Budget Build 1970 Nova

[Pedigry]

Please keep it patina! And please leave the SS crooked, gotta love the look. Long before patina was popular, I wanted to build a hot rod that was completely beat up on the outside and a masterpiece underneath. Seems like you have the look. Love the build, congrats man! Now get some miles on that thing.

[Tidony]

Been a little while since I updated, been doing work on other people’s cars and have limited space. I’ve had the car out a couple times and it’s spicy for sure. Have put about 100 miles on it and still shaking it down. Finished up the water air set up, had a hiccup with an ECU had to order another Holley Terminator X for it. Still need to finish the interior and may be changing my cooling fan set up. I also picked up another car I will be starting on once the interior in the 70 is done.

[Steve68]

Cool wagon, I like wagons, we grew up with them, always loaded with friends, skateboards, surfboards, BMX bikes, girls and oranges, friends dad had orange groves, I'd like to do a malibu wagon one day, but I will say my project time is coming to an end,

car looks good, at least there's no rust,

[Tidony]

Finally found some time to get back on my car. Found an aluminum radiator overflow tank for a 3rd Gen Camaro and was able to do some tweaking to it and fit it in the Nova. Built a simple intake, my first time welding thin Aluminum, will be getting boxed in at a later date when I change the cooling fan over to a pwm set up from a ZL1, Derale two speed is just not moving enough air.

[Steve68]

What entailed to install the super charger on this engine,

[Tidony]

It was a 17K mile motor, I went through it installed new rings gapped for some boost, installed ARP hardware, just the typical LS stuff to keep it alive, then sourced a good used LSA blower because I couldn’t find a new one at the time (rockauto has new ones right now) used fourth gen F body accessories converted them to 8 rib and used a Dirty Dingo AC bracket and made different spacers to make it line up with the 8 rib setup. Knowing what I know now I would get a complete accessory drive from LSX concepts, Wegner or Holley (requires some notching for the low mount AC) and save some headaches and the cost is close to the same.

[Tidony]

Put the car on the rollers, super conservative timing. L92 6.2, stock LSA blower with just a small cam 218/227 @.050”, .600”/.600” 112+2LSA, ID1050X injectors, Holley terminator X. Made 557HP and 600TQ on 91 pump gas. Is a blast to drive!

[Pedigry]

Anytime you get a higher TQ than HP number you could use a little more cam, but its a great build. Super reliable and gobs of power. Great job. If you ever want to wick it up, you have plenty of room.

[68Formula]

Anytime you get a higher TQ than HP number you could use a little more cam, but its a great build.

Really? Anytime? Think it depends on the rest of the combo, how you want it do drive, and what type of use you plan for the car. Plus he's got a positive displacement blower on it, it's bound to put a high torque number out.

Tidony, nice build. great numbers. Should be a very versatile setup. Enjoy!

[Tidony]

Really? Anytime? Think it depends on the rest of the combo, how you want it do drive, and what type of use you plan for the car. Plus he's got a positive displacement blower on it, it's bound to put a high torque number out.

Tidony, nice build. great numbers. Should be a very versatile setup. Enjoy!

Thank you.

[andrewb70]

Thank you.

Great numbers. Why didn't you rev it to at least 6k RPM? I bet it is making 600HP at higher RPM.

Andrew

[68Formula]

Great numbers. Why didn't you rev it to at least 6k RPM? I bet it is making 600HP at higher RPM.

Andrew

Was wondering the same thing. The 5700rpm was a pretty low peak with that setup exactly the way it sits. Should still be going up past 6k unless it's valve float or lack of fuel. Maybe didn't feel like pushing it first time out? I think you'd need a one time run to 6500rpm to see where it starts to fall off.

[Tidony]

Great numbers. Why didn't you rev it to at least 6k RPM? I bet it is making 600HP at higher RPM.

Andrew

Stopped making power at 5710 rpm I spun it to 6000 rpm cam duration is only 217/228 @.050” and the LSA is 112 advanced 2 degrees. No valve float, plenty of fuel 1050cc injectors with twin 450lph pumps, injector duty cycle was low and maintained low 11’s AFR through the final pull after I made a couple adjustments. Cam is a “truck” cam for torque. Did right about what I wanted it to, would have liked to have seen 600HP but just didn’t happen, it’s also only on 91 octane pump gas. I’m working on getting the gas tune better sorted then will get it setup on pump E85 and go back to the Dyno.

[68Formula]

Log your boost next dyno run. It might be a "small truck cam" for torque, but with with a 39* intake valve closing it should keep making more power past 6k (even smaller cams with earlier IVC do). Something is holding the setup back, and it's not the camshaft.

[Tidony]

Log your boost next dyno run. It might be a "small truck cam" for torque, but with with a 39* intake valve closing it should keep making more power past 6k (even smaller cams with earlier IVC do). Something is holding the setup back, and it's not the camshaft.

Will definitely do that, for some reason at the Dyno Holley did not want to data log correctly then on the ride home it did. Have not had a chance to do a decent pull, Car does almost 85mph in second gear and I live in the city so have to get way out of town to do a full third or fourth gear pull. I can’t run it at the track yet as I don’t have seat belts in it yet, decided to put a six point in it am waiting for the fabricator, have been added to the wait list. Another friend that was there said he thought my air filter was a little small, I tried looking up the air flow numbers for it on K&N website and couldn’t find it. I plan on taking it back to my friend’s place to Dyno it again hopefully soon. I wouldn’t doubt if I have some belt slip with that single belt setup, have regretted going that route since I started it up the first time. At this point I need to make it work, too much money invested into it and would not want to sell it to someone else and make it there problem just doesn’t seem right. Every time I see someone ask about going that route I tell them not to and recommend them to setups that I know work, something with a separate supercharger belt.

[Tidony]

Took the car to LA and did a shoot with Shawn from AutopiaLA.

https://youtu.be/SsvgPlBT4xE?si=GQUhDtCjS1eTmQ88

[68Formula]

Cool. BTW, did you ever figure out why it was peaking at 5700rpm?

[csouth]

Took the car to LA and did a shoot with Shawn from AutopiaLA.

https://youtu.be/SsvgPlBT4xE?si=GQUhDtCjS1eTmQ88

I actually watched it last night... That's so awesome!!

[Tidony]

Cool. BTW, did you ever figure out why it was peaking at 5700rpm?

Yep, belt slip happening in the higher RPM range, boost starts to drop. I can’t get a shorter belt so am having a custom sized alternator pulley cut for it and may go up a size from 2.45” on the upper to a 2.55” upper to gain some belt wrap. Car makes enough power for what I want to do with it so just going to sort it out the way it is. Considered going to a dual belt setup but I’m into this setup for enough $$ that I don’t want to ditch it and wouldn’t feel right selling it unless I get it fully sorted.

[Jk918]

Took the car to LA and did a shoot with Shawn from AutopiaLA.

https://youtu.be/SsvgPlBT4xE?si=GQUhDtCjS1eTmQ88

Watched it today that thing rips, congrats on a sweet build!