Faults:

The alternator was the only thing to go wrong with the car while I had it. Unfortunately, it cost me £180 for a new one!

General Comments:

Forget GTE's and SR's. The TD is the one you want.

The suspension needs up rating because it's like jelly, but the brakes are good (because diesels get bigger brakes).

A friend of mine had a 1.4 SR and I could run rings round it and still achieve 50 miles per gallon. On a quiet day you can return amazing fuel comsumption figures of 70 miles per gallon. My friend then purchased a GTE with all sorts of tuning bits. Fast road cams etc. He still couldn't leave me!

If you get one, make sure it's an older version (without a cat) or it won't be as punchy. Or seek out the rare SX for electric windows and a bit more refinement.

Faults:

The head gasket blew twice, which cost around £200 to fix each time!

Water pump and thermometer failed, which was possibly related to, or the cause of the head gasket to blow.

Seats seemed to burn easily from cigarette burns.

Brake pads changed twice, which was a fairly simple task.

General Comments:

Apart from engine failures, mainly due to car being raced, the car is an absolute dream.

Incredibly easy to work on.

If you are not too fussy about a comfortable ride, I recommend adding up-rated sport shocks and lowered springs as the handling becomes breathtaking.

The best thing you could do to a Nova is to add a Webber carburettor. It increases high end throttle and produces an incredible throaty sound.

Not many bad points apart from it being a very cramped car with little boot space.

Faults:

The head gasket was blown when I bought it which caused a split in the radiator hose.

Petrol tank had to be replaced because it was leaking.

Sticking automatic choke.

Snapped hand-brake cable.

Warped brake discs and seized caliper.

CV boot (twice).

Ignition barrel snapped.

General Comments:

Surprisingly fast and very reliable. Though things have gone wrong, it has always started every time, and still runs spot-on.

The only let down in performance is the brakes, which are pretty poor when slowing down from motorway speeds.

Faults:

The usual stuff. Middle part and back box on the exhaust replaced, spark plugs and other things caused by general wear and tear.

General Comments:

A great little car for the year that I've had it. I've only spent a grand total of £40 repairing it.

Right enough it isn't very comfortable as standard and it does rattle a fair bit, but if you just want a run around for a first car this wee motor is ideal.