A 2.0 Nova will fly, in a straight line. As you say they need work to make them handle because of the weight of the engine over the front.

Being an RST owner I can say you will love it. Standard RST would get creamed in a straight line by the 2.0l Nova. The XE punts out approx 150bhp and weighs about as much as damp jay cloth. The RST punts out 130bhp and is a bit heavier. The thing with the RST is that it's a piece of piss to tweek for more power. 180bhp will be enough to give you a quick car and not break the bank balance. I can happily confirm that 250bhp is achieveable with some thought and cash and is enough to see off most things

Nice to have a Nova owner who's done the job properly that isn't the stereotype lad with a Nova 1.3 with a K&N and BB4 claiming silly times

Whatever you decide to do best of luck to you