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These are the first pictures of the Nova (up at my friend Phil's house in Acton) unloaded off the trailer after being rescued from my sister's back yard in Reseda where it sat for over 10 years!
Original 350 engine and 350 transmission (with only 83 thousand miles on them) are removed from the Nova's engine bay and awaits thorough under the hood cleaning after 30 years! Engine and transmission ran "ok" but a lot more horsepower is in the planning stages of this Nova. Long way to go yet!
The engine bay has been steam cleaned, sand blasted and prepped for underhood detailing. The engine bay is painted and all hoses, clamps, wires, and brackets are either replaced or detailed. Fresh 350 engine and 350 transmission are made ready (dressed with new parts) for installation into Nova's awaiting engine bay.
Chrome accessories are removed from engine (to keep from damaging them) and engine and transmission are hoisted up and fitted into Nova's engine compartment by fellow car club members. "Yours truly" is under the car helping to align and bolt up drivetrain from underneath, while crew up above drops the small block into the detailed compartment
All chrome accessories are added, carb, distributor, fuel lines, wires, hoses etc. are attached, fluids are added and engine timing set. Engine fires up right away and without an exhaust system yet attached...makes a lot of noise, but it's a good kind of noise! What a neat sound... a high compression, solid lifter built up Chevy 350 small block! Air conditioning (factory installed) will be reconditioned and then reinstalled after the whole car is painted and detailed at a later date. For now, this baby runs and is fun to drive!
New wheels and tires have been added, engine and trans are now in and running, New exhaust system installed and the new set of gauges and "Monster Tach" have been added to the original (and in great shape) black vinyl bucket seat interior of this 1975 Chevy Nova Super Sport 350 Sports Coupe. Next step (maybe in fall of 2005), a new paint job for the little "SS" Nova! Stayed tuned while the body work and paint job are being scheduled!
Tech Specs The engine that was used to
replace the stock 350 "smog motor" in the Nova SS started out as an
early 1970's 4 bolt main, heavy duty service truck block. The engine block
was then basically built up to 1970 Corvette LT-1 specs., but with a sixty
thousandths over bore and now sports 355 cubic inches but uses the stock stroke.
The crankshaft is a hardened steel Chevy crank that has been micro polished and
balanced with TRW rods and a set of TRW 10 to 1 compression aluminum flat top
pistons and all the internals have been balanced to factory specs. A HD
stock Chevy oil pump (high volume but stock pressure) unit was used to keep
everything properly lubricated over the whole RPM rev range...idle to 7000 rpm! The Chevy HD heads are of
the angle plug variety with large 2.02 intake and 1.60 exhaust valves, the ports
have been cleaned up and port matched to the Weiand aluminum dual plane manifold
with a Holley 750 cfm, dual pump, dual inlet carb topping things off.
The cam in this engine is a
"Isky" 30/30 solid lifter unit along with "Isky" kit that
includes special valve springs, rocker arms (1.6 ratio) and also special push
rods and push rod guides to keep everything happy at very high rpm's!
The transmission is a GM M38 3 speed Turbo Hydro with B&M internals along with a special high pressure pump, semi manual valve body and also has a 2400 stall converter from TCI. The ignition system is a "stock" HEI unit that has been reworked (curved to cam specs) with a HD "hot coil" coil, 8 mm plug wires and a set of AC 43 tsx spark plugs. The Exhaust system is completely new starting with a set of "Jet Coated" Hooker "shortie" headers and a 2 & 1/2 inch custom made pipes with a balance tube and into a set of Flowmaster "Delta 2" mufflers then over the axle and out the rear in a stock location. There is something about a "solid lifter small block" at redline (about 6500 prm) that really sounds unique and different...and that pretty much days it all. Truly a "blast from the past"!
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