Tell me about Nova kit cars!
Discussion
I have been looking at nova kit cars for quite a while, but am struggling to find many for sale. I am looking for a project car that i can spend some time / money on. I know the windscreens are expensive, and rusty beetle bits are common, but are there any other things to consider (will they leak?)
Where is the best place to look for one? Budget is as little as possible
ETA if anybody has one they want to sell to a friendly PH'er feel free to send a PM
Where is the best place to look for one? Budget is as little as possible
ETA if anybody has one they want to sell to a friendly PH'er feel free to send a PM
Yes there are a number of challenges with Nova kitcars.
Firstly old kit cars are generally very difficult to drive quickly. They frequently suffer from very poor suspension and brakes, weak chassis design and old mechanics.
I have been driving these cars for over 45 years and VERY FEW old kit cars are really fun. The Lotus super seven obviously excepted.
A modern (ish) kit car based on say Ford Duratec or Audi Turbo mechanics will p--s all over them. Weight distribution, suspension design, power output, usability, directional stability will be from a different era.
The Nova has the major disadvantage of being based on a 70 year old design.
Porsche were brilliant in the design but an air-cooled engine is really a thing of the past. And the engine hangs out the back like a dumbbell. And the rear suspension easily kicks into negative camber.
Not at all a good design for what is supposed to be a fast car. Remember this was intended for a low cost production saloon NOT A RACER.
It was good 70 years ago but outdated now.
I suggest that an Audi turbo fitted in a suitable tube frame clothed in a Porsche RSK copy body would give genuine mid engine advantages and fly like the wind. With an all up weight of 600 Kilos and 200 BHP you would be hitting 360++BHP per ton and 60 in 3-4 seconds. If you turn up the boost or plat with the engine more power is there to be had.
Nothing on the road (at least no production car) would be as much fun or attract as much attention or be as rewarding to drive. Cars have improved immensely over 30 years and your kit car needs to reflect these improvements.
I built and drove Novas 30 years ago. I would leave them alone.
Go for a really different smarter car with modern reliability and genuine racing pedigree.
You will spend little more and get an awful lot more bang for your bucks.
Firstly old kit cars are generally very difficult to drive quickly. They frequently suffer from very poor suspension and brakes, weak chassis design and old mechanics.
I have been driving these cars for over 45 years and VERY FEW old kit cars are really fun. The Lotus super seven obviously excepted.
A modern (ish) kit car based on say Ford Duratec or Audi Turbo mechanics will p--s all over them. Weight distribution, suspension design, power output, usability, directional stability will be from a different era.
The Nova has the major disadvantage of being based on a 70 year old design.
Porsche were brilliant in the design but an air-cooled engine is really a thing of the past. And the engine hangs out the back like a dumbbell. And the rear suspension easily kicks into negative camber.
Not at all a good design for what is supposed to be a fast car. Remember this was intended for a low cost production saloon NOT A RACER.
It was good 70 years ago but outdated now.
I suggest that an Audi turbo fitted in a suitable tube frame clothed in a Porsche RSK copy body would give genuine mid engine advantages and fly like the wind. With an all up weight of 600 Kilos and 200 BHP you would be hitting 360++BHP per ton and 60 in 3-4 seconds. If you turn up the boost or plat with the engine more power is there to be had.
Nothing on the road (at least no production car) would be as much fun or attract as much attention or be as rewarding to drive. Cars have improved immensely over 30 years and your kit car needs to reflect these improvements.
I built and drove Novas 30 years ago. I would leave them alone.
Go for a really different smarter car with modern reliability and genuine racing pedigree.
You will spend little more and get an awful lot more bang for your bucks.
Thanks for the input
I appreciate the points regarding the driving experience and realise they would never drive as well as they look, but i would be looking to buy the car to build as cheap transport for a while and then improve / modify as time goes on and give me something to do in my spare time, and there seems to be quite a few about with spaceframe chassis' / V8's / Ford engines etc so could possibly be an interesting base to improve from.
Also i drive my girlfriends moggy minor quite often, and to be honest really enjoy the 'crapness' off it all if that makes sense?
I appreciate the points regarding the driving experience and realise they would never drive as well as they look, but i would be looking to buy the car to build as cheap transport for a while and then improve / modify as time goes on and give me something to do in my spare time, and there seems to be quite a few about with spaceframe chassis' / V8's / Ford engines etc so could possibly be an interesting base to improve from.
Also i drive my girlfriends moggy minor quite often, and to be honest really enjoy the 'crapness' off it all if that makes sense?
i had a couple of the nova kitcars a mk1 and a mk2, its basically a beetle so just look out for rusty floorpans and oil leaks on the engine, bar that they are pretty basic. 70 mph cruising is fine, just be careful on thr brakes and try to atleast find one with discs up front.
The roof on the nova is operated via electric hydraulic pump from marine applications (raising an outboard) these can costa couple of hundred quite if they are worn out, you can tell as the roof will be jerky in operation rather than smooth. The roofs wont leak if the seals are good, steaming up was always a problem so make sure you have a sunroof or some flaps on the windows to prevent having to drive along with the roof up an inch or so.
Finaly the noses tended to flex and cause crazing along the top of the front wings, some people build in a supports and attach it to the front beam so worth while doing.
For my money the mk1's looked the best and where much thicker, better quality fibreglass, butto be honest, as a posers wagon, either are pretty cool.
I picked both mine up in local free ads for well under a grand and sold my last one 99% finished for about 2k. Things like ebay seem to have pushed the prices up, but keep an eye out and you should find on, good luck!
The roof on the nova is operated via electric hydraulic pump from marine applications (raising an outboard) these can costa couple of hundred quite if they are worn out, you can tell as the roof will be jerky in operation rather than smooth. The roofs wont leak if the seals are good, steaming up was always a problem so make sure you have a sunroof or some flaps on the windows to prevent having to drive along with the roof up an inch or so.
Finaly the noses tended to flex and cause crazing along the top of the front wings, some people build in a supports and attach it to the front beam so worth while doing.
For my money the mk1's looked the best and where much thicker, better quality fibreglass, butto be honest, as a posers wagon, either are pretty cool.
I picked both mine up in local free ads for well under a grand and sold my last one 99% finished for about 2k. Things like ebay seem to have pushed the prices up, but keep an eye out and you should find on, good luck!
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