[cnowak]

Hi everyone,
My name is Chris and I own a 1972 Nova with 396 motor and 350 trans, 12 bolt rear end, no power steering but power brakes.
Long story short I bought this car 2 years ago and was pretty unlucky with it. Had to have the motor rebuilt and many other issues taken care of. Still, it's not a showcar and I didn't buy it to be one. I just want to have fun with the hobby as it's my first old muscle car purchase. Unfortunately, hobbies cost money! I also own a Challenger Scat Pack so definitely love power

I am looking for repair shops in the northwest burbs as I am in Lake Zurich,IL.

I can get more specific with what needs me to be done but I have been burned by shops before and just put the car into storage for a while. Seems very hard to find a good shop to service these cars.
Thanks so much in advance

 

[novawagon67]

Welcome to SNS and enjoy!!

 

[novawagon67]

Welcome to SNS and enjoy!!

 

[Twinshadows]

Hi Chris from th' Chicago burbs .....


WELCOME to SNS ... great place to hang out & enjoy th' Nova goings.

from Chino Valley, Arizona ( Northern AZ)....

 

['71 Nova SS]

:waving:Welcome from Wisconsin! :horse: Pics? Check out this thread, post in it and join our 3rd gen social group.
https://www.stevesnovasite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=630617

 

[carcrazy615]

Welcome Chris. Sounds like you have cars that are fun to drive. Good luck finding a good shop to deal with.

 

[snolan]

Chicago

Welcome from the south suburbs, what are you looking to get done on your car?

 

[RifRaf]

Welcome to the site!
You might want to see if there are any car cruise events in your area. If so, you could attend and talk to some people there about shop recommendations.

Maybe there will even be some information listed on this site that you could use to complete some repairs yourself.

 

[Nova Thug]

Welcome to the site.. Learn to work on your own stuff.. You’ll know what it takes to do something and then you can decide what it’s worth to you to have someone else do it for you..

 

[cnowak]

Thanks so much for the replies and I appreciate the comments.

The car would need a new rear end axle ratio or convertor and also have a trans kickdown cable installed on the th350. In addition, possibly a different carb. Maybe electric but I am not sure. It has been sitting for a year so fresh fluids/safety check as well. The car is a bit of a work in progress and I am in no rush to make everything perfect right away.

When the engine was rebuilt, the camshaft used was meant to be optimal with a 3.73 rear end. However, it turns out I have 3.08 gears
So the car doesn't really have much grunt off the line haha. I think I have a 2,400 stall converter.

My question is: Would I be able to get away with maybe 3.42 or 3.55 gears? Or do I do a higher stall and keep the gearing? I will never take this car on highway drives really, was just meant to be fun around town and country roads. But I have NO overdrive on the th350. Some rural roads here are 55-60mph

My apologies for anything that's confusing. Still a bit confused about how the converter/rear ends work together as I know a high stall will fry the transmission. It is my first older muscle car purchase and we all learn from mistakes. I will only get more knowledgeable from all this Thanks!

 

[RifRaf]

My question is: Would I be able to get away with maybe 3.42 or 3.55 gears? Or do I do a higher stall and keep the gearing? I will never take this car on highway drives really, was just meant to be fun around town and country roads.

I would not install a higher stall converter with the 3.08 rear gears. I think a higher stall would make your car feel very "mushy" and unresponsive while driving.
I would be leaning towards the 3.55 ratio... especially since you would not be driving the car on the highway. Those gears would really wake your Nova up compared to the 3.08 gears you currently have.

You should consider installing an auxiliary transmission fluid cooler with a 2400 stall converter.

A good tune-up, well adjusted carb, and correct ignition timing along with a proper advance curve will also greatly enhance the performance of your vehicle.

 

[cnowak]

Thank you for that information. Yes, I did some more reading on these forums and decided that another rear end is the way to go.
Are most of you guys here running no choke, manual, or electric? I also assume a 750 carb is sufficient for a 396 big block with roller cam? I currently have a 770 street avenger on it now with manual choke but debating on going electric to keep it hassle free.