Help? Chevelle and Nova Experts?

[PoorMan]

Greetings all,

New guy here needs help choosing a project car. Just got back from the Pomona auto swap meet looking for a project car. The parking lot had thinned out by the time I got there so the cars were spread apart and I couldn't compare the sizes of different years Novas and Chevelles.

I'm looking to start a g-Machine daily driver project. I have a small garage so I'm liking the early 62-67 Novas (and they have all the benefits of a lighter car). Problem is I can't find a chassis solution to get great handling and large meats (particularly in the front) at a decent price.

Then there is the '65 Chevelle. I like it a lot and it has many suspension bolt-ons that'll yield the handling and braking I want--but it's heavy and I'm not sure it'll fit in my garage.

My questions are:
1. How do the 65-69 Chevelle body sizes and weights compare? That is to say, which is the smallest and/or lightest? Which is the largest and/or heaviest? Can anyone give me bumper-to-bumper measurements?
2. Is anyone aware of a 62-67 Nova front clip solution that can take large meats and handle like a monster. I need to keep up with todays high-performance vehicles so I want at least .95 G's (the front clips I've seen claim only a 16x7 wheel will fit and it pulled .86 G's)

You may ask what my total budget is...I'd like to keep it around 30K.

Thanks,
Dave

[USAZR1]

I thought you had already decided on the Chevy II?

[71Nova]

They are both great cars to start a project with. The nova is going to be quite a bit lighter, but the chevelle has way better factory rear suspension. 68-72 nova's are a fairly easy car to get to handle good because the front sub frame is identical to a first generation Camaro sub frame. All the aftermarket subframes, suspension parts, stearing parts for a camaro will work with a 68-72 Nova. I would have gone to Pomona if I knew it was today. Oh well next time.

[nvawgn]

well i'm no where near an expert nor am i well spoken but i can tell you one thing, it's a hot day in socal today and it's mai-tai time.

oh and even though it's not really considered a pro-touring front clip my chasissi works front clip is night and day over the stock clip that came on my 67 nvawgn and i'm able to run 275-40-17's on the front. i'm in the midst of pulling together my plan for either an art morison rear tri 4-bar clip or chris alston just came out with their own triangulated 4-bar clip as well. why did i choose the tri-4-bar over the truck arm, i have no reason i just did. it's funny but my nova wagon was so much fun to drive even with the leaf spring rear suspension, i know i'm going to be so happy when i get rear finished, oh and i'm going to tri and stuff some 19x9's in the front and 19x12's in the rear. i have some colors picked out but that will be aways away. oh and the wagon with a 1/4 tank of fuel came in at 3000lbs no driver

[PoorMan]

I thought you had already decided on the Chevy II?

I go back and forth on a daily basis...

I think for my purposes I'd prefer the Nova--if I can get it to handle. I know I can get the Chevelle to handle. But my research hasn't yielded the best results on Nova G Machine info. I've used the web, I've used books...everything is very much geared toward F bodies, then A bodies...X bodies are pulling up the rear.

[PoorMan]

I would have gone to Pomona if I knew it was today. Oh well next time.

Next one is on the 16th. :thumbsup:

It was hotter than Hades today anyway.

[PoorMan]

well i'm no where near an expert nor am i well spoken but i can tell you one thing, it's a hot day in socal today and it's mai-tai time.

oh and even though it's not really considered a pro-touring front clip my chasissi works front clip is night and day over the stock clip that came on my 67 nvawgn and i'm able to run 275-40-17's on the front. i'm in the midst of pulling together my plan for either an art morison rear tri 4-bar clip or chris alston just came out with their own triangulated 4-bar clip as well. why did i choose the tri-4-bar over the truck arm, i have no reason i just did. it's funny but my nova wagon was so much fun to drive even with the leaf spring rear suspension, i know i'm going to be so happy when i get rear finished, oh and i'm going to tri and stuff some 19x9's in the front and 19x12's in the rear. i have some colors picked out but that will be aways away. oh and the wagon with a 1/4 tank of fuel came in at 3000lbs no driver

The Chassis Works is the front clip I am considering (along with a Martz). Can you describe its handling? On par with modern high-performance standards?

Thanks!

[nvawgn]

The Chassis Works is the front clip I am considering (along with a Martz). Can you describe its handling? On par with modern high-performance standards?

Thanks!

i would love to elaborate on the handling compared to a high perf car but i lack any recent seat time in a high perf car, the only comparison i can make is to an ml350 that my wife drives. now before you guys start razzing me about this compairison, the merc is our only other car. oh i just rented a pontiac 6 or what ever they are called and it drove circles around that but then again not a fair compairison. where are you located poorman? :lolhit: duh, ok my bad. how far are you from santa barbara?

[PoorMan]

i would love to elaborate on the handling compared to a high perf car but i lack any recent seat time in a high perf car, the only comparison i can make is to an ml350 that my wife drives. now before you guys start razzing me about this compairison, the merc is our only other car. oh i just rented a pontiac 6 or what ever they are called and it drove circles around that but then again not a fair compairison. where are you located poorman? :lolhit: duh, ok my bad. how far are you from santa barbara?

I'm in San Dimas, I think about 3 hours from Santa Barbara.

[nvawgn]

well you could always drive up to sb and come for a spin, i just have to get it runnin again, i 'm having an electricle gremlin

[slow4dr]

I looked for a shoe box Nova for about 6 months solid with no luck including some trips to Pomona. I just about gave up and started looking for a Tacoma, SC300, Vega and a few others I was thinking about as a back up. Patience is a virtue I do not possess. :lol: One day my dad calls me and says "Some guy just came by and asked if I wanted to buy a 63". I went to look at it that night and the guy that owned it was an old high school buddy and he made me a great deal on it. Moral of the story, sometimes things are just meant to be so try and be patient.

:thumbsup:

*edited

I haven't seen any G #'s from Wayne Due's C4 front clip but they have 8" wheels up front with a 6.5 back space. I am hearing rumors Lateral Dynamics might be looking into a front clip in the not to distant future.

http://www.waynedue.com/index2.html

www.lateraldynamics.com <-----HMM, I thought that was Mark's web addy.

[PoorMan]

well you could always drive up to sb and come for a spin, i just have to get it runnin again, i 'm having an electricle gremlin

Very cool of you nvawgn! If I get a chance I may take you up on that.

[PoorMan]

I looked for a shoe box Nova for about 6 months solid with no luck including some trips to Pomona. I just about gave up and started looking for a Tacoma, SC300, Vega and a few others I was thinking about as a back up. Patience is a virtue I do not possess. :lol: One day my dad calls me and says "Some guy just came by and asked if I wanted to buy a 63". I went to look at it that night and the guy that owned it was an old high school buddy and he made me a great deal on it. Moral of the story, sometimes things are just meant to be so try and be patient.

:thumbsup:

*edited

I haven't seen any G #'s from Wayne Due's C4 front clip but they have 8" wheels up front with a 6.5 back space. I am hearing rumors Lateral Dynamics might be looking into a C5 based front clip in the not to distant future.

http://www.waynedue.com/index2.html

www.lateraldynamics.com <-----HMM, I thought that was Mark's web addy.

Yup shoebox Novas aren't the most common cars on the street. I'm not so great with patience either...but I'll do my best. :rolleyes:

If I get my Nova soon (with any luck) I hope to work with Mark on the suspension. His website isn't fully functional yet but I think it'll be very nice once it's up and running.

www.lateral-dynamics.com