Vehicle Description
This compact and ultra-clean 1966 Chevy Nova hardtop packs a nasty
little surprise under its hood: a wicked ZZ4 crate motor. So if
you're ever out and about and notice this great-looking little
black hardtop roll up next to you, do yourself a favor and pretend
you didn't notice it, because this is an apex predator on the
street.
Hard to believe a Nova could be this pretty, isn't it? With a look
that suggests a far more expensive and substantial car, Chevy's
compact grocery-getter takes on a whole new upscale look when it's
wrapped in shiny black paint. The price really doesn't tell you
much about how nice the paint is, with laser-straight bodywork and
no deviations from stock beyond a cowl-induction hood - they even
kept the standard Nova badges. There might be a few minor
imperfections, but the car makes no secret of the fact that a lot
of money went into the build. It doesn't seem in appropriate to add
the SS badges and crossed-flag emblems on a car with this much
performance, but with shiny chrome bumpers and stainless trim,
they're likely to go unnoticed until it's much, much too late.
There's also a billet grille up front that gives it a very smooth
look and two discreet tailpipes out back.
This car keeps everything low-key inside, where a stock black
bucket seat interior is pretty much the way Chevy intended almost
fifty years ago. New upholstery wraps around the front and back
seats, there are new door panels, fresh carpets, and a taut
headliner overhead, so it's quite attractive. A smaller
leather-wrapped wheel sits on a custom tilt column, but it seems
right at home in this warmed-over Nova, and it's joined by a custom
center console with a B&M T-handle shifter, custom gauges, and
a cup holder. The original gauges are in good shape and are joined
by a Pioneer AM/FM/CD stereo head unit in the original AM radio's
slot. The trunk is nicely finished with a custom fuel cell,
remote-mounted battery, and hidden stereo equipment, all hidden by
tidy black upholstery. Even the underside of the lid is
upholstered!
This car's whole reason for being lives under the hood. Topped by
an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor, matching intake manifold, and a
set of aluminum heads, the 350 cubic inch ZZ4 crate motor makes big
block torque in a small block package, an ideal combination for the
featherweight Nova. A GM Performance "hot cam" makes for
instantaneous throttle response and works well with the 350's
propensity to rev. Shiny aluminum valve covers, beautifully
finished side panels, and a few chrome bits enhance the attractive
engine compartment, and you have to appreciate how they went the
extra mile to make it all look as seamless as possible, right down
to keeping the wiring out of sight. It cackles on the overrun, but
it's pretty docile around town with the kind of effortless torque
that minimizes the need for shifting. The TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission works well with the engine's broad torque curve and
feeds a heavy-duty Chris Alston Fab9 rear end, because you know
this sucker was built for combat. The front suspension is composed
of a Heidt's Mustang II front clip (which explains the lack of
shock towers) and there's a disc brake at all four corners. The
stance was lowered just a bit and classic 16-inch Torque Thrust
wheels were fitted with BFGoodrich radials for a classic
performance look.
Not quite subtle enough to be a sleeper, this is still one heck of
a performer all wrapped in a handsome, yet low-key, wrapper. Call
today!