Words: Tommy Parry
When Nick witnessed a Corvette chassis/engine/transaxle drop-out on eBay a decade ago, the wheels started turning in his head. Since the C5 Corvette’s drivetrain can be found for relatively little money those days, he dreamed of implanting one in his ‘72 Nova.
Nick had owned the car since 2003. He had painted it and made it his pride and joy before he left high school, but as college began, the poor Nova began to see neglect. He couldn’t afford to drive it, so it was parked. The motor was eventually pulled and used in a circle track car!
However, after nearly a decade of saving, Nick had purchased a garage to house the car and the parts to improve it. After hauling it out of the barn where it had been collecting dust, a quick wash revealed a car not terribly affected by time or the elements.
After putting it on the frame jig, Nick tore out the rusted 9” axle and front subframe, with which he was able to recoup some coin after selling.
In order to design this project properly, he needed the tires and wheels to determine the proper track width. After dropping a little over a grand on wheels and tires, he also bought the Corvette front and rear suspension drop-outs and a transmission. Quickly, this build was gathering steam.
As an engineer, he had the background to do this properly. Using CAD, he realized he needed to narrow the track width about 3 inches. The only steering rack that was close to the right width is from a ‘93-02 Camaro, which is 4 inches narrower than a C5, but mounts differently.
Soon, he’d cut the pieces with a water jet and began assembling them. Fitment and precision were paramount with this build!
Moving forward, he needed more accurate data regarding the geometry of the transmission, so he contacted a local who’s well known in the Pro Touring community to use a CMM arm to measure the parts. With some good CAD models at his disposal, he then commenced a few designs.
Building his own torque tube to suit the new confines was a considerable hurdle, which he surmounted by using an open shaft, and made his own adapter that goes straight from the clutch to the driveshaft. Making castings for a living certainly paid off.
The problem was, it was too heavy. He was concerned the mounts wouldn’t keep the engine in line, and worried that he’d have a hard time lining everything up if he ever pulled the engine. So he decided to go back to the torque tube, and had a local shop lengthen it to fit in the confines of the Nova.
With the transmission tunnel in place, he mounted the front suspension, then mocked the rear suspension. Then, he fabbed up the rear wheel tubs. Thanks to his foresight, he’d devised an exhaust system to route through the narrow space between the tubs before he built them. It’s a squeeze, but it does fit and it looks incredible.
He next turned his attentions to the front of the car, working on the driver’s position, pedals and steering column. With a shortened steering column from a ’96 Camaro, he transferred the Nova column brackets to it. He realized he would have to choose between custom headers or modifying some LS7 manifolds. LS7 manifolds were appealing – they have a dual layer and make good power – so he purchased a pair and cut the flanges off. This left quite a lot of room for the steering linkage.
Turning to the exhaust, he had to make a few considerations. To prevent any extra encroachment into the passenger footwell, and to allow room for an AC evaporator, it worked best to route two 3″ pipes next to each other, and to join them under the torque tube. He modified the manifolds and refreshed the frame tubes in the area to make room.
He then fitted a Vintage Air kit and finished his firewall, which he covered in three heavy coats of Southern Polyurethane Epoxy. No longer was this build just a collection of well-measured and perfectly executed parts — now they were pretty.
Finally, he placed the motor and set the radiator for reference. Then he realized the C5 swaybar was too wide, given that he narrowed the suspension by 4 inches. To get around this, he bought a Speedway Engineering hollow tube and pillow blocks.
There’s still a ways to go, but with Nick’s ingenuity, his engineering expertise and his eye for style (he replaced the 265-section fronts with 295-sections to better match the 315-section rears), he should have little difficulty completing this car. However, considering the depth of detail to which he’s willing to go, and the long list of unforeseeable gremlins, it might take a few more years before it’s up to snuff. Yet, with the lifetime he’s spent with this car, that shouldn’t feel too long.
To keep tabs on this tech-heavy and inspiring build, you can follow the thread here.
