A-body VS X-body...

[cpike]

Hey Guys, Ive narrowed my project down to either a nova or chevelle. Now Im building a car that will see the track but mostly street. This is a project I am starting while out here in AFG so my buddy is buying the car and getting the body done(since thats not my thing haha). I need to decide which one is the better performer. Take out price since this is a project. Which car would handle the best and why? If I had the nova I would got the full speedtech route, and as for the chevelle, Id need one of those high speed frames so I can fit wider tires(which is a whole other can of worms) I still can't find how wide you can go on the front of an A body though. So please feel free to tell lend any bits of info what will make this choice easier.

[shep]

The chevelle is bigger so if you plan to cruise with more than on friend at a time that's the way to go. Performance wise the Nova has more support since the front sub is based on a Camaro. Both can be made to perform very well just do some research here and see what your budget will allow. Stock front 68-72 A body can do 17 or 18 X 9.5 with no problem use 5.5 inch backspacing.

[cpike]

Yeah it will be more of a cruiser than a track car, but my friends drive a GTR ZR1 and GT2 so I don't want to beat them, but I don't want to be completely embarrassed either. They bought their speed I have always built mine, so this project is my way of doing that. I will keep lurking the forum on teh best frame for an A body, so far its looking like arm morrison is a good bet.

[howehot]

Check out Schwartz Performance and their G- machine chassis. Great people to work with and great support after the sale.

[shep]

You can achieve great results with some minor mods to the stock frame and bolt on parts. Give Marcus at SC&C a call tell him what you are trying to do he will make recommendations based on your needs not what he has to sell. I bet you can have a car that can keep up with your friends handling wise for less than half what a full frame will run you from schwartz, morrison, roadster shop, etc. Those parts are awesome don't get me wrong but IMHO think they would be overkill for a cruiser / once in a while track car.

[SRD art]

Having owned Novas for the last 25 years, I say if you want to be cool, buy the Nova, no question about it. ;)

They're lighter than a Chevelle. In stock form Novas are lighter than Camaros too. As has been said they're riding on a 1st gen Camaro suspension. F bodies seem to dominate the sport with the right parts, so a Nova with the same parts should perform similarly. So forth and so on...

On another note, we have a 67 Camaro at work that came in with a Speed Tech sub frame. Honestly none of us are very impressed with it. Not trying to rip on it, it just seems to not be built/engineered very well compared to others on the market. It's their first design I think so I don't know if they've fixed what we see as wrong. Just sayin', do your homework.

[Tuske427]

[QUOTE=
They're lighter than a Chevelle. In stock form Novas are lighter than Camaros too. As has been said they're riding on a 1st gen Camaro suspension. F bodies seem to dominate the sport with the right parts, so a Nova with the same parts should perform similarly. So forth and so on...[/QUOTE]

X2 on this. Less weight is less weight to accelerate, push in new directions, and to stop, as well as less required hp/ speed parts to get it to go as fast. (This is why I am building a Firebird and not a GTO) Unless you pack the car with a poor fitting cage and/ or modern interior pieces you will have enough room to cruise around in. I say of the two- build a Nova.

[SRD art]

More to add to the size idea... I'm a small fry, 5'-10" @ 160 lbs. My first car at 16 yrs old was a 69 Malibu. 3 months later it spun a bearing and I never drove it again, eventually sold it. During that time I bought my first 73 Nova. The Malibu seemed/felt bulkier to me, even though they're not really that much bigger. I liked the smaller feel of the Nova a lot more. Maybe a bigger guy would feel more at home in the A body car.

Another thought, if you're looking to attract more looks from passers by, perhaps buy the Chevelle. The Novas have always had a bit of a low key sleeper appearance, and I think parked next to a Chevelle of equal build the A body would probably get more looks. Guess it depends what you're after there.

We bolted my wagon's 17x9.5s w/ 5.5" b.s. on my son's bone stock 73 Nova recently, 275-40 on the back, 255-40 on the front. They're tight but clear without rubbing if the fender lip was rolled up. A 17x9 with 5.5" b.s. would be even better. You can pack a bunch more meat under a stock chassis Chevelle. Having the rear frame rails notched is easy enough. I believe a 275-295 would clear up front fine on an A body if you do your homework on wheel size and offset.

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

[WS6]

Nova/Omega/Ventura/Apollo for the weight advantage. I'd look into the Ventura or Omega myself. Same suspension but a very different and less seen look. You'll have a harder time finding model specific parts if you can't find a good candidate but the major stuff like suspension, drivetrain, and brakes is all the same as the Nova. Just a though. Good luck with whatever you do.

[dlove63]

Im a Nova guy and its what I like. Think about what your finished car will be as far as drivetrain and suspension, see whats available for each car and have fun with the build.

[tommycomfort]

Well, being a Chevelle guy I would suggest that you can do great things with a Chevelle with only some slight mods to the stock frame. If you get some free time check out the build threads in my signature block. I would definitely never talk down a Nova and there are a few that frequent Pro-Touring events and do very well.

[MonzaRacer]

Yeah as for weight difference, your only talking couple hundred lbs at best. glass hood and deck lid would make them equal. 3500-3600 avg either car

[Removed user as requested]

My opinion goes something like this, a little 'different' to your decision/experience but perhaps, useful in some way at least.

I had a 68 Dodge Charger, and I have been in much more nimble/tighter cars.

To me, id picture that to some degree as a Chevelle compare to Nova, where the Nova would probably feel more racy as its more nimble, tighter, smaller etc.

Having said that, the Chevelle would be an awesome cruising machine.

If race performance is a must have/cant live without, then be prepaired to spend the money that turns a car into a good handling car ($50,000+)

If that is not the goal, then either car wont matter too much besides the fact the chevelle is more cruisey so to speak, but the Nova may be that little bit more tight around the corners (which you are not really planning to do).

If you do plan to do it like a 'i must have and will spend', then again it does not make a difference. You throw that money at either car, and you will have one serious handling pro-touring car.

At the end of the day to me, at least the Chevelle is the big badass out of the 2. So if both cars handled identical, if both cars ran a circuit identical times, both cars finished a quarter mile same time. I would much rather than be in the Chevelle as the Chevelle is a Chevelle. Was one of the Street Kings back in the day before I was in the thinking which came to pass in 1983.

I would go the Chevelle. At least driving that will feel awesome and knowing you can make it handle, makes it that much bit more awesome. End of the day, performance aside, what to you feels like 'damn this thing kicks butt' knowing in the back of your mind, what you have, what others think, what the car represented, what history the car had (biggest ci motor of all muscle cars produced) etc, and buy on that. The handling etc can be done to either to a degree beyond your ability or neccessety being a casual thing.

Ive sold my 68 Charger and im going the 67 Fastback Eleanor Mustang. I wanted more tight and nimble and more race like feeling even if it didnt (which it does and can) handle better than a big 68 B-Body. So to you that may be the priority as well in which case the Nova would be the car to get. Handling can be bought, the race/small/tight feeling comes with the size of the package. Im just saying I know what a Chevelle is, a Nova seems obscure to me. Why not a Camaro then besides the fact everyone has them which turned me off it.

Well I got plenty ideas but nothing usefull. Im out