Non Cookkie Cutter Alternative Nova project?

[SRD art]

Hey all-

A few weeks ago someone asked if anyone had done up a 4-door pro-touring Nova. Needless to say it didn't go over too well, for some reason the Aussies, Euros, and Asians can make cool 4 doors but we don't seem to like 'em? My first "fast" car was a granny light blue sleeper 73 4-door Nova that ran 11's, body color steel wheels and all. There was a local race car builder, a funny old guy named David Roland, who called my 4-door a Tijuana Taxi.

Well when the 4-door pro-touring Nova question came up for some reason that memory came back and this image appeared in my head. I couldn't help it, I had to do a rendering.

Why not right? :) Cheaper than a 2-door, throw in 17x8 and 17x9 rallies with police caps, beefy 6.2L/ 6 speed, a roll cage, and 4 racing seats with 5 point harnesses. How cool would a 3 passenger ride along be dodging cones or road coursing at 140+ mph be?
If I had one I'd build and drive the snot out of it, even if it was a more-door. :headbang::6gears:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/05/TijTaxi1072_zps31e5b479-1.jpg

[cornfedbill]

Ben,

This isn't a big bumper '73/'74! Are you being slowly pulled into the '68-'72 crowd?

I do like the concept and the rendering. It brings a little fun into the world of PT. It has potential. Plus it is not too hard to find. I found this in about 2 minutes - http://denver.craigslist.org/cto/3729618502.html

Keep up the great work!

I still have to get with you to render my PT Spirit of America.

[Thephranc]

I love it! I got a 72 4 door from my grand mother and turned it into a sleeper. Granted this was before pro-touring so it only went straight.

[SRD art]

The cool thing about this concept is that it would work with pretty much any 4 door. A Maverick, Falcon, Impala, Malibu, Cutlass, Valiant, Dart, and the list goes on... Take a car that no one else wants and make a killer street machine out of it. It's all about having fun, not whether or not your car has the "correct" amount of doors right?

Thanks Bill. Naw, I'm still a bit partial to the big bumper cars but this concept just seemed to fit the earlier styling better. I've seen some really nice 4 doors for decent prices over the years. Grandma fresh and ready to be upgraded.

Thephranc- sounds like my ride.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/4drlaunch1-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/08/rcrmotr72dp-1.jpg

I watched some Youtube videos of fast sleeper 4 door Novas as further inspiration for the rendering, all at the dragstrip mind you. Watching them you see just the shape of the Nova and the performance, and the fact that it has 2 extra doors doesn't even come to mind.

My son asked me if I were to build this would I drive it around town or would it be a racer only. Not sure, it might be a little goofy cruising down the road in a "taxi", but on the other hand it might be fun seeing people's reactions as you drove past. Definitely not a car I'd drive in New York City though, you'd prolly piss people off when you didn't stop to pick them up, lol!

So there's the question of the day, Would you guys drive it?

[SRD art]

Here's another version of the car, stealth sleeper mode.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/05/TijTaxiStealth_zps42d2f49c-1.jpg


Or detective cop mode...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/05/Cop_zps222dbc3b-1.jpg

[rfalker1]

I like stealth stealth sleeper mode!! that is one cool car though!! DOOOOOOOOOOOO ITTTTTTTTTTTTTT

[alocker]

The taxi theme is great and the only one that works here IMHO.

[SS PUNISHER]

Diggin that taxi! And hellzz yea I'd drove it!

[Ron.in.SoCal]

In college my grandmother gave me her hand me down 4 door 70 Nova, straight six IIRC. I drove that bad boy everywhere. I say DO IT :D

[garickman]

Build the taxi!

[SRD art]

Lol! I guess Its the Taxi FTW! I'll add it to my list of x-bodies to build when I'm rich and famous. :twothumbs

I kinda dig the black one. Super smooth gloss black with just enough red to break it up. Super low key and subtle, yet gracefully bad bootie. I guess the taxi takes the award for the fun factor though. :)

[rfalker1]

Lol! I guess Its the Taxi FTW! I'll add it to my list of x-bodies to build when I'm rich and famous. :twothumbs

I kinda dig the black one. Super smooth gloss black with just enough red to break it up. Super low key and subtle, yet gracefully bad bootie. I guess the taxi takes the award for the fun factor though. :)

well i hope u get rich and famous soon!!!

[SRD art]

Ha! Me too! :) I wish that money tree in the back yard would sprout already! Lol!

[cornfedbill]

I like the yellow with the taxi stripe without the text and taxi light. The black is cool, but is a bit played out.

One way to do it on the cheap is to use a 2nd gen F-body/4th gen X-body subframe to get good geometry and add B-body wagon/police spindles and hubs with mid-'70's C10 2 15/16" calipers on the front. You will find the amount of work required is not too bad since the subframe nearly bolts on as long as you move to the newer steering column from the same gen subframe.

You could live with the 8.5" 10 bolt if you add a posi.

I am running a Muncie to save a few bucks. Even cheaper is the NV3500 5-speed from the late 4.3L S-trucks and 1500 series 2wd pickups. The salvage yards sell them complete for about $400 with bellhousing to fit small blocks. The Vortec motors are not too expensive and will take an updated roller cam with some circle track springs to get about .550" lift and a bit more duration. It is not hard to get 400 crank horsepower and a fair idle and tons of torque.

It will take some funds, but will not brake the bank. It's even cheaper if you live with the stock faded paint.

[octane speed shop]

ya know as cool as the taxi theme is, I like the stealth look a lot better. A srd art mentioned a 4 door Maverick, I had one of those, i wish i would have known about pro-touring back then.
Anthony

[Rhino]

I've been considering a 4 door Chevelle as my next project. I love the taxi concept!

[nekkidhillbilly]

im a 4 door fan but me id want it a ugly 70s green or blue. however ive never seen a nova cop or taxi car at all. they where left to the bigger cars. the taxi thing to me looks good on paper but in real life im sure it would be tacky looking kinda like when you see a old car painted up like pretend cop car at a car show.

[SRD art]

Not sure about the earlier models but the 9C1 Police option Nova was quite popular in the mid to later 70s. Some were black and white, some were regular colors, all had steel wheels with small dog dish caps and upgraded suspensions and heavy duty drive trains. A google search for Police Nova shows some great photos. Apparently the Novas were the choice for the L.A. police dept, there is an old Chevrolet ad that mentions that specifically.

The key to overcome the tackiness is to make it look wicked bad, that's what I was after here. Usually this can be accomplished with the right stance and wheel and tire combination, having the chrome blacked out adds to it too.

I guess you could say most theme cars are tacky, but it's really all about having fun with a car that usually gets tossed to the way side.

[nekkidhillbilly]

id rather see it just be badass than themed that way throw away cars loose the throw away aspect.

http://webspace.webring.com/people/sn/novaessess/SSpolice.htm

i should have corrected that ive never seen a 68-74 nova looks like there wasnt one. i have seen the later years on tv. ky always kept full size cars for police use.

[brownz]

Im not a fan of yellow but I like the taxi.

[72BBSwinger]

A true sleeper would be grey primer lol. And leaving the bumpers stock rusty chrome....

[medbali76]

Hell yeah you made my day!!!Many thanks for this Taxi rendering you gave me a great idea with it!!!
I will do it. I have a 70 4door Nova + LS1+T56. :)

[medbali76]

Could you change the yellow to white? My car is white right now I just would like to see if it is really need to repaint it.
Thank you.

[cactuss4]

Funny, I almost demand in my cars to be sports sedans, I have a kid, take other kids around and really like the 4 door. But when I'm looking for classics, it's 2 door only, I turn my nose up at all 4 doors or heck even 300 pillar cars (Chevelles).

So it's interesting, one end I demand 4 doors (my S4 and my S6 are 4 doors), but classics I prefer 2 doors.

Love your rendering however!

Tory

[AmKenpo1]

I like the idea of a 4 door Pro Tourer. I recently found a beautiful 78 4 door Malibu that I hope will be my project.
The stealth look appeals to me.

[Mustard_N_Catchup]

When I stand on the porch, smoking, I look at a 4dr hardtop caprice. I've been really thinking about trying to buy it and adding a ridetech kit to it.

I love the nova rendering!

[Mr_Roboto]

Am a huge fan of this build out. http://bangshift.com/blog/introducing-project-buford-t-justice-our-1987-9c1-chevy-caprice-the-adventure-begins-this-weekend.html I think it's a fun build to watch especially with it being budget oriented. Even a Caprice has some factors that make it "buildable."

The big thing I think that you'd get from building a 4 door ride out as it stands is good aftermarket support. Just like my Lemans is based on the "A" platform a will have a good aftermarket for most parts you'll ever want. There may need to be some tweaking due to the weight distribution changing (I think that's the same challenge I will have, no one really has it documented) but at least it won't be something like my van with little to no aftermarket so everything's fabricated.

If I were seriously looking for something to build, I'd also consider an early Chevelle or similar car. They are on a 115" wheel base but it's the same as the 2 door so practically everything should be a bolt in. Later they went to 112" on the 2 door and 116" wheel base on the sedans. I think it will make a few minor things like drive shafts and exhast a challenge for me. Not much of one, but still not bolt in 100%. Not only that, but they are considerably lighter than the later cars based on the info I can find.

Weight is sort of the turn off to me with a sedan. I'm not sure how much my 71 has on it compared to a coupe or hard top, but I'd bet at least 150 lbs maybe closer to 200 lbs. I won't really know until I hit the scales.

In regards to the taxi theme, I'd definitely leave it for a bit. If you grabbed a decent condition car you could mess with people and not tip them off until it's too late.

ED:

If these #s are right, then I am way off on the later cars with weight difference. The Sedans are actually not all that much different at all in distribution or overall weight. Within 100 lbs which isn't bad in my opinion.

http://www.chevellestuff.net/1971/misc/dimensions.htm

[medbali76]

Here is my real version. Some parts are still waiting to install, front spoiler, racing mirrors, Sparco wheels etc. Yes, I know that the stripes are not really straight but that is ok for now... 80439
Looks like it will be a nice summer fun.
The plan is to convert it to a 2 doors later on so this stage is really only for summer cruising :)

[SRD art]

Holy Crap! Lol!!!! I didn't think anyone would take this seriously, nice job! Get the wheels on and slam it and you're golden, er, white. I guess it's safe to say you're as nutty as I am. ;)

[csouth]

Nice seeing you guys play around with different ideas for what can be pro touring builds.

[nekkidhillbilly]

i love seeing 4 doors done up. sadly im selling my 4 door lesabre but its not a problem by spring i will have something bigger and better with a buick engine. 225 inches as in bigger.

[LS1NOVA]

Win!!

[Auto Rod Technologies]

I like it

[SRD art]

Shave the rear door handles and no one will be the wiser! Pant the car a dark color and the shadow line of the rear doors will disappear. Dare to be different!
Conrad

But that would ruin the whole point of making a 4 door into a hot rod. I dunno, just thinking out loud.

[Cruisin'73]

Or detective cop mode...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/05/Cop_zps222dbc3b-1.jpg

Ya a protouring budget more-door Nova sounds sick, but I might be a little biased! Here's my budget ’73 with a carb’d 5.3 with a mild bump stick.

I just joined Protouring last week cause I want to start turning her into a budget street bruiser/protouring/drag fun machine. Winter plans include EFI conversion, 3.73s, posi, subframe connectors and hopefully ditch the Cragar 14s in favor of C5 rolling stock in either black or gunmetal.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/DSCN0315_zps330c72bc-1.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/griffit2/media/New/DSCN0315_zps330c72bc.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/DSCN0303_zps9121830b-1.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/griffit2/media/New/DSCN0303_zps9121830b.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/P1030475_zps39584c0f-1.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/griffit2/media/New/P1030475_zps39584c0f.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/DSCN0295_zps65e5e11f-1.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/griffit2/media/New/DSCN0295_zps65e5e11f.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2014/09/DSCN0277_zps3ff1edef-1.jpg (http://s1103.photobucket.com/user/griffit2/media/New/DSCN0277_zps3ff1edef.jpg.html)

[NJSPEEDER]

That would be a fun build. Maybe find a local track doing an introductory type track day (paced laps, becoming popular in the northeast) and take people on high speed joy rides. Same concept as the ring tax on the Nordschleife. I bet at a bigger or more well known track like Laguna or Road America you could probably get $20 a head for two laps. lol

-Tim

[LemonTwisted]

Kevin Wesley's 70 Satellite AutoX taxi...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWo4p0QDuj8