Faults:

Mechanical fuel pump failed instantly.

Distributor went a week later.

Rear wheel bearing was so worn the entire car resonated.

It had an uncanny habit of distorting a front tyre.

Drivers seat broke (backrest collapsed).

All the column switchgear failed to operate.

Heater blower failed and burnt out completely.

Rear spring burst through it's mounting point and came through the floor.

General Comments:

The steering on mine was so vague it was a danger to drive above 50mph.

I hate the way my foot rubs on the steering column when the clutch is depressed. Very worrying.

Something was also seriously wrong with the engine, (I hated the car so much I never investigated) it would rev so slowly (as if retarded) and sometimes scream off the rev counter to 8,000 RPM.

It had gorgeous blue carpets, very nice I thought.

My particular one had a Sebring exhaust, which sounded nice and throaty.

I have to admit it never really felt like a proper car, more like a wooden go-kart.

The brakes are the worst out of any car in the world.

It was rotten as an old pair, but I still sold it for what I paid.

Faults:

Fuel cap was broken.

Battery coil failed.

Heated rear screen failed.

Rear wash wipe kept tripping its fuse.

Horn came on of its own accord and jammed on!!

Bulkhead rusted through, causing major water leak.

CV joints needed replacing.

General Comments:

This car was a major disappointment in some ways, but very good in others.

Reliability was probably the worst I have seen on any Nova.

Performance on the other hand was excellent for a 1.2 55bhp car.

Handling was also good, considering that the car was 11 years old, on standard suspension and with fairly skinny tyres (155/70/13).

Most of the faults described above were electrical; mechanically the car was bullet-proof and felt like it would rev forever (all Vauxhall engines of this era are like this I am told).

Underneath the car and inside the wheel arches had been treated with rust protection, so the car was virtually rust free.

Trim was basic but hey, this was a Merit! Spec was no worse than the equivalent Fiesta/AX/205/Metro etc.

In my humble opinion the Nova is one of the best first cars / cheap runabouts that money can buy (so long as you get a good one!!).

Faults:

Brakes have been warped.

Gearbox was a bit dodgy.

VERY sticky clutch.

Rust on the arches.

General Comments:

Reasonable acceleration for a first car.

Cheap to insure, which means more cash for modifying!!

Great fun racing Fiesta 1.0/1.1's.

Great fun thrashing Metro 1.0/1.1's.

Needs a major interior upgrade - GSi stuff on the way.

A better drive than my Ford Orion, had to sell it because it cost too much to run (I'm only 17!)

When looking tidy, you can quite easily pull in it!

Faults:

The engine has lasted well with no serious faults.

Driver'a side caliper seized.

Steering rack needed replacing.

Faulty ignition switch caused an electrical fire which melted a lot of the wiring loom.

The gearbox and clutch needed replacing before I got the car at 80000 miles.

General Comments:

For a 1300CC engine this car is seriously quick and is easily one of the most powerful 1.3 engines ever mass produced with 75 brake horse power as standard on post 1985 SR models (72 on pre 1985 SR models). The handling is very good for a standard suspension set-up.

The 1.3 over head cam engine also responds well to tuning and the other parts of the car are easily and cheaply modified.

However, the SR retained the brakes from the standard 1.3 Nova which means they do not match the performance of the car which lets the car down.

The ride can be a bit bumpy and noisy, but not unusual for a car of that age and size.