9th Jul 2002, 03:38

Excuse me, but a diesel Nova doing 130MPH? Don't be silly. Another case of the over-reading speedo.

12th Sep 2002, 09:39

Dear sir.

Well if I have got a good top end of about 118mph out of a 1.3 sr nova I think that the td is capable of 130 mph.

25th Oct 2002, 23:55

I would have to agree with the figures, I own a Vauxhall Nova Turbo Diesel and YES it will do 126mph on the limiter!

As mine is modified for speed and acceleration the 0-60 time is 8-4 seconds.

Despite what others say, the Nova TD is extremely fast for a diesel and it CAN match the GTE.

Also the comment about "Bad reading speedometer" I asked a Friend in an Audi A6 to follow me at 130mph, and his speedometer read 126mph, so that settles it :

4th Nov 2002, 08:49

I'm sorry, but I fail to see how a 1990 td nova can reach such speeds what size of engine is in it.

11th Dec 2002, 06:17

I've reach a speed of around 126mph in mine. Has anyone modified their's?? So far I've added a K&N and inter-cooler and play with the boost & fueling with some results. Has any one tried a full bore exhaust? If so what was the result? MK.

20th Dec 2002, 10:20

Yes, I am modifying mine Going for looks & Speed, so it's a Diesel? It does not mean they can't be Modified.

A lot of people are making bit's for Diesel now. Best bet is to start with Bigger injectors, Indction kit, Intercooler, Uprated con rods, Maybe even a supercharger if your daring (like me)

25th Jan 2003, 12:03

I've recently bought a red 'SX' with a rebuilt engine.

Mods include colour-coded door handles, rear wiper arm and rear lights. Also red side repeaters and new headlights+indicators.The addition of Astra 16v front discs\calipers enables me to stop!

12th Feb 2003, 05:48

I own a 1.5TD, rare color of metallic burgundy. I have not modified it at all except for a better air filter and can safely say that all of the other Nova drivers in their SRs and GT-Es are surprised when I keep up with them or sometimes beat them on acceleration.

21st Apr 2003, 14:31

Has anyone tried to put the Isuzu turbo diesel engine into a standard 1.2 shell yet? I've got a really clean G-reg 1.2 Sting hatchback, and a rather sorry looking G-reg turbo diesel hatchback. The turbo diesel is looking sorry for itself nowadays, but it the engine is too good to simply scrap the car! I know I'm going to have problems with the engine mount on the driver side, the fuel return pipe, and the wiring etc. Has anyone tried it? What problems did you encounter? How did you solve them?

I quite believe that a Nova turbo diesel will achieve 125+ mph, but I think I'll wait until I've changed the cam belt first!

28th Apr 2003, 08:06

It is possible, but 1 of the engine mount positions is different, same as if you were to fit a 1.7td for a cavmk3 into the 1.5td shell.

25th May 2003, 13:45

I have a tidy L reg nova 1.5 turbo diesel. Very fast as standard. Not really modded at all just had the pump turned up and now it really flies, but still easily passes MOT and refuses to use diesel however hard you drive it! Just the car for an ex drink driver with high insurance to worry about.

14th Sep 2003, 19:21

I owned a H reg 1.5td for 18months. This was! And still is a fast car by any standards. And good on fuel too. Mine had a welded Janspeed for removing the gases from the wedged turbo wastegate. And a k+N filter. It would hit the limiter in 5th every time. Up hill too!! And it was as fast as the 16valve GTE. I loved it. I wish I'd never sold it.

Andy.

28th Sep 2003, 11:21

Hi I'm currently looking for a 1.5 turbo diesel nova and without much success! I have found 2 but one having a dodgy MOT and one that was a 5 door. if anyone has one for sale please contact me I can travel to get it! I'm from Birmingham so locally would be great! e-mail me at big_nath1@hotmail.com. cheers.

6th Oct 2003, 10:14

After my 1991 1.5 TD was accidentally torched in an M.O.T. welding accident I am now left with a written off car. I suspect that the garages insurance will be reluctant to give much in the way of compensation money for an old car. This leaves me gutted, as the car went like s**t off a stick and gave me great fun driving and I doubt I will be able to replace it easily. There was little else wrong with the car other than the welding, would anyone be able to tell me the rough cost of having the diesel engine tranfered and fitted to another nova. I have little mechanical expertise and would not know where to start if I had to do it myself.

Failing that, does anyone know of any other cars that offer similar performance that I could include a future search for a new car?

12th Oct 2003, 13:55

Please tell me why the TD is so dam quick, is it the compression ratio?,gearing or the angle and size of the valves I'm am in fact selling my GTE to get a TD. the insurance is group 11 on my GTE and only 6 on a TD. definitely a insurance loophole. they do go 130mph this is a known fact.

20th Oct 2003, 12:21

Hi there.

Just purchased my 92 1.5TD last week and was instantly impressed!! I really wasn't expecting any form of performance, I just needed something for a short time before I bought another car, all I can say is i`m keeping it! The amount of torque this little motor throws out is fun, hills do not stop its acceleration. It has bags of power between 70-80 and can upset a few family hatches with ease, also it seems to run for free which is a bonus!

20th Nov 2003, 18:22

One of the previous comments mentions the 16v GTE, there was never a 16v GTE Nova, both the GTE and GSi were 8v. I had a GSi and have raced a TD, my car was faster everytime and as for the top end speed being 130mph, I'm sure that is what it read on the speedo, but they are known for being inaccurate.

But after all that, they are good for fuel economy and as with most Novas, the handling is brilliant and very fun to drive.

7th Mar 2004, 16:56

Hi everybody, I'm from Portugal and have a 1.5 TD also. I keep impressed every day with this car. it was a little abused wen I bought it, but a few repairs and a little tune up and this babe just don't let me down to newer cars.

Yes, 130 mile p/h is possible! 5th gear took my nova to about 197 km/h racing an 1.9 tdi golf, my friend got gone lunatic 'cause nova consumes about half the tdi. so 197 km/h is about 130 mile, right?