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66 Chevy Nova race vs street

4K views 29 replies 23 participants last post by  TurboBu 
#1 ·
I need to make a decision.

I have a 66 Chevy II Nova Hardtop that is pretty radical. 14.2 Compression, ladder bar, mini tub, trans brake etc etc it has gone 9.7 at 143 mph in the qtr in Denver.

Heres my question.
I love the car and its very nice but too much to drive on the street.

Should I pull motor & install street motor or sell and start over?
 
#2 ·
I say it depends on your emotional connection to the car. I had a 55 that was a beautiful street car that I slowly over a period of 11 years turned into a mid 10 second drag car. Gutted it, aluminum interior, fiberglass front and of course I sold all the seats and steel. I wanted so bad to put it back on the street but would have cost too much so I sold it and bought our 66 nova. I'd really love another 55 street car but I don't think it'd be the same since my old one had been with me since I was 16. If yours could be converted easily enough and you're attached to it, go for it.
 
#4 ·
Is it just the engine that is a little much? Or is the car more race right now? My Chevelle is missing the wiring harnesses, and would require exhaust. The roll cage prohibits any more than 2 people being in the car, and the engine would need a detune. If yours is truly streetable but the engine is a little radical, I would detune it and drive it. The car has a ton more value being a dual purpose car than strictly a drag car. Even a car capable of high 10's low 11's at Denver is respectable. I kicked around for years putting mine back on the street, but in the end bought a street car at a "reasonable" price. It's no show car, but it's a project to keep me busy. Here is the Chevelle.

 
#5 ·
My car will never be track only... It's just pointless in my opinion. I want to be able to enjoy it outside of the track. However you do have alot of compression to be cruising the streets.. I'd swap pistons, throw on some mufflers and get out and enjoy it. Back in 2008, My car was running bottom 10's on a thursday night test and tune and friday morning I tossed my bookbag in and drove it to school! These cars are too neat to not be out raising hell in! :yes:

 
#6 ·
I agree- dual purpose when you can.
my 66 will be a mid to low 12 sec car with its 383.
the 72 nova is likely keeping the 13.4cid dome 383 and driving it on the street with some sweet smelling gas! :D
love both pics- good to see you drive it on the street.
second pics is bitchin!
 
#9 ·
Race vs Street vs New Project

Well it is licensed, has working head lights, tail lights, and sort of mufflers. It is the compression that kills it...gas at $10 gallon is kinda high, but smells sweet. I will probably wait to spring to make a decision as its put away for the winter. I would post pics if I could figure it out....
 
#12 ·
Not to interrupt, but the only problem I found with converting to E85 (I wanted to). Is that its hard finding a station that carries it... The fear of going on a long drive and not finding your fuel would make me nervous.
 
#11 ·
Reno, go to photobucket.com and make a free account... you can upload your pictures there and then you just copy and paste the URL code to here.
My car is only 9.5:1, so thats how I get away with it, I drive and race on 91-93 octane, but have even raced on 87. I get roughly 10-12mpg in the nova, my truck gets 12... lol Also my car is minitubbed, ladder bar'd, full spool, straight pipes with bullet mufflers, transbrake... You can make it work man, and I think you will enjoy your car more being able to drive it.
 
#13 ·
You know, I bought my 66 Nova from the original owner in 1991' for 2500 bucks. It was a 283 with a 3 in the tree, and 10 bolt with a 3.08 gear. It had 221,000 miles, and the only thing not original was the hub caps, and the gas cap. After getting it on the road in 1997' I drove it to shows, and cruise ins for a few years, but living in the real world with all the wreaks we have, I felt running on the strip would be safer, so I put a cage in it, very removable, and started drag racing it. Bottom-line I still my Nova, just don't have worry about some dumbazz running into me on the street. If I crash it...that's my fault.
Good luck, Mark
 
#14 ·
Reno, I would think about where we live, I also live in the Denver area and find that it's hard to justify a strip only car. Bandimere is only open from May unitl October, it's not like the east or west coast where they race almost year round. I would try to put it back to more street worthy and enjoy it. Just my .02
 
#15 ·
I know alot of guys who are running E85 in race cars. The one thing I discovered from them is that not all E85 is equal. They actually test the gas before they buy much and when they find good E85 they tell everyone and they all go buy some. They claim E85 is very often not up to snuff. Several of them have hurt motors due to bad E85 so do some research before you swap to it as a fix for compression. I have cut up alot of cars to make them total race cars. Most people who cut up their neat street cars end up regretting doing it. My suggestion is, if you want a race car buy one or build one from something you buy with the intention of cutting it up. The Nova I have now should never have been cut up, it was way too nice of a body. Just saying. I could have bought a parts car and cut it since race cars usually end up with aluminum interiors and mostly aftermarket fiberglas.
 
#20 ·
De-tune it and run it

I agree with most of the other guys here. If you are only going to have 1 car then you should have a more streetable car that you can enjoy year round. New pistons, cam, (maybe heads) etc. and you can start running the snot outta it.
I am building a 67 Chevelle with a new LS2 crate motor for the street and a 66 Nova Altered wheelbase car for playing at the track. Here in Arizona we can drag race year round.
 
#21 ·
There becomes a point where you have to decide on which it's going to be, either a race car or street car. Bottom line is you can't have both unless you are willing to live with compromises. We had to finally just have both to be happy which was my long term dream anyway. I always wanted a muscle car, street rod, & race car but it wasn't possible until I was in my 50's. I've had muscle cars since high school and went through the motorcycle phase, the boat phase as well. I like them all but had to just be satisfied with one at a time until later years when money became more available. I think the bottom line is you are never totally satisfied no matter how many you have even though you can only use one at a time. :D
 
#25 ·
It really depends on how much cash you have.If you want a street/strip car and still want to get some mileage then a LSX motor with FI is the plan.I've been on both sides of the fence a 100 times and turbos are my choice.A turbo or blower on a LS style motor will make crazy power and still get 25 MPG with an overdrive trans.I have a 2000 C5 that runs 9.90s @ 144 and still gets over 20MPG.You can run pump gas with Meth and forget about E85 and race fuel.Plan on dropping 20K to do it right.
If you want to stay old school then pull your motor and put a street motor together.You might decide the street is too many problems so I wouldn't sell your race stuf or pull your motor apart.
Good luck.
 
#28 ·
I personally will never have a full bodied "racecar". My Malibu has a stock '03 5.3 vortec truck engine down to stock torque convertor, intake and exhaust manifolds. It get 20+MPG runs 13.30's on the motor, 11.95 on a 150 shot and has run 11.53 on 275 2stage shot. It has A/C power brakes, steering and full interior. It WILL run 10.50's or less with the master power T76 turbo that I have for it and higher stall convertor on a "STOCK" $500 engine. My '62 HT car is getting a turbo 6.0 vortec A/C, overdrive, full interior, stereo and WILL get 20+MPG and runs at least as quick a 9.50 on a stock 80,xxx bottom end. FI EFI engines make great street strip car power plants. Ladder bars and hiem joints make for poor street manners. I'm totally comfortable with a full spool on the street.
 
#29 · (Edited)
I totally agree with the concept of a street/strip car. My wife calls the Nova a "race car". I tell her no, it is a street car that I race. The closest track to me is 85 milies, the closest 1/4 mile track is 115 miles, and I make the drive down and back thru LA traffic which can get ugly. :eek: I once drove down for a race and it started raining on the way. Since I was almost there, I kept going and the race was canceled. Between that and the previous day I put about 380 miles on it in 24 hours. I have considered getting a trailer for it, but I like the idea of driving to the track, running mid-11s then driving home. :yes:

I do have a question that I have been struggling with for a while now. I'd like to make some changes to get into the 10's but just not sure if I want a roll bar. I know it would be safer regardless of my et, but it would destroy the sleeper feel. I have a stock interior, fairly quiet exhaust, stock gas tank, flat hood, etc. so I have surprised a few people when they see what my et is. I like the Nova the way it is but, sure would be nice to run 10s and drive it back home. If I pull the trigger, what type of harness should I go with? Can I still use my stock seat belts if I want?
 
#30 ·
I put camlock harnesses in my offroad rig and an old time drag racer buddy of mine almost flipped out because another old racer he knew died in a wreck because he had taken the latch apart and didn't get it back together right. The camlocks are WAY easier to get put on. Don't take the latch apart
 
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