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57 Posts
So the title is kind of misleading, as the car was already together and being driven as of December 2013. In any case, my name is Don and I have had a 1969 since I was 18. I had a 1969 Chevelle since I was 16, but my father wanted me to have economical transportation for college and I bought the Nova, because it was Chevrolet’s economy car of the 1960s (I still have the Chevelle). It was a no engine basket case that I slapped a Corvette TPI motor into along with a 700-R4, had Maaco paint it, and drove it to and from in college.
The car was wrecked a couple times since the (one skidding Ford Ranger and later, one very dumb deer), but I loved it and I rebuilt it. I pounded on it in College and after, making tons of passes at Sacramento Raceway and, more recently, at autocross and road course events.
Here is the car parked outside of my apartment near UC Santa Barbara
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Car at Fontana for LA Invasion
Run to the Coast 2011
Run to the Coast 2012
Run to the Coast 2013
After more than 10 years of daily driving, this car was starting to show its age and in light of the fact that it is difficult to transport my wife and newborn daughter, Eisleym on my motorcycle (newest vehicle I have ever owned, 1975 CB550!), I have decided to update my Nova to handle the rigors of daily driving all while being fun. Here is what I am starting with:
L98 Corvette 350 with LT4 HotCam, Holley StealthRam, and EZ-EFI 1.0
T56 out of an LT1 Camaro
8.5 10 bolt with a TrueTrac and 3.90s
Hotchkis Performance Leaf Springs
SPC Control Arms with a RideTech TruTurn Tall Spindle kit
13” C4HD front disc brakes w/ Wilwood Calipers
12” rear brakes by Wilwood
17X8 Edelbrock 454s
So the bones of the car are already there. Sure, I want a more powerful motor and a more sophisticated rear suspension, but that is not in the cards. Yet. Here is what I will be doing:
Install Vintage Air GenIV Magnum
Strip, fix all rust/crappy repair from POs and young & stupid me.
Completely adapt 73-74 doors to the car (I HATE wing windows)
Install sound deadening and insulation
Install new interior with Procar Rallys and their nifty back seat covers
Battery relocation to rear to compensate for weight of A/C
Either Widen the rear wheels to 17X10 to run 275/40R17 without the bubble sidewall with 255/40R17 in the front.
OR
Buy TSW Tremblants 18X9.5 and rock 275/35R17s on all 4 corners
Please feel free give me any advice you can think of. I have built many cars in short 29 years on this planet, but I have seen a massive knowledge base on SNS lurking all these years. More pics should be following in the coming days and weeks. I am shooting to drive the car to the TCI BBQ on June 7th, but with my luck, I *might* make the MiniNats in September.
Don
The car was wrecked a couple times since the (one skidding Ford Ranger and later, one very dumb deer), but I loved it and I rebuilt it. I pounded on it in College and after, making tons of passes at Sacramento Raceway and, more recently, at autocross and road course events.
Here is the car parked outside of my apartment near UC Santa Barbara
Car at Fontana for LA Invasion
Run to the Coast 2011
Run to the Coast 2012
Run to the Coast 2013
After more than 10 years of daily driving, this car was starting to show its age and in light of the fact that it is difficult to transport my wife and newborn daughter, Eisleym on my motorcycle (newest vehicle I have ever owned, 1975 CB550!), I have decided to update my Nova to handle the rigors of daily driving all while being fun. Here is what I am starting with:
L98 Corvette 350 with LT4 HotCam, Holley StealthRam, and EZ-EFI 1.0
T56 out of an LT1 Camaro
8.5 10 bolt with a TrueTrac and 3.90s
Hotchkis Performance Leaf Springs
SPC Control Arms with a RideTech TruTurn Tall Spindle kit
13” C4HD front disc brakes w/ Wilwood Calipers
12” rear brakes by Wilwood
17X8 Edelbrock 454s
So the bones of the car are already there. Sure, I want a more powerful motor and a more sophisticated rear suspension, but that is not in the cards. Yet. Here is what I will be doing:
Install Vintage Air GenIV Magnum
Strip, fix all rust/crappy repair from POs and young & stupid me.
Completely adapt 73-74 doors to the car (I HATE wing windows)
Install sound deadening and insulation
Install new interior with Procar Rallys and their nifty back seat covers
Battery relocation to rear to compensate for weight of A/C
Either Widen the rear wheels to 17X10 to run 275/40R17 without the bubble sidewall with 255/40R17 in the front.
OR
Buy TSW Tremblants 18X9.5 and rock 275/35R17s on all 4 corners
Please feel free give me any advice you can think of. I have built many cars in short 29 years on this planet, but I have seen a massive knowledge base on SNS lurking all these years. More pics should be following in the coming days and weeks. I am shooting to drive the car to the TCI BBQ on June 7th, but with my luck, I *might* make the MiniNats in September.
Don
