[73 project]

Well I picked up this 73 and it needs so much I don't even know wher to start. I've never taken on a project of this caliber, so I'll need some guidance, tips, advice, etc. What I'm aiming to do is have a nice street/strip car. Leaning more toward street with weekend runs down the at the track. Like I said, this is my first project like this. I don't want to Let someone else build it for me. I want the satisfaction of doing it myself. No timeline, no budget set. Just plan on taking my time and dealing with money as I come to it.

Thanks. and let me know what you think.

 

[WILMASBOYL78]

73 project...

First step would be to evaluate the structural integrity of the body and frame...everything you will do starts from that foundation. I notice the car has a rollbar/cage setup...do you plan to keep that or eliminate?? for a street car with occasional track time...it realy won't help.

Next, try to plan what parts you need for the driveline..engine, trans, rear. Knowing what kind of engine and power level will help in choosing suspension, cooling and exhaust system components. You can do this planning while you are working on the body.

Do you have an interior for the car..?? It may not seem like a big item, but re-creating a complete interior from scratch is time consuming and expensive.

These thoughts should get you started....others will chime in with more words of wisdom.

Good luck...wilma

 

[tsimpson]

First step would be to evaluate the structural integrity of the body and frame...everything you will do starts from that foundation. I notice the car has a rollbar/cage setup...do you plan to keep that or eliminate?? for a street car with occasional track time...it realy won't help.

Next, try to plan what parts you need for the driveline..engine, trans, rear. Knowing what kind of engine and power level will help in choosing suspension, cooling and exhaust system components. You can do this planning while you are working on the body.

Do you have an interior for the car..?? It may not seem like a big item, but re-creating a complete interior from scratch is time consuming and expensive.

These thoughts should get you started....others will chime in with more words of wisdom.

Good luck...wilma

I agree 100% Start with the structure. Make a list of what needs to be done, and parts needed and go from there. With out a solid structure you have nothing. If your structure is not solid, then you need to make it solid,Floor pans is where I would start, if there solid move to the outer body Etc. Good Luck with your project. Ask a lot of questions as you progress if you need to:yes: lots of people here will help you out.

 

[73 project]

Structurally, the car is solid. There are holes in the floor where they welded the roll cage in. Which I plan on taking out. I've got a 350 block in my garage and a th350 tranny. Plan on stroking the block to a 383. There is no interior at all for the car. No fuel tank. needs all new brake lines and it has drum brakes but I think I'll go ahead and put discs on. Should I remove the body and start with the frame(painting, new bushings etc) since it's allready tore down most of the way? I really don't even know where to begin with the interior and front end. Not really concerned with making it look like factory(interior), Just fuctional and nice and get the best bang for my buck. Thanks guys.

 

[Jason628]

Greetings,

When I started on my project, I started with the suspension and worked my way on up. The last thing was the interior. Like others have said, do an inventory of all you want/need and knock it out one section at a time. Yes it will take you a long, long time, but it's well worth it in the long run. It took me 4 years to completely rebuild mine from the ground-up.

Jason

 

[gfercaks33]

i would say get the shell media blasted so you will know about any rust you need to fix

 

[Something69]

I too suggest starting with what the car needs. Get all your rust and body repair out of the way first.

Don't get tied up in buying thigs that you are not even close to needing at this point. I know people that go out an buy guages and a steering wheel while the car is still being torn down. There will be plent of time to worry about that stuff later.

Start at the beginning and finish at the end.

A good way to learn is to keep reading this forum check out the "Project Car" section under "Car Profiles".

 

[73 project]

I'm having a hard time finding interior components. Not worried about gauges and such, just the big stuff. Seats, dash, etc. I think I;m just not looking in the right place. Also since I bought the car with no interior I'm not exactly sure how it all bolts back in. Do you guys know if there's a manual that has the actual disassembly of the car? Thanks for all the advice.

 

[Ray_McAvoy]

Hi 73 project,

Does what's left of the upper dash still have the VIN tag attached? If not, you should probably check into what needs to be done in order to make the car street legal again. Like if your state needs to issue the car a new/replacement VIN before it can be registered.

A Fisher Body manual will have diagrams and descriptions of how most of the interior parts go together. A GM Shop or Service manual will also come in handy. I think they're still available from Helm (www.helminc.com) ... the company that printed them for GM originally. Or you can sometimes get a good deal on used ones on ebay. These manuals cover most all Chevy car models for a particular year (not just Novas).

 

[Nova Research]

Looks like you have the right attitude for the project. That always helps. You also have a vision of what you want it to look like.

As mentioned above focus on the body first then the sub frame. It is always easier to get the body work and paint first. Then bolt things on to the car as you pick them up. Otherwise you will have to store them and may even find yourself buying the same part twice. This also allows you to see progress.

Many people get too deep into a project and can't see results. Then they give up. Make a list of what you want to do and then prioritize it. Get a notebook and write down on separate pages each phase according to your priority list. This can be at high level. Then as each phase becomes the top priority you can get into the details.

Focus on short term goals. To this two at a time. The one you are working on and the one on deck. This way your are thinking ahead.

As for parts I would call our sponsor to see what used parts they have. They will not be listed on the website. I would also try posting parts wanted here on the classified sections.

Good luck and fave fun,
Greg

 

[1970 WARRIOR]

Ill have a bench seat and fuel tank out of mine if ya want it you can have them. they are used but still work.

 

[luke'snova]

Structurally, the car is solid. There are holes in the floor where they welded the roll cage in. Which I plan on taking out. I've got a 350 block in my garage and a th350 tranny. Plan on stroking the block to a 383. There is no interior at all for the car. No fuel tank. needs all new brake lines and it has drum brakes but I think I'll go ahead and put discs on. Should I remove the body and start with the frame(painting, new bushings etc) since it's allready tore down most of the way? I really don't even know where to begin with the interior and front end. Not really concerned with making it look like factory(interior), Just fuctional and nice and get the best bang for my buck. Thanks guys.

As has been said, start with a PLAN. from the sound of what you are looking at and what you want to do (above) you may want to re-think taking out the cage. If you remove a portion of it, say the halo and fron down tubes that restrict your forward vision, you can leave a nice 6-piont that will help with structural integrity. I would guess that the car already has sub-fram connectors, make sure your body bushings are in good shape and you are sitting alot better than most when they start. Especially if you are planning for a stroker moter, torque will find body flex very quickly.

I'm having a hard time finding interior components. Not worried about gauges and such, just the big stuff. Seats, dash, etc. I think I;m just not looking in the right place. Also since I bought the car with no interior I'm not exactly sure how it all bolts back in. Do you guys know if there's a manual that has the actual disassembly of the car? Thanks for all the advice.

You may be able to find a nice set of salvage yard seats that you like and get them to work.

Hi 73 project,

Does what's left of the upper dash still have the VIN tag attached? If not, you should probably check into what needs to be done in order to make the car street legal again. Like if your state needs to issue the car a new/replacement VIN before it can be registered.

A Fisher Body manual will have diagrams and descriptions of how most of the interior parts go together. A GM Shop or Service manual will also come in handy. I think they're still available from Helm (www.helminc.com) ... the company that printed them for GM originally. Or you can sometimes get a good deal on used ones on ebay. These manuals cover most all Chevy car models for a particular year (not just Novas).

X1
You want to make sure you have no problems later on when you go to register and tag for street driving.