1975 Nova Custom Pro Street (Updates for 2013!)
I'm the next noob to try to make this place home, so I hope to begin on a good foot, and hope to learn alot more about the 4th Gen Nova.
Anyway, I felt the need to come in out of nowhere, and show off my 4th gen, but please be warned, I'm known to be long winded so bare with me
My car happens to be a 1975 Chevrolet Nova Custom. Originally fixed up by my Uncle back in 1984, it was ment to be an eighth mile bracket car. He wasn't exactly made of money, but he did nearly all the work himself.
He orginally dropped a 454cui Big Block bored .030 over, with a tunnel ram setup.
A built Turbo Hydro 400 from a Company known as "Transmission Specialties," and a Narrowed GM 10 bolt with 4:11 gears.
It was rumored for the longest time that, in this section of West Virginia, it was the very first car to get a tube job. I don't know how true this is, but I use it as bragging rights... lol
He never really did all that great in the 3 years he drove the car, due to rearend failures, and broken driveshafts, til he installed the narrowed Ford Nine with Strange Engineering axles, and heavy duty driveshaft.
The car was pretty strong then, but 1987 was a dreedful year...
Weeks after the racing season kicked in, he blew the 454. He biult another one but with a single plain intake and Nos Nitrous System, but was tragicly killed in a car wrech about a week after dropping the fresh 454 in the engine bay. He wasn't driving the Nova when he was killed.
My grandpa, who happens to be the father of my uncle kept the car in a garage under his Used Car business for 15 years after that, never to part with it, never to work on it... He was known to always say, "The business will fall on the car before it leaves it's spot."
Growing up, I have always loved the stories of my Uncle, and became a huge car buff as a result. The man was/is my hero, and his car was my dream car. I admired everything that man did, and inspired me to follow in his footsteps.
Well, after I had obtained my driver license, knowing that I wanted that car, my grandpa handed the keys to me... Well, little did I know at the time that 15 years is a long time for a car to sit, and with little knowledge I had working on cars, he figured, I couldnt do anything with it.
The summer afterwards, every dime I had made cutting grass, working in the hay feilds, and Birthday money, etc. went into the car. by the end of the summer, with my dad's and grandpa's help, I had that car rolling down the road for the first time in 15 years.... smoking, backfiring, stalling.... blew both mufflers clear off the momment I got back to my grandpa's lot... broke a piston in the process.... man was this car in bad shape.
but it was odd, because other than the engine being a complete waste when I got it, the rest of the car wasnt so bad. The transmission just leaked was all.
well, 7 years later the car is looking and running alot better. Spent 2 years alone rebuilding my 454, and til recently, the only body work needed is rust coming up through the white stripes on the hood, cowl, and trunk.
Finally, here are some pictures of what is now known to be "Chucky" named after my uncle.... and for the fact that it's an unpredictable car....
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I need to take a better pic of the interior... this picture wass actually taken in 2004.
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Here's a very short video I took recently of my car... Very mild exhaust compared to the overall look of the car IMO... I'll be uncapping the headers soon for my next video, so I promise that will sound better
The Nova was running alil off that day, due to sitting for some time, and running on lower grade pump gas. got a few more bugs to work out before I get it insured and licensed for the road.... hard to really mess with it now that I cant use my grandpa's dealer plates anymore. His business hasn't been doing so well in these times....
Here is what the car looked like before my Uncle Chuck fixed it up in 1984, the year I was born...
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And, lastly, here is my uncle weeks before he was killed, working on his new 454.....
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I'm the next noob to try to make this place home, so I hope to begin on a good foot, and hope to learn alot more about the 4th Gen Nova.
Anyway, I felt the need to come in out of nowhere, and show off my 4th gen, but please be warned, I'm known to be long winded so bare with me
My car happens to be a 1975 Chevrolet Nova Custom. Originally fixed up by my Uncle back in 1984, it was ment to be an eighth mile bracket car. He wasn't exactly made of money, but he did nearly all the work himself.
He orginally dropped a 454cui Big Block bored .030 over, with a tunnel ram setup.
A built Turbo Hydro 400 from a Company known as "Transmission Specialties," and a Narrowed GM 10 bolt with 4:11 gears.
It was rumored for the longest time that, in this section of West Virginia, it was the very first car to get a tube job. I don't know how true this is, but I use it as bragging rights... lol
He never really did all that great in the 3 years he drove the car, due to rearend failures, and broken driveshafts, til he installed the narrowed Ford Nine with Strange Engineering axles, and heavy duty driveshaft.
The car was pretty strong then, but 1987 was a dreedful year...
Weeks after the racing season kicked in, he blew the 454. He biult another one but with a single plain intake and Nos Nitrous System, but was tragicly killed in a car wrech about a week after dropping the fresh 454 in the engine bay. He wasn't driving the Nova when he was killed.
My grandpa, who happens to be the father of my uncle kept the car in a garage under his Used Car business for 15 years after that, never to part with it, never to work on it... He was known to always say, "The business will fall on the car before it leaves it's spot."
Growing up, I have always loved the stories of my Uncle, and became a huge car buff as a result. The man was/is my hero, and his car was my dream car. I admired everything that man did, and inspired me to follow in his footsteps.
Well, after I had obtained my driver license, knowing that I wanted that car, my grandpa handed the keys to me... Well, little did I know at the time that 15 years is a long time for a car to sit, and with little knowledge I had working on cars, he figured, I couldnt do anything with it.
The summer afterwards, every dime I had made cutting grass, working in the hay feilds, and Birthday money, etc. went into the car. by the end of the summer, with my dad's and grandpa's help, I had that car rolling down the road for the first time in 15 years.... smoking, backfiring, stalling.... blew both mufflers clear off the momment I got back to my grandpa's lot... broke a piston in the process.... man was this car in bad shape.
but it was odd, because other than the engine being a complete waste when I got it, the rest of the car wasnt so bad. The transmission just leaked was all.
well, 7 years later the car is looking and running alot better. Spent 2 years alone rebuilding my 454, and til recently, the only body work needed is rust coming up through the white stripes on the hood, cowl, and trunk.
Finally, here are some pictures of what is now known to be "Chucky" named after my uncle.... and for the fact that it's an unpredictable car....
I need to take a better pic of the interior... this picture wass actually taken in 2004.
Here's a very short video I took recently of my car... Very mild exhaust compared to the overall look of the car IMO... I'll be uncapping the headers soon for my next video, so I promise that will sound better
Here is what the car looked like before my Uncle Chuck fixed it up in 1984, the year I was born...
And, lastly, here is my uncle weeks before he was killed, working on his new 454.....
