Vehicle Description
This 1968 Chevrolet Nova is one of those super-cool pro-street cars
that's got the right 'bad @ss' look and the power to back it up.
While most old-school Pro Streeters are just barely disguised race
cars, this one is finished with a high-impact paint job, a
comfortable bucket-seat interior that includes A/C, power steering
and brakes, and enough horsepower to easily explain those big
slicks out back.
A lot of pro-street cars focus on the going fast part of the
equation, but the other half is making it user friendly and
great-looking, and this car gets it right. The reddish/orange paint
is definitely an older job and not without its flaws, and although
it's no longer as shiny and slick as it once was, it still turns a
lot of heads everywhere it goes as an average driver-quality muscle
car. That's in large part because it was laid down over straight
bodywork, but also because of those hot-yellow flames that lick the
hood and profiles. Although it was finished using lacquer paint
probably a couple decades ago, it's held up fairly well considering
the number of times it's blasted down the road like a bat out of
hell, and the big cowl induction hood and that towering air cleaner
add to the car's mystique. The two-door post body style is probably
your best choice when you plan to channel a bunch of horsepower
through it, so the doors fit well and probably will stay that way
despite all that torque trying to twist it out of shape. Despite
the substantial rake, they didn't have to stretch the rear wheel
arches to fit the big meats under there, so it looks right with
stock sheetmetal throughout. There's still a bit of factory trim in
place, most notably the SS-style front grille and blacked-out tail
panel, the bright fender 'gills' at the flanks, and the big front
and rear bumpers that are the perfect endcaps for this wild party
on wheels.
The interior is perfectly civilized for street use, with a little
added hardware that adds to the Pro Street feel inside. Comfortable
black bucket seats look pretty good up front, although the driver's
seat certainly shows signs of white-knuckle, clenched-cheek
driving, while out back the rear bench seat is basically bone stock
wrapped in padded black vinyl. Black carpets on the floor help
control noise and heat, and they match the black door panels at the
flanks, while the dashboard and headliner are largely unblemished
and really tie the interior in together nicely. A leather-wrapped
Grant steering wheel anchors the cockpit, and it matches the sporty
feel of the B&M shifter that splits the front seats. Factory
gauges are still in place, although they've been augmented with a
large tachometer strapped to the column (complete with a redlight
shift indicator) and a trio of gauges installed under the dash that
keep an eye on the big motor under the hood. Options include
fully-functional A/C, power steering and brakes, and even a Pioneer
AM/FM/Cassette stereo that was installed in the factory slot. The
trunk is fairly spacious, although it now features a relocated fuel
cell and battery that made room for the big block under the
hood.
This car is not a just a poser, either, with a pro-built 454 cubic
inch V8 that was transplanted over from a mid-'70s Chevelle, and
it's been topped with dual Holley double-pumper 4-barrel
carburetors, a polished Edelbrock aluminum high-rise intake, and
block-hugging headers at the flanks. There's a giant aluminum
radiator up front and that tall air cleaner isn't just for show,
inhaling cool air from the open hood like it's supposed to. Plenty
of polished aluminum and chrome dresses it up, making it more than
just a race motor, including those Old School finned Edelbrock
valve covers that provide perfect contrast to the Chevy Orange on
the block itself. Long-tube headers feed a custom exhaust system
that dumps ahead of the rear axle, and the suspension was built for
combat, with tubular A-Arms, upgraded shocks, and power
rack-and-pinion steering up front and a heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end
and subframe connectors out back. A built 700R4 4-speed automatic
transmission is not exactly the racer's first choice, but we love
that it was included in this build because it means this Nova can
actually be driven on modern roads at high speeds. Traditional
15-inch Weld racing wheels wear big-n-little 165/80/15 front and
255/60/15 rear Mickey Thompson tires that are street-friendly but
complete the look.
Well-built and insanely fast, this cool Nova nails pro-street in
all the ways that matter. Call today!