Project TangerMean, 73 Nova RS Nova teenager build

[TangerMean Nova]

Hey everyone! This is the car my dad ("SRD art" on the forum) and I have started on this month. Our goal is to have it up and running next summer ready for me to get my driving permit when I turn 15 in July 2013. We are also looking to have the car totally complete when I'm 16 so I can drive it to High School.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/Tangermean1-1.jpg

"TangerMean" is a 1973 Nova Hatchback my dad bought when I was about 2 years old. The car was pretty thrashed and needed a complete rebuild. He was in car design school at the time and starting collecting parts but within a year it went into storage and has been there until we moved to Georgia this past summer. I managed to convince him to give me the car when I was 13, under the agreement that I help him build it. We finally started on it this past week.

Right now the car is stripped to a bare shell. The front sub frame has the Guldstrand mod done to it and should be going to blasting and getting powdercoated next week. While that's being done we have to asses the body damage. The car came from Las Vegas so it was mostly rust free, except for inside the hatchback. Some small rust has formed while it was parked outside for about 4 years in Utah. It has several door dings, but other than that it's in good shape for a project start. The original color is "Medium Orange Metallic" but someone did a cheapie white (!?) over paint along the way. We'll be stripping the white real soon and it will be going back to orange. We're going with a phantom "RS" theme on the car. Here's a rendering my dad did several years ago...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/10/Tangermean-1.jpg

Our goal for the car is to have it look factory stock as though it just came from the build plant in '73. But it will have lots of upgrades in the engine and suspension so it will perform well too. Rally Novas were done in 72 and I think 76 & 77, but there was no such thing as an "RS" Nova in 73. My dad's a hot rod designer so he's pretty anal with details and he says we're going to do it in such a way that everyone will believe it's a real RS. The only non-stock looking item on the car will be the larger wheels, but we're only using those because we want to put bigger brakes on it. For now we'll be using the 16x8" GTA Trans Am wheels that were on my dad's wagon - https://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?80582-Pumkinator-A-G-Body-G-Machine-grocery-getter... In the mean time I'm saving money for 17's that we'll put on later.

[67speedfreak]

Nice looking project ! Good luck with your Build ! :)

[spoilersbyrandy]

Wow! that will be a cool car to drive to high school.

[GATA79]

Hey bud, I see you're from Acworth? There's a killer machine shop on Main street called Goza Automotive, highly recommended! My pops still lives in Acworth and knows his stuff with these Chevy's, if you ever need a helping hand drop me a line! Also, there's a shop on main street in K-saw right across from the tracks that might be worth poking around. The guy had what I believe to be a 72 silver Nova in the garage bay for about 2-3 years while I was still in highschool that they restored there. They might be a good contact for ya. Awesome start, enjoy high school! Drop me a line if you ever need anything I know all sorts of folks in Acworth...I'm a local.

[SRD art]

Thanks everyone. We work not far down the road from that machine shop, thanks for the info!

I drove a 73 Nova to high school too, this is as cool for me as this is for him. I used to be into drag racing back then, however this car will be set up for daily driving and autocross time. In the scheme of things, putting a teen in an autocross car makes so much more sense than what a lot of us used to do. First off you've got a car that's extremely safe to drive because it handles and stops well. Second, when we do go racing the speeds are low so there's less of a chance to have injury to the driver or the car. Finally, as Roman learns to control his car on the course he'll be that much better a driver on the road. It's all win win as I see it...

[Tony_SS]

Roman's a lucky kid! If its anything like your wagon the Nova's going to turn out great. I love the fact it's a hatchback too.

[TangerMean Nova]

Nice looking project ! Good luck with your Build ! :)

Thank you!

[TangerMean Nova]

Wow! that will be a cool car to drive to high school.

Thanks! And, yeah it will be!

[TangerMean Nova]

I have been looking at a lot of Novas, to compare what we're doing and to see how many are out there like ours. We want it to be unique but still look like it could have come from the factory the way we're building it. Here's the closest thing I could find. Pretty sure this is the same Medium Orange Metallic factory color and it has the partial vinyl roof too. There are a few other orange 73s out there but not many as nice as this one. Our stripes will be a lot different and we'll have RS badges instead of SS. Seeing this gets me stoked about building mine. :)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/1973ChevroletNovaSS2-1.jpg

[Crestronwizard]

Looks like a fun build. Good luck

[SRD art]

Today Roman had the day off from school so decided to come to work a full day at the shop. I'm in my office working on some renderings so he's assisting Eric our shop manager. Eric just showed me this shot on his phone, he's been walking Roman through welding on a 1/4 panel on this 65 Chevelle. Eric asked me if he's done it before because he was doing pretty decent work. Besides spending a couple hours one evening playing with the welder he has no prior experience. I think we'll see some cool stuff from him in the future... Go Roman!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/32-1.jpg

[V8240Z]

It's great to see a young person with such enthusiasm. Good luck with the build.

[cornfedbill]

I have been looking at a lot of Novas, to compare what we're doing and to see how many are out there like ours. We want it to be unique but still look like it could have come from the factory the way we're building it. Here's the closest thing I could find. Pretty sure this is the same Medium Orange Metallic factory color and it has the partial vinyl roof too. There are a few other orange 73s out there but not many as nice as this one. Our stripes will be a lot different and we'll have RS badges instead of SS. Seeing this gets me stoked about building mine. :)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/1973ChevroletNovaSS2-1.jpg

Looks cool. This reminds me of driving my 74 Spirit of America Hatchback to high school. That was a long time ago.

I will retain the black top, but will switch from vinyl to black paint. I am keeping the blacked out trim around the windows that came from the factory.

[SRD art]

I'd like to start the thread rolling here... I bought the car when I was in college, around 2000 or 2001. Roman was only 2 or 3 at the time, man that makes me feel old. I traded a worn out 400 small block crank and block for the car. The catch was I had to drive 800 miles round trip from Provo, UT to Las Vegas to pick it up, and when I got it back home my coworker, who owned it, got to keep the 350/TH350 that was in it. I had plans for a 400 SBC and putting it back to it's original stick shift anyway so it seemed like a good deal to me. After seeing only one photo of it I packed up my 'Burban and a friend and I headed south.

We pulled the front bumper, bolted on my drag Nova's tow bar, threw on some better tires on the back, and hauled it home.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/ready2go-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/loadedpkup-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/homeside-1.jpg

[SRD art]

Turns out Chris, the guy I bought it from, had lent his younger brother the car to drive in NV while he was in Utah for school. Once I got the car home I realized things were way worse than either of us expected. It had been sitting for some time, looked like his brother didn't take care of it at all, and apparently had even taken it off-roading. The sub frame cross member was smashed... (red arrow)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/noclip-1.jpg

...the rear floor pan was smashed up, the gas tank was smashed nearly in half, and there was sand everywhere. I also found the interior, with the exception of the rear seat, was completely hammered, the wiring harness was all hacked up, the car had a cheap junk re-paint that was now in bad shape, and all the weather stripping was brittle and crumbled in your hand. I was a bit disappointed but saw the potential that this could be my first "complete and total" re-build project.

First thing I did was grab a wrecking yard sub frame from a 69 Firebird. I got it cleaned up and did the Guldstrand mod to it...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/donorfrm-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/frmbarefar-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/closemountholes-1.jpg

Next was tracking down some Nova disc brake spindles, new steering, braking, and suspension parts, a poly bushing kit, and some por 15 coated on the frame and control arms.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/frntsusp-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/aarmsnew-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/framepaintd-1.jpg

[SRD art]

Here's another shot of the frame damage...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/rsframecomparow-1.jpg

The rest of the original suspension was ugly too...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/frntdrum-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/rsrearw-1.jpg

[SRD art]

I found the original build sheet on top of the gas tank, but about half of it was deteriorated. Between the cowl tag and what I could see of the build sheet I learned that the car was built in Van Nuys, CA and shipped to a dealership in Colorado. Powertrain was a 350 2bbl, a 3 speed on the floor, and an open 3.08 10 bolt. Options included Medium Orange Metallic paint, tinted glass, bucket seats with funky looking black and white woven vinyl covers, 4 wheel drum brakes, Nova rally wheels and white letter tires. Although it has the stainless trim on the roof it did not have a vinyl top.

The original 350 was gone, as was the 3-speed. It had another 350 with a few bolt ons and a TH350 shifted by a 70's Camaro shifter in their place. More photos of what it looked like when I first got it...

Sand and dust everywhere! Notice permanently mounted to the passenger fender well is a rednecked starter button. Huh? ...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/motorright-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/fanshroud-1.jpg

Sagging, brittle and a bazillion cracks dash pad along with the broken column...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/strngwhl-1.jpg

[SRD art]

Front driver's seat was junk. Both front seats' foam is toast, most likely from sitting in the Nevada sun for a looooong time.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/drvrseat-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/passseat-1.jpg

Back seat

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/backseat-1.jpg

Original shifter hump and 70's f-body auto shifter in it's place

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/shftrhole-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/shftr-1.jpg

[SRD art]

More interior...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/doorpanl-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/doorjamb-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/hatchopen-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/trunk-1.jpg

And with the hatch closed. The rear bumper is a little beat, however the front is fairly nice. Let me know if you have a good shape 73 Nova rear bumper laying around :) ...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/hatchclosed-1.jpg

[SRD art]

At the time I also had my spare short block 400 small block rebuilt. It's the stronger 2 bolt main, bored with new flat top eutectic pistons on 5.7 rods with ARP rod bolts, and the assembly was balanced.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/2boltmain-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/406shortblk-1.jpg

Unfortunately I got very busy with school, work, and raising a young family so work on the car pretty much stopped after these photos were taken. I didn't have all the new parts ready to install, so I yanked a free 4 door Pontiac Ventura out of a farmer's field and pulled the complete subframe out and installed it in the Nova so I could move it around. I also grabbed the rear axle from the parts car before scrapping it.

[SRD art]

The Nova has been in storage since then until recently when we moved from Utah to GA. Roman started asking about the car last year when he was 13. When I brought my mostly disassembled wagon home from school he helped me on occasion with putting it back together and I realized he was serious about having his own project. At that point I decided the Nova would be a great father-son bonding experience and a kick butt car for him to drive to high school.

During the "in storage" phase I still collected a bunch of parts. Some highlights are a 10 bolt posi center section from a 79 Z28 and some new Richmond 3.36 gears and complete axle rebuild kit, more engine goodies, a 70's era correct column mount tach, wood grain dash dress-up inserts, 69 Camaro RS grille and fender emblems, a 73 RS Camaro steering wheel, carpet kit, a pair of Flowmasters, and a bunch of other small parts. I also had the axle housing sandblasted and powder coated.

That pretty much gets us caught up to now. We'd like to have TangerMean drivable in 2013, but the heads on the motor in my wagon are going on Roman's motor. Time schedule really depends on how soon I can get an LS motor swapped into Pumkinator. In the mean time we'll be assembling the subframe and rear suspension, and getting some body work done. Roman will be 16 in 2014, so that's at least our hard deadline. More coming soon...

[TangerMean Nova]

Here's a photo I took recently at the shop. It's looking pretty rough but with some work it'll be in shape.
Right now it has 15x7 '79 Z28 wheels on it. We've decided to keep that look and we're going to go with Year One's 17" versions. There are two options we're thinking about- 17x9 with 255-45-17 all around for a 26" tall tire that will fill the wheel well better or 255-40 up front and 275-40 out back for the staggered look.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/currentside-1.jpg

Surfing this morning we found a 73 Nova with these wheels, I love it! This one has 17x8 up front and 17x9 out back. Only problem is looks like it's stock height, so dad lowered it in Photoshop. I think the lowered one looks killer! Thoughts everyone?

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/yearone17sa-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/yearone17s-1.jpg

[SRD art]

Yep, that bottom Nova pic rocks!

[srh3trinity]

I have always liked those wheels. With a 17 and the right stance it will be killer. Like the hatchback too.

[Six_Shooter]

The blue one lowered looks really nice. Those wheels suit the car well.

[LeighP]

Love those Z28 wheels......the Year One wheels are a great value buy. I like your plans.

[SRD art]

We test fit my wagon's wheels and tires on the Nova. The rear 275-40-17 on 9.5" wheels with 5.5" back space will clear fine if we roll the fender lip. Inner clearance has no issues. On the front is a 255-40-17 on the same size wheel. It's very close to the tie rod end mounted on the stock drum. We'll be using '98-'02 F-body 1LE 12" brakes up front so with the additional rotor thickness as a thin spacer there won't be a problem. We didn't have the fenders on for this so hopefully there's no issues there. If there are we'll run 17x8's up front.

Some photos...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/275402-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/27540-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/275403-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/275404-1.jpg

[SRD art]

Roman was messing with After Effects, the program he uses to edit his movies, and did a quick re-color of the blue car. First one is the end idea for the car, the second is based on what my wagon looks like now. Cool, Roman! ..

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/orangeNova-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/flatblacknova-1.jpg

[SRD art]

We came up with a logo for the car, I think a t-shirt is in order here... :)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2012/11/TangerMeanLogo72-1.jpg

Roman has been stripping paint recently. Unfortunately the end result isn't pretty. Pics coming soon...

[gofastwclass]

Cool father son project.
Glad to see everything is going well for you in Georgia.

[cornfedbill]

Cool project. Keep up the good work.

[cornfedbill]

Any updates?

[Todd in Vancouver]

Looking good and its nice to see a father and son build. I sure you will enjoy the memories more than the car. Subscribed and looking forward to seeing this build.

[craigs73]

wow.........i some how missed this thread....and the wheels look great on there....but hey not sure on the rules here about mentioning other forums but if you want a great site for just novas and to get all the help you could ever need....check out stevesnovasite.com also was there any problems with the front wheels and the fenders?

[SRD art]

Hey Bill- Roman got the whole rear of the car sanded down and we sprayed it with semi gloss black to keep it from rusting. The car looks cool that way! Unfortunately sanding it revealed many small dents covered in thick bondo. We're definitely going to do both door skins, they both probably have a gallon of bondo on them. The front right fender has some gnarly rust I don't want to bother trying to repair so we'll just try to find another. Both rear 1/4 have a couple tiny spots of rust, the kind that can probably be fixed with some spot welding. Lots of dents though but I think I can probably hammer and dolly all of them out. We may have to move again so I don't think there will be more progress for maybe a couple months. I think over the summer we'll be able to get lots done. I hope to have it up and running next year. Not done but running.

Todd- You got that right!

Craig- I'm a member on steve's but when my wagon took priority I sort of drifted off since the wagon's not a Nova. When we start making considerable progress on both our Novas we'll definitely have a thread there too. I was just thinking about my Nova today and putting some ideas/ plans together on how to switch the car from a drag race car to pro-touring using some stuff I have and trying to find other parts on a budget. Anyways, back to Roman's car...

[craigs73]

Have u tried the front fenders on? How the wheels fit?

[SRD art]

No not yet. We had to put em back on my car so we missed the opportunity. We'll post up when we know. :)

[cornfedbill]

I need to check, but I think I have a right front fender that is still good. I'll have to check. It still has the SOA decals on it.

I am using fiberglass. I have some other fenders that I will use to steal the inner structure.

[SRD art]

Yeah check for me and let me know. As you know a 68-74 would work. I can re-use our front extension/ filler

[cornfedbill]

Yeah check for me and let me know. As you know a 68-74 would work. I can re-use our front extension/ filler

I checked. The good fender is the left one. The right one has a nasty dent in front of the wheel opening. The rear portion is fine.

[SRD art]

Can you post a photo? I'll look at our left fender again, but I think it's ok. The area near the door on the right fender has a vertical gnarly rust spot about 6-8" tall on ours but the rest of it is fine. Maybe I could use yours as a patch donator.

[C. Smith]

It's a long shot, but any updates?

[SRD art]

Hey C-

Thanks for the interest. Unfortunately, No. My job in GA turned out to not be at all what I expected and a real interesting part of my personal history to say the least. After that mess I took a job with Speedtech Peformance in St George Utah, so I hauled Tangermean back "home" where it has sat in the driveway for two years. During that time I bought some fairly recently reupholstered factory seats and a factory center console with gauges but that's about it on progress. We moved this past week to a new place here in town so I'm hoping once we get settled in some progress will take place before the cold weather sets in.

In the mean time, I always knew Tangermean will be a more long term deal and Roman would be driving soon so we kept our eyes open for a daily driver. Ironically we found a 78 Cutlass wagon for sale locally, now we both have two matching cars, lol!! I'm very proud of him, he's landed his first fast food job at Wendy's and has been saving his money, he's got almost $2000 now and is shopping for a 6.0 to do an LS swap into Coppertop. Check it out HERE (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/105097-78-Cutlass-Wagon-quot-CopperTop-quot?highlight=coppertop)

He has a couple other cool photos on our fb page we've started, check that out HERE (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008735081299&fref=ts)