First Build: '71 Nova

[RayTx]

Hey everyone! I picked up this 1971 Nova (base) in June.

Rough plan is LS3/T56Magnum/DSE TCAs w/ JRi coilovers/DSE Multileaf/(275/40/r18) front and rear. Autox-able and roadtripable ride, ETC is roughly 2yrs

Here we go!

[rchaskin]

Go for it!!!!

[MrQuick]

let the madness begin. welcome to the site.

[NvrDun71]

Out of curiousity did you buy this car out of Austin? I think I remember seeing it on Craigslist?

[Buryingthesun]

Get mad at it!

Nice build, I love all novas and chevy II's

[rustomatic]

Was this car buried for some period of time?

[DCx]

i would clear coat that surface rust! looks so bad ass.

wish my project was surface rusted like that. the previous owner primered it to hide the crappy paint and now i have to deal with it.

[rickpaw]

i would clear coat that surface rust! looks so bad ass.

I'd do the same, if everything is solid. Then you'll have that sleeper look, and not have to worry about damaging the paint.

[AusMarty]

Yep.
Then surface rust becomes body rust, then that becomes chassis rust.
Rust = bad.

[83tb]

New here also, go for it!

[BLACKLIST]

i would clear coat that surface rust! looks so bad ass.

wish my project was surface rusted like that. the previous owner primered it to hide the crappy paint and now i have to deal with it.

anyways..

nice project. id get rid of the rust and not be cheap.

[Buryingthesun]

Rust is a Honda / Volkswagen / Child look, Real men have paint

[RayTx]

It's getting full body work and paint. I didn't wanna bore people with that. Lots of DA work will go down.

[brownz]

I say who cares about paint right now. That doesn't get the car down the road or make it handle better or faster. Mine is rusted and I like it. Im still a man lol. Glad to see another nova. keep the updates coming

[Jon @ Hotchkis]

Good to see another Nova around these parts! It should be a great car with that parts lineup; what do you have planned for chassis stiffening?

[RayTx]

Update: Pulled the fuel lines and tailpipes/hangers out, then had to go run an emergency errand. Sandpaper has started to arrive and I ordered a set of Motegi MR120 wheels 18x9.5 in black(24lbs, not too shabby), plus a cheap set of sumitomo tires to reestablish the car as a roller (the car came with the 5 factory 14" steels/bias ply and was rolling on AR outlaw/bfgTA that, luckily, decided to blow out AFTER they were piled neatly in the garage). Subframe connectors and body mounts from DSE are sitting on the couch, and the search for a roll cage begins after these messages.

[RayTx]

Only two of my tires showed up today, so I relaced a buddy's wheel

[RayTx]

what do you have planned for chassis stiffening?

Hey Jon
I'll be welding up the subframe, adding subframe connectors and, by proxy, installing at least a 4 point cage so far...

[GS455vert]

Following the build, nice to see a 68-72 Nova being done over the next million and one 67-69 Camaro. I got a 70 SS Nova that I plan on giving the pro touring treatment.

[RayTx]

Following the build

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for that SS

Update: dropped the fuel tank (still looks good!?), removed the rear bumper shell. One of the welded nuts on the mounting bracket broke loose, so that was interesting. The mounting flange on the end of the frame rail was bent in toward the rail making it a pain to get a socket in there. Also wasp nests.


The car was impacted in both rear corners (silver lining) so I was able to get a wobble/socket down in to the outer shell nuts and pop that off, Ill figure the bracket out later. In the meantime, I removed the seats, sill plates and rubber mat and vacuumed the floor pan. the front passenger side needs some patch work, but the rest is pristine.

beater tires arrived! (two of them were "left at a UPS facility" according to tracking, but they showed up the next day