Project 67 Nova Sedan LS1TT

[coolwelder62]

Stance is really lookin great. Scott

[kadettcqp]

Originally Posted by coolwelder62

Stance is really lookin great. Scott

Thanks alot. I also worked quite a bit to get the right stance. I Will most likely try to get it a bit lower than the picture, but once everything is installed it should also sit a tad lower.

[417 Motorsports]

[kadettcqp]

Well time for another update. The last few weekends has sparked some progress on the old Nova. I am not all that busy at work, which makes me want to "create" something in the garage instead.

I actually tried to sell the car, but it never really came through and therefore i guess I might as well make some progress on it. It would be a shame to miss the first drive in a car I have build.

First a picture of the car where i took off.



I was kinda at a point where further progress depended on a transmission bracket and for god knows which time cut off the engine mounts in order to make them removeable, since it will make for an easier remove/install of engine in the future.

Transmission mounted.



Removeable engine mounts:



The same day i also made a bracket for the clucth master and mounted the anti-roll bar in the front.

[kadettcqp]

Moving on to the day after. With transmission and engine now in place where I wanted them, I could start fabricating the transmission and driveshaft-tunnel. I also needed to redo some work there had been done in the passenger feet area.

A little before picture:



You gotta go bad before it can be good:



Getting closer. Very fun to build tunnel in hand.

[kadettcqp]

Now working Sunday, and as it always happens I ran out of something on a Sunday, right when everything was flowing. This time i had used all my sheetmetal. Fortunately i called a friend of mine who had some that i could buy.

Then construction of the tunnel could continue. And here is how it turned out.







It was such a fun process, and it turned out much nicer than i thought. I almost do not want to hide it away. Some final welding is still needed but that will come.

Then i could remove the engine and start to think about wiring up the Megasquirt box to the LS1.



And Nova now again without engine.

[kadettcqp]

Late Sunday i sadly experienced that my engine no longer could turn a full revolution. I had bought it off ebay several years ago and had it shipped to Denmark. As I remember I tried to see if it could turn over back then, and it could.
Monday I opened the engine to see what was wrong with it. First I took of the oil pan and realized that the engine had suffered from water in the oil. Then I removed the heads and this is what showed:









A very sad sight. Water had been sitting in the engine for probably a couple of years and had caused so much corrosion in one of the cylinders that it blocked the piston.
My plan had always been to get the car moving without modifying the engine to much, just swap a cam and go. Then later I would upgrade pistons and rods, add turbo's and then really GO. It was quite depressing to see that I might had to do all this up front and then add a lot of cash before the car was driveable.
But after a few days and some second looks I might be able to polish and/or hone the cylinder a bit to get it going. All I want is for it to drive a few months before upgrading it, and might be possible anyway. Then I can give it a complete overhaul in the winter.

Finally I finished welding my engine mounts:

[coolwelder62]

Sorry to here about the motor trouble's.But the engine mount's look great.

[kadettcqp]

I have not made that much progress the last couple of days, have been moving a bit around in the garage instead. But yesterday I measured the distance for the spacers that I will need to mount the rear wheels. Also took a couple of pictures - just for motivation. Though without the engine and transmission mounted the front sits quite i bit higher.





I will also run a considerably larger tire on that rim, it looks too skinny both from the side and behind.

[70rs]

Keep at it. Its going to be a really cool car all finished.
Sorry to see that engine damage.