Noob Question (65 Chevelle/66Nova) - Page 2 - Lateral-g Forums

Mean 69 · #11 05-29-2006, 08:32 AM

What is the timeframe for the car? In all honesty, it shouldn't be hard at all to get WAY more than .86g out of a car that light, with that wheelbase and track. I would "think" that you can get a 245/275 tire stagger on the car without too much fuss, running a great set of street tires, or a good set of R compound tires with that light car should stick really well.

If you are in a hurry and do a bolt on approach (i.e. Mustang II dervied front suspension, good rear leafs), you'll still probably be really happy with the car. If you have some time to wait for what we are developing, I KNOW you'll be happy with the car. The same could be said for either car. I'd recommend finding someone with a car similar to what you are trying to build and go for a ride in it with them. Depending upon where you live, you might be well off to travel to one of the bigger shows, like Good Guys or one of the Super Chevy shows. With the cost to build a car these days, especially the cost of buying it in the first place, it's worth doing research (like you are doing) and actually riding along in a car.

Mark

PoorMan · #12 05-29-2006, 10:02 AM

I don't have a specific time frame, I'm just anxious to get started.

Mark, I read in another post tha you have a company that makes suspension components. Do you have a website? When do you expect your Nova kit to be completed?

USAZR1 · #13 05-29-2006, 02:40 PM

With stock-width rear,you can fit a 285 tire in either a 17" or 18" diameter w/o rolling the lips on a 65 A-body. On the front,an 8" wide wheel and 245 tire will work.

PoorMan · #14 05-29-2006, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by USAZR1

With stock-width rear,you can fit a 285 tire in either a 17" or 18" diameter w/o rolling the lips on a 65 A-body. On the front,an 8" wide wheel and 245 tire will work.

Thanks for the info. That workes for me...except for the weight and size issue of the 65 Chevelle...for those reasons I'd prefer to go for a 66 Nova (if I can find a nice chassis kit). But I've gone back and forth on the issue many times.

More info please? Particularly in relation to 66 Novas Chassis kits, suspension, front clips, mini tubs etc?

nova65ss · #15 05-29-2006, 05:56 PM

My first post here and just wanted to say that the advertised wheel size on the aftermarket Nova fronts isn't totally correct. I had an 18 x 8 w/ 5 1/4 BS on the front of mine. Didn't rub anywhere same for the back w/ stock wheel tubs and suspension. The front end is a TCI it has the frame rails kicked in a little, I'm sure it's not the best all out track suspension but much better than the original. Hope that helps your decision a little.

Jimmy

PoorMan · #16 05-29-2006, 08:12 PM

Don't want to edit my first post (in case I should change my mind yet again). But I'm most interested in a 66 Nova--at this point.

Mean 69 · #17 05-30-2006, 08:11 AM

Poorman, yes, I/we do manufacture suspensions systems. Our website is under construction, probably about 40% complete and will have a lot of great info in it, not all that I'd like, but more than most in terms of specifics to our setups(s). I can't commit to a specific timeframe to complete the early Nova kits, the next rear kit we will be doing is the E-Body Mopar, and that will begin in the next few weeks (estimated completion mid-late Summer for that one). Thereafter we will have the engineering capacity to knock out another configuration, the next in line are the early Nova cars (like yours) and also the early Mustang (I have a 65 FB in the shop just waiting patiently for her turn). The interesting thing is that the Novas and Mustangs are amazingly similar, there is no question that some "borrowing" of ideas was at hand between Ford and Chevy back in the day. Good thing is that it will make the development of both of the suspension solutions far easier.

We are also concurrently working on our front suspension system, I spent all weekend in the shop prototyping on my 70 Camaro, and the pieces are really starting to fall into place. Our solution won't be a Mustang II derived setup, nor a "take a bunch of pieces from a wrecked Corvette and build a frame around them" solution, it is completely custom in virtually every detail. Mind you, the Corvette/Mustang based systems aren't necessarily bad, we studied them too, but when it came down to it, we just could not meet our design requirements necessary to get the performance we are after using these parts as donor parts: too many compromises. As with everything we seek to do, we have very high expectations and are pretty certain that this will knock people's socks off. Here again, once the building blocks are established (i.e. proprietary custom components), developing car specific setups will go much faster. You need to pay the Piper at some point, we're paying him now.

That was long-winded and non-committal, but it is the truth; "we're working on it."

Mark

PoorMan · #18 05-30-2006, 06:12 PM

I appreciate your honesty, Mark. I appreciate your feedback as well. I may not be able to wait for your product to hit the market, but if it is available at my time of need you can be sure that I'll be a customer. Your candor, input and efforts are greatly appreciatiated by a newbie like myself.

I'm a mortgage guy, as much as I'd like to pretend I'm a hot rod expert--I'm not. Because of that, I'd just like to give Mark a big thumbs up for all his advice. (more is welcomed by the way)

Thanks again, Mark.

OH! Please post that link as soon as your website is up and running!

dinodino · #19 06-04-2006, 06:26 PM

I'm interested in this as well. This is my first post, and I came to this site looking for help building my wife's '66 Nova. I'm planning to use Wayne Due's C4 subfrme, and am undecided on the rear. I'll be following your project with interest!

PoorMan · #20 06-04-2006, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dinodino

I'm interested in this as well. This is my first post, and I came to this site looking for help building my wife's '66 Nova. I'm planning to use Wayne Due's C4 subfrme, and am undecided on the rear. I'll be following your project with interest!

My concern with th Wayne Due subframe is it requires 84-87 Vette control arms...which Chevy no longer makes. So you have to find used ones and make sure there are no cracks or other problems. This may or may not be an issue for you, but I'd like to order a complete kit rotor to rotor and just have to worry about installation.

Chassis Works and Martz seem to have a more "complete product" offering. I especially like Chassis Works splash panels...clean. (But I have no idea how one of these handles against another)