Dhamen's '63 Nova SS Rustbucket to PT/Autox build

[rusty63ss]

I got this car for FREE from a buddy that moved away and had no place to keep or build her. He had the car for approx 10 years and he took her apart and soda blasted, shot with junk primer and then left out in the rain. Before he got her, she was a budget drag car. No cage, subframe connectors, or wheel tubs. So the rear wheel openings were torched open for wide drag slicks and the quarter panels have cracks and wrinkles by the sail panels.
My original plans were to build a roller ZZ383 RamJet with a T56 from a '97 Camaro. Throw it together and drive it. Then reality set in. The stock suspension IS/was JUNK!
I have never got this far into a car or truck before. Yes I have stuffed a Turbo Buick in a Chevy Luv or a Monza Wagon. But those had decent bodies that made nice sleepers. I have always just stuffed something into an okay body. NOTHING like this before. So if you see me doing something stupid please help keep me from messing up.

So here are pics of the car as I got it in Jan '11. I started working on her in March '11.








So after I decided what to do with the suspension I bought this from TCI. I really wish I had stepped up and got the PT front clip, but this is 1000 times better than the stock stuff.

Good bye old JUNK!





TCI's MII front clip


TCI's Torque arm rear setup


Front clip test fit



Here is a pic of the T56 bolted to my 4 bolt 350 which was my plan to built my motor.



Once again reality set in after seeing what it was going to cost to build the motor the way I wanted it. So I bought this.





It's a LS1 pull out from a '04 Corvette w/41k on it. I had it shipped over to me from TN. It came with accessories, PCM, TAC, Harness, and pedal. No I did not know anything about LSx motors when I bought it. I just jumped in with both feet. If I knew then what I have learned since I could have saved lots of money and built a lot more motor the the money spent. I'm not complaining just stating the facts. I'm happy with what I have got.

[fun2gofast]

Looks like your on track for a nice ride! Keep the pics coming on the progress.

[rusty63ss]

So here is a pic of the LS1 bolted to my LT1 T56. Thats about as good as it gets it bolts together.:( The LSx flywheel and starter will not fit inside the LT1 bellhousing. But it will work for mock-up.



I wanted to use the Corvette batwing oil pan but there were clearance issues even with 1" setback adapter plates.



That's a bit too close for my comfort. And when set in the new clip the pan sits on the power rack.

So when I ordered my suspension I thought I would upgrade the rear dif to a Ford 8.8. I bought one from the local wrecking yard for $200. It's from a 2000 Explorer 4.10 gears and 11" disc brakes. I'm thinking I got a sweet deal. That was until I got my new suspension and figured out that I needed to weld brackets to the center section. For something that will get beat on occasion, I do not feel comfortable welding to cast. So the search for a 9" started. I found this on CL for $75.00.



I'm thinking that now I am in the clear on the rear dif. Nope. I have always been a GM guy what do I know about Ford 9"? This turned out to be a 9-3/8" from a truck and I could not get anybody to redrill the axles for me. So I went ahead and ponied up and ordered a Currie unit from TCI with all the brackets on it.

[tkong14]

I'm going to have to keep up with this! Looks like your well on your way best of luck man!

[GRNOVA]

Cool Nova! like the direction your headed!

[rusty63ss]

On to the harness. This is how I received the harness once I removed it from the motor. I labeled all the plugs as I unplugged them. It stretches approx. 18' from end to end.



I removed the rear portion of the harness as I will not be using it. I also removed all the plastic sleeving and tape.



This is all the stuff that I removed.



Here is my nearly finished harness.



On to test fitting the motor and tranny.





I bought the GM "Muscle Car" pan. Not a good fit for the Nova.



This pan would not allow me to bolt in the steering rack either. Ebay'd the Batwing and the Muscle Car pan and got a F body.





Then I started trimming the tranny tunnel for clearance.







I still do not have enough room for the T56. I left it alone for the time being.

Onto test fitting the rear suspension. First I removed the old.



I used a pair of bottle jacks to hold the rear crossmember up while I bolted it in. Then slid the rear housing and T/A under the car.





Hung the coil overs.



And here she is back on the ground.









Those are 255/60/15's without tubs. Yet.

[rusty63ss]

Looks like your on track for a nice ride! Keep the pics coming on the progress.

Thanks for the kudo's.

I'm going to have to keep up with this! Looks like your well on your way best of luck man!

Thanks for the best wishes on my project. Yes keep and eye on it. Every time I think I have a handle on where this is going......

Cool Nova! like the direction your headed!

Thanks GRNOVA.
That's one nice looking ride you have yourself. I like the direction your headed too.

[rusty63ss]

I'm not sure where to take you now, so we are going to look at the new to me steering column. I got a tilt column from a '95 Camaro. It was too long as built by GM so I shortened it up. I sectioned the outer housing, cut the inner shaft, and made a mounting flange.





Then I installed the column and stainless u-joints and double d shaft.




The u-joints are spline x DD shaft. So to get a spline on the end of the steering column I cut the shaft off a junk Saginaw steering box and drilled 3 rows of 3 holes 120* around the steering column shaft. I inserted the cut shaft inside the column and heated the whole assembly smoking hot on my gas crab pot burner. I pulled it off and with the shaft literally smoking plug welded all nine holes. Then I stuffed the welded shaft into heated sand to cool and left it until the next evening. I ground down the plug welds and reassembled the column.

Now I just need to decide on a steering wheel.



I also picked up the wiper motor from the same Camaro that the column came from. The top is the original wiper motor. It's a two speed with the diaphragm washer pump. The bottom is the Camaro unit multiple speeds. I have not decided where to mount it yet.




I got the wiring for the wiper motor figured out.:D



I also got my PCM back from TomM with the startup tune.



Thanks for looking.

Dhamen

[rusty63ss]

Starting Mini tubs. I had this great idea that leaving 1/2" of material attached to the wheel tub was going to make this easier. Boy was I wrong.






And it's out!!





Here is the tub moved over.





My buddy Nate helping plate the frame next to the wheel tub.



Welding in the filler strip.




Well that is it for now.

Thank you for looking.

Dhamen

[796spdbu]

Cool build! Always liked the first gen Novas!

[rusty63ss]

Cool build! Always liked the first gen Novas!

Thanks 796spdbu!

I have always liked them too. This is my first one and I am anxious to get her assembled and on the road!

[CamaroAJ]

something to think about with the camaro wiper motor, it has a park mode that moves the wipers down into the cowl when turned off.

[dlove63]

Always a pleasure to check out your build Dhamen! Keep it up.

[rustomatic]

I like the honesty you're providing here: I thought I could save a few bucks, but... All of us who build our own stuff deal with this, and grow from it; in some perverse way, the lost money, time, skin, blood, and vanity become some kind of badge...

Then, a year later, you realize that a ton of stuff needs to come apart, or you crash the thing after the first real rain of the season, giving yourself no choice but to re-do those things you meant to do all that time ago. Fun: the three-letter word that can be spelled so many different ways. Keep at it!

[rusty63ss]

something to think about with the camaro wiper motor, it has a park mode that moves the wipers down into the cowl when turned off.

I am hoping that when it is running the wipers will not come all the way down to the bottom of the windshield. The arm length varies via a cam in the arm. So I am thinking that as long as when I install the motor with it in the parked position I should be okay. I will find out. :D

Always a pleasure to check out your build Dhamen! Keep it up.

Thanks dlove. I enjoy seeing what you have done to yours too. Last I checked looks like you are getting close.

I like the honesty you're providing here: I thought I could save a few bucks, but... All of us who build our own stuff deal with this, and grow from it; in some perverse way, the lost money, time, skin, blood, and vanity become some kind of badge...

Then, a year later, you realize that a ton of stuff needs to come apart, or you crash the thing after the first real rain of the season, giving yourself no choice but to re-do those things you meant to do all that time ago. Fun: the three-letter word that can be spelled so many different ways. Keep at it!

I am hoping that sharing my errors to hopefully keep somebody else from repeating them.
I went into this without a budget and then came to the conclusion that I did not want a bail wire and duct tape car. I have seen, rode, and participated in those builds and they were always a PITA to keep on the road from all aspects. So I am trying to keep this from getting to much further out of control and build something that is reliable.

And I need to update this thread. I got some new parts. Hopefully this evening.

Thank you for your comments guys.

Dhamen

[Twentyover]

Be very careful just screwing the LT1 T56 to an LS motor. Another guy here did that and blew the crank thrust bearings out of his LS motor. The LT crank is a different length than the LS,addressed in the input shaft and bellhousing. The traditional way to get an LT to convert to an LS is to change bellhousing, input shaft, and mid-plate. Not possible with early LT boxes as the tooth count on an early box is differnt thanthe later LT boxes.

Just be sure you get this investigated, I hate it when oversights cause painful fubars.

[rusty63ss]

Be very careful just screwing the LT1 T56 to an LS motor. Another guy here did that and blew the crank thrust bearings out of his LS motor. The LT crank is a different length than the LS,addressed in the input shaft and bellhousing. The traditional way to get an LT to convert to an LS is to change bellhousing, input shaft, and mid-plate. Not possible with early LT boxes as the tooth count on an early box is differnt thanthe later LT boxes.

Just be sure you get this investigated, I hate it when oversights cause painful fubars.

Yes I am aware of this. I had looked into converting this one but by the time I got done I would have more invested than buying a new Magnum. I found a sweet deal on a TR6060 with 5k on it. With some mods to this tranny and I will still be WAY cheaper than the Magnum.

[Twentyover]

Yeah- I asked about using an early LT1 T56 on my LS2 here,and was told can't be done. Fortunately, there are other boards with some people who try different stuff. By the time I'm all in I'll have spent an incremental $600 adapting my early LT1 transmission to the LS2.

[Glenn]

Chevy II's RULE

[rusty63ss]

Chevy II's RULE

X2!!

Last pic I saw of your wagon Glenn it looked like you are getting close to driving! It looked great!!