Innovator - 67 Nova by the Roadster Shop
 

Introducing project Innovator 1967 Nova built by the Roadster Shop. Hope you enjoy following along on this extensive build.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...oConverted.jpg

Here is the car as it arrived.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/1.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/2.jpg

Floors removed and put on a rotisserie for media blasting.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/3.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/4.jpg

Back from media blasting... or what was left of it anyways! The lack of solid metal left on the car eventually gave way to letting the ideas flow on what would eventually be done to the body. Since almost everything had to be re-made, we might as well add our own style to it. More on that to come:unibrow:

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/5.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/6.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/7.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/8.jpg

WOW!! You have got some work ahead of you on this one.But no worrie's,should turn out awesome as alway's.:thumbsup: Scott M.

We set out to build a car that would perform as good as it looks, and look as good as it performs. The foundation for the car is one of our Fast Track chassis systems. Here are a few pics of the chassis on a frame table for the build to begin

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...nnovator/9.jpg

We built a custom 3-Link on this car and made custom main rails that allowed for a side exhaust.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/17.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/16.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/15.jpg

Custom lower coilover/3-link brackets

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/10.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/11.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/12.jpg

Very nice< can't wait to see how the body comes out!! :thumbsup:

Wow. That chassis and 3 link looks sick!
Keep us posted.:thumbsup:

Took some time building that bracket......looks like artwork as opposed to a bracket under a car. Nice details....

DAMN, I wish my pockets were that deep! :hail:

Love the exhaust! :thumbsup:

Thanks. We have some pretty trick ideas in line for the body.

Here are a few more chassis and exhaust pics.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/13.jpg

We did an oval tube for the H-Pipe that was recessed up into the crossmember to maintain ground clearance
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/14.jpg

Header fabrication
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/18.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/19.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/22.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/21.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/20.jpg

I wish mine were only half as deep and I would be happy.

I just wanna turn that frame into beer and then I could ski on it in the winter and drink it in the summer! We could hang that frame and exhaust above my fireplace. Thats what Im talkin' bout! Nice work:thumbsup:

Great looking project.

I know there has been lots of discussion on chassis vs axle mounted watts bellcrank, but why did you decide to do it that way?

Outstanding work guys.
Especially those headers.:wow: Those look great!

Scotty, wow... that has to be one of the most original compliments I've ever heard! :rofl: How about I buy you a beer instead? It might go down smoother!

A few pics of the body on the chassis sitting at ride height.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/23.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/24.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/25.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/26.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/27.jpg

One word ...... DAMN!
looks so good it makes you wanna laugh!
and it aint even mines haha

:yes:

looks great and that stance its killer
very nice work

seen your frames at the pleasanton CA goodguys but nothing that looked like that

Bad A$$$ ! That final side shot is the shizzz nittt !

Watts Link & Wheel Opening
 

Nice & tight packaging of the Watts linkage setup. How how much bell crank travel / lateral housing movement is designed in?

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/15.jpg

The stance is killer! Any plans to stretch the rear wheel openings?

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/24.jpg

:faint: That is just NASTY! Killer work guys.

In a perfect world I feel a chassis mounted bell crank would be the ideal setup, mounting the bell crank in a fixed position to the chassis would allow the rear roll center to move up and down as the suspension goes through its travel. With the bell crank fixed to the rear end housing you do not get the same roll center movement, yet I still feel there are performance improvements over a conventional panhard bar. We offer them in both configurations but due to packaging issues we built this particular car with the pivot fixed to the rear end housing.

Boy, I can almost see it finished!!!!;) As always, killer work guys. Can't wait to see it at Columbus!!!

Some more progress on the floors of the car

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/34.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/33.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/30.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/31.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/32.jpg

Wow!!.......Great Job!!!

Ken

Thank you for the answer.

Sick!!!

In order to get the look and stance that we were after, we altered the wheel base and moved the rear wheels back 1.5". (This was done from the start in the chassis design.) Here are the wheel houses fabbed to clear the 20x12's the Innovator will be running out back.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/35.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/36.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/37.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/38.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/39.jpg

I got the latest issue of Popular Hotroding and saw the progress shot. This car is going to be AWESOME! I loved the head light treatment, the engine carpartment, etc........ :thumbsup:

Can you post the rending pic and interior pics?

Great project! I can't wait to see what you're doing with those new bodylines! I see one gone and a new one mocked up...

Amazing work!:wow:
Keep up the great work guys.

Looking real good... how about some more pictures though?

On to the body of the car. One of the things that we didn't like about the Nova body style was the main body line running through the center of the car. So, we eliminated it and decided on something that we felt fit the theme of the car better. The new look would have a sharp body line trailing off of each wheel opening. It was not an easy undertaking, but made a huge difference in the end. In order to create the new body lines we cut the lower 2/3rds of the fender, door, and quarter panel off and scratch built new sections.

The original section of the door skin next to the new version
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/57.jpg

Door with new lower skin
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/56.jpg

Door installed on the car with the stock fender and a stock new quarter panel.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/58.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/59.jpg

The quarters were next. We first installed a new quarter panel ince the original was long gone. Then we laid out the new body line, wheel opening, and re-shaped the lower section of the quarter behind the wheel.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/60.jpg

The new shape starting to take form
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/61.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/63.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/64.jpg

The lower section of the stock quarter removed and ready for the new panel to be installed.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/65.jpg

New panel laying next to the stock panel
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/66.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/67.jpg

New panel getting final aligned and ready to be welded in place.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/68.jpg

Creating the new wheel openings and body lines on the fenders and doors was next.
(Sorry for the poor quality pics on these)
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/46.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/45.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/54.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/55.jpg

Once the fender line was in place the door skins were then address to carry the line into that panel.

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/50.jpg

great work! I never liked that line either.

And the completed body line modifications.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/69.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/72.jpg

Also a sneak peak at what we have in store for the trunk and rocker panels.
http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/70.jpg

http://i563.photobucket.com/albums/s...novator/71.jpg

Totally diggin' it! Great sheet metal work. It looks fast just sitting still!:thumbsup:

Wow Awesome fab work.