An update on the 63 Nova
 

I found Steve's Nova Site recently so I've been neglecting updating you guys for a few months.

I pieced together the 3-link suspension using Competition Engineering sub frame connectors and ladder-bar cross member.

I am still undecided on what engine to use but I have decided that if the car in fact weighs less than 2500# with me in it I will shoot for 400WHP. So, I have been looking more closely at the possibility of a naturally aspirated LSx. I have even kicked around the idea of running the 4.8 truck engine.

I purchased a one piece fiberglass front end, hood, decklid and rear bumper as well as a 10 point cage. I will be picking up the wheels/tires very soon so I should have full body, ride height pics there after.






I just received this from Jim @ http://fays2.net/ last night so the wife won't see much of me this weekend. ;) Jim is a great guy and a pleasure to deal with. :thumbsup:


http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0510.jpg

-J

3-link will be sweet.

Steves nova site is a good site too!

Nice Brother! IMO if your going to go LSx I wouldn't go with the Truck one. They're iron blocks which means that you're adding extra weight needlessly! Go with an aluminum LS1. They're plentiful and fairly cheap and you can make 400 RWHP fairly easily. LS6 Heads, Comp cam, FAST intake and your definitely there! See how easy that was now go get your checkbook! :P

This is all you need right here bro. Stroked LS2 and then just slap on some AFR Heads and a fast intake, and you're good to go.

http://www.slponline.com/view_produc...M&BIG=12412M-1

The challenge with the engine will be the budget, and by challenge I mean CHALLENGE and by budget I mean $5000.

I will have to find a very cheap donor engine to pull it off with a LSx. If I look at non GM engines it opens up quite a few options but I think I will stick with GM for now.


:thumbsup: to those that remember what I originally had in the car :lol:

Well if money is an issue then I would look at the November(?) issue of PHR.
They did a budget build that yielded VERY nice hp numbers! Check it out! :D
It's not an LSx but in my opinion the only reason to go LSx is to run with EFI. You can make the same power for much cheaper with a 350 small block!

DAMN!!!! That block looks SICK! DAMMIT!!! Now I won't settle for just a crate LS2!!! :lol:

If I go V8 it will be a EFI LSx. I know me and if I go with a traditional 1st gen SBC I will be bugging Gale for a TT kit. That engine build alone will surely put me over budget both financially and power goal. If I can find a LS1/T56 complete for under $3000 I think I could make it work.

The other option is still in the back of my mind which is the ecotec. We bought into about 50 LSJ(2.0 S/C) engines from GM a few months back for pretty darn cheap. I could damn near sell the S/C set-up for what I would pay for the complete engine. The RWD Solstice transmission will bolt right up as well. I have access to all things turbo so I can get good deals on what I would need to make 400WHP.

Jason...Just to be on the safe side...I would ditch the "nylock" nuts and switch to drilled bolts / castle nuts / cotter pins...just my $.02 - Rob

Good idea! :thumbsup:

That reminds me of the motorcycle days back at Chaparral and the safety wire we used.

patience > me





I started to make the support for the bell crank bracket tonight.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0513.jpg




cross member moched up prior to the bracket

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0512.jpg



:_paranoid Do you guys think the bungee cords are strong enough? :lol:

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0518.jpg

^^^^^^yeah that :D



http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/100_0744.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/100_0745.jpg

I got the motor mounts finished up a few weeks back.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/100_0808.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/100_0809.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/100_0804.jpg



Slowly but surely it's coming together.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/100_0812.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/100_0811.jpg

Woohoo!!!! Looking good Bro!! Got your PM! Just let me know when or if your ready!

John

That is looking great!!

looks great. are those C6 Z06 wheels?

Looks great. I'm really enjoying all of these hardcore duece's!! :yes:

:thumbsup: Thanks again John! I'm doing some test fitment this evening so I'll keep you posted.

Thanks guys!


They are a replica of the C6Z wheels made by a company called ACE and the wheel name is "slick". http://www.acealloywheel.com/

Awesome! I love those engine mounts. They look really great.

mounting the Competition Engineering sway bar

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0845.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0844.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0843.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0841.jpg

I added this under dash bar to drop the steering column angle and to tighten up the chassis a little more.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0846.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0847.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0848.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0850.jpg

View from the other side
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0849.jpg

I finally added the down bars as well. Pay no attention to the temporary steering arm.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0851.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0852.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0853.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0855.jpg

Ya must've measured twice.........

John

:cheers:


I was fully prepared to go buy another stick of tubing. :lol:

How did you go about getting just the Watt's link setup from Fays2? I want exactly what you have but couldn't find it on the site.

BTW, cool build :thumbsup:

Thanks! I gave Jim a call and he worked out a great deal on just the parts I needed. He even made custom length arms for me. :thumbsup:

looking good great work love the transition bend in the front bars in the engine compartment great stuff

Thank you very much!

NICE NICE NICE!!!

I love the bends on the down tubes and the sway bar looks like it was made to go in there. Great looking work!

I have been brainstorming on how to run a shock tower brace. I really like John's but I think I will stick with something tubular. I am hoping to make a cross over tube and tie in the shock mounts to the downtubes.

I am thinking about making something like this for the cross over I am just unsure on how to connect it to the down tubes without butchering it.

http://www.granatellimotorsports.com...507-Dsmall.jpg

how about some of those bolt in door bar clevis parts.... nice/clean/removable

:woot: That's a GREAT idea. :thumbsup: Now I just need to mount the alternator and begin planning it out.

I finally got the tranny cross member finished. It tucks up about 2" higher than the glide member that was in it.


Here is the rearview, the angle is misleading but the bottom of the new cross member and tranny case is almost perfectly even with the height of the body line.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0884.jpg


From the side you can see the stock member hanging below the body but the new one is out of sight.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0879.jpg

Once again, great looking fab work. I may have missed this earlier, but is that a one piece fiberglass front end you have? How much weight do you think you saved with it?

Yeah, it's a one piece. I haven't made mounts for it yet so I am constantly taking it off. I am not sure how much weight it saved but it is easy to move around the garage. :unibrow: :lol:

copy & paste from Steve's Nova Site


I have been thinking real hard about where this project is going to go once it is running. Here is my problem, I get used to power production very quickly and I am worried about getting bored with it. Now I know the car is probably going to be faster than anything I've ever owned before(previous quickest was a 12.1 car on street tires). Not that this car is being set up to drag race but I still like that 0-100 acceleration. I looked at some basic bolt-ons like an LS6 intake, big cam and even a set of Patriot heads. These parts will easily top $1500 so on my tight budget they aren't really an option right now. So I thought to myself, "just get the car running and then when you get bored with it go ahead and get the upgraded parts at that time". Well therein lies the problem. How long before I get bored with the extra 50WHP those items have added? Because after those items have been purchased the next step up in performance gets VERY expensive. There has been one other problem I've been facing lately and that is the routing of the headers in the small confines of this chassis. Making long tubes is possible but they will create some major ground clearance issues.



SOOOOOOOOOOO without further adeu I give you pics of my solution :lol:

















http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0904.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0903.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0896.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0897.jpg

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0900.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...r/101_0899.jpg

WOW!

I would love to have that hanging on the front of my engine!

I thought you were doing a "low budget" build?

Well, I probably won't be able to afford double adjustable shocks now. :lol: I am still shooting to keep the project budget under $15K. :thumbsup:

I bought the CHRA a few years ago for $250 when I had the 2JZ and I just picked up the housings for $190. Those tubes, pipes, and clamps were plucked out of the recycle bin at work.

i will give ya a set of shocks of you can find one of those TT Duramax projects in the recycle bin.:unibrow: