Start with the foundations
The Beetle-based platform gives the Nova its simple mechanical core. Before the dramatic parts matter, the fundamentals have to be dependable.
FEATURED PROJECT • THE NOVA
THE CAR WE
HAD TO BUILD.
A 1970 VW Beetle chassis underneath, a dramatic canopy-entry Nova body on top and a project that has become part restoration, part engineering exercise and part obsession.
Nova progress80%
Systems, bodywork & final refinement
WHY IT IS THE FLAGSHIP
NOT A QUICK FLIP.
The Nova is the project at the centre of Custom Body Repair. It is based on a 1970 Volkswagen Beetle chassis and still uses the old-school 1600cc air-cooled running gear, but almost everything you see above that chassis is anything but ordinary.
The entire roof and windscreen canopy lifts to get into the car. That means the bodywork, hydraulics, electrics and finish all matter as much as the mechanical side. We are rebuilding it as a car we want to keep, not something we are rushing through the workshop to sell.
Base1970 VW Beetle
Engine1600 air-cooled
EntryHydraulic canopy
FinishDeep metallic purple
THE BUILD SO FAR
ONE PROBLEM AT A TIME.
Sort the canopy
The canopy is the defining feature of the car. The hydraulic system has been worked through, including its relay setup, with the aim of making operation reliable and repeatable.
Bodywork and finish
The body deserves a finish that suits the shape. The target is a deep metallic purple in the Lamborghini Viola Parsifae direction rather than anything remotely subtle.
Make the whole car work together
Mechanical, electrical, paint and detail work all meet here. The end goal is not merely a good-looking Nova, but one that can actually be used and enjoyed.
CURRENT STATUS
BUILD IN PROGRESS.
FOUNDATIONSProject establishedCore car and direction defined.
CURRENTSystems + bodyworkWorking through the canopy, body and supporting systems.
NEXTFinish + refinementFinal paint, detail and road-ready development.
LATEST PROJECT DIRECTION
Build it properly, then make it unforgettable.
The Nova remains the priority project. As each major stage is completed, this page can grow with proper workshop updates rather than pretending the car is further along than it really is.
MORE FROM THE WORKSHOP
THREE VERY DIFFERENT BUILDS.
The Nova is the flagship, but the Supra and Ranger each bring a completely different type of problem to solve.