Nova 63 ls swap

Tripper said:

If the current 350 in my Nova ever goes south I wanna replace it with an LS motor. Please share what headers you find that will fit. The ones on my current motor are so tight I can't change spark plugs without loosening the headers!

BoB

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As of right now, I have the original 2014 Camaro cast manifolds and they fit like they were made for the Nova.
The customer is wanting aftermarket headers and we're wavering between a couple we've found. I'll post the ones we decide on.

smallfoot said:

I agree! OIs looks like an operating room compared to my barn...

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your barn probably looks like an operating room compared to my junk pile so OI shop is opertaing room squared order of magnitude away.

Old Iron said:

As of right now, I have the original 2014 Camaro cast manifolds and they fit like they were made for the Nova.
The customer is wanting aftermarket headers and we're wavering between a couple we've found. I'll post the ones we decide on.

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Thanks... the stock cast iron ones are the way I'll go! Makes much more sense IMO but can't remember what they look like on the driver's side around the steering!

BoB

I don't have the steering in yet but, i can tell you, it all clears by miles and there will only be two joints, one 3/4-36 spline to 3/4 double D (for power racks) on the rack and one 3/4 double D to 1" double D on the column.
I'd much rather have the stock Camaro cast iron manifolds than headers. Headers here are a waste of money, no power gain until you use long tube headers then those mostly only produce the hp in the upper rpm range.
This is from Sanderson header company.

We built a set of smooth fender wells, installed them and painted the engine compartment.
We installed the engine for the last time and wired it.
Installed the radiator too.

Nice clean installation, looks great.

Nice work OI !!!!! Do you use a stand alone harness or make your own?
Should be one happy customer...By the way, like the line up line for the hoist

Looks great OI. Thanks for posting all the progress.

forbigpicture said:

Nice work OI !!!!! Do you use a stand alone harness or make your own?
Should be one happy customer...By the way, like the line up line for the hoist

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I do use a standalone harness. We have the ability to do our own but chose to buy one.
The line is for my 37 and any others the same size. Makes for it easy to get it centered.

WOW... that looks awesome... now I wanna do the same!!! Thanks for posting that foto of the driver's side... plenty of room!

BoB

Nuevo Nova. Bueno!!!

A couple of pics of the engine harness install.
The harness is pretty long so we ran it through the middle of the firewall into the car, up to the top of the dash, over to the passenger side against the kick panel then to the drivers side. The harness fits in the recess at the top of the dash where it juts out towards the passengers.
Sorry for the fuzzy pic
Anyone doing a swap like this, the TR6060 is a big azz tranny and the tunnel needs to be enlarged a lot. We had to move both seats towards the outside by 2" but, they will still work.

If ya don't want to go to this much trouble the T56 is a good choice too.





Up behind the dash

Nice job!!! I've often wondered what it would be like working for a paying customer that has the money to do it.

I'm thinking he's gonna need more tire under it to get it to hook up.

I-R-POPS said:

I'm thinking he's gonna need more tire under it to get it to hook up.

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Always a prob with Novas! I also had a problem with my Chevelle & went with M/T Drag Radials but they were too squirrely in the rain so I went to M/T Street Radials with more tread & they did a great job but somehow they went bald really fast! [ddd[ddd

BoB

I narrowed a 9" Ford 2 1/2" on each side, total of 5"
Gonna install a parallel 4 bar rear suspension.

We started installing the Vintage Air also.

Nice work Iron. A pleasure to follow along. [cl [P

Me too - thanks for keeping us up to date!

Yep. just as I thought. You're running a real hot rod shop there. Just like on TV only without the drama.[cl

bob w said:

Yep. just as I thought. You're running a real hot rod shop there. Just like on TV only without the drama.[cl

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