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620-Horsepower Pro Street 1970 Chevrolet Nova is a Slice of American Pie

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By 1970, however, the SS396 was in its final year. The model 11427 two-door, eight-cylinder coupe (as it was known in factory jargon) was built at the Willow Run assembly plant, just outside of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and came with several flavors of Chevy V-8 power. The Turbo-Fire 307 was the base engine, while the L65 Turbo-Fire 350 was an option for those inclined towards more spirited driving. At the top of the food chain was the L48 Turbo-Fire 350, which came with the Super Sport option only. Riding on N66 sport wheels with factory E70 14x7 tires, popular options on the 1970 Nova included the A51 front bucket seats, JL2 front power disc brakes, and N10 dual exhaust. Those more interested in creature comforts found the C60 Four Season air conditioning expensive, but worth the money.
Of course, hot rodding projects don’t always go as smoothly as one would hope or expect. Looney’s Nova spent six years in and out of shops not only because of how slow things went sometimes, but also because of the quality of the work. Things turned around, however, when he found Todd Wilson at the now defunct Complete Auto Restoration Service in Greensboro, North Carolina.

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For the dropped suspension on Looney’s Nova, a Chris Alston’s Chassisworks coilover front suspension kit uses tubular upper/lower control arms with double-adjustable VariShocks and Wilwood disc brakes with 11.25-inch diameter rotors and four-piston calipers. Back at the rear of the car is a Chassisworks g-Bar coilover suspension with a 9-inch rear, 3.90 gears, and Wilwood discs. Polished, deep-dish Mickey Thompson wheels wrapped in massive M/T 33x22x20 DOT tires at the rear make up the eye-catching rolling stock.
Looney’s choice of the ZZ572/620 crate engine was a good one, as this remains the most powerful naturally aspirated factory crate engine available today. With a tall-deck block featuring a 4.560 bore, the stout reciprocating assembly is made up of a forged 4.375-inch stroker crank. The similarly forged rods push and retract 9.6:1-compression pistons into the aluminum, rectangular-port heads containing 2.25/1.88-inch valves. An MSD distributor helps light the fuel mixture while ceramic-coated Dynatech headers dump the spent gases through a 3-inch exhaust system with Flowmaster Super 44 series mufflers. Behind the ZZ572 is a B&M Street and Strip TH400 with a Greg Slack 3,000-stall converter. With an AED-prepped Holley 750-cfm carb providing 92-octane pump gas, this crate engine makes 620 flywheel horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 650 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm for plenty of go on demand.

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Since Looney set his car up as a street cruiser more than anything else, he didn’t want an interior that was over-the-top. As such, the Summit seats and door panels where finished in a color-coordinated leather with a custom billet steering wheel, B&M shifter, and a custom in-dash gauge array. A basecoat/clearcoat application in hues of brilliant Viper Red results in a glossy finish that turns a lot of heads.
While the classic muscle car era was dying fast by 1971, C.W. Looney’s 1970 Pro Street Nova takes many back to a place where classic Americana is still alive and well. Another slice of pie, anyone?

 

I really like that Chevy Nova 4>Sure...Member's, do you like it ?
Now, I want some Cherry Pie 2


Below is what they listened 2 in the 70's (?) Old time Rock & Roll (I like that era & the cars)

^ I don't know what type of convertible that is above ? Do you ? b-4 my time (lol)

 

That is a nice looking ride, the owner has spent the money properly and didn't go too race style for the interior which is nice

 

theres nothing better than pure American muscle, What happened to it? everything is made of plastic and wire controlled engines,sure luxury is nice but I would much rather have a big block chevy c10 with a set of American racing rims

 

That is a sweet Nova!!!

 

Featured Cars Street Rodder April 24, 2015 Eric Geisert
Tim Kilkeary’s 1949 Chevrolet Wagon

Though Tim Kilkeary has been around the block once or twice with the rods he's brought into the public eye in recent years, he didn't have too much experienc... Read More <Click 2 EnJoy more

 

The Hottest Chevrolets from 1965

Written by Doug Marion on April 24, 2015 Back In The Day: 1965 Hot Ones
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Many of us who cut our performance teeth on 283s bored to 292 or 301 cubic inches with dual Carter WCFB four-barrel carbs and/or Rochester fuel injection learned quickly in 1962 that “there was almost no replacement for displacement.” A hot 283 could keep up with a 327 in First and Second gear, but Third and Fourth gear was ALL 327. The hot “30-30” 327 Corvette cam was introduced in 1964 and continued in 1965 (365- and 375hp 327s) but the cam that pretty much replaced the Duntov 097 solid lifter was 1965’s L79 hydraulic lifter hottie. I worked at Chicago’s Nickey Chevrolet in 1965-’66 and you could buy this cam and a set of lifters for $29. I ran it in my highly modified 1956 Nomad wagon. It had more duration than the Duntov cam and you almost never had to adjust the valve lash.
By mid-March, 1965 the W-motor 409 was replaced with the RPO L78 396 semi-hemi. It revved higher and with a single 800-cfm Holley carburetor made the same power, if not more. But after super-tuning, exhaust headers, and carb jetting it was torrid and a monster (fun) to drive. Chevrolet’s special Z16 Chevelle Malibu SS (201 produced) featured essentially the same 396 but with a slightly milder hydraulic lifter camshaft.
These were just a few of Chevrolet’s 1965 very successful hot ones. Stay tuned.
2/10The new RPO L79, 350hp 327 (offered in the 1965 Chevelle and Corvette) was the first Chevrolet small-block V-8 with a high-performance hydraulic lifter camshaft. The engine made power to 5,800 rpm and required little-to-no rocker arm adjustment. This feature was a big deal to all small-block owners.
3/10The new RPO L78, 425hp 396 found its way into 2,157 1965 Corvettes (almost 11 percent of total Corvette sales). It cost almost half of the fuel-injected 327 it replaced (roughly $292 vs. $538).
4/10It made big power to 6,500 rpm and was a sign of even bigger things to come. It was also in 1,838 fullsize Chevrolets.
5/10Since 1965s were new, it has been fun paying attention to who the various owners over the decades are. This beauty belongs to Springfield, Illinois’ John Archer. Polished five-spoke wheels give hint to the potent dual-quad big-block under the hood.
6/10Here’s Minnesota’s Harlan Nelson and his three 1965 Chevelles, which he built himself. They are the best Chevelle/El Camino trio we have ever seen.
7/10Harlan built his Malibu SS hardtop as a tribute to his departed brother Hank. The convertible was built to RPO L79 specs.
8/10Twelve years ago we spotted a 1955 and a 1965 sitting side by side at an auction. Lots of changes over 10 years, eh?
9/10Back in the 1980s, the 1965 Malibu SS race team of Kocsis & Shepherd ran in NHRA’s SS/MA class. Power is from a 283/four-speed with lots of modifications. Saginaw, Michigan’s Gratoit Automotive is main sponsor. The car ran unbelievable 11.80s with stellar looks galore.
10/10When the Super Chevy events first started out in the early 1980s, the first-place car show winners were allowed to cruise down the dragstrip. Indianapolis’ Bob Klopotek won Best Engine laurels in his slick 1965. We especially liked the body stripes.

 

Check Out These Big-Block-Powered 1966 and 1967 Chevelles

Written by Tommy Lee Byrd on April 9, 2015 Almost Twins: Rick Rolls a Six and Seven
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Chevrolet made only a few changes to the Chevelle bodywork for the 1967 model year, so one could say the 1966 and 1967 bodies are very similar at first glance. Even though many of the body and trim pieces do not interchange, the cars are similar in shape and size. For Dunlap, Tennessee, resident, Rick Wetherbee, the two-year Chevelle body style ranks highly, so he built an example of each and gave them nearly identical setups. Both of Rick’s Chevelles wear a slick coat of black paint, roll on Billet Specialties wheels, and are powered by a big-block engine.
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Rick’s 1966 Chevelle is a project car that he watched unfold while it was under the ownership of local car guy, Travis Terry. The car had been in the area for many years, but was in the midst of getting a facelift at Mike Farley’s shop in Dunlap, Tennessee, when Rick spotted it during a bench racing session at Mike’s place. Rick told Travis that if he ever decided to sell the car, he’d like the first chance at it. About a year later, Rick got the call he’d been waiting on and bought the car without a second thought.
The car sits low thanks to lowering springs, heavy sway bars, and all-new bushings. Braking power consists of Wilwood discs at all four corners, fit with four-piston calipers. Bolted to the 12-inch rotors is a set of 17x7 and 17x9.5 Billet Specialties Vintec wheels, wrapped in Nitto NT555 tires. Rick gave the car a nice “rubber rake” with 245/45R17 sizing up front and 255/50R17 sizing in the rear.
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A genuine Super Sport, the ’66 wears factory-style badges that designate SS 427. The SS427 was a ’67-’69 Impala option on fullsize cars but not a factory-offered option on the midsize Chevelle. The badges certainly look the part on this modernized Chevelle, and the engine under the original Super Sport hood reflects the notation. Coming in at 427 cubic inches, the big-block is a mild combination that proves to handle street driving and the occasional traffic light challenge very well.
Internally, it’s mostly stock, but features a hydraulic roller camshaft and a set of roller rocker arms to make a bit more horsepower. The exhaust system consists of ceramic-coated Hedman headers with Flowmaster mufflers. The ‘66’s big-block is finished off with a polished Edelbrock intake manifold topped with an 850-cfm Holley carburetor, fabricated aluminum valve covers, and an aluminum air cleaner.
Behind the 427 is a TH400 automatic transmission operated by the stock shifter. Moving farther back, the stock 12-bolt rearend sends power to the rear wheels via 3.73 gears.
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Aesthetically, Rick’s ’66 is mostly original. The body doesn’t have any modifications, but wears a slick coat of black paint, applied by Mike Farley. All new trim and emblems provide a nice finishing touch for the freshly restored Chevelle. The interior is restored to original, using stock vinyl upholstery on the original bucket seats. The original dash features a tachometer mounted in the “knee knocker” position beneath the dash. The only modifications inside consist of an ididit tilt steering column and Lokar pedal pads. The Vintage Air HVAC is operated by the original controls and is routed through the stock vents.
While the ’66 is an original SS, the ’67 is the lower trim level Malibu but has a bit more meaning to Rick. Its slick black paint has been on the car for more than 25 years. All of the panels are original GM and the car has never had any signs of rust, which is quite an accomplishment in the humid atmosphere of the Southeast.
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The ’67 was bought new in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and has spent its entire life in the same general area. Before Rick got his hands on it, Paul Hartman and then Barry Scott, both from Signal Mountain, Tennessee, owned the car. It had been sitting for several years before Rick bought it and gave it a few styling and performance updates. With the help of Scott Davis, the black lacquer paintjob was brought back to life.
Much like the ’66 SS, the ’67 Malibu features heavy-duty suspension on all four corners to achieve a hunkered-down stance and great handling to go along with it. Stock-style disc brakes ride up front while original drum brakes are attached to the 12-bolt rearend. Rolling stock consists of 17x7 and 17x9 Billet Specialties Legacy wheels mounted to a set of BFGoodrich Comp T/A tires, sized at 245/50R17 up front and 255/60R17 out back.
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Under the ’67’s hood is a 427-inch big-block equipped with a few upgrades to increase power and add a bit of modern convenience to this classic Chevelle. The internals are mostly original, but the big-block features an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, topped with an 850-cfm Holley carburetor. The accessory drive is a Billet Specialties Tru Trac system, fit with an aluminum water pump, a compact A/C compressor, a Powermaster one-wire alternator, and a compact power steering pump. The two Chevelles have a similar exhaust note thanks to the matching components in the exhaust system. Unlike the ’66, this Chevelle features a four-speed manual transmission, and provides a little more fun factor during spirited street driving.
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The black lacquer paintjob gets all the attention with this car, and for good reason. It’s slick and covers a flawless body that has never been wrecked or repaired. Billy Woodard is responsible for the paintjob originally, and Scott Davis did a lot of buffing and polishing to bring it back to life. Inside, the ’67 has a bit more personality thanks to a red interior. Rick gave it a few custom touches, including a Dakota Digital gauge panel, an ididit steering column, and a Billet Specialties steering wheel.
Without question, the two Chevelles have lots of differences, whether you consider the factory options, various modifications, or small details. The cars do provide different driving characteristics: power brakes vs. manual brakes, automatic transmission vs. manual transmission, bench seat vs. bucket seats. Both cars offer good times with family and friends, and that’s all that matters to Rick, so his pair of Chevelles wait patiently for their turn to rip up and down the backroads of Tennessee.