Paddy's Nova (re)Build Thread

[PaddyX21]

Engine is.......an engine! It's complete!



KEP flywheel fitted. Check.



KEP clutch kit fitted. Check.



Weigh distribution of chassis totally screwed by bolting engine on right at the back. Check (but that's how they're meant to be!)



Last piece of the KEP puzzle, a reduction gear starter motor. Comes as part of the kit, weighs half as much as a standard starter and looks cool to boot. Shame it'll be hidden!



Chassis is pretty much ready to start thinking about bringing the body back down!

[PaddyX21]

Two different attempts at putting engines that aren't supposed to be in the back, in the back. Which is better? Only one way to find out.............





Coilovers now fitted at the front, along with new steering box.



Touchdown! Body lands!



Some work to be doing, but it's a big step in the project. We've got some tidying of the body and some fibreglass repairs to carry out, along with the small tasks of cooling systems, wiring, interior, canopy.........there's a fair bit to do!



Time to progress the Nova in ways that will make it look no different externally whatsoever....



The 'you're not meant to have that engine' corner!



So we've got a crackin' flat-4 banger from Subaru here, but what we really need is to make it run. First thing we need for that....wiring. Cue fun times....



All the loom you see going into the Nova has been harvested from the Legacy donor car. there will be the odd strip here and there which has been added, but although it took a while to remove it all from the Subaru, it means the original wiring pinouts and connectors can be kept, meaning the majority of it will be compatible with Subaru wiring diagrams. Great..........as long as you can find them!!



So here's a strip of loom that used to go to the front of a Legacy going to the rear of a GRP bodied wedge with a jet-fighter cockpit!



Original Subaru ECU mount, heavily modified (it used to have legs!)



We'd done plenty of pre-work on the engine loom, so this is a case of getting the body loom to meet with the engine loom, and then shortening/lengthening as required and keeping it all looking like ADD were a mass-manufacturer and that it came from an assembly line. Or at least, that's the target!





Insert custom designed fuel tank here



More fuseboxes and control panels find their way into the Nova. They'll be easier to get to in here....you just move the seat forwards!



So there we have it.....wiring! Never promised it'd be exciting, but it's one of the most important aspects of the build. So far, it's going very nicely too!

[PaddyX21]

First thing we did last week - take a grinder to the front.............boot??



Making fibreglass dust.





And removed! Now what?



We did it for airflow, as we need to fit a radiator - something the Beetle didn't have (unless you were trying to wind up a partsman at your local factors at 4:47pm on a Friday). But there is no airflow there, which means the bottom section also needs cutting open



One radiator! We did toy with the idea of fitting the Legacy's rad, as it's obviously fit for the job. However, sadly it didn't fit. Happily, this one did, and it's from another Legacy, only not the one we used as a donor. But like it. Just not the same. Make sense?



The lower nose section will be chopped and a 'tunnel' created for the air to travel through. We will then work out how to expell the hot air, being that for a decent cooling system, you need an air around a third bigger than the entry cross-section. Hot air expands, and all that physics jazz.



Moving inside, the dash is placed back in place to allow us to mock-up some wiring looms. Got some bits missing here!



Ah, that'll be useful!



Anyone fancy some wiring? It's pretty straightforward! Really? Nobody??



Much the same as the last time I stood in this spot and took a picture, only with slightly more wires.





Making its way underneath the car now, too. This area will be hidden by the side pods once complete.

[PaddyX21]

Here we have a nifty little piece of kit! it's a speedo module which hooks up to the original Beetle speedo cable and converts it into an electronic signal. This is ideal for Beetles running a stand-alone ECU, as it can take a speed input. The cable would normally carry on the other side, but in our case our new speedo is electronic, not cable operated. So we'll have end of this plugged into the speedo cable, and the wire to the ECU, and then a little spindle on the other end twirling away happily catching bits of wiring loom and ingesting dirt. Great!



So what we'll do is get a piece of nylon, and pop it on the lathe. Then we'll make a really odd shape, and connect it to the other end.



Ta da! it'll be buzzing its nuts off in there and nobody will be any the wiser!



Moving onwards, it's time to tackle a biggie......cooling system! Being based on Hitler's only lovechild, the Nova doesn't have a cooling system as such, not a wet one anyway! The Subaru engine has a proper cooling system, so we'll need to modify the car to suit, and that begins with drawing on the front of it!



Like so.



And then cutting that section out, like so.





Then we make a frame to sit the radiator in. We've gone for a Legacy radiator, though it's not the version from the model we broke up as we wanted one with a central top hose position.





Radiator goes on here, like this.



Make sure it all fits nicely.



Then go about fitting the new frame in the nose of the Nova, now offered up the the car.



Yup, that works! Radiator will be at a hell of an angle, so we'll need to duct the airflow into it. We could have used a smaller rad and got it more upright, but then there's a good chance it wouldn't be man enough for the 2500cc iron-blocked Boxer lump.





The cradle bolts into the nose.



Now the ducting!



Carve bits of foam up to create the shape required.



Slot them into place.





Keep going until you've done it all (takes quite a long time!)





There, all ready for lay-up in fibreglass.







It'll change the look of the front slightly, but in my eyes at least, for the better! next time we update, it should have been layered-up in GRP.

[PaddyX21]

We've used the foam templates to lay some fibreglass matting down.





Kinda like wallpapering, only more itchy!



Some resin and gelcoat later....





In the meantime, we're bracing the front end. The Nova's body isn't exactly strong, and we're concerned the added weight of a big radiator full of water won't do the nosecone any good, so we're bracing it.



We decided to fashion some adjustable braces too, using rosejoints. This means once it's all finally fitted, it can be adjusted on the front end to get the panel alignment just right, as well as reducing the stress on the nosecone.



And it'll look something like this!

[PaddyX21]

Work has continued on the cooling system. The final hoses will be new types, but for now, this is how the radiator plumbing is coming together.





Coolant hoses will pass under the chassis, conveniently nestled between the sunken floors we had to fit to the Beetle chassis.



At the rear, they branch off either side of the engine. There will be more to add on to both ends.



Well, it's not right now.....



Layout of the coolant piping, back to front



Same again, t'other way around



Clamps fabricated to stop them moving around.

[PaddyX21]

Out with the old and in with the shiny new!



I have a set of mk1 MX5 seats for starting to sort the seating position out, and the position of dials etc so that they can actually be seen from the nigh on laying down seating position!

Steering column support fabricated in a two piece design to mate with the body and chassis at the centre tunnel.

Dash face fabricated in aluminium sheeting.

Steering column re-fitted.

Air con mock up for positioning of the unit itself, and how the ducting / pipework will interface with the previous system (not much to be fair!). Looking at mounting to underside of passengers side of the dash module, directly interfacing with the screen de-misting pipework that already exists and then fabricating routing for the dash face (single central outlet) and foot wells (outer tub wall, one per side). The compressor from the donor legacy has been refitted to the engine, although the pipework fittings will require custom fabrication that hasn't happened yet. Should be easy to fit a standard condenser into the nose without too much hassle.

I have the wheels now, and I will be buying new centre caps from the OEM, as they have a variety of caps, lids, and an aerosol paint lid in one, being used as caps currently! When I get paid (Friday) they will go in for refurb to bring them back to a beautiful gloss black / diamond cut finish.

Lets see what else...
...oh yeah - scheduled in some time on the ramp to lift the body back off high enough to get the new fuel tank in and mounted up, then the body can be bonded and bolted back into place permanently, or at least for another 40 years!

Drawings all made up for the custom silicone elbows etc for the coolant pipework. I need to choose now on whether to use a water based (i.e. normal) coolant, or bite the bullet expense wise and go straight for Evans Waterless Coolant. Once that stuff is in there then it'll never need changing, and as it has 0 vapour pressure then there will be no strain on the pipework, and as it has no water then there will be no corrosion, ever. Isn't cheap though. Probably will, it fits with my trying to make this build last another 40 years.

I'll buy the new hydraulics subsystem this month as well, having sourced a supplier that can provide a suitable system off the shelf. Then we can check all the canopy workings out for any issues that may have arisen.

Up to date for March 2015!
Updates will run at approximately 1/month now that I've bombarded the backlog

[Larkingabout]

Well done, a brilliant thread, thoroughly enjoyed the progress can't wait to see the next instalment.

[Pistol]

Wow, remember these from back in the day.

Looking at the early pictures for such futuristic design at the time it's aged very well and still looks amazing and quite up to date. Cant wait to see the finished car.

Good luck

[Wingco]

Great write up, brilliant read and some great photos, well done to you and I to am looking forward to seeing it in the flesh.