Thanks! I’m the same way, it’s more rewarding to me to save an original body for sure. It’s funny cause there were several people on another forum that thought I was completely outside my mind for even considering this rebuild. Its funny to see the difference in mindset as I’ve seen many builds on
Lat-G and PT.com that started out like this one and turned out phenomenal.

Yeah, been driving the Camaro some and it was in need of a top to bottom cleaning. Also got all the fluids changed and adjusted the e-brake, etc. Have plans to compete in the Bowler Midwest Musclecar Challenge so I’m hoping it won’t get cancelled but we’ll see!

While I get the factory vs. aftermarket topic, when there's so much material replaced it's a coin toss. It really depends on a lot of factors to make the decision that best fits each situation.

I would think knowing I have a real 67 nova and title would mean a lot to me.

[QUOTE]
The pics below give you an idea of what it looked like when they got it (top) vs when they were done with it (bottom). No difference to someone who doesn’t know what to look for but big difference in the way things fit. Hope that helps and thanks for tuning in[QUOTE]

You sure got a bargain from the bodyshop! Prolly helped that u thought thru the process and tacked everything first. Best thing u ever did was replacing the A-pillars intact......strength-wise they're prolly the single most important piece in a body-in-white...along with the C-pillars.
The difference in the two pics is evident....MUCH sweeter in the final version. It helps that the bodyshop has two or three guys eyeballing and adjusting on the job.

FWIW......I'm with Kcrain.

Stay safe.

For sure, everyone has a different “tolerance” to the pain and different priorities.

[QUOTE=Beechy;702528]Kcrain/Beechy - Having a title and VIN tag was definitely one of my requirements. I know what I spent on my Camaro (which didn’t require a repaint) and while I’m no expert, I have to believe that when insuring, or especially selling a car like this one will be, it has to count for something that it was originally produced by GM in 1967. In terms of insuring it, would it be “fair” to assign the same value to two cars of equal build quality when one was an original with a VIN tag and title and one was a reproduction with a made-up serial number? Would the reproduction car even be considered a 67 Nova by the insurance company?? I don’t know, never asked, but it’d be interesting to learn about. For some, it may not matter but I can tell you if I were buying a finished product, the purchase price would be far less for a reproduction despite having the same parts, simply because it’s a reproduction.

At the end of the day, with all that being said, I could care less what anybody else does as it truly is a personal decision. But for me if I knew going into it that the cost was the same or even a little more, I’d still opt for the real thing if possible and if not, then I’d probably find a different car.

Excellent work and glad you decided to save one. Really enjoyed going through this thread and keep us posted with updates.

Will do for sure and thank you!

So, got my DSE Quadralink and Ford 9” today for the Nova. Super excited to get started on the install. This will be my first venture with a 9” but before pulling the trigger, I spent some time on the phone with GearFX and got some education. I was worried about gear whine based on some threads I’ve seen but I really wanted to switch it up a little on this car vs my Camaro and after talking thru stuff with them, I had a good comfort level. Those guys are super great and spent the time talking me thru options, etc. so I’m confident all will be well. Since this isn’t a crazy HP build I went with the S series center section and 3.70 gears knowing I can always change it later if needed.

I’ve also been stockpiling some odds and ends to mock up the brake and fuel systems while it’s on the rotisserie. I think that’ll be a time and energy saver.

I’m so ready to see this thing sitting on the ground but still have a ways to go...Thanks for looking!

Thanks for the update! Love what you’re doing with your build and really enjoy your detailed posts. Will be a big milestone to get it back on the ground with suspension under it. We will finally be done with paint on my ‘63 (except for bumpers and trim) this week, and suspension going back under it next week, as we start assembly. Makes a big difference when it starts to look like a car again!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, indeed, looking forward to seeing it in one piece sitting on its suspension! Always looking for updates on your build, the paint looks amazing and you’ve got every reason to be proud! Can’t wait to see more pics as it comes together.