project ( shoestring ) what would you do?

[brownz]

I got this 1972 nova a couple weeks ago for $850 off the original owner with 84k miles miles on it. It does need some body work but for the most part it is not bad at all. I have been using the car as a daily driver and it runs great with the stock 307/350 combo.

My question is on a shoestring budget what would you do?


I have rebuilt upper and lower control arms
quick ratio gear box
big solid front swap bar ( thanks Dan!!! bad94 )
and Ls1 fronts with C5 brackets with LS1 rears

But what would you do with the car build it and leave the body? strip it? enjoy it as is?

62449

[srh3trinity]

I like the idea of leaving the body/paint as is. It would look cool with the trim darkened or brushed and a dark center wheel. The Plastidip talk going around intrigues me and that could easily be undone on the bumper and trim.

[silvermonte]

I would leave it as it is for awhile till you get tired of the 307 or it dies on you, then doing something more with the engine, if you have a 700r4 sitting around I would throw that in just to get a bit better mileage out of it, other then that I'd throw some decent rims on it and call it a day.

[NOT A TA]

I'd remove the bumperettes first and sell them to a purist to lengthen the shoestring.

[brownz]

I'd remove the bumperettes first and sell them to a purist to lengthen the shoestring.

but I like them. lol

[Bad94]

Put the suspension on it and a set of wheels and drive the **** out of it.

I might have my old alum radiator for you too, not sure what im doing yet.

[Young Gun]

You should sell it to me...

But really, go with a junkyard build if you have a tight budget. An LS1 would be awesome but you can find plenty of 5.3 truck motors for cheap you can rebuild and get some respectable power.

[brownz]

Put the suspension on it and a set of wheels and drive the **** out of it.

I might have my old alum radiator for you too, not sure what im doing yet.

Sounds good Dan! let me know Im up for any hand me down parts lol

[JayR]

Ever heard the term "paint jail"? Clean the paint up (if you care) with a clay bar and call it good, then focus on things that make it stop and turn! Great find on a great car!

[Tony_SS]

That is a great find! I would take off that god awful rubber body molding and leave the patina as is. Work on the suspension/rollers and just drive it.

[zombiekiller]

i'd do the suspension, wheels/tires, quicken the steering and strip the trim that I didnt want off of it, then drive it. I don't know that I'd even smooth it out and do all of the pain/body work. I like the patina a lot.

While you drive it, just keep a notebook of what you find wrong/want to modify. Start a fund in a savings account for the wish list. once you have some fundage built up, keep an eye out for good deals on the drivetrain that you want.

I wish, in hindsight, that i have bought a car with a more solid motor to start with. If i had, I'd still be driving my car, as oppossed to having it stripped down , torn into, etc. I miss driving it so much. It's been in some state of dis-assembly since october of last year. Thankfully a functional vehicle is in sight!

[MonzaRacer]

Dont knock the 307, they are simply smaller bore 327s. Mild cam, intake, decent carb, some dressup.
Like one guy said, maybe a 700r4 for mileage. Measure for wheels. Yeah you can remove the trim, dont remove the bumper guards, EVERYONE does that. Leave it be. Think maybe a small cowl hood for looks. Different look it hit up a John Deere shop for some Blitz Black, its is a tough, durable semi gloss/flat black for the hood. Invest in decent gas tank with electric pump for down the road objectives AND blocking off fuel pump port frees up power. Up grade electrical with newer style alternator, move battery. On budget think of say Ridetech coil overs in front, I think they are working on or have an Air Bar that goes in the 72 Nova, CoilOvers they too are gonna be budget compared to other ideas.
Oh nad if your NOT looking for super car performance, dont undercut a 307. A buddy of mine has built several and they are hard chargers for red headed step child engines,,,,,and you can swap the rotating assembly into a 350 block and tada 327.
Heck scrounge up a Vortec 350, use two piece crank seal adapter and make a Vortec roller 327.
But hey little at a time.

[JAG.]

yeah get rid of anything chrome, put some nice wheels on it. even with the paint as it is, it'd look good carving the corners

[CHRIZ28]

$850? They ask twice that for just a roller around here. I say drive it and just do the upgrades as you get them. That's what I'm doing with the 66. Atleast you get to enjoy it in the meantime.

Chris

[andrewb70]

yeah get rid of anything chrome, put some nice wheels on it. even with the paint as it is, it'd look good carving the corners

Why all the hate for chrome? I think that the chrome looks great. All of the recent "blacked out" cars look the same. The lines are completely gone when the chrome is removed. It reminds me of the mono-chromatic paint jobs from the late 80s and early 90s.

I say leave the exterior alone. Spend the money on driveline components. If your goal is to enjoy the car, the natural thing to do is a LSx swap. A modern engine will make the car very driveable, give you great gas mileage, and will make way more power than that 307 ever did, or could. Even a 4.8L truck engine with an overdrive transmission would be better than what is in it now...

Or double your money...I'll give you $1700 for it now, provided the rust is not bad...

Andrew

[Zanie]

.....besides that side trim isn't going anywhere without bodywork. Its NOT glued on; its on there with those metal posts

[srh3trinity]

The more I look at it, I like the body as is. I am in favor of wheels and stance and drive it.

[brownz]

Why all the hate for chrome? I think that the chrome looks great. All of the recent "blacked out" cars look the same. The lines are completely gone when the chrome is removed. It reminds me of the mono-chromatic paint jobs from the late 80s and early 90s.

I say leave the exterior alone. Spend the money on driveline components. If your goal is to enjoy the car, the natural thing to do is a LSx swap. A modern engine will make the car very driveable, give you great gas mileage, and will make way more power than that 307 ever did, or could. Even a 4.8L truck engine with an overdrive transmission would be better than what is in it now...

Or double your money...I'll give you $1700 for it now, provided the rust is not bad...

Andrew

not every day you could double your money on a car LOL