My NOVA (Big Dan's First Ever Project)

[SRAD97750]

MY FIRST EVER BUILD. This is the project that got me into being a mechanic.
1970 Chevy II Nova
$300 for the rolling chassis
$300 For a Fresh TH-350 Auto Transmission
$2600 in high performance parts from SUMMIT Racing

355CI Chevy V8
13.5 Hypereutectic Pistons
Oversized valves, ported cast iron heads
High lift/duration Crane cam
Roller tip Crane rockers
850cfm Edelbrock double pumper
Edelbrock RPM intake manifold
Hooker Headers with electric cut-outs to 2 3/4" tube to twin magnaflow mufflers with 4 turndowns pre-axle. Yummy.

Twisted the frame in half in 2 seasons of bracket racing in Pomona. Apparently the soft body Nova can't handle 485 ft. lbs. for 12.38 seconds to 121 mph 20 time in a row....





































Loved that car, but had to sell it... The choices in life you wish you could take back...

 

[SRAD97750]

-BIG DAN

 

[snowflake]

that is one of my favorite body styles, I had a 69 that my dad sold for me before I could see it through to fruition, I still have the 396 I intended to put in it

 

[Mojavekid18]

Das Nice

 

[Naturaledge]

This thread deserves 4 Biggy-D, next time I'm in the desert, you and me are gonna have a bevy or two.

 

[bobkyle2]

Niceness, Lookes like you had crane roller tip rockers too

 

[SRAD97750]

Yeah, I had alot of trick parts. I ordered all of them over the phone and just shopped.
Put it all the little components (That I knew nothing about) together over about 2 months, hung it in the engine bay.

As I turned the key for the first time, she sprang to life in the smoothest, richest bellow I had ever heard. I was HOOKED from that moment on. The engineering involved blew my mind. I have ever since been a GAS ENGINE ADDICT. -BIG DAN

 

[snowflake]

Yeah, I had alot of trick parts. I ordered all of them over the phone and just shopped.
Put it all the little components (That I knew nothing about) together over about 2 months, hung it in the engine bay.

As I turned the key for the first time, she sprang to life in the smoothest, richest bellow I had ever heard. I was HOOKED from that moment on. The engineering involved blew my mind. I have ever since been a GAS ENGINE ADDICT. -BIG DAN

I know the feeling
I love the way the nose on this body style looks, its got such a sinister stare down.

 

[PALMER84ONE]

Totally cool!
I used to bracket race my 66 Datsun 411 Wagon against my buddy in his 69 Chavelle at OCIR. Of course it was a stock 67 and his Chevy was not, but that was the fun part, Getting the green first and then giving it all it got to the end. I busted 4 rear ends, took the teeth off the spiders. Fun times until they shut down OCIR.

 

[jackson409]

Niceness biggie D

 

[Lumpy790]

Have FUN but ..... be CAREFUL.

Hate to be Debbie Downer but ....

In 1971 my brother was killed while street racing in a 1970 Nova just like that. They (his girlfriend could shift faster and was driving) had already lost and veered slightly on the shoulder where a driveway sent the car in the air flipping end over end 6 times.

just did a quick search .... left side of the page.....
http://newspaperarchive.com/benton-harbor-news-palladium/1971-07-10

 

[Travace]

epic thread is epic. thanks for posting this dan.

 

[SRAD97750]

A random photo posted online featuring my nova in the background!

-BIG DAN

 

[2strokesteve89]

When I used to dirt track I ran a '73 nova, that car was sweet, handled so well. I set the track record in that car. And it only caught fire 3 times that year, not bad.

 

[Redordead89]

Double post sorry!