days!
One of my main memories of it was racing another mate in a 1.4 SR who just couldn't shake us off and the mate in the 1.4 very nearly losing the back end of his car as we went into some bends and us then very nearly ploughing into the back of him due to the previously mentioned fantastic brakes. I sometimes wonder how I'm still alive....
....We lowered it (too much!), fitted a set of Cavalier 15" alloys, a Laguna splitter (remember those?!), a cherry bomb exhaust and a HUGE stereo, those were the days!
One of my main memories of it was racing another mate in a 1.4 SR who just couldn't shake us off and the mate in the 1.4 very nearly losing the back end of his car as we went into some bends and us then very nearly ploughing into the back of him due to the previously mentioned fantastic brakes. I sometimes wonder how I'm still alive....
When I was 16, my older friend had an sr. I remember going towards Leeds from Manchester on the m62 going down hill near the farm in the middle of the motorway and it was reading 125mph. I think the speedo was out but it felt scary as hell as the hill has a slight curve in it. It was like being in a bean tin and just hanging on for life. Great memories.
I bought D474 SVK, a black 1.3SR, in August 1988 while I was at RAF Leeming. Lol: from a garage in Pity Me!
I loved that car, went all over in it, put on 70k miles by the time I went to Saudi in May 1990. I fitted Colway Road Plus tyres, a cheap but loud exhaust, opened up the induction a bit, then had Tony Bardy at Scotch Corner set it up on the rolling road. A mate who'd just come back from Germany had a newish GTE and couldn't get away from me! Funny. I lusted after a Sport though.
Bought J840 JBJ in 1993 after returning from Saudi. A 1.4SR. Hated it. Felt heavy and soulless.
One point about the Nova that many miss is how narrow they are. That was a great feature on the Yorkshire Dales twisties.
If I was rich and looking at early retirement, I'd probably buy that £16k one, it'd be a grin.
Oh, and most people who rolled one seemed to have the sunroof in theirs. They were a heavy lump to have that high up in a light, narrow car. No thanks!
I loved that car, went all over in it, put on 70k miles by the time I went to Saudi in May 1990. I fitted Colway Road Plus tyres, a cheap but loud exhaust, opened up the induction a bit, then had Tony Bardy at Scotch Corner set it up on the rolling road. A mate who'd just come back from Germany had a newish GTE and couldn't get away from me! Funny. I lusted after a Sport though.
Bought J840 JBJ in 1993 after returning from Saudi. A 1.4SR. Hated it. Felt heavy and soulless.
One point about the Nova that many miss is how narrow they are. That was a great feature on the Yorkshire Dales twisties.
If I was rich and looking at early retirement, I'd probably buy that £16k one, it'd be a grin.
Oh, and most people who rolled one seemed to have the sunroof in theirs. They were a heavy lump to have that high up in a light, narrow car. No thanks!
My first car was a red 1990 1.4 SR. Lusted over them for years, glued to the regional auto trader. It was a bit of a heap, but I had some great laughs in it - most memorably stripping and cleaning out the carb on the Flint bridge on my 18th birthday. Crazy money that, the world has gone mad!
irish boy said:
Always wanted a blue sr but ended up with an Xs 205, which was superb.
Mate had a 1.5 td nova which went surprisingly well.
The 1.5TD was pretty quick back then, had the same top speed practically as the SR and managed to be faster than the MG Metro round a lap at one of the magazine handling daysMate had a 1.5 td nova which went surprisingly well.
Chris Harris had a 205XS for a fair while in his collection
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