Steve's Nova Site is an automotive enthusiast website dedicated to the 1962 - 1979 Chevrolet Nova, Chevy II and Acadian automobiles. We work together to preserve, restore, drive, show, race and provide fellowship for these classic cars. This is one of the best places to find information about parts, rebuilding, restoration and racing. This website is not affiliated with GM, General Motors or Chevrolet in any capacity.
hi all. ive been on this site for awhile and ive wanted to post my own story for awhile but i didnt have pics. now i have pics. thanks stovebolt.
anyways, when i was 16 and just got my liscense i purchased a 75 4 door nova with a 350 that had one cracked head on one side of the engine and a blown head gasket on the other side. i bought it cuz it was cheap and all i could afford. i rebuilt it and it ran great and i was the envy of many fellow high school kids cuz my car was fast, although ugly. after being rebuilt, it had 2 diff head casting numbers, a summit 224@.050 cam, performer intake, carter afb 600 cfm carb, headers, accel supercoil and dual 2.5" glasspacks. to this day, ive still not had a car YET that provided me with the unforgettable memories that i made in that car. but time waits for nobody and eventually that car got older and worn out and i buckled to the rising gas prices and purchased a 6 cyl car to replace it. the guy who bought it did so only for the engine and i knew, while i was watching that car being loaded onto a flatbed, a chapter of my life had been completed.
years passed and although i had a couple hot rods during that time none "grabbed" me like that first nova.
then, in november of '04, out of the blue, i bidded on a 2 door LN on ebay and won the car. i went to pick it up 3 days later. i talked to the guy on the phone and since this was my first ebay purchase, i got a walk through on how the transaction would go. basically, i said id be paying with cash and driving it home. he(chuck p.)said the car would be waiting. after 6 hours of driving one way i finally arrived at the address i was given only to not see the car anywhere in sight. right away i was nervous, thinking i was about to be mugged for the money i had on me. so i rang the doorbell and chuck hit the button for his garage door opener.
this is strange to have an epiphony about a car, but thats exactly what it was. AS the garage door opened i, for the first time in person, laid eyes on the most pristine, beautifully restored nova i've ever seen. im telling you it looked like the guys at OVERHAULING had finished the car just a few minutes before. it was brown, which i am not normally a fan of. but this car "grabbed" me. although it was totally restored to almost stock, i didnt see it for what it was. i seen it for what IT WOULD BE. chuck provided me with receipts for everything he had done to it, and the only deviations from stock was the wide tires and 4 brrl carb. since that day ive been methodically building a parts pile in my dining room with visions in my head of a stock appearing car with the heart of a racer. that heart will measure 400ci, have AFR 195 heads, 1 3/4" headers into 2.5" dual flowmasters, a racey 700r4, and 4.10 posi. there isnt a day that goes by now that i dont scheme for ways to get this car to completion in the quickest amount of time possible.
but before i can do that, i have to thin the stable of hot rods ive built up over the years. anyone looking for a 383 s truck or 78 malibu rolling chassis(donating its 400, alum rad and slapshifter) or g-body perf parts?
Can't beleive I haven't posted in here yet, I have everywhere else. Been a member since last year. It was may of 2004. My dad had owned a 67SS for about 2 years. Saw it in the auto trader and flew from ONT to NB to get it. Bought it sight unseen and drove it home. Now this is a sweet car, red, 327, 4spd muncie (tight ratio) and 12 bolt posi. We were coming home from somewhere, I was pissed that day, and he took me for a boot. Driving home, saw a Blue 76SS that had been for sale in the hometown for 4 years. Never really knew what kinda muscle car I wanted, but I had crashed my truck a year before and was currently driving a 73 Super Beetle. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun car to drive, BUT, in the winter, with only a gas heater, and 165s on teh wheels, its not fun. We stopped in to look at the car. Its baby blue silver (like on corvettes, not sre of the colour). White vynl top and sat pretty nicely given its age. Seller was in the driveway and came to us right away. popped the hood, and I saw a clean 350 with headers. No leaks, etc. Said it was all original, painted once, and interior done once but too original specs. On the plus side he said they found the build sheet in the springs under the front seat and was with the car. Now I was loving this car, it sounded tight, it looked good, and was the same colour as my beetle (chicks dig it ). The key factor yet is that I had not looked inside the car. The owner got out (second owner in fact, I am the third, and the first was a woman who lived in North Carolina). I looked in the car and saw the stick shift! Unreal, an original 350 4spd novaSS to go along with the old mans 67ss. I bought the car before driving it, and got in ad loved every minute of it. Gas milage doesn't bother me, I just like to hear the whine of the gears and engine as I rocket around. Nothing beats owning one of these. PLEASE take alook at the pics and let me know your thoughts, if you need closer pics let me know
Sweet76SS
Your car looks great. I am glad to see that you left everything as origional and did not remove the factory console or the "Cabriolet Roof". That's what makes your car unique and one-of-a-kind. The padded roof was part of the era in the 70's,as was hood pins and rear window louvers of the muscle cars.
Don
One day I decided I needed a car and went to buy an auto trader. There I saw an ad for a 1976 2-Door Nova w/250 L6. Also came with a rebuildable 350 long block and a parts car with no motor. I went to see it the same day and bought it. It needed the transmission replaced, which I did the next day. Used the tranny from parts car. Its been along time now and I have done alot of work both inside and out, and I am barely finishing up body work. I do have a 350 sitting in it now.
My Father bought it new in 1976
I bought it in 1979
I Pro Streeted it in 1989
It has a 12 bolt narrowed rear with 4:56 gears and posi, Had,Turbo 350 trans with Shift Kit and Super Holeshot B&M convertor Now it has a Bowtie Overdrives Level 3 200 4r ,It runs a 350 Small Block for now with all the dress up goodies, All stock with Catalyistic convertors, Due to Emissions Laws in my Home State. Had a killer Big Block in it until a few years ago but had to switch for emissions reasons. Hope to put a 502 in it in Future. Paint was redone 2 winters ago and wheels updated same time Run 14x15 Torque Thrust 2s on back with same in front but 6x15 Back tires are Hoosiers Pro Street Radials 31x18.-15 Front are futuras
Add My WebShot Pics of the last 3 years of car and repaint and carshows I attended with it My Pics
__________________ prorat@comcast.net
NNN Member #41221
Prostreet Fraternity
Last edited by ProNova; 14th-August-2005 at 11:23 AM..
My mom purchased a used 75 Nova coupe (3 on a tree/250) back in February 1976 as a replacement for a 65 Chevy II 4-door. The vehicle has been in the family since, and was once driven when I was in high school. Since 1997, it has been parked in the garage after a grenaded 350 totalled a $1500 powerplant.
Since then, the squirt job (done back in 1988) has been abused to the point where I have considered turning my vehicle into another art car. I have been working on the vehicle since June 2001, usually on and off, and lowered in a rebuilt 305 (from my other art vehicle) along with a THM350-C tranny (also rebuilt with new parts). As of this writing, the interior has been stripped awaiting a rewiring job, along with a tilt column salvaged from a derelict 75 Ventura.
Current status - under construction (future plans include Vortec 520s or 059s in place of the 601 cylinder heads on a rebuilt 305, along with a 700R4 swap and 30X9.50R15s on 2 derelict Chevrolet truck rallies (will consider the use of Cadillac Seville axleshafts).
__________________
DON "The Emissary" SERIBUTRA
Montrose Patriot Photography & Promotions(myspace.com/montrosepatriot)
75 Nova coupe
81 Blazer 4 x 4 a.k.a. Montrose Patriot Art Vehicle
As another newbie, I'd like to say hello to all the 4th gens as well as all generation Nova folks.
My first car at 16 was a base 2 door '78 6 cylinder that had a 3 speed column shift with the rear pop-out windows. Dad ordered it in silver with a black interior and 2.73 posi rear. I still remember when he picked it up from the dealership and went directly to the gas station. (Back then, they only gave you 1/4 tank of gas. The rest was up to you!)
Dad used the car to tow a 15 foot bowrider from home to the water (about 20 miles.) He parked the car in 1985 after getting a bigger boat and realizing he needed a bigger engine. Needless to say he found a 78 305 4 door, and the 2 door was mine a year later.
First partial resto I learned the bad and ugly of bondo and not having a good place to paint. Second resto I learned the good about a partial quarter panel (other side got a full replacement thanks to some dude in a Chysler blowing a stop sign) and bad about rivets. This time paint was a little better after having it sprayed by a professional.
Sadly, I had to part with the car when I lost storage but am currently looking for a replacement.
Thanks to all who host, moderate and participate in this site. Keep up the excellent work!
My story (taken from the May 1997 issue of The Nova Times):
I have always been a car nut for as long as I can remember. My first encounter with Novas came from my friend Chris Wood. The first car Chris ever owned was a '73 Nova with 307 V8. First we added a 4bbl and dual exhaust. Then came a 350 and a posi rear. When I started looking for my first car, all I wanted was a Nova because I was so familiar with them. Chris and I worked at a gas station at the time and one day this old lady came in and told us that she was interested in selling her Nova. I bought it from her for $800 in 1988 with 33,000 miles on the odometer. She had gotten it in 1981 with 16,000 miles when her brother (the original owner) passed away. Except for a bad carburetor and a sagging rear, it was in good shape. The original color was silver but the lady had it painted gray a few years before. The body had no major rust but was starting to show signs in the lower quarter panels and under the back windows.
I replaced the leaf springs and the 1 bbl carburetor on the 250 straight 6 to get it running healthy and level. New quarters were welded on and other little imperfections were fixed. The car was left in multiple shades of gray primer due to the lack of funds to get a good paint job.
As a car nut and a drag race fan, I wanted to find out how quick my Nova was. In stock condition it ran a best of 17.9 at 76 mph in the quarter mile. This was too slow for my taste. At around 50,000 miles I hot rodded the 250 a little with a 390 cfm Holley 4 barrel on an Offenhauser aluminum intake, a 1965 230 cid cylinder head, a .502" lift Crane cam, Hooker headers, and a 3.42 open rear from a 73 Nova.
It ran a best 16.1 at 84 mph with all the changes I made. Not bad but still nowhere near the 14 second range I was looking for. As hard as I tried it would not break into the 15's. I drove it like this for a while until I got fed up with 5 liter Mustangs kicking my tail. With 80,000 miles now on the original block and pistons, the poor 6 was becoming tired. The last 30,000 were really hard with all the changes I had made. The time had come for a more appropriate power plant for my quarter mile desires.
In 1992 I put in a rebuilt small block from Speed Equip Engine Shop in Andalusia, PA. It's a 69 Camaro 327 with a 66 L79 cam and stock heads. I also installed a TH350 trans from a 71 El Camino (rebuilt by Jerry's transmission) with a shift kit and a 2500 B&M HoleShot converter. Later that same year I installed a 3.90 posi rear built by Wayne Jack Rearends in Johnstown, PA. The exhaust system consists of Hooker headers and a Flowmaster Force II system. The Flowmaster system is listed for 67-74 Camaro/Firebird and 68-74 Nova but it will also fit 75-79 Novas as well. It has a 2 1/2 inch aluminized H pipe, a single 2 chamber dual inlet and outlet muffler (that fits in the stock location up and behind the rear axle) and 2 1/2 inch aluminized tail pipes.
The interior needed some going over so I installed a new carpet from Auto Custom Carpets. I salvaged bucket seats from a 81 Monza and had J&J Seat Covers reupholster them and the original back seat. I installed them with a 76 Nova console and a Hurst Pro-Matic 2 shifter. To reduce the weight I replaced the hood with a fiberglass cowl induction hood from Unlimited Fiberglass. I also replaced the bumpers with fiberglass duplicates from VFN and I added Weld DragLite-II wheels. For traction I relocated the battery to the trunk and installed Lakewood traction bars. The Competition Engineering subframe connectors and Mickey Thompson Sportsman Pro tires also help the car run 13.5 at 102 mph. Now it had some power but it still needed paint.
From May until August of 1994 The Uni-Body Shop Inc. in Philadelphia dismantled the body, removed all glass, sanded it down to bare metal and painted it the original shade of silver (GM code 13). The parts department of Bryner Chevrolet in Jenkintown, PA found me numerous small items such as door handles, tail light lenses and bezels, weather-stripping, body bushings etc. to make the finishing touches. Although mine is not an original SS car, I learned that a 76 SS Nova was only a stripe kit and SS badges that could even be ordered with a straight six. Because of this I found a Rally Nova grill and added Nova SS emblems. Future plans for the car include better heads (aluminum, 64cc chambers with 2.02"/1.60" valves) and detailing the engine compartment more.
Hi all, guess I will take this spot to introduce my project. I was working on a '83 Caprice as kind of a cheap version of a Mercedes E55, and then a friend took me out for an open track day at Buttonwillow Raceway (road racing). I was hooked, and the Caprice was on it's way out because of it's weight. I had a pretty nice front suspension and brake setup, so what better car to put it on than a nice light 4th gen Nova?
I found my project on Craigslist- $150 for a clean shell of a 1977 hatchback. I towed it home, cleared up the title, and now I'm in the process of stripping it and prepping for paint. Here's some pics.
I think that I will be building this a little differently than most folks here, I hope I'm not thrown out as a heretic! Straightline performance is fun, but I'm one of those guys that enjoy getting around the corners fast too! With that said, this car will be built up to handle, with performance first and looks secondary-"plushness" is way down the list! It will be used as a street car primarily, so the build-up will be a balancing act. I'm hoping to keep the weight around 3000 pounds, I'd be curious to see if you think that is realistic.
Here's some more pics, so you can see the front brakes and some of the crazy guys I hang around with.
Looking forward to learning as much as I can here!
Brian
Hey everybody. Just joined this forum, figured id post a little about my 4th gen.
I have a 1976 Nova 2dr. Im guessing it was one of the cheapest models you could buy because it had no emblems at all on the car, and its not because somebody shaved them because I have had the car all the way to the metal and saw no body filler or places they may have welded up. It also does not have back up lights, or wiring for them. When I first got the car it was lowered. I couldnt stand it when it was lowered, it drug on everything in sight. I pulled a reflector up out of the road once. It was dragging my mufflers and headers flat, I said to myself "this **** has got to go". For the front end I just put stock nova front springs under it (mine had been cut), and put all new bushings under the front. Then I had to set the rear up, since it looked like it was doing a wheelie going down the road. Whoever owned the car before me had welded 3" blocks on the rear end to make it sit lower. They were welded in badly and made the rear end set out of alignment making the car vibrate. Not only that, but the shocks (right where they bolt to the plate) wore the inside of the tires out. So I took the rear end out and cut the blocks off, didnt have to worry about finding new mounting plates and U-joints...the traction bars I bought took that place . I went ahead and added some 4.88's while I was at it, the car already had a LSD.
This is the 2nd of 3 4th Gen Nova's I have owned (btw im 19), this is the only one I still have. The first was a 1976 2dr I ended up trading to my cousin for a 77 camaro and he later trashed the nova out and ended up pulling the engine for a s10 v8 swap and the nova ended up being a dirt track car sadly. The 3rd was a 1978 2dr nova custom. My other cousin ended up with it, same story....ended up trying to fix it up but really trashed it, blew the engine and long story short ended its life as a dirt track car. I dont think im going to do any more trading to family. Im also going to hang onto this nova and make sure the same thing dont happen to it.
It has a 350 4 bolt main, with a few "goodies" such as 2.02/1.60 valves, 280 dur. .490 lift comp cam, edelbrock intake and carb....etc. Has a TH400 with a B&M shift kit backing that up, and following the transmission up is a posi trac 8.5 10 bolt with a set of richmond 4.88's. The car is painted competition orange, looks good but since I had no nice paint booth I had some overspray...im going to fine sand that off and put a few more layers of paint on soon. Here are just a couple of pics, its currently orange...so most of these other pics are older ones ill have to get some new ones up soon. I need a bigger aircleaner, but dont have much room. I put a carb spacer on but took it off because I couldnt run a air cleaner and close the hood.
Newer pic:
Engine:
Playing around (burnout)
Older pic while primed black, water can really make primer shine lol:
Just a couple I took during body work and paint...good excuse for me to take a break
BTW: How many Novas had metal trim around the side window's instead of "chrome"? The other 2 novas I had, had chrome, and most novas I see around have chrome. This one has metal trim though.
__________________
1954 Belair
1958 Apache
1964 Impala
1976 Nova
1979 Chevy SWB PU
1981 Mazda Rx7
1996 Ranger
Last edited by SSuperNOVA; 25th-September-2005 at 09:27 AM..
Got mine from a buddy's brother,Worked on it for 3 year's to get it in it's current condition.A bundle of money and time and this is what she look's like today.[IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG]
Last edited by 1975ssnova; 27th-November-2005 at 12:45 AM..
I bought the car for $200 early in 2003. I always wanted a car I could build myself, and it was a good project to get my mind off my divorce at the time.
It didn't have a motor or tranny and was only missing the headlight bezels and a headliner. The body was in great shape with only minor rusting around the passenger rocker panel, driver side floor board, and lower core support.
I immediately had a vision of my dream car, not knowing at the time how difficult that would be to achieve with original parts. I set out to rebuild my car from the ground up. Her name is Jade, because of the color scheme I had in mind for it, and now my daughters name.
I originally had some help when I started. They painted the engine compartment Red and began the body work, but when I realized they were more interested in doing their way, and parts and supplies came up missing, I decided that it was time to do it myself if I wanted it done right.
I added all new suspension including 6 leafs in the rear, fully rebuilt 350 (2nd motor- cracked the block on the 1st one) with Comp Cams Magnum Series 292 cam and valvetrain, Edelbrock RPM Airgap Intake and Holley Street Avenger 670cfm carb, Summit 50,000volt HEI distributor, Proform Electric Water Pump, and Derale 4,000cfm dual Electric fan and , Summit headers and dual 40 Series Flowmaster Mufflers through Summit X-pipes.
I also added power steering and brakes (originally had manual), and all new rotors and drums.
I still have the original 7.5" 10-bolt 2.73 rear-end which I'm hoping to swap to an 8.5" 3.42 or 3.73 gear. A Ford 9" would be nice, but don't have the knowledge or money to convert it.
For the interior, I removed the front bench seat and added racing buckets. Since I have swapped to 70 Camaro buckets. I also redid the gauge console and will probably redo it since I'm not satisfied with it:
I'm still in the process 3 years later, and still having fun building it. It still needs new paint, but I'm saving that for last. I'm living by the rule: "Take your time, and get 'er done right!"
It's definitely been an adventure so far with many ups and downs, but I know the finished product will be well worth it when it's done. I definitely have to finish it, cause I can't sell it (More in the engine alone than what I can buy a complete SS for, lol).
there's the current car, a 1979 2 door, 355 LT1 (an original 1970 corvette LT1 block,with 11.5:1 pistons,currently running dart sportsman heads,performer RPM intake and 750 Edelbrock carb,TH350, and a 5:13 12 bolt rear, best ET 12.24 @ 118 .
Has not been out on the track all year due to other commitments,etc, maybe next summer.
My current project is a 'low-buck' G-machine based on a 'restified' 1976 Nova Medalist. more info and maybe a few pics to follow.
I've been a 4th generation Nova fan forever (15+ years), and always took some ribbing for likeing those ugly new models :-) , even from my brother who only likes 1973-4 big bumper cars ( he has 3 now).
have owned many, some beaters (75 Nova S),some other projects / race cars (75 hatchback,327,Th350 with brake,5:31's), and many parts cars,etc along the way.
I also currently have a 1977 Nova Rally that I purchased in 1990 with 54,000 miles - 305, TH200,no guages,bench seat,open rear - currently has just over 100K on it, been kept up and stored winters,etc but Ny rust is taking it's toll - doors and rear wheelhouses all rotted out, as well as the front floorpans and dash top .
being the rally package was a 'decor' option more than performance, been thinking of parting it out - save the rally equip for a possible down the road project, then use the freshly rebuilt (springs,shocks,urethane bushings,etc) front end for my 76.
Just hate to see it go, after 15 years it's sort of part of the family, so sad to see it in such bad shape.
Well, enough rambling for tonight, glad to find the board, and look forward to getting to know my felow 75-9 Nova nuts !
~ AL
Last edited by Green Dragon; 17th-December-2005 at 03:43 AM..
). The key factor yet is that I had not looked inside the car. The owner got out (second owner in fact, I am the third, and the first was a woman who lived in North Carolina). I looked in the car and saw the stick shift! Unreal, an original 350 4spd novaSS to go along with the old mans 67ss. I bought the car before driving it, and got in ad loved every minute of it. Gas milage doesn't bother me, I just like to hear the whine of the gears and engine as I rocket around. Nothing beats owning one of these. PLEASE take alook at the pics and let me know your thoughts, if you need closer pics let me know 
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