Faults:

The only thing that has gone wrong with the car is the left carburetor leaks from the tick over screw; have just ordered a rebuild kit.

The handbrake locks up when there are people sat in the back. It has had rear disc conversion, so think it's just a seized piston.

General Comments:

Great car to drive, great fun in the wet and sounds awesome on full throttle from the twin 40s. Goes like stink and handles great.

Faults:

The brakes on my Nova have seized before and I replaced them with mk 2 SRi ones.

The starter has packed in.

The exhaust has burst.

The speedo, the petrol gauge and the temp gauge are broken.

General Comments:

The car is good to drive, the steering is not too sensitive and the throttle is heavy though I would have another one.

Faults:

Blown bulbs, that's all.

General Comments:

Top notch car, not fast but well balanced.

Faults:

Nothing really, but it was missing a centre console, and the seats were trashed.

RUST!!! - watch out for rust on the back tailgate behind the rear bumper and in the corner of the boot.

Sun visor breaks easy.

Cam is getting noisy.

Needed new spark plugs.

General Comments:

Best looking Merit I've ever seen!

Fast, fun and loud with a bass tube and tail pipe.

The car cost me £380 and had crappy seats and interior so I cut out the new seats and welded in a set of SR recardos (they need extra room and fittings).

Fitted an SR rear spoiler (£10).

Corsa sport stearing wheel (£5).

Fitted clear indicators and side repeaters (£8).

Hella spotlights £20.

Tail pipe £10.

Window tint film £3.

GSi front and rear bumpers (had to be altered to fit) - £22 and loads of other stuff.

It's an easy car to mod and SR parts are cheap from boy racers who've crashed their cars!!!!

I've got an SR engene and box (cost me £50) soon to be fitted and I'm gonna get it sprayed red for 100 and I've got a car that's worth £1200 and will only cost me about £600.

Faults:

2 new c.v. joints (but the car IS 13 years old), new front x-member, tiny rust patches.

General Comments:

You cannot get a better first car.... I learnt to drive in mine, and I would recommend it to anyone. In the right hands (my own!) it passes most other vehicles on the road, and I've topped the ton in it. Road-handling is not too good, but other than that I cannot complain.

Faults:

Just about everything from the brakes to the whole engine, including clutch, radiator, thermostat, exhaust, distributer, battery, new engine block, handbrake cable, tracking, allignment, and the usual stuff like punctures, windscreen wipers etc.

General Comments:

Generally it is not a bad car but these things went with old age and over a period of just over 2 years, but now they have been replaced it has been really reliable.

Faults:

Brakes and handbrake have needed a lot of work. Rusting around bottom of doors and arches.

General Comments:

The Nova is a fun car to drive and an ideal first car although you will soon get bored of it and want to move on to a better and faster car.

Faults:

Ignition system packed up at 176,000 miles. Nothing major.

General Comments:

Good runner. On second engine and does 50mpg. Body work now rusting badly. Now on 178,000 miles.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

Fantastic car. V-fast for a 1.3 with low insurance. Looks amazing when modded with B-kit, vents, alloys etc. Handling and ride are so-so but can be slightly improved but the speed of the car makes up for it. (With mods 130Mph!)

Faults:

New camshaft and followers.

New wheels (Standard SR wheels were buckled).

General Comments:

Great little car, now it has a Weber carburetor, still to be lowered and a lot more power to be found, if I can find the money. 67bhp to the wheels is not bad for a 1.3 engine.

Faults:

Rust under rear arches, usual engine problems such as cam, head gasket, coil, ignition etc.

Only small things.

General Comments:

Excellent car, cheap, and following a few mods, goes like a rocket.

Faults:

Nothing major for a car of its age.

General Comments:

Great car. Very quick for a 1.3.

Faults:

Nothing of note.

General Comments:

For its age it is in excellent mechanical condition. The body work, however, has suffered over time (the last decade!)