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Having a car in your possession for over a decade and doing nothing with it will weigh on your shoulders. It often seems like a burden; a little tormentor that keeps you fielding annoying questions longer than saints can stand. Such was the case with Bobby and this Nova, a car which he had for fourteen years before he could perform a complete overhaul.
He’d lined up a long list of parts for the car during the previous decade. A 360 ci motor with Victor JR cylinder heads and a Comp cam, a 10-bolt rear end with Dutchman axles, Wilwood disc Brakes, and a TH-350 with 3.73 gears would cover most of the performance related concerns. He also decided to make it a little more livable, so in went an upgraded power steering, a Hydroboost unit, and an air conditioning system for hot summer drives along California’s central coast.
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Bobby prides himself on doing everything possible within his broad skillset. So after mounting the Nova on a set of classic Weld RTS-70s, he began prepping that faded coat of paint for a refreshing. Two sore shoulders and twelve sheets of sandpaper later, Bobby rolled the patinated body up on the trailer and drove it off to paint jail, where it would only serve a short sentence.
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As the body sat in its booth receiving its final coat of red, a Ridetech four-link and front coilover setup were en route to Bobby’s house. This would transform the car completely. No mere show car, nor just a straight-liner; this Nova would give him a buzz on most backroads and encourage him to get after it.
A lightweight Odyssey battery; a nice Momo wheel; big, bolstered seats; and a set of chunky Auto Meter gauges helped the interior feel somewhat spruced. Not exactly a spartan space, but the interior now had a few crucial interest points to give it a serious, modern atmosphere.
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To add to the visual impact made, as well as help put the 360’s power to the pavement, Bobby added a set of 17x9” Weld S70 wheels at all four corners—the rear two getting a mini-tubbing before the new wheels were added. Within them, Bobby opted for a set of large Wilwoods, which gave him both driver confidence and comfort knowing the footwork had been completed—at least in cosmetic terms.
There’s plenty more in store for this all-around gem. To keep tabs on this gorgeous Nova’s development, you can follow Bobby’s thread here.
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