Another Nova
 

I guess it is about time to stop mooching and introduce myself and my project. My father in law gave me a '63 Nova about a year and a half ago. I stripped it and looked at it for about a year before I decided what to do with it. Being a midwest car, the frame was pretty suspect for high horsepower. I looked at using a morrison frame, but what I really wanted was a backbone frame (cobra-style) with complete independent suspension. I finally found a fabricator in the midwest (Active Power of Mentor, OH) that would build a frame and attach it to the remaining body. From there, most of the major components fell in place as listed:

- 5" ground clearance
- C5 front and rear
- C5 torque tube and 6 speed
- Air Ride Shockwaves
- 6/4 piston wilwood brakes front/rear
- 18" rims 9"/11" front/rear

I took the car to the fabricator on Dec 17, but we just got the motor mocked up on Thursday (I changed my mind on what to use about 3 times). Now that I actually have some photos, it was time to formally introduce this effort. I plan on doing the mechanical work myself, so it will be a slow project.

Welcome
Love them novas

Looks good Bro! I do have a couple of questions though! How are you going to get the Trans or Diff out if you break them? Are you going to use the stock 'vette attach points for the front? Are you going to have enough room in front to clear the rack from the motor or are you going to push the motor back?

John

Thanks for the project introduction. The Aurora V8 is going to make it a one cool ride. :thumbsup:

looks like a great project. I'll be the second to say the Aurora V8 is cool

We'll probably do a removable aluminum plate on the bottom, or a series of plates (see photo). My fab guy, Chris, spent alot of time working on race teams back in the day, so he knows alot of tricks. The front points are pretty close to stock, but he has moved them around a little for the narrower car.

The motor is set back a little, it's hard to see, but I think the rear cylinders are midway through the firewall. It is really small, actually it is a cube 20" x 20" x 20". I think it will be really sweet when it is done. Using an IRL motor presents a unique set of challenges, but it will be able to rev over 10 grand. And nothing beats the sound of an indycar motor.

Sweet Brother! Very Nice! You should post your build over at

http://www.stevsnovasite.com

Lot's of Nova guys over there to talk to!! Great crew too!!:cheers:

Welcome to another Nova builder. With everyone going C5 or C6 with there Novas I think we are going to have to rename them Cornovas! J/K. I third the 'Very Cool Aurora V8' Setup! :thumbsup:

Welcome to another Nova guy!

again Welcome. Great to see more Nova guys joining! I love your engine setup.

Thanks for good word on the motor. It is going to take alot of engineering to get it to work in a street car. Plus, I just found out that my block is no good. It's not an easy motor to find parts for.

Not really alot going on with the car yet. Still waiting on some parts to show up. I though I would throw out a teaser picture I had draw last June. I made a few cosmetic changes to the car, I think it really changes the whole attitude. I wish I could take credit for it, but it is heavily influenced by Bill Thomas and his "bad bascom" of the early sixties. A really sweet ride. Probably the first guy to fuse a corvette and a nova. Mechanical fuel injected 327 and IRS.

A few progress shots. Motor will set really low in the chassis. The headers may be a little snug...

Looking good!


OK, now bring more pics of the suspension Pete!!!

Lead.

(Hey did you check out John's "Novanutcase"' -little- project? Wear a Diaper before doing so (trust me here :faint: )... if you haven't seen it yet!!!!!!!!!!!)

:thumbsup: Awesome choice of engine. I also wanted something small displacement that revved to the moon but I quickly realized my budget doesn't agree. I can't wait to hear this thing making some dyno pulls.

Leadfoot, I have seen John's thread. I try not to look at it too often, it takes too much effort to wipe all the drool off of the keyboard.

I attached some photos. The rear shocks are in the old configuration. I don't have anything new yet, Chris is still working on the rockers.

Jason-

Wow! I just finished looking at your post. Really sweet. I thought briefly about doing the suspension work myself, but quickly chickened out. Luckily I found Chris at Activepower (check out his website: http://www.gtreproductions.com/Default.htm) who had the exact vision I did. Something I can drive the snot out of! I was actually set on the northstar motor for my car until I found some Aurora parts on ebay. The last photo is my worst fear for it, though.

Thanks for the plug Lead!

P_call thanks also for the words of encouragement!

I'm wondering, if the aurora block is bad(Sorry to hear!) and you've entertained the idea of a Northstar engine, you really need to talk to Rodger at Ironworks. He is doing that very thing right now on a project that he has going!

John

WOW, that is one big hole. What are your power goals?

Sorry John, I should have been more specific. I'm not concerned about the block I have, but about punching a hole in a new one racing it. I have been working with a race shop in Indy, and they are confident it will be ok.

I actually took a northstar short block with me to Chris's shop in december and we were going to build to that motor until I found the Indy block. It is so much smaller than the northstar, a 20" cube. The northstar is 3" longer, 7" wider, and 5" taller. With the way we have set up the front frame, it wouldn't even fit now. The really cool thing about the Indy motor is that we have the front of it set back almost to the centerline of the front wheels - with minimal loss of foot room to the driver. Which will allow us to put in a X-member to tie together the upper and lower CA mounting points (like a cobra).

I am planning on 500hp from it, which the shop says should be easy to obtain naturally aspirated and on pump gas. And it will rev to 10K!

WOOHOO!!!! Nice!!

John

:thumbsup:



<------is excited to hear this monster run

p_call this car is sick, love the work. John is right, you should post this on steve's site also they would go nuts over this car.

Bob

A few new photos:

The stance
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/DSC02522.jpg

close up of the cage
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/DSC02503.jpg

we changed the setup of the rear bags because of clearance issues with the half-shafts
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/P1013393.jpg

console shot
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/P1013541.jpg

WOW:thumbsup:

:thumbsup:


I love the side view with the tunnel. I am so excited to hear this engine run. :yes:

I finally have my internet fixed. I really hate dealing with tech support. Anyway, I uploaded some more photos. These are kinda old, no major progress lately.

This is my absolute favorite shot so far
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/P1013538.jpg

The motor is cozy
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/P1013537.jpg

The back seat has almost become a pipedream
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/P1013539.jpg

The car is down on the ground
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/P5103583.jpg

Side shot
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/P5103581.jpg

:thumbsup:

It is awesome how low the engine sits in the chassis. It's also pretty crazy how wide it is. :cheers:

Yea, it's stuffed in there pretty tight. The motor is sitting a little lower than where it will mount. It will come up about 2 inches. That will help with clearance a little.

I scored a block and intake off of ebay. The intake is really sweet looking!

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/DSC02736.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/DSC02735.jpg

:yes:


:hail: :cheers:

ITB's = :woot:

for sure love the itb's, this nova is pretty sweet A+ for the "out of the norm" engine choice, i like the c5, c6 drivelines in these, but its nice to see someone putting something different in, cool stuff man keep us posted on the progress:thumbsup:

:thumbsup: Cool build.

Have you put some seats in it for mock up? Tunnel looks big.

I love the ITB's, they are really slick looking.. The race setup used a box with the filter on top. I haven't decided exactly how, but I will change that and leave them exposed.

You car is coming along great. It looks like you have the engine set back to about the same distance as mine. How much legroom did you give up? Mine is kinda like a Cobra's tunnel now.

Thanks, I just wanted to try something different. As popular as these cars are becoming, I would hate to see my twins show up every where I go...

Yea, we've put a seat in it. I did have Chris drop the tunnel some from the initial mock-up. It fills the space in nicely now.

That will look sweet if you can keep them visible. I am more excited to hear yours run than my own. :yes: I wish you were closer so I could come by and check it out so for now the pics will just have to do.

On my car, I moved the drivers seat & cage back about 3-4" so I didn't lose much legroom.

Yea, I can't wait to hear it too! Hopefully by next spring I'll have it running, but everything seems to take twice as long as I have thought so far...

I wish I was closer to So-Cal. You guys have alot more going on than here.

Are you planning on running a rear seat? I am (my wife hates 2 seaters), but it is becoming more and more difficult to fit everything in.

Make sure to have the camera rolling the first time it's fired so I won't have to fly up there. :lol:


I gave up on the back seat idea since the cage and upper link make for an impossible fit. I can almost guarantee after one "spirited" ride in the car the wife won't want anything to do with it anyway. :lol:

That's probably true. She gets nervous when I drive over the rumble strips...

:thumbsup:

Any updates?

Aurora V8....IRS...Bags....Nova....Youre the man!!!

Yep!

I'd have to agree that its nice and refreshing to see something other than a 69 Camaro with an LS and 6 speed (I know what i'm talking about !) Its just cool to see new stuff and ideas, it gets your mind moving.

Nice work too! :lateral:

Lead.

Thanks guys. I hope it turns out as nice as the concept I have in my head...




A few! I made a visit Saturday to finalize the details that Chris would be providing in the build. Here are a few shots.

The bags setup is together!
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/DSC02748.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/DSC02749.jpg

Checking to see if 6' 3" will fit into it...
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...a/DSC02747.jpg