63 Nova

[RoddingRon]

Well, it's not really as cool as a Model A stuck in a hanger like DMW found, but I've always had an affection for the early Novas. My first car was a 66 Nova, so I think that had something to do with it.

The previous owner had new floors, trunk pan and quarters installed, and started gathering other parts and pieces for a restoration, but then he found a finished 63 SS hardtop and shoved this in the other side of his garage and forgot about it. He recently bought another project and needed room, so I was more then happy to help him make room in the garage.

[Dirtyrat]

I'm a Nova guy too, nice find, looks like it should be in pretty good shape... cept for the one quarter panel?

[Dr Crankenstein]

Congrats! Looks like a half-quarter on the passenger's side, no?

327 4-speed.

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[Snake Farm]

Very cool! That's my all time favorite Chevy II body style. I know a guy who drug one of those home about 12 years ago........



......and shoved it into the back of his garage a couple years ago to make room to work on an old Willys



What are your plans for yours? Please tell me it will have three pedals.

Nice score, keep us posted on the progress.

[Mike S.]

Nice! I love, love, love first generation Novas/Chevy IIs!

[RoddingRon]

Originally Posted by Dr Crankenstein

Congrats! Looks like a half-quarter on the passenger's side, no?.

Yes....The passenger side is only a half quarter (that still needs to be finished).

This car is a 6 cylinder with a 3 speed (like my first car was), but.......I do have a 327 that just may find it's way into this and yes Snake Farm, I do plan on keeping three pedals

What I would like to do is find a 70s style Camaro or Nova front sub frame. I've seen it the past where guys have cut the back of the subs off and welded plates on to adapt to the first generation body. Easy way to get rid of the first gen front suspension and get disc brakes along with the ability to drop in a V8 without the need for the front sump oil pan setup. Oh yeah, the later sub frame gets rid of the 4 lug front hubs too. Obviously I'll have to slide in a different rear to get rid of that 4 lug set up too.

3 years ago when I first heard about this car (yup, took that long to get the car), I had just picked up a Corvette front and rear suspension from JFG455 on here, and I thought it would be cool to adapt that to this car, but after lots of research, I found out that they would have to be narrowed to fit. As cool as that would have been I'm not that ambisious so I'm going to go with the easier route and start looking for the sub and rear I mentioned above

[HOT40ROD]

Nice find Ron. Sold my 36 pickup and been looking for a Chevy II/Nova project too.

[HOT40ROD]

Ron they do make a real nice bolt on front clip for the Mustang II setup.

[Old Iron]

Originally Posted by HOT40ROD

Ron they do make a real nice bolt on front clip for the Mustang II setup.

Yep I would go this way too.
The 70's style front subs are a little too heavy and too wide for the Chevy II in my opinion
I had a 62 Chevy II post car, in the mid 70's I put a 300 hp 327 in
The rearend pumpkin from the 55 to 64 Chevy's will bolt right in the housing on these cars. Axle splines are the same too.

[Mike S.]

Originally Posted by HOT40ROD

Ron they do make a real nice bolt on front clip for the Mustang II setup.

Agreed. The bolt-on suspension options for Novas has really sky rocketed in the last few years. Heidts, Chris Alston and Detroit Speed (to name a few) make some really nice front clips and a few companies offer some really nice bolt-on rear options too. You can really get them to handle for a reasonable amount.

I love road race cars and for years I've dreamed of building a full boogie, tube chassis road race car out of a first gen Nova. Maybe the next project after I finish my '40.