Smashing wee motor!
CV joints and boots.
Interior bulbs.
Exhaust + manifold.
THE car for your first venture into sports car ownership. It's cheap to run and maintain and goes like the clappers, insurance group 5 and very respectable performance.
Great fun and reliable!!!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 20th April, 2000
Storming hatchback
Nothing so far!
Great car, fast for a 1.3 and sticks around corners as well as any other car in its range.
Reliable as well.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 24th March, 2000
Usual things:
- Brakes (Front calipers siezed up and the discs warped, but only cause of my driving)
- Rear Axle (I trashed it on a bridge, and the axle bent up and broke - again, because of me)
- Suspension (Never been replaced EVER, and the car has done over 100,000mls - still haven't replaced it)
- Gearbox (A bit on the crunchy side, owing to the fact that a previous owner filled up the gearbox with brake fluid and not oil)
- Rust (tiny bit on the inside or rear arches, a bit on the boot pan, previous owner carried around loose bricks in the boot)
A God DAMNED fast little mover for a 1.3, give it plenty of revs and let that clutch fly, I've had the engine tuned up to the very max with no mods, pumping out around 75bhp@5800 and a lot more @8500.
The next thing is that Calibra 2.0 16v Turbo beast to stick in it. No-one will ever catch me, ever. 250bhp sound good to anyone??
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 25th April, 1999
New braking system.
New exhaust.
Leak by drivers side front wheel arch.
Has potential to become a modified machine.
Modify the body then the engine, don't debadge it.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 21st February, 1999
Rear brake cylinder seized.
One of the HT leads was arcing.
Brake discs keep warping.
The GTE has an excellent engine if serviced twice a year . Be careful lowering the car - if you use just springs it bottoms out, if springs and uprated dampers the ride is too hard.
Also the offset is critical if you buy new wheels. The first set I bought were 38 offset but should be 45 - 48.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 14th February, 1999
Rear wheels lock up when braking hard in the wet, doesn't like cold mornings, rubber boot broke on front drive shaft.
Good car, I've lowered it, put 4 inch exhaust on (very loud), big 14inch 5 spoke wheels, had to grind away wheel arches. That's all so far!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 31st January, 1999
Starter motor.
Head gasket.
This car was a write off by the 4th owner and I was the 6th owner. I wish write offs were never bought, because I had a crash in it. Only 10mph crash, £700 worth of damage,
I sold it and brought a new Nova - which is miles better than this one!
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 31st January, 1999
Everything.
This is my 2nd Nova, my first was an SR which was thrashed and never worked and the GTE is the same. Every one has been owned by a boy-racer and will have been thrashed to death. It is a shame as I like Novas but they aren't as good as people like to think.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 21st December, 1998
When buying a second hand car, especially an 88-89 model, it pays to get it checked out by a mechanic. You either get good or bad second hand cars! My Nova GTE is a great car and unmodded you can burn up the road!!
Dan 7...
I have owned two Nova GTE. My first car was thrashed the hell out of and my engine responded well with no problems at all. My second car is the same, I would say the only problem is the bodywork nothing else. They are a great fun car to drive.
30th Nov 2002, 19:15
You'll find your 75bhp @5800rpm is your engines optimum output and @ the mythical 8500rpm that you claim it'll be putting out less bhp. Bu if you could take it to 8500rpm (which you can't) it would go bang!