This is the one and only car I have ever bought brand new. It was a 1.2 hatchback, in carmine red and was
very very reliable, most of the time.
But not always. It never actually broke down and left me stranded, but there were a few things that went
wrong.
A wee boy crashed into it on a BMX bike while it was parked, and his hub stand made a hole through the
front valance. I beat that out and repainted it with Black Hammerite, and it looked quite sporty.
One day I was driving to work when there was a sudden loss of power, a misfire and lots of steam from
the exhaust. When I parked at work I pulled out the spark plugs and one was black and wet and smelt of
antifreeze - a bit like Tina Turner after a binge I suppose. Anyway, i deduced that the head gasket had
failed.
I phoned the motor factors near my house and got them to deliver a new gasket. I drove gingerly home
after work, got in at about 6pm, by which time it was starting to get dark. Undeterred, I got the tools
out and set about dismantng the engine. By 7pm it was too dark to see what I was doing, or where I had
put tools down etc.
It was at this stage that I improvised my hands-free multi-directional automatic adjustment night vision
aid - ie a Maglite fixed to the side of my head with a bungee luggage elastic.
So equipped, I was able to finish my repair by approx 10pm, ready for work next day. The usual test drive
confirmed all was ok. For a Nova.
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