Which Nova model to look for? What about Insurance? | Which Engine? | What Age Nova? | What Model of Nova? | With so many different Nova models available, it can be hard and confusing when looking at buying one. This guide is here to help with this, with a few pointers about which models are of particular interest and which to stay away from!
Insurance! Back to Top
For most Nova buyers, insurance is going to be the major factor in choosing a model, as most Nova owners are young and or first drivers.
By far the cheapest for insurance is the 1.0 engine and it's not a bad model to go for in terms of price and cheep insurance, but you may be better off going for a 1.2
So, which engine? Back to Top
According to reliability data from owners, the 1.2 is said to be slightly more reliable than the 1.0, although there's little in it.
The 1.3 engine can suffer from cold-start and running problems due to the Pierburg 2E3 carburettor. This employs an automatic choke which often stops working correctly, so bear that in mind.
The above engines were available throughout most of the Nova main-stream range, although the 1.0 was only used in lower-spec models and the 1.3/1.4 were only used in higher-spec ones.
The other thing to consider is the later MKII models with fuel injection.
The same also goes for the 1.4i, with this only having 60PS, as apposed to 70PS of the old 1.3 carb and 72PS of the 1.4 carb engines.
The best engine for performance is the 1.6i found only in the GTE and GSi models, which a pretty solid and reliable unit.
So what age? Back to Top
In the past, I always said age doesn't matter with the Nova as long as it's well looked after, but after looking closely at the newer models, I'm now of the opinion of "buy the newest you can"....why?....well, there's a few faults that can arise on the Nova which Vauxhall obviously learnt about with time and most of these were corrected with the later models.
An example is the battery tray....on older models, this area is particularly susceptible to rust as dirt and grime collects in that area, so the water that runs through sits in the dirt and eats though the body work.
There are other small details too, like electrical connections which are in rubber seals on newer models, making them less likely to get corroded and dirty and hence making them more reliable.....it's just little things, but it can save a lot of hassle sorting out niggles.
In terms of styling, obviously the MKII is a little more modern (if you like that sort of thing), but personally, I prefer the more squared off MKI look, but it's down to personal choice in the end.
Bodywork is a tricky subject as it doesn't always go that new is better....some MKI's from certain years seam to fair better that some MKII's
So which model then? Back to Top
The Nova is very good in this respect as the smaller engined Novas tend to be relatively cheep to insure, which after all, is one of the main reasons for it's popularity
The 1.2 will be a little more to insure, but it uses a Over-head cam engine which is quieter and more refined, although not that much more powerful.
If you're a little older, you should be able to afford to insure a 1.3 including the SR as insurance for even these models is relatively cheep.
Forget the GTE or GSi for now unless you can afford £2.5K a year for insurance! and wait until you're over about 20ish.
The main advantage of the 1.2 is that most special edition models were fitted with the 1.2 engine and many came with the 5-speed gearbox.
No 1.0 Novas ever had the 5-speed box.
Earlier 1.3's however used the same Pierburg 1B1 manual choke carb as fitted to the 1.2 and don't suffer from this problem.
The most common fix for the 2E3 problem is to replace the carb with a Weber 32/34 DTML, which as well as giving better reliability, also adds more power and better economy!
The 1.4 engine is a "lean burn" design based on the 1.3 which is only slightly more powerful, but has more torque, which is what makes the difference.
The head is not very good on this engine, but with some work (or by swapping it with a 1.2 or 1.3 head), the performance can be improved greatly.
Don't think that a MKII 1.2i will be faster than a 1.2 none-injection because you will be disappointed. The fuel injection was added to allow the fitment of a CAT as standard, but with the CAT, the performance was dulled and the power reduced to only 45PS, which is the same as the old 1.0!
There is a 1.4i multi-point injected model however, which gives out 82PS, but alas, this is only available in the SRi.
Watch for cold or hot running problems though. It uses a coolant temperature sensor to determine fuel mixture depending on engine temperature and if this is not not working properly, it may not run right in the cold or when hot. A new sensor is only around £20 to replace though.
On slightly later models, Vauxhall fitted a plastic tray under the battery, which helps greatly in reducing the effects of this. I saw one on my local scrap yard which had one of these plastic trays (not for long 'cos I took it for my GTE!) and the metal work was as good as new!
Mechanically, there's little difference between old and new, apart from obvious thing like the carb change on the 1.3 as mentioned above and the addition of CATS on some MKIIs
The GSi uses the same engine as the GTE but with slight modifications on later models, with the very last ones having a different injection and ignition system.
For example, my old A-reg 1.2L (as seen in Feature Cars had solid rear wheel arches, but the doors and front wings were VERY rusty; whereas my previous 88 E-plate Antibes had mint doors, but the rear arches were knackered!
I've seen Y-reg Novas in a rust-free condition and K-plate rust buckets! It's all down to how well the car's been looked after with age.
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