'72 Nova project

[orbit]

That is ****. I feel for you on this cause you're Nova is sweet as hell. Color and all!

Just remember, you already have the sweet car, majority of the things done wont have to be pulled and reworked.



Keep us posted when you have this baby in motion again!

[jackfrost]

just when you think something is idiot-proof, nature provides better idiots.

[John Wright]

Sorry to hear about the fabrication problems, but I like your wheels. But then I am kinda partial to those....LOL(that is the same wheel that is on my car)

[ss7lamar]

Great job. Nice Pics. My son Mike will probabley talk to you about our project. ss7 lamar

[71SlammedCam]

It has been a while since I posted but here are some updates.

The LQ4 is in with a hydraulic throwout bearing from Mcleod. The clutch master and adaptor block are from Keisler. The brakes are done just waiting for someone to help me bleed them... hopefully tomorrow.

The motor is in I and I am pretty much down to hooking up the wiring and sorting out the power steering reservoir/lines and the fuel system. I have the Walbro pump and Corvette FPR so it is a matter of some connections and running the lines.

The ride height is exactly what I wanted. The car is still in the garage so I can't get a good side shot yet but hopefully next week.

Not too much time before the Power Tour but I am hoping it will still get done.

Here are some pics.

Clutch master


Finished dash


3/4 angle


Fans


Alt/Power steering bracket

I may have read past it, but whose alt. and p/s bracket is that?

[70Nova4dr]

Where in Wiscinsin are you from? I'm from Green Bay and i have a 70 Nova, but it's a 4 door.

[mikem]

I'm down towards Madison. Now that the snow is gone I hope to finish this up in the next month and actually get to drive it this summer. The Power Tour is rapidly approaching and I want to take it for the first 3 days.

[mikem]

The Power steering bracket is from Kwik Performance. They will tell you exactly what belt to run with the different pulley sizes and brackets too.

[70Nova4dr]

I'm trying to talk my friend into doing the Power Tour this year, would be a first for both of us, We would take his Mustang Bullitt. If we go it would be cool to see the car and meet you. Brandon

[70Nova4dr]

It's a newer Bullitt, not an old one .. but it's still cool

[NvrDun71]

Any Updates?

[mikem]

I finished the fan relays and the cooling set up at the end of last week. I finished running the fuel line today and should have the pump mounted over the weekend. I am waiting on a couple of small items to finish it up but they should be here next week.

I am pulling the drop spindles and returning to the stock ones. The steering arm was just too close to the sidewall. I have the brakes off and everything unbolted I am just waiting for my brother to help me on Sunday with a ball joint separator, a pickle fork and a second set of hands to work the jack under the control arm.

I don't think my fitting for my clutch master will show up until Monday or we would be bleeding the clutch too. Hopefully I can get that done Monday night or Tuesday morning.

We are hoping to fire it up on Sunday. As of right now I have to run the battery cables, mount the fuel pump and fill the radiator.

I added oil yesterday, sealed up the 10 bolt and filled it, and filled the tranny.

I want to back trace all my wiring prior to Sunday and reaffirm it is all hooked up.

I will have it flat bedded to the alignment shop and then drive it down the road to have the exhaust finished.

If everything actually works (and with the history of this project it won't) we should make the first 3 days of the Power Tour. If for some reason or another it does not work out we will probably be on the Tour in my brother's Impala again. He got the Pro-Flow set up and running and we just have to take it out and dial it in with the hand module.

[1971novaSS]

Sweet build! Wish i would have gone LSx motor. What are you going to do for fuel delivery? Cell? Stock with electric external pump? What fuel pressure does the LSx motor require?

[mikem]

I went with the stock fuel tank with an added line for return. I am using a Walbro 255 pump and the Corvette fuel pressure regulator. The return line is only about 14". I believe the FPR regulates it to 58 PSI but that is just off the top of my head and it could be wrong.

[mikem]

Quick update:

I got the fuel system done over the weekend and the front end taken apart. I am going to ditch the drop spindles as the steering arm issues are just too much. I have the ball joints all popped but I need new upper ball joints now because the spindles are so much shorter. I will be calling SC&C later this morning.

I got the battery cables run from the trunk and mostly squared away.

The cold air system isn't complete yet but as long as I don't shut the hood I can hook up what I have.

I tried starting it but I keep blowing the 20 amp fuse for the fuel pump. I am going to have to take the rear seat out again and look for a short in the line.

It sounded like it really wanted to fire up! Right now all it has for exhaust is about 1 foot of pipe and a set of Hushpower Resonators.... I think it is going to be really loud

I turned it over enough to burp the air out of the oil pressure line so that is completely hooked now too.

The only other issue I ran into was the fuel gauge. As soon as it got power it swung over and pegged itself WAY past the Full mark. I will be calling Autometer to figure out what the problem is with that set up.

So close but it still no quite there!

[mikem]

Frustrating day. I have figured out it is not the fuel pump fuse I am blowing every time the key is switched on. It is the main harness fuse. I am slowly going back through every connection and wire looking for the issue. I am going to unhook the fans from my relay set up and try it tomorrow. I burned through 5 fuses today trying to diagnose the problem.

I really hate electrical problems. So many miles of wire and so little time.

I also noticed my serpentine belt was trying to jump the crank pulley. I think my power steering pump is slightly out of alignment and causing it to jump.

Autometer says the fuel gauge is not getting a good ground and that is my issue there. I guess that means dropping the tank again trying to get a good contact on a 38 year old sending unit.

I did get my last fitting for the clutch master and got the master bench bled.

Now if I can just figure out what ball joints to run to get my SPC arms to work with my stock spindles... never enough time in the day!

[MrQuick]

hang in there Mike, you'll get it,


Vince

[NvrDun71]

Some progress is better than No progress, sounds like you are getting really close to having her back on the road again. We need some more pics!

[mikem]

WOOO HOOO!!!! It lives!! I traced the wiring issue to a ground in the fan system. It was grounding to the frame rather than back to the PCM. I removed the ground and I stopped blowing the fuses.

I turned the key and immediately heard the fuel pump cycle. I did that 4 times and cranked it over. It jumped to life immediately! I noticed a few seconds later that it was pissing gas all over the garage floor. I shut it down and tightened up all my gas line fittings and tried again. This time it jumped to life without the mess.

It idles at about 750 rpm with 40 psi of oil pressure.

I spaced the power steering pump with some washers and tightened that back down. It has been running for about 10 minutes total and there is no sign of the belt trying to jump off like yesterday.

Here are some photos. Keep in mind I was just getting it started and I don't have the cold air system complete yet.

The front suspension is still apart while I wait for taller ball joints so it is stuck in the garage that is too tight. Hopefully it will be driving by the end of the week and I can get some outside shots.



Not much for exhaust but better than open headers. It needs pipes to go back and turn out before I will drive it much.

[mikem]

Today was the first time the Nova has been on the road since the fall of 2006 or maybe one drive early in 2007. I pulled it out of the garage and on to the street where I loaded it up to take it in for an alignment. It gets and alignment in the morning and then exhaust from the mufflers out the side and I should be rolling around tomorrow afternoon for a test drive.

Here are pics from the street waiting for the trailer.