‘63 Chevy II Pro-Touring Build

[bkswede]

Hi all,

My name is Brian Knudson and I’ve been a long time lurker here on the forums reading about all the great cars you all have been building over the years. I grew up around cars as my dad was a big car fan in his youth - mainly drag racing and street racing back in the ‘60s. He was a big fan of ‘56 Chevys and owned and built several in the early ‘60s before focusing on the muscle cars Detroit was pumping out in the late ‘60s. He ultimately special ordered a 1969 Plymouth GTX with a 426 Hemi, 4 speed, super track pack, etc, which he owned and raced for two years before selling and moving on to building a house and starting a family... he sure wished he had hung on to that GTX!

As I was growing up, he got the itch again and bought another 1969 GTX - this time a 440 4 speed car that needed a lot of work. That started my love of cars and I worked alongside my dad on that GTX - completely rebuilding the 440, fixing wiring problems, rebuilding the stock suspension, doing bodywork, etc.

Fast forward 30 years and I’m finally at a point in life where the kids aren’t taking up 100% of my time (maybe 90%, lol) and I’m reminiscing more and more about how much I enjoyed working on cars as a kid. I’ve always loved the idea of pro-touring cars - old school cars with modern suspension and engines, capable of reliably driving whenever and wherever, including the occasional auto cross - which is why I’ve always enjoyed following builds on this site.

I finally bit the bullet last spring, and bought a partially complete car from Metalworks - a great shop in Oregon and I believe a sponsor here on lateral g. It’s a ‘63 Chevy II 2 door hardtop - a true SS car. It had full DSE suspension (front subframe, rear Quadra link, subframe connectors, DSE mini-tubs, 9 inch Ford with aluminum center section, 3.90s, double adjustable shocks all around, etc.), and Metalworks did all the custom fabrication work necessary to install the suspension, mini-tubs, a custom tunnel for a T56 6 speed transmission, and a roll bar. They also did all the metal work on the car, which wasn’t a ton as the car was pretty solid to start with - the only significant metal replacement was the passenger quarter panel. I bought it from them as a roller.

I’m currently working with Kurt Anderson from AutoKraft, who is located in Eau Claire, WI (I live in the Twin Cities, about an hour and a half west of Eau Claire), to finish the bodywork and paint the Nova. Some may know Kurt who was active on this site years ago when he worked with Scott Gulbranson, the founder of lateral g, to paint Scott’s red ‘69 Camaro that was the inspiration for this site.

Beyond the paint and bodywork, I’m not sure how much I’ll have Kurt work on additional assembly for me. I’d like to do as much assembly as I can, but recognize that I have limited free time and would like to enjoy the car as much as possible, and if I do assembly on everything it’s likely to take me years to finish this (between work and kids, I still have a ton going on). This car is meant to be enjoyed on the road - mainly on the streets as a fun driver and occasionally on the track for autocross and drag race action.

Over the next few days, I’ll try to add some posts and pictures to show my progress to date - which hasn’t been a ton as far as the body goes as Kurt was really backed up when I first brought the car to him. So, I’ve been focusing more on drivetrain work and accumulating parts while it’s in paint jail. I’ve really enjoyed working on this for the last few months and look forward to what will likely be a lengthy build, due to limited time. Maybe when I get it home and can start to work on it myself, my son will take a liking to it like I did with my dad’s GTX when I was his age....


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[camcojb]

You're in great hands with Kurt. :cheers:

[bkswede]

Here’s some pictures of the Nova before acid dipping...https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/6bc398f4c0a64539df7c7f7c335ac3d2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/0c0c3d1b32daba3809aad6365b9fe727.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/b10d7cbcfce2a628276510e2d422e0b3.jpg


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[bkswede]

After acid dipping... you can see the rust on passenger side rear quarter, which was ultimately replaced
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/1fa66009c40abcaca80e5bc994b413bc.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/17ce1d8e9901f3e48e729929cdad195e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/880f8d6c092de05e2c3dc3880ee7e7a7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/d63efb320337314d645bd6e852a4ef5a.jpg


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[bkswede]

Replacing rear quarter...
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[bkswede]

Fabrication for Quadra Link..
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/5156b68dd3986a02290b84cd8b19924e.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/4a76ac76955992ce8a7d1a2af33794b5.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/fda45a2d7896f5effeaede919b35a334.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/dcbf7399b1f93753d09947d63522b2fa.jpg


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[bkswede]

Mini-tubs...
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[bkswede]

Trans tunnel for T56... last picture you can see the 9” rear installed...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/a6ef6e7c5d42cd7b96b77bc4f05f9797.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/405694881be2fb6f586f4f533108a8e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/f268c0c63f5676a725c0bb74922e997d.jpg


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[bkswede]

Sorry, here’s the photo where you can see the rear end installed... you can also see the trans crossmember that was built and attached to the subframe connectors...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/dba71a50f9db2bf28bc3007a7beb69a9.jpg


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[bkswede]

Some photos of DSE front subframe... the motor and trans that you see in the pictures were for mock up and didn’t come with the car as I purchased it...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/3fbc5eb57ebc6d94f16ed233e69f3ad4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/79f832b4b7e4970d3b516b5eb2faf155.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/0903beea508f51ce2d251c1d0e03735a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/9b54df9154363848708842b937d88c4e.jpg


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[bkswede]

More photos of the mock up to fit front subframe...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/1fbff6ff1ce82bbac4e59d679abc2549.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/a1ea6e6b5a8cba327b099dbe0f858c61.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/10b3661cbb21e09c1f8934b7bfcd468a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/ee24b0774860ffcc1e04918b62276b19.jpg


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[bkswede]

Photos on the frame rack...

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[bkswede]

Building roll bar...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/2974599bb2555ec70651e5888710c9e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/b4551d8a452a207aed43a4a518c92eaa.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/7640a52b7510ff52023eef2d92152a00.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/4123b9dc2c2aa4588fe4387a19d79926.jpg


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[bkswede]

Prepping for primer...

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[bkswede]

Primed... this is how I purchased it... a roller in primer
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/64d4a8ab10bf161cb9637fdd85d7ff02.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190210/219d254d41bdd85b3749e8d978b924a7.jpg


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[CMillwheels]

Going to be an incredible car. Looking forward to watching your progress!!

Chris

[bkswede]

Since AutoKraft has had the Nova, they’ve welded up the holes on the sides of the car as I won’t have any side trim on the car. They’ve also done some work on the panel gaps, which were actually pretty decent. I’m going to put a Vintage Air unit in it and we’ll run the hoses under the passenger front fender, so we welded up all the holes in the firewall to smooth it out. They also welded in the bracket DSE makes to mount the hydraulic clutch master cylinder alongside the brake master cylinder.

They’ve also done a lot of work on smoothing the body for paint... primer, lots of block sanding, more primer, more block sanding... once that effort is complete, Kurt plans to get the Nova on the rotisserie so we can complete the work on finishing the firewall and prepping the underside. Attached are some pictures of the Nova during the block sanding process...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/a36c76552403a11674dcda124bdda437.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/6c0b8f77de399d68f91d409ba5feb938.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/cae86c57d405b0e0238c891392a4c785.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/9df68fd2c6782d4bba540273818475d8.jpg


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[bkswede]

I’ve never been a fan of the stock gas caps on the first gen Novas, so we’re going to use a Ridetech cap. The window trim, grill, bumpers, door handles, etc will all be painted black, and we’re going to paint the gas cap to match as well. I think this cap will be a nice upgrade from the stock one. Sorry, picture isn’t the greatest...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/fae7d593ed5797257c51aa9a62136292.jpg



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[bkswede]

While Kurt has been working on the body, I’ve been doing a bit of work on the drivetrain. Because I want the reliability and drivability that modern fuel injected engines provide, I’ve always thought that when I build a car like this, I would use an LS motor of some sort. Then, Chevrolet released the new LT engines, which are incredible (direct injection, etc.)... I have a 2017 Camaro ZL1 with the 650 hp LT4 (same engine as the Z06 Corvette) and love that motor, but wanted the Nova to be naturally aspirated. I thought about using the new LT1 crate engine that Chevrolet has, but I would want more power than the base crate engine, and the aftermarket isn’t nearly as mature for the LT engines as it is for the LS engines. Also, an LT engine would likely require additional fabrication for motor mounts, headers, etc., whereas the LS engines are easy drop ins. So, I decided I would stick with an LS engine.

I’ve always been a huge fan of the LS7 - insane amounts of power and torque in a small package. The ability to rev to over 7,000 rpm and the nostalgia of it being a 427 sealed the deal for me, so I started thinking about my options for an LS7. I again considered a LS7 crate engine, but would want to make modifications to it (bigger cam, port heads, better intake manifold, etc). Also, I don’t want to run a dry sump in the Nova, so would have additional expense to convert it to wet sump if I went the GM Performance crate engine route. Also considered a crate engine from Mast Motorsports, but ended up building one from scratch.

I had read a lot over on the Corvette forum and LS forums about head, cam and intakes package that Tony Mamo offers through his company, Mamo Motorsports. Tony worked for years as the head of development at Air Flow Research before leaving to go out on his own a few years ago. I called him up and we discussed my project and my objectives and he helped me source some of the parts for my engine. I researched and purchased everything else and we ended up with the following: brand new LS7 block I acquired from GM Performance, Callies forged crank and rods, Wiseco forged pistons, King coated bearings, Mamo Motorsports LS7 heads (brand new castings from Trick Flow Specialties CNC ported by Tony and then hand finished), custom cam spec’d by Tony, Johnson short travel lifters, Yella Terra roller rockers custom made for Tony’s heads, custom length Manton push rods, MSD Atomic intake ported by Tony, Deutschwerks 60 lb injectors, Nick Williams 102mm drive by wire throttle body, etc.

Tony has dozens of these head, cam and intake packages in LS7s in C6 Z06 Corvettes across the country and they flat out make incredible power... usually around 625-640hp at the tire, depending on other mods (air intake, header size, etc). The heads flow over 400 cfm on the intake side, but do so through smaller ports than a stock LS7 head, so they are able to make power not only at high rpms, but also have incredible part throttle response, due to the efficient port design. Plus, the port velocity allows him to build with a higher static compression ratio and a bigger cam, yet still have good drivability. We spec’d mine for around 12:1 (we have 93 octane here in MN). We checked it with a Katech Whistler after assembled, and final compression ratio was 11.8:1

Attached are some pics of the heads...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/e4421bd66f35fb29f1bf70a55d44a517.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/c4cd596ca452866f88785237230be9f8.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/e1ea2129c53fbc96349fd5362f9c1a4f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/e43f4ecc8b974aa2738b817b4780be8f.jpg


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[bkswede]

While I have experience working on motors when I grew up (small and big block Chevrolet engines, Mopar wedge motors, etc.), I have no experience with LS engines, so I wasn’t going to build this myself... especially considering the investment I made in all of those parts. Luckily, Doug Rippie, who has significant experience modifying and building LS engines for Corvette owners across the country, is located about a half hour from me. Doug also installed one of Tony Mamo’s H/C/I packages on a customer’s Z06, so he was familiar with Tony’s parts and assembly requirements (like measuring each push rod for custom length). Doug was awesome... very patient in dealing with me and teaching me as I asked a lot of questions.

Motor is assembled now... I’m going for a “stock-like” look for the LS7. Tony offers a “stealth” upgrade for the MSD Atomic intake, drastically changing the look of it. If anyone has seen the MSD Atomic intake, it’s got “MSD AIr Force” in big red letters across the top - I really don’t like the look. Tony shaves those logos off the top of the intake and then paints it a nice textured black. He then takes the LS7 fuel rail covers and shaves the edge where the fuel rail cover meets the intake runners, since the MSD intake is shaped much different than the stock LS7 intake. The result looks pretty close to stock, unless you really have a sharp eye.

I did deviate from stock in that I didn’t use a GM front end accessory drive for it. I didn’t like where the air conditioning compressor was located on the various OEM accessory drives. Holley recently released a new mid-mount accessory drive for LS engines that is really compact. It’s unique because the water pump is a specific Holley design where all of the other accessories mount to the water pump. It eliminates brackets and spacers and makes for a really clean and compact design. I got the black version, which I think really looks sharp. Attached are some photos of the completed motor with the Holley accessories installed. The photo shows a polished NIck Williams throttle body that I had picked up used. I’ve since purchased a black version of the same throttle body and will swap it out as the black version will look much nicer. I’m going to dyno the motor in the coming weeks... we’re expecting around 725hp at the crank...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/e73711d48c1f89f334f60e0c2f1b9f4c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/7c3c55281524be7a307979fd43ed254e.jpg




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[bkswede]

Will be using Ultimate Headers on the LS7... 1 7/8” in a very compact package and made specifically to fit LS engines in the DSE subframe for Chevy IIs. Craftsmanship on these are stunning. Highly recommend them and the owner of the company is a great guy to deal with...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190211/6215b69b96ab3037468893bb47eecd3b.jpg


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[Flash68]

Outstanding. :cheers:

[bkswede]

Outstanding. :cheers:



Thanks!


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[bkswede]

Going to be an incredible car. Looking forward to watching your progress!!



Chris



Thanks, Chris... I’m following your build thread, too! Amazing combination of parts you’re putting together on your Camaro!


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[bkswede]

For the rest of the drivetrain on the Nova, I’ve got a QuickTime bell housing and a Katech LS9X clutch kit. The Katech kit takes the factory dual disc clutch and pressure plate from the ZR1 corvette (LS9, not the LT5) and adapts it for use with LS engines (crankshaft bolt patterns are different), using the ZR1 slave cylinder and a Katech designed flywheel. The entire combination is 12 pounds lighter than the stock ZR1 clutch/pressure plate/flywheel combo. Those that have it rave about its ability to hold power while retaining an OEM feel and no rattling in neutral like after market dual disc clutches.

I also purchased a new close ratio T56 from D&D transmissions in Michigan (Don was exceptional - very responsive and reasonable). They did the “Stielow upgrades” to it (they supplied Stielow with the T56 for his most recent build).. bronze shift forks, full carbon blocker rings and they swapped out the .63:1 sixth gear in the close ratio T56 for a .5:1 sixth gear found in the wide ratio T56. The taller sixth gear will allow for better drivability on freeway with the 3.90 rear...


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[jh99]

Awesome build! I will be following.

[bkswede]

Awesome build! I will be following.



Thanks!


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[bkswede]

When I was considering radiators for the Nova, I looked at a lot of different options - DeWitt’s, PRC, AFCO, Entropy, AutoRad, C&R and others. The early Chevy II’s don’t have much space up front for a large radiator, so core size is pretty limited without completely redoing the core support and filler panels. Most of the available radiators have stock core dimensions. AutoRad makes a custom unit that is beautiful - custom core support and filler panels which open up the space to run a much larger core; however, my front end was already set up for the stock core support and I wanted to incorporate an engine oil cooler and power steering cooler into the radiator as well.

I ended up purchasing a radiator from C&R Racing with dual Spal fans as it was the best overall compromise for me. The end tanks are designed in a way that allows a meaningfully larger core size than a stock sized unit, but still fits within the frame rails of the DSE subframe (although I will need to make some minor modifications to enlarge the core opening and flatten the surfaces of the core support on either side of the radiator, but those shouldn’t be a big deal). It also integrates an engine oil cooler and power steering cooler into the radiator as well. Finally, C&R built it using their new extruded core technology, which provides more efficient cooling and higher strength than traditional cores. So. I’m pretty happy with it, and it should provide plenty of cooling for the LS7.

My plan is to run the fans using PWM fan control from the ECU. Thanks to all who contributed to the excellent thread on PWM fan control - it’s filled with really helpful information. I picked up a new fan assembly for a Cadillac XLR with the factory PWM controller and related wiring/connectors, etc. on eBay. My plan is to set up the PWM output in my Holley Dominator ECU using tables with multiple triggers (e.g., speed, A/C on, coolant temp, etc), similar to what andrewb70 outlined in that thread. Attached is a picture of the radiator from C&R.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190212/187fb69d23d5c717fe8b785f2294de0d.jpg



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[1965_SS]

So awesome! I remember seeing that car for sale.

[bkswede]

You're in great hands with Kurt. :cheers:


Yeah, Kurt is the best! Really happy to be working with him!


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[bkswede]

So awesome! I remember seeing that car for sale.



Yep - I first saw it here when it was listed for sale... thanks!


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[bkswede]

For the fuel system, I decided to go with a Rick’s Restomod tank. I consulted with Carl at Vaporworx regarding the appropriate fuel module for my application. Because I’m expecting horsepower in the low 700s at the crank, and my LS7 is naturally aspirated, he recommended the ZL1 fuel module as an upgrade over the base LS3 fuel module. Carl is great - really knows his stuff.

I ordered the tank from Kim at Matt’s Classic Bowties. Big shout out to Kim - she is awesome... very knowledgeable, responsive and friendly. I ordered a bunch of stuff from her during their Black Friday sale and she was on top of everything and so easy to deal with. Tank arrived at AutoKraft a few weeks ago and looks great.

I’m also going to order from Carl his Vaporworx fuel module controller. The ZL1 fuel module puts out a lot of volume, but I won’t need that most of the time. Rather than running the pump constantly and restricting the output back to 60psi, the PWM unit will allow the pump to run at a fraction of its normal output, generating less heat and less wear on the pump. That should lead to long term reliability like an OEM unit.

The ZL1 fuel module uses PWM control from the factory; however, most people don’t use PWM in these types of applications. As a result, Ricks normally replaces the 88psi OEM regulator with the 60psi regulator that comes in the LS3 fuel module. Because I’m going to use the Vaporworx module, I had Rick’s leave in the 88psi fuel regulator. Using the higher regulator allows the PWM module to accurately sense the pressure of the fuel coming out of the module and cut back on the power to the pump as necessary to limit pressure to 60psi. Pretty cool stuff.

[bkswede]

Not much to update on bodywork progress... thought I’d share what I ended up doing for brakes. After reading this long but very informative thread on proper brake sizing (https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/104584-Brake-sizing-and-selection-tutorial-featuring-Ron-Sutton-and-Tobin-of-KORE3), I had Ron Sutton help me run some brake torque calculations for me to optimize the braking system for the Nova (I know Sutton’s reputation is trash right now due to recent events with his company, including Greg Weld’s debacle with him, but I found him helpful and knowledgeable for this exercise).

He ended up recommending a Wilwood package - Aero 6 calipers for the front with the larger piston sizes to provide a greater piston area and Superlite 4 calipers in the rear, again with larger piston sizes to provide adequate piston area). We went with the Superlite 4 calipers in the rear rather than the Aero 4 calipers, which would have been a better cosmetic match to the Aero 6 front calipers, because the piston sizes of the Aero 4 calipers weren’t a good match to provide adequate and balanced braking. We were targeting around 3000# of brake torque when equipped with street pads and 3500# of brake torque with track pads, each with a 70/30 front to rear bias. The piston sizes for the Aero 4 calipers were either too small or too large to achieve our targets with adequate levels of brake torque.

I went with 14.25” front rotors and 14” rear rotors, drilled and slotted, in Wilwood’s Spec-37 material. With Wilwood BP-10 street focused pads, a Wilwood 7/8” manual dual master cylinder, and an adjustable proportioning valve, this combination results in approximately 3100# of brake torque in our desired 70/30 bias. That should be more than adequate for the street with 255 width front tires given the Nova’s lighter weight. For track days, I can swap in BP-20 track focused pads, which should, with their higher coefficient of friction and the higher operating temperatures on the track, increase brake torque to around 3500# at our 70/30 bias.

Attached are a couple of photos of the front rotors and calipers - they’re big, should work awesome and will look great behind the wheels!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190223/49c2a382f771415030d2b54ee37a7c44.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190223/0fd5c300b6c417e4499d8993617f6435.jpg


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[kwhizz]

Fantastic Build...…….

[bkswede]

Fantastic Build...…….



Thank you sir!


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[sls1025]

Great build Keep it up.

[bkswede]

Great build Keep it up.



Thanks for the kind words!


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[bkswede]

I’m heading over to AutoKraft next week to check out their progress on prepping the Nova for paint. Kurt and his team have been working on it for the last couple of weeks, so I’m anxious to see it!

In the meantime, I thought I’d share a few pictures of my wheels and tires that came in recently. I decided to go with Forgeline’s SE3C Concave wheels, which are a three piece forged wheel. I went with an 18x11 with a deep concave profile in the rear and an 18x9 with a shallow concave profile up front, which will give a staggered look. The inner hoops are satin black powder coated, as are the wheel centers. The outer hoop has a reverse flat lip and a brushed finish that is then clear coated. Center caps are also powder coated satin black with red and white Forgeline logo.

For tires, I looked for the best combination of a really sticky tire for braking, cornering and dead hook when accelerating (I’m expecting a little over 700hp at the crank and the Nova is pretty light...), and if they look good, that’s a bonus, too. After a lot of research, I ended up with Toyo R888Rs, and am really excited to try them out. They’re Toyo’s DOT competition road course tire and while they’re designed for great handling on dry surfaces (and they’re serviceable in wet conditions), they apparently hook really well from a dig, too. A lot of Hellcat owners have put these on their cars and they rave about the night and day difference in traction (Hellcats are notorious for not being able to put power down as you can’t stuff much wheel width under them).

I went with a 305/35/18 on the rear and a 255/35/18 up front. DSE recommends a maximum 295 width tire on the rear with their mini tubs for first gen cars. However, Kurt measured things up and is confident we have enough clearance for a 305 width, so we went with that. Should fill the wheel wells nicely :)

I’m really excited to see these on the car and check out the stance. We need to order some new wheel studs first as the existing ones are way too long. Once we get the new wheel studs installed, we’ll test fit the wheels and I’ll post some pictures. In the meantime, here are some pictures of the wheels after getting them unpacked. I think the wheel style should look great on the Nova and the color should compliment nicely the red Wilwood calipers and 14” rotors!

6859568596685976859868599


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[1965_SS]

Awesome wheels! :woot:

[bkswede]

Awesome wheels! :woot:



Thanks!


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[bkswede]

Finally got a chance to drive to Eau Claire this week and check out the progress on the Nova. Kurt and his team have the bodywork mostly done, and their focus has been on some little things: smoothing the firewall, modifying the radiator core support for the new C&R radiator, mock up of engine and headers, welding up some extraneous holes in interior, and prepping the dash for changes due to some deviations from the stock Nova dash.

Attached are some photos showing some of the work Kurt did smoothing out the firewall as well as mocking up the engine and headers for clearance. All looked good... I’m using the MSD Atomic intake, which is a fair bit larger than the stock LS7 intake, but as you can see, there is sufficient clearance. Also, the Ultimate Headers fit nicely and tuck up tight under the car.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/b3f31faecdd5ca09af700b108c357e24.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/56bd812ce2930d64c1677166eca87b2b.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/a577655269f24f0cdeab59d6328a672a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/c8791876006c129276a221b8672ff0f7.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/355a76e22ea71c4c78321813e1686ca9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/2c92fc62f2298de763437a9be9cc13fc.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/4d7f9df78003d92c9bab48a9cf353a39.jpg

Here is a shot from under the car showing how nicely the headers tuck up under the car...
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/6a48c347ced01e4673f7e5b6e60786f8.jpg

I posted previously about the new C&R radiator I purchased for the Nova, and the fact that the core in the C&R radiator is larger than stock, which would require some modifications to the core support. Kurt removed the filler panels from the stock core support and made some new ones, based on the measurements of the new radiator. The result looks great and now provides an adequate opening for the new radiator. We’re planning to route a cold air intake for the engine to the driver side filler panel, so we’ll end up opening up that filler panel to allow fresh air through to the air filter.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/fb5027422abab83c449f9a8fc462edda.jpg




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[bkswede]

The other item that we’ve focused a little on recently is the dash. I’ve never been a fan of the dash on the first generation Novas. The stock dash offers little in the way of information and I don’t like the look of the oblong dash pod.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/95052d100d0c481752b1244d34ab523b.jpg
There are a number of after market options available, but they all fit within the same oblong pod. That oblong pod is not very large, so the plastic gauge clusters that you can purchase to fit within the pod are limited to 3 3/8” speedometers and tachometers with one other 2 1/8” gauge, typically placed in between the speedo and tach. . Again, not a lot of information presented and not a great look in my opinion (though certainly a step-up from the stock gauges).
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/973edfe28238bfd55e9265c5a73bc79f.jpg

Dakota Digital recently came out with a new VHX gauge for first gen Novas, which is a nice looking unit offering much more information than other options, but it it still fits within the same stock oblong dash bezel.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/c987175a08f6a8b0c4ae0deb77564554.jpg
The Dakota Digital units is clearly a step-up, but I wanted something different that didn’t rely on the stock oblong dash bezel.

I’ve always liked the DSE dash insert they make for first generation Camaros, and the fact that you can put in 5” analog gauges. Love that look, but the Nova just doesn’t have the real estate in its dash to fit 5” gauges. I started looking at other options, including LCD dashes (e.g., the Holley 7” dash, the Aim Sports MXD Strada Street dash, etc). The LCD gauges are intriguing to me because they offer such an unbelievable amount of information when they’re connected directly to the ECU - data that can be customized and presented in various formats in the digital dash displays. However; the LCD dashes don’t have the same look of the analog gauges that I really love, so there were clear trade offs using an LCD dash.

At SEMA 2018, Holley unveiled a new 12.3” digital dash with touch screen capabilities like your smart phone (touch the screen to make changes to the data presented, to access all tuning parameters of the Holley ECU, swipe to the side to scroll through various pages of data monitored by the ECU, swipe up to close out screens, etc). The new dash connects to the Holley ECU and gets the majority of its information directly from the ECU. Additional information can be uploaded into the ECU or monitored via other attachments or wire feeds directly into the dash (e.g., turn signals can be connected to the dash so that lights blink on the dash as the turn signals signal on and off). Also, the dash can be displayed to look like Holley’s analog gauges. To me, this product is the best of both worlds in that it allows you real time access to all of the information being monitored or calculated by the ECU, while, at the same time, allows the user to configure the screen of the dash in manner that suits their personal taste (which, for me, is an analog looking gauge presentation). Here’s a photo of one of the gauge display options on the new Holley 12.3” digital dash that looks similar to analog gauges in the first gen Camaro with a DSE dash insert.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/9d8d5b1507b13001d8ea5a671d597855.jpg

As it turns out, the dimensions of the rectangular Holley 12.3 dash are similar to (though slightly larger than) the stock oblong gauge pod. The Holley dash is a little larger than the stock bezel, so it requires a little bit of fabrication work. Kurt and his team used the supplied template to build a rectangular box that will be recessed into the dash and into which the new 12.3” dash will be mounted. I really like the result and think the new rectangular LCD touch screen dash will look awesome and provide me with substantial amounts of data that can be accessed real time from the driver’s seat.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/ba2f934911c67d6833bf24f624074efb.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/1e6bc38c4e89e27e6ee8f29cff85c754.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190519/dbb149c9d8829695a4badc4d1058bb2e.jpg

Let me know what you guys think. Thanks!

Brian


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[Nlped47]

I think the dash will be awesome!!


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[dcracing]

Great looking build! Where did you get the plate for the mater cylinder and the clutch that is welded to the firewall?

[Flash68]

Cool work on the dash. Should look great.

[bkswede]

I think the dash will be awesome!!


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Thanks! I’m really looking forward to seeing how it turns out - it’s a really cool product by Holley


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[bkswede]

Great looking build! Where did you get the plate for the mater cylinder and the clutch that is welded to the firewall?



Thanks! Detroit Speed makes that bracket for Chevy II’s - it’s a very nice piece and reasonably priced. Makes it easy to mount the clutch master in line with the stock pedal and at the correct angle. We’ll clean up the welds and blend it in to the firewall once we get the front end off and put the car on the rotisserie.


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[bkswede]

Cool work on the dash. Should look great.



Thanks!


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[jarhead]

WOW, Loving this build!

[bkswede]

Wow... where did the summer go? Can’t believe how quickly it went... didn’t make as much progress on the Nova as I had hoped over the summer. Kids activities seem to dominate the schedule and I also spent a lot of time finishing the new garage/sport court addition we built over the summer.

We finally got the LS7 on the engine dyno... nothing ever seems to go as easy as it should, and this was no exception. Motor first went on the dyno in July and didn’t produce near the power I was expecting - it topped out at 580hp when I was expecting 700+hp. Turns out the dyno operator used an incorrect pilot bearing when connecting the engine to the dyno which caused significant forward pressure on the crankshaft. So much pressure that it burned up the thrust bearing and damaged the crankshaft. The dyno shop paid to fix the crankshaft, new bearings, fresh hone on the cylinder walls, new rings, etc. Really frustrating, but at least they owned up to it.

The rebuilt motor went on the engine dyno in late August and results were great - 705hp and 604tq. The torque curve is insane - a little over 500ft lbs of torque starting at 3,500 rpm and it never drops below that. It holds peak torque (~600 ft lbs) for more than 1,300 rpm, from 4,900 rpm to 6,200 rpm with a gradual fall off after that. You can see on the attached dyno graph how the torque curve is like a table top in that rpm range. Since horsepower is a function of torque, the motor’s ability to carry its torque like that is what allows it to top 700hp in naturally aspirated form.

As I stated in earlier posts, Tony Mamo has a lot of these head, cam and intake combinations on LS7s across the country and they are, in many cases, breaking dyno records when put on the rollers. He obviously knows his stuff - that’s an impressive power curve. This dyno was done on 91 octane, but I will have it tuned for 93 octane after its in the car, so I suspect final numbers to be closer to 720hp at the crank with 93 octane. Really amazing and probably a little over kill for the Chevy II... I can’t wait to experience it in the car!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190929/c01e4709d60cbca7dab5e28cb46926a8.png

[Grnova]

Those results look really good and without any power adders! Great job on the build!

[two-piece]

Looks like a awesome build.

[bkswede]

Those results look really good and without any power adders! Great job on the build!



Thanks! Appreciate the kind words!


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[bkswede]

Looks like a awesome build.



Thank you! Getting close to painting, and excited to make some progress!


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[kbclamper]

great numbers. Tony built a 427 ls3 for my 63 nova that did 680/580 at westech. looks like those ls7 heads are definitely worth some more power than mine. had to spin mine to 7200 to get my peak. your car is going to be a blast

[SSLance]

That should be a wicked fun little car to drive... Hang on!!!

[bkswede]

great numbers. Tony built a 427 ls3 for my 63 nova that did 680/580 at westech. looks like those ls7 heads are definitely worth some more power than mine. had to spin mine to 7200 to get my peak. your car is going to be a blast



Thanks! How’s your Nova drive with that set up? I’m sure it’s a blast... do you have a link to any pics?


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[bkswede]

That should be a wicked fun little car to drive... Hang on!!!



I’m hoping it’s a blast! Still a long way to go, but can’t wait til it’s done!


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[bkswede]

Attached are some pictures of the Chevy II with the wheels mounted - we had to get some new wheel studs and Kurt had to make a couple of minor modifications to make sure we had sufficient clearance on the rears. I think the wheels look awesome - fill up the wheel wells nicely! The car had a mock up block in it when these pictures were taken; so the front end will drop a bit when the full drivetrain is installed. I’m sure we’ll need to make some adjustments at that time to get the right stance, but I think it looks pretty good now, too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk70294702937029270291

[Grnova]

Looking good what are you using for engine management system, and what are you plans for interior?

[kbclamper]

Thanks! How’s your Nova drive with that set up? I’m sure it’s a blast... do you have a link to any pics?


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its not driving yet. im a couple steps behind you at the moment. I was trying to build it myself but my lack of time is killing the build. it will end up in a shop next year

[bkswede]

Looking good what are you using for engine management system, and what are you plans for interior?



I’ve got a Holley Dominator ECU, which will feed my Holley digital dash and is needed for the DBW throttle body (Holley HP ECUs don’t work with DBW throttle bodies). The Dominator is a little overkill for my naturally aspirated motor, but plenty of room for future mods if I go in that direction.

For the interior, I’m planning to use TMI molded door panels and TMI buckets for front seats. Both of those items are available for purchase now. I’d like to use the TMI one piece molded head liner, but it’s still in development, as is their molded rear seat. They debuted the headliner and rear seats at SEMA last year on a ‘67 Nova built by Church Boys racing, but they’re not available to purchase yet. Would be great to buy all of it together using matching fabrics, colors, etc. I’d like to do something for a console as well, and TMI is also developing that, but it’s not clear when it will be available.


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[bkswede]

its not driving yet. im a couple steps behind you at the moment. I was trying to build it myself but my lack of time is killing the build. it will end up in a shop next year



I can definitely relate to that... I’d love to do more of the work on my Nova, but I just don’t have the time. Work is crazy right now and I try to spend as much time with my kids as I can before they’re gone to college. So, I can either do the work myself, knowing that it will be years before it’s finally done, or get help. As much as I enjoy working on it, I want to enjoy driving it, too... as a result, AutoKraft is doing a lot more than I originally anticipated... I’ll have other cars to work on (like my ‘56 Chevy) when the kids are gone and I’m retired!


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[bkswede]

Quick update... targeting end of January for paint. We need to finish up fitting driving lights in the front bumper, and a small rear spoiler on trunk lid, at which point, all exterior body work should be finished. Also working on test fitting radiator, A/C condenser, catch can, routing of heating and A/C lines, air intake, etc.

Ben from SRD did a really nice job putting together a rendering to help illustrate what we’re striving for. Colors should be pretty accurate - we’re planning on using Shark grey metallic, which was a C7 corvette color on 2015-2016 models. I want a metallic grey that is light enough for the black trim, black wheels and red calipers to really pop against it. I’m attaching a photo of Ben’s rendering and of some shark grey metallic Corvettes so you can get a sense of the color combination. Let me know your thoughts. Happy new year to all and best wishes for healthy and prosperous 2020!

Ben’s rendering:
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Some shark grey metallic Corvettes:
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Photo of my LS7 after delivering to Kurt at AutoKraft:
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Photo of test fitting of my Holley digital dash:
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[camcojb]

VERY cool build!!!!!!!!

[Nlped47]

Love the color choice!!! The rendering really helps!

I’m going to go with Pepper Grey Metallic on my 63-1/2 Falcoon.

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[WSSix]

Yes, the color choice is good! Good luck making paint.

[Flash68]

Love this build!

[bkswede]

VERY cool build!!!!!!!!



Thanks - appreciate it!!


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[bkswede]

Love the color choice!!! The rendering really helps!

I’m going to go with Pepper Grey Metallic on my 63-1/2 Falcoon.

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Thank you! Your Falcon looks awesome and will look great in that color. Doug Rippie, who helped me assemble my LS7, was helping a friend build a Falcon similar to yours. That car was freshly painted in a grey metallic, and it really looked sharp!

[bkswede]

Yes, the color choice is good! Good luck making paint.



Thank you!


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[bkswede]

Love this build!



Thanks - appreciate the kind words!


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[Nlped47]

Thank you! Your Falcon looks awesome and will look great in that color. Doug Rippie, who helped me assemble my LS7, was helping a friend build a Falcon similar to yours. That car was freshly painted in a grey metallic, and it really looked sharp!



If it wouldn’t to much of an inconvenience, could you point me toward more info on it or maybe send me a pic or 20 of it ;)


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[bkswede]

If it wouldn’t to much of an inconvenience, could you point me toward more info on it or maybe send me a pic or 20 of it ;)


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I’ll check with Doug, but I think he’s finished with it now. When I picked up my motor from him, it was t in his shop. Maybe he has a picture or two he can share... thanks


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[Nlped47]

Awesome! Thanks! Now, get back to that SeXy Nova.


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[bkswede]

I was originally planning on using TMI bucket seats for the Nova, but after seeing some in person, I didn’t like how tall their universal buckets were (I looked at their Pro Viper line, as well as their Pro Chicane line). TMI shared some photos of their Pro Chicane seats in a ‘63 Nova, and the headrests were so tall (almost to the roof) that I thought it looked funny. I started looking around for some shorter seats that would look better, proportionally, in the car. I really liked the look of the Recaros that Detroit Speed had installed in their ‘63 Chevy II test car, and started looking around for some.

DSE test car Recaros:
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I considered some new Recaros, but found an older set that I had recovered exactly the way I wanted them. I had them covered in a really soft leather with red stitching and a diamond pattern sewn in the seat base and seat back. It took a few weeks, but I received my front seats on Friday - the guy who did them for me did really outstanding work. I had him use Recaro’s taller bolsters on the seat bottoms and deeper bolsters on the sides. They really hold you in place firmly when sitting in them - should help when playing around on the track. He also sewed a hole for a submarine belt in the seat bottom, in case I end up running a 5 point harness. I may end up using the Schroth racing 4 point harnesses with their anti-submarining technology, but haven’t completely decided. At least I have the option of running either.

My custom Recaros:

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I also purchased from him an extra hyde of the same leather, which I will use to finish the rest of the interior. My plan is to have the back seat reworked to be like two little bucket seats - similar to the DSE test car in the photo below - and will have the rear seats sewn to match the front with red stitching and similar diamond pattern on the seat base and seat back.

DSE rear seat:
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I’m also planning to build a console similar to that in the photo below, and will have the sides covered in the same leather. I’ll also have a shifter boot and a boot for the console mounted e-brake handle made using the same leather and red stitching.

Console idea:
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I’m taking the seats to Eau Claire on Wednesday where Kurt and I will mock them up using the Wedge Engineering brackets that I found. I’ll also see on Wednesday how close we are to paint - seems like forever!


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[bkswede]

Made it over to Eau Claire last week to check out progress on the Nova. Kurt has the engine, transmission, radiator, etc. in and checking clearances all around. We’re also mocking up the path of A/C lines, oil cooler lines, heater hoses and catch can. We’re using the round II Much bulkhead for the Vintage Air EZ-clip hoses. We will use one bulkhead to route hoses from the A/C compressor and water pump through the lower inner fender near the radiator on the passenger side. We’ll route the hoses under the passenger inner fender through a second bulkhead in the firewall into the cabin to connect to the Vintage Air unit.

We’re also working on a custom air intake and intend to have a cone filter that will sit between the driver’s side inner fender and the radiator. We plan to open up the core support in that area to allow cold air to the filter through the grille.

Kurt also fabricated housings into the lower sides of the dash to mount round air vents, similar to what has been done on a number of first gen Novas built by DSE and others here on the forum. Front seats were test fit and seat brackets installed.

Once we have the air intake built and we’re finished with mock ups, the drivetrain will come out, and we’ll remove the front subframe to allow some final finishing of the firewall, and then we’ll be ready for paint. Here are some recent pictures:

7130971308713077130671305713047130371302


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[camcojb]

Looks awesome. Kurt does very nice work.

[Nlped47]

Looking awesome!


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[WSSix]

Love the seats. They look great!

[Cheveezy]

Made it over to Eau Claire last week to check out progress on the Nova. Kurt has the engine, transmission, radiator, etc. in and checking clearances all around. We’re also mocking up the path of A/C lines, oil cooler lines, heater hoses and catch can. We’re using the round II Much bulkhead for the Vintage Air EZ-clip hoses. We will use one bulkhead to route hoses from the A/C compressor and water pump through the lower inner fender near the radiator on the passenger side. We’ll route the hoses under the passenger inner fender through a second bulkhead in the firewall into the cabin to connect to the Vintage Air unit.

We’re also working on a custom air intake and intend to have a cone filter that will sit between the driver’s side inner fender and the radiator. We plan to open up the core support in that area to allow cold air to the filter through the grille.

Kurt also fabricated housings into the lower sides of the dash to mount round air vents, similar to what has been done on a number of first gen Novas built by DSE and others here on the forum. Front seats were test fit and seat brackets installed.

Once we have the air intake built and we’re finished with mock ups, the drivetrain will come out, and we’ll remove the front subframe to allow some final finishing of the firewall, and then we’ll be ready for paint. Here are some recent pictures:

7130971308713077130671305713047130371302


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What model are the Recaros? They look great!

[jarhead]

Wow that's nice!

[bkswede]

Looks awesome. Kurt does very nice work.



Thanks - Kurt is great! I really enjoy working with him!


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[bkswede]

Looking awesome!


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Thanks!!


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[bkswede]

Love the seats. They look great!



Thanks! I’m really happy with them - think they turned out awesome and should look really good in the car!


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[bkswede]

What model are the Recaros? They look great!



Thanks! They are Recaro model LS-C seats... produced by Recaro from early 80’s to early 90’s... I bought these and had them completely rebuilt, with new foam bolsters, etc. and was then able to custom cover them in the pattern I wanted.


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[bkswede]

Wow that's nice!



Thanks for kind words!


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[bkswede]

Kurt sent me a couple of new pictures with some additional progress... I’m going to install a radio that will be hidden and operated via Bluetooth on phone, so we filled in the portion of the dash where the factory radio mounted. From the factory, that portion of the dash is flat, but Kurt patched in a piece that has the same contour as the rest of the dash, which should look much cleaner. He also filled in where the ash tray was, as well as the factory locations for ignition switch, lights and wipers. I’m installing a push button RFID start system, so we’ll drill new holes for the starter button, as well as light and wiper switches. Here are before and after pictures:
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Photo with vent installed... we’ll paint the vents a solid black color
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[bkswede]

Drove to Eau Claire on Saturday to meet Kurt. He’s been busy mocking up various things: vintage air unit, clutch and brake pedal assemblies, making bracket for drive by wire throttle pedal, installing seat brackets, steering column, etc. He wanted me to stop by and check out seating position. Everything felt great, although we’re going to take 1/2” of height out of the seat brackets. We also mocked up the digital dash to make sure we head a clear line of sight. Took some pictures to give you an idea of things. The steering column in the attached pictures is not set completely in place - it will be about two inches closer to the firewall than shown here. The steering wheel is not what I’m using, either, but an extra that Kurt had lying around the shop.

In this picture, you can see the work he did to fill in the dash where the factory radio and ash tray were located.
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Here is a shot from the driver seat... digital dash is going to work awesome!
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Here is a picture of driver seat installed... they turned out great and fit the car really well. Height of seat is perfect.
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Here is a picture of Momo wheel that I’m using...
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This week he will be mocking up the air conditioning condenser, drier, etc, as well as finishing up some work on the firewall before paint, which is getting closer. He’ll also finish test fitting all of the headlight bezels, parking light bezels, grille, etc.


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[bkswede]

Hope everyone is doing well and keeping safe... drove over to Eau Claire today to see progress on the Nova. Kurt had the air conditioning unit installed, was nearly finished with the cold air intake, and had completed the extensions he built for the bottom of the dash. The extensions are a subtle change, but really add some needed height to the dash and do a nice job of hiding things that might otherwise be seen when looking at the dash (e.g., the air conditioning unit is largely hidden now, as is the mount for the gas pedal, etc.) We also installed the short hub adapter and mocked up the steering wheel.

Kurt also sprayed out a test panel for the body color (shark gray metallic) and trim (carbon flash metallic). I really love the colors and can’t wait to see them on the car.

Here are some pictures of the progress. Below are some pictures of the cold air intake. We will run the polished aluminum tube through the bead blaster and have it powder coated black. In order to get the air filter past the radiator, Kurt cut a hole in the inner fender and will weld in a new dished panel to cover that hole, providing a pocket for the filter to sit into. He will then cut a large hole in the radiator fill panel providing a direct path for fresh air to the filter. The pictures below are not the final cuts - these initial cuts were just enough to allow the filter to sit into the pocket. Kurt will open the pocket up approximately 3/4” on all sides to ensure adequate air flow to the filter.
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Below are some pictures of the interior showing the steering wheel installed (minus the horn button). You can also see the lower dash extensions, which still need to be primed, in these photos.
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Below are some pictures of the test panel that Kurt sprayed. A little tough to capture on my phone’s camera, but took a few different pictures with and without flash to try to better show the metallic in the colors. 71607
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[bkswede]

As a reminder, here’s the rendering of my car that Ben did for me... body color is the shark gray metallic and all trim, bumpers, grille, etc. is carbon flash metallic.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200320/8b49c903424051f63696bbb6644bdc15.jpg


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[waynieZ]

Nice

[Nlped47]

It’s going to be an absolutely beautiful car!


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[214Chevy]

Sweet reminder. I like the color combo...

[bkswede]

I hope everyone is safe and making the best of the unique situation we find ourselves in now... unfortunately, the stay at home order in Wisconsin has slowed progress on my build, and we’re not as far along as I hoped we would be at this time. Nevertheless, Kurt and team have continued to make progress and we get closer to paint. He’s finished with mock up of drivetrain, radiator, condenser, a/c drier, vintage air unit, catch can, PWM module for fans, routing of oil cooler lines, and test fit of all front end pieces. He’s also got the bumpers finished, having welded the mounting brackets to the back of the bumpers, welded up the bolt holes, smoothed everything and primed them. The drivetrain was removed, front subframe removed and working now on final welding/smoothing of the firewall. The rear suspension will come out early next week and then he’ll put the car on the rotisserie. We need to smooth some welds on the bottom and get it prepped for Upol... should then be ready for paint. Here are some pics of progress. I haven’t been able to drive over and see the car due to the stay at home order, so relying on pictures from Kurt to see progress.

Here are finished shots of the work we did for the cold air intake. We had to cut a pocket out of the driver side inner fender for the air filter to sit into. We then opened up the filler panel in the radiator core support, which will allow cool air through the grill to be funneled directly to the air filter.
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Here are some shots of the work done on the bumpers, which will be painted carbon black metallic:
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We installed LED driving lights in the front bumper, and Kurt fabbed up some mounting brackets that were welded to the inside of the bumper:
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Here are some shots showing mock up of the condenser and drier. The drier was mounted in the passenger side inner fender well. We’re running all a/c lines and heater hoses through the inside of the passenger fender well to keep the engine bay as clean as possible.
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/307ecd6ca6070fc2030cf6312a4c89b3.jpg
My car didn’t come with a rear seat and I’ve been considering a number of alternatives, including the TMI custom molded rear seat that is basically two small buckets seats. That seat is super expensive, which doesn’t make much sense in that the seat will rarely be used. As I was doing research, I noticed that the rear seat from newer 3 series BMWs is a near perfect match in size. I got a great deal on one on eBay. I will have it recovered in the same leather as my front seats, with similar pattern. The two side pieces on the seat back will fit over the wheel tubs nicely, but need to be trimmed a bit, which is why they’re not shown in the photo. It fits really nicely. We’ll need to fab some mounts for it and trim a bit around the driveshaft tunnel, but it should look great when done.
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I also got my driveshaft built during mock up - went with a QA1 custom carbon fiber shaft. It’s a work of art and a shame it won’t be seen under the car.
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Underside of deck lid and hood primed and ready for paint:
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Rear package tray that Kurt fabricated to replace the original one. Speakers will under mount. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200426/827eed44342967b09ed3271aa8a8bf3e.jpg
Front end all test fit and adjusted. I bought some LED lights with halos. The halos are white as day time running lights, but will blink amber with turn signals.
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For the rear spoiler, I decided to use the aluminum spoiler produced by Ring Brothers. This is a picture of it on a Mustang they built:
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This is a picture of it sitting on the deck lid. This isn’t the actual mounting position, but gives you a sense of width of the spoiler and size on the deck lid. The spoiler will be painted the same black as other trim on the car.
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Be well and stay safe... Brian


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[Grnova]

Just got my RB spoiler today curious to see what you do. I was looking at it a different way hmm...

[bkswede]

Just got my RB spoiler today curious to see what you do. I was looking at it a different way hmm...


I’m planning on positioning mine similar to the way Ring Brothers mounted it on their Mustang, not as it was sitting on the deck lid of my car in the pictures (i.e., so it looks more like a duck bill spoiler than a blade and the hinges will be visible). How are you thinking about positioning yours?


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[Grnova]

Here is what I was doing a little different and lower down on trunk.

[bkswede]

Here is what I was doing a little different and lower down on trunk.


Thanks for sharing - that actually looks really good in that position. The Ring Brothers Mustang has it mounted lower on the deck lid as well, I just wasn’t sure how it would look on the Nova. Yours is flipped 180 degrees from the way Ring Brothers mounted theirs - allows the blade of the spoiler to be higher and more prominent. I could see mounting it as you have shown, or, potentially, higher on the deck lid (before it starts sloping down) and flipped 180 degrees from yours... wish I could actually experiment with it. Due to COVID restrictions, I haven’t been able to see my car for weeks, let alone the new spoiler!


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[WSSix]

The car is coming along well, Brian. I like the direction you and Kurt are going with the car.

[bkswede]

The car is coming along well, Brian. I like the direction you and Kurt are going with the car.


Thanks! Appreciate the kind words. I’m really excited for how it is coming together!


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[Grnova]

Thanks for sharing - that actually looks really good in that position. The Ring Brothers Mustang has it mounted lower on the deck lid as well, I just wasn’t sure how it would look on the Nova. Yours is flipped 180 degrees from the way Ring Brothers mounted theirs - allows the blade of the spoiler to be higher and more prominent. I could see mounting it as you have shown, or, potentially, higher on the deck lid (before it starts sloping down) and flipped 180 degrees from yours... wish I could actually experiment with it. Due to COVID restrictions, I haven’t been able to see my car for weeks, let alone the new spoiler!


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Played around it last night and came up with this. I think this is it but I had to take everything apart heat up the screws on the bottom because they have locative on them and ended up drilling and mounting it. Sorry don’t mean to hijack your thread just bouncing things off you since we are working with the same stuff. :D

[bkswede]

Played around it last night and came up with this. I think this is it but I had to take everything apart heat up the screws on the bottom because they have locative on them and ended up drilling and mounting it. Sorry don’t mean to hijack your thread just bouncing things off you since we are working with the same stuff. :D


That looks really clean... looks like you removed the two mounting bases and then flipped the hinges to the opposite side of the spoiler, mounting the hinges directly to the trunk lid. Creative and nice look!


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[bkswede]

Finally was able to make a trip to WI today to see, first hand, progress on the Nova... been a long time - almost six weeks!

Last week, Kurt sent me some pictures of the Nova... he was able to get the interior primed and painted (just floors and other areas of the interior that won’t be visible when the car is finished).

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He also was able to get the underside of the car finished in Upol...

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Drove over to WI today and was surprised to see that he had the car painted and was well into wet sanding... looked great! Color is stealthy for sure... as always with paint, pics don’t really do it justice. Appears a little darker in pictures than it actually is. Hope to be done with wet sanding and buffing early next week, then can start assembly... been a long time coming [emoji16]
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After wet sanding and buffing, inner fenders, firewall, core support, etc will be sprayed a satin black. Then exterior trim, bumpers, etc all painted carbon black metallic. Interior will be sprayed later, likely a darker charcoal gray metallic. I’m really excited to see the progress and can’t wait for the final assembly to start!


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[camcojb]

:king:

[Goosesdad]

Looks fantastic!!

[bkswede]

Quick update on progress made on the Nova over the last few weeks. Kurt was able to finish wet sanding the exterior and has buffed the body. Doors, front fenders, hood and trunk are wet sanded, but still finishing the buffing process. Due to scheduling issues in the shop, Kurt wanted to focus on getting the interior painted, sound deadener sprayed, and firewall painted before finishing the final buffing on other panels. Attached are some pictures of the body that I took when I visited last week. He does three levels of buffing/polishing (each with a successively finer polishing compound and pad). These pictures were taken after the first level of polishing.
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After completing the polishing on the shell, Kurt masked the body off to paint the interior. We ended up using Nightfall Gray Metallic, a color that’s a middle ground between the Shark Gray Metallic body color and the Carbon Black Metallc that the trim, bumpers, etc will be painted in. I’m a big fan of the Nightfall Gray Metallc... almost ordered my 2017 ZL-1 in that color. We wanted a little contrast to the body color and the darker color goes better with the color of the leather for my seats. Kurt also painted the steering wheel column, steering wheel, steering column mount, glove box, etc. Some photos below.
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As a reminder, here are my Recaros I had custom done...
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After we got the interior painted, Kurt masked off the freshly painted interior areas and we sprayed sound deadener on the floors, roof, inside the doors, inside firewall, inside rear quarters, trunk, etc. We used a product from Second Skin audio called Spectrum. Really helps to eliminate resonance and noise from vibrations inside the car. Sprays on a bit like a bed liner. Kurt has never used it before, but was excited to try it and thought it went on really well. We did three coats, approximately 1 mil thickness each.
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Finally, after finishing the interior, he was able to get the shell off the rotisserie and on a cart where he was able to spray the firewall in a satin black. Inner fender panels, underside of the hood, core support, etc. will be painted in the same color.
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Next week, the guys will be installing suspension back under the car, as well as the engine. It’s really exciting to see the progress and can’t wait for assembly to start! Hope all is well,

Brian


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[waynieZ]

The paint looks great, and that sound insulation help a lot.

[bkswede]

Stopped by AutoKraft today to take a quick look at the Nova... Kurt’s team was able to get all of the tape and paper off the car, get it off the cart, get front subframe mounted as well as rear Quadra link and 9 inch... I have to say, it’s a great feeling to see the car painted, with suspension back under it and the Forgelines on! Starting to look like a car again... been a long time during paint and body phase. I think the plan for next week is to finish buffing hood, doors, trunk and front fenders, get engine and transmission back in it, and then hang doors and front fenders. Exciting to see the progress!
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[214Chevy]

Everything looks so good...

[Goosesdad]

Awesome. Would you mind sharing who did your custom seat upholstery?

[bkswede]

Everything looks so good...


Thanks - appreciate it!


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[bkswede]

Awesome. Would you mind sharing who did your custom seat upholstery?


I purchased my seats from a gentleman in Poland, who is a Recaro specialist. Was referred to him from others on pro-touring.com and lateral-g... he is truly a craftsman at what he does. Fantastic quality and a reasonable price, even considering shipping from Poland. His website is: http://www.amx-performance.com/

His Facebook page is @AMXperformance. You can see a portfolio of his work there. Communication was excellent and quality was exceptional.


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[bkswede]

Everything looks so good...


Thanks - appreciate it! Can’t wait to see it start to come together as it seems like it’s been forever that we’ve been doing bodywork and test fitting various components.


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[Flash68]

Loving it. So good!

[Goosesdad]

I purchased my seats from a gentleman in Poland, who is a Recaro specialist. Was referred to him from others on pro-touring.com and lateral-g... he is truly a craftsman at what he does. Fantastic quality and a reasonable price, even considering shipping from Poland. His website is: http://www.amx-performance.com/

His Facebook page is @AMXperformance. You can see a portfolio of his work there. Communication was excellent and quality was exceptional.


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Awesome - Thanks for sharing!!

[bkswede]

Doors and deck lid hung today, and Kurt sent a couple of pictures... starting to look a little more like a car. Can’t wait to see it in person next week
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[Goosesdad]

Awesome

[bkswede]

Made a quick run to Eau Claire today to check in on the Nova. Engine and transmission should go in on Monday. Kurt ordered a clutch bleeder from Tick Performance and the fitting was for the wrong slave cylinder, so he had to reorder. New one came in today, so driveline should go in Monday.

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They’re also deep into wiring, which is going to be a big job. I’ve got a new American Autowire wiring harness that they’re installing, but they’re adding to that the Holley Dominator ECU harness, the Holley drive by wire harness, the Holley digital dash harness, various input/outputs for the ECU and dash (oil temperature, left/right turn signals, high beam, fuel level sensor, second wideband oxygen sensor, pulse width modulation fan control, etc), Vaporworx PWM fuel module control, Digital Guard Dawg keyless entry, PWM control for the dual Spal fans, etc. It’s a maze of wires - glad that Kurt and his team are as conscientious as they are!

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They’ve got the rear windows in, too. Side windows and vent windows will go in next week - just waiting for some vertical rigid channel for the front windows, which should be in sometime next week. Door handles were painted black, as was trim around the windows. Windows have a smoked gray tint - pretty subtle, but, man, does it look great in person with the gray body color and the black trim.

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Hope to have some pictures of the motor and transmission in early next week, along with front fenders, core support and grill!

[syborg tt]

Holy **** !!

I just found this thread and all I can say is I’m blown away. Looking forward to more progress pictures and can’t wait to see this one finished.


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[EVIL SS]

I purchased my seats from a gentleman in Poland, who is a Recaro specialist.

What model Recaro seats did you use?

thanks,
Dave

[Chevelle]

Great project.

[bkswede]

Holy **** !!

I just found this thread and all I can say is I’m blown away. Looking forward to more progress pictures and can’t wait to see this one finished.


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Thanks for the kind words! Will try to keep the updates coming, and I, too, can’t wait until it is finished!!


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[bkswede]

What model Recaro seats did you use?

thanks,
Dave


Hey Dave,

The seats are Recaro LS-C model seats, produced in the 1980’s and 1990’s. They’re pretty similar to Recaro Specialist seats currently being sold. They were completely refurbished with new seat and side bolsters and then covered in the leather of my choice and I could choose from endless stitching colors/patterns. Cost was about the same as purchasing a pair of new Recaro Specialist seats, but the ability to customize the upholstery was a big deal for me. Thanks!

Brian


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[EVIL SS]

Hey Dave,

The seats are Recaro LS-C model seats, produced in the 1980’s and 1990’s. They’re pretty similar to Recaro Specialist seats currently being sold. They were completely refurbished with new seat and side bolsters and then covered in the leather of my choice and I could choose from endless stitching colors/patterns. Cost was about the same as purchasing a pair of new Recaro Specialist seats, but the ability to customize the upholstery was a big deal for me. Thanks!

Brian


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Brian,

Thanks for the information. They look great! The whole build looks great. If your in IL, I hope to see it cruising around!

Dave

[bkswede]

Minor setback... as we attempted to get the driveline in, we had some issues with the Katech LS9X clutch I had planned to use. The LS9X clutch is a package developed by Katech combining the dual disc clutch that was used in the C6 ZR1 Corvette with a flywheel adapted for the 6 bolt crankshaft of most LS engines. As it turns out, the LS9 clutch is a meaningfully “thicker” clutch and won’t fit within a standard LS bellhousing. I’m using a standard Quick Time LS bellhousing.

In order to use the LS9X clutch within the Quick Time bell housing, you need a spacer between the transmission and the bellhousing that is approximately .85”, which moves the transmission back in the chassis .85”. D&D used to sell an aluminum spacer that they CNC machined to provide the appropriate clearance (Stielow used one of the D&D spacers when he put a LS9X clutch in his Mayhem build). I’ve already positioned the transmission cross member, transmission tunnel, as well as a custom QA1 carbon fiber driveshaft assuming no spacer. So the D&D spacer was not an option for me.

Based on some quick research and through discussions with the folks at Tick Performance, I ended up purchasing a Monster LT1-S clutch, and will need to sell the Katech LS9-X clutch package. The Monster clutch is similar in concept to the Katech LS9X clutch, but a newer variation. While the Katech LS9X clutch uses the C6 ZR1 factory dual disc clutch with a modified flywheel for 6 bolt crankshafts, the Monster LT1-S clutch uses the GM OEM dual disc set up from the C7 Corvette, again with a flywheel modified to work with LS engines. Importantly, the Monster clutch is physically smaller than the Katech clutch and fits within the standard QuickTime bell housing.

I’ve read a lot of great reviews about the Monster clutch; hopefully it works well in my application. Like the Katech LS9X clutch, the Monster clutch is supposed to have a factory feel, with absolutely no rattling or chatter that is common with dual disc clutches.

Back moving in the right direction, but the whole thing has pushed us back a bit. We won’t get the clutch until Friday so motor and transmission won’t go in until early next week. A little frustrating, but not unusual to have a few bumps in the road along the way...


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[EVIL SS]

Back moving in the right direction, but the whole thing has pushed us back a bit. We won’t get the clutch until Friday so motor and transmission won’t go in until early next week. A little frustrating, but not unusual to have a few bumps in the road along the way...

As you said, while frustrating at least you found a solution and it wasn't too hard like, more fab work or rework. Looking forward to seeing the final results. It's coming out awesome!

Dave

[bkswede]

As you said, while frustrating at least you found a solution and it wasn't too hard like, more fab work or rework. Looking forward to seeing the final results. It's coming out awesome!

Dave


Thanks Dave... definitely lucky that we don’t have to do any more fab work! New clutch arrived today, so hopefully we can get engine and trans in next week without further issues...


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[bkswede]

Have been looking all over for the “right” steering wheel for the Nova. I was looking for something with a flat bottom (but not too crazy) that fit the look of the interior. Looked at a bunch of Momo wheels, Sparco wheels, and NRG wheels. The wheel I like best is a Quark model that Momo makes.
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I really like the look of this wheel... pretty stealthy, flat bottom (but not too crazy) and nice thickness. Problem is that the wheel is made out of polyurethane with leather inserts. I wasn’t liking the feel of the polyurethane on this wheel, which is a huge deal for me since the steering wheel is your most direct connection to the car that you’re constantly in contact with.

Recently, someone here on the forum asked me about the seats I’m using for my Nova. I forwarded the link to the web site for the craftsman (Marek) that did my seats. I noticed that he had a new website that had a gallery of a bunch of his work/projects and I noticed that he recovers steering wheels. So, I reached out to Marek and discussed what I was looking for. Marek suggested we buy the Momo wheel and recover it in the same leather that he used to cover my seats. He also said he could add a stripe at the 12 o’clock position, and could stitch it together using the same red thread he used on my seats. He finished the project this week and the wheel is currently in transit to me, but he shared a couple of pictures with me. I can’t wait to get it and see/feel it in person. Let me know what you think. I’ve also included a picture of my seats as a reminder.
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[Gmachine1911]

Perfect! Nice stitch-work!

[shelteredV]

that looks great, he does sweet work.

[bkswede]

We got the clutch issue resolved - new Monster clutch fit perfectly, shimmed the slave cylinder to Monster’s spec, and got the bell housing aligned properly with the help of some offset dowel pins.

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Motor and trans installed. Kurt also made a custom bracket to mount the Dominator ECU up under the dash in a location that allows decent access to the various connectors that plug into the ECU.

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I provided Kurt with template for additional wires and pin locations for each that needed to be added to the Dominator wiring harness (e.g., output for PWM control for fans, input for A/C compressor turning on, etc) as well as the digital dash wiring harness (turn signals, oil temp, power steering temp, high beam indicator, virtual switch for driving lights, etc.). Guys got most of those patched in as well.

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Rear bumper also polished and hung. We welded the mounting brackets to the back side of the bumper so no exposed bumper bolts. Tail lights in this picture are just for test fitting, they’ll be pulled out, lenses removed and painted black to match the bumpers and the rest of the trim.

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Great to see meaningful progress each week!


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[EVIL SS]

Good news on the clutch fix! It's coming out great!!

[Goosesdad]

Looks great!!

[syborg tt]

Fantastic build and tons of great info.

btw I love the redo on the steering wheel


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[bkswede]

Good news on the clutch fix! It's coming out great!!


Thanks! Minor issues, but new clutch should be even better than the Katech unit.


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[bkswede]

Looks great!!


Thanks - much appreciated!


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[bkswede]

Fantastic build and tons of great info.

btw I love the redo on the steering wheel


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Thanks! I’m really happy with the way the steering wheel turned out!


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[bkswede]

Progress continues... remaining trim pieces have been painted and assembly started on some of them.
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We also have brakes and lines installed... look great with the rims!
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Front end should go on soon, and will test fit lines for oil cooler and power steering cooler, as well as catch can, radiator and A/C lines. We’ll then send the radiator out for powder coating. Fuel tanks and lines to follow shortly...


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[bkswede]

We had another minor issue pop up when attempting to test fit oil cooler connections on the Mast oil pan with header clearance for my Ultimate headers, which fit pretty tight against the block to clear DSE subframe. The Mast pan has provisions for built in oil cooler fittings using their 90 degree adaptors. Unfortunately, those adaptors didn’t provide enough clearance and hit the headers. In discussing with Mast, we were able to make another, lower profile 90 degree fitting work in the front port, but the fitting on the rear port was still a little too close for comfort with the headers tightened down.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200920/a4638876fca0e78085223108fff98d6e.jpg

I ended up having to abandon the use of the Mast circuitry altogether and bought a sandwich style unit from Moroso which will allow us plenty of clearance for the lines and filter should still sit flush with the bottom of the oil pan.
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[bkswede]

Stopped by the shop today to check out progress on the Nova and work through some questions on wiring with Kurt and his team. They’re nearly finished with the wiring, and doing a great job of routing the wiring and plumbing neatly and out of sight. A/C, heater hoses and heater control valve all hidden under the passenger inner fender well. The heater hoses and A/C hoses that are shown in the pictures routed into the engine compartment aren’t yet cut and fit to the water pump and A/C compressor. Once those are fit, we will secure those hoses and route them more neatly into the engine compartment.

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The pulse width modulation fan control module is also mounted under the passenger inner fender well, as is the A/C drier. The output from the PWM fan control module is wired into a really slick Spal harness that splits the single set of output wires to the fan into two sets of outputs to feed each of the Spal fans, all using Spal wiring connectors. The dual wiring harness is fed through the inner fender well at the base of the radiator and plugs into the fans along the bottom of the radiator - barely visible in the engine compartment.

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Wiring is all ready to go for headlights, parking lights, etc. The headlights are LED with halos. The halos function as daytime running lights and are white, except when you use the turn signals, when the halos flash amber with the turn signals. A little tricky to figure out the wiring as the instructions weren’t very good, but we got it figured out.

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The A/C condenser is mounted nicely and A/C lines will be run discretely through core support. Once all of the A/C lines to the condenser, as well as oil cooler and power steering cooler hoses have been measured and fit to the radiator, we’ll pull the radiator and have it powder coated (except for the core itself). Hood latch still needs to be painted...

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Holley engine harness is connected, but hidden nicely under fuel rail covers. Engine bay is really clean. We need to powder coat the air intake, which isn’t shown here, but first need to weld in a bung for PCV connection.

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View from driver’s side inner fender well.

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Kurt was working on installation of Rick’s tank and VaporWorx PWM fuel control module as I was leaving. Hope to have that installed tomorrow. Great to see continued progress!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bkswede]

Made a trip to Eau Claire recently to meet with Kurt and check out some nice progress on the Nova. Wiring is basically finished up, but for a few items that will require mock up of center console (e.g., power window and lock switches). Kurt got the Vaporworx PWM fuel pump module mounted in the trunk (wiring is nice and tidy), along with the battery and the II Much fuel vent.

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The headlights are also mounted and wired up. These headlights are LED units with halos. The halos shine white most of the time, so they serve as daytime running lights when headlights are off. When the headlights are on, I can either leave the halos on or switch them off - I have them wired to a virtual switch on the Holley pro dash. When turn signals are activated, however, the halos shine amber and blink with the turn signals. Pretty cool, and excited to see them in action.

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We also got the radiator back from powder coating and it turned out great! We powder coated the tanks, top, bottom and sides. The fins weren’t powder coated in traditional way, but coated in a very thin coat of similar color to ensure no degradation of thermal transmission of the fins. We still need to deal with the radiator cap. We didn’t want to coat the cap as it has a rubber gasket that we were concerned about putting in the oven as part of the curing process. Instead, we’re going to have the cap coated with Cerakote, a product similar to a powder coat, but thinner and can be air cured rather than oven cured.

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We also got the catch can mounted. Went with a Mighty Mouse catch can. Will connect via a -8AN adaptor on the valve cover oil filler. We had to modify the fuel rail cover - drilled a hole and will connect a 90 degree elbow fitting with push lock hose that will connect to the catch can. Other line out of the catch can will plug into nipple on the intake manifold.

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Kurt had moved the Nova on to a four post lift as we’ll be working on the exhaust next. Was cool to get under the car and see some of the work close up. QA1 carbon fiber driveshaft installed, and good look at the aluminum center section 9 inch rear end.

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Was able to get a few pics of the inner wheels.. calipers clear, but not by much!

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Got a nice view of some of the wiring that was done under the car. I mentioned previously that the C6 Corvette PWM fan unit is wired with a nice splitter harness from Vintage Air that splits the output signal from the fan control unit in two into pigtails that plug directly into the Spal fan pigtail harnesses. Works awesome... we will need to secure the harnesses so that they don’t block the air flaps in the shroud, but is super clean.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/561ebed65a826dab6f1cc71990347cac.jpg

I also installed multiple temperature sensors to monitor oil temps and power steering fluid temps. My C&R radiator has oil and power steering coolers. We wired in temperature sensors in the input and output lines so that we can monitor oil and power steering fluid temps as they enter the cooling unit and after they exit the cooling unit. Because these all feed the digital dash (rather than a physical gauge), it is easy and inexpensive to monitor this data in a digital environment where you don’t need physical gauges.

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A couple of under car shots where you can see where we will run the exhaust from the headers...

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For exhaust, I’m using Spintech oval tubing from the headers to an X-pipe to their 3000 series mufflers. The oval tubing is 3 1/2” wide and 2 1/4” tall, and the equivalent to 3” round tubing. The oval tubing will give us a little more ground clearance to tuck the exhaust up tighter to the floors. The mufflers are oval inlets and 3” round outlets. The round tubing will exit the mufflers and go over the rear end, angle toward the back corner of the rear of the car (the fuel tank has clipped corners) and will exit near the rear bumper. System will be Tig welded together but for a handful of V band clamps to take it off in sections. Once completed, we’ll coat the exhaust black. You can see one of the mufflers, the X-pipe and other oval tubing in the photo below. The exhaust components are sitting on lift in front of the rear tire.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/92c1d4c05cc4312caa87d51f0838b8b5.jpg

A handful of shots of the Nova on the lift. First time it’s had front fenders on it in a long, long time. Kurt adjusted the front shocks and the rake is pretty close... looks great! We’ll tweak it again after all fluids are in and weight is settled in.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/367ef86593cca0f5c7dc9bcd57b665e4.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/f5bf69080de4d218491ebf7dbd18c65a.jpg
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Great to see the continued progress! PFTE fuel line should be in this week and will be installed. Also, as mentioned above, exhaust will be a priority this week as well. Stay safe,

Brian


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[64G-lark]

Fantastic build Brian. The car looks amazing. I have been watching it come together and taking notes as I’m building a 63’ myself.

[bkswede]

Fantastic build Brian. The car looks amazing. I have been watching it come together and taking notes as I’m building a 63’ myself.


Thanks for the kind words... following your
build thread as well... lots of great work and parts coming together on your ‘63!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bkswede]

Got a few pictures from Kurt showing some progress made on the exhaust this week. Front part of the exhaust pretty much done and TIG welded together... and were starting on the pipes from the mufflers to the tailpipes.
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Kurt also got the front bumper polished and hung...
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I’m going to try to stop by the shop early next week to check out progress in more detail. Kurt said they also got the rear sway bar mounted, the fuel lines run from the tank up to the motor, as well as fuel filler neck and fuel cap. Guys were also working on exhaust from mufflers to tailpipes today, and hopefully will have that finished up early next week. Stay safe,

Brian


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[cantcatchmitch]

very nice exhaust work, Nova floor pans are not very friendly for keeping exhaust up nice and tight.

[bkswede]

very nice exhaust work, Nova floor pans are not very friendly for keeping exhaust up nice and tight.


Thanks - we’re really trying to keep the exhaust tucked up tight so you don’t see it. Coating it black when done will help, too


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bkswede]

Stopped by the shop yesterday and was able to check out recent progress... exhaust is mostly complete, though I don’t like the way the tailpipes are routed, so we need to re-do those, which shouldn’t be a big deal. Here are some pictures I took of exhaust - I’m using 3 1/2” oval pipes (equivalent in flow to 3” round pipe) from headers through X-pipe to Spintech mufflers. The mufflers have oval inlets and round outlets, so easy transition to 3” round pipe from the muffler on back, since the round pipe is much easier to snake above rear suspension and around fuel tank.

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Kurt modified the transmission cross member slightly. The change kept the transmission mount height exactly where it was, but elevated the sides of the mount about an inch, which gave us another inch or so clearance to tuck the oval tubing closer to the floor.

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Transition from muffler to tailpipes are made with V-band clamps right off the muffler.

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From there, exhaust snakes up and over axle and QuadraLink, and around fuel tank.

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As I mentioned above, the tail pipes are tacked together and currently turn to the side and dump behind each rear wheel. I really don’t like this look, so we’re going to re-do this portion.

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There is plenty of space to turn the tailpipes up and run them inside the rear quarter panels, above the pinch weld, so they can’t be seen from the side of the car. Below are some photos of what I have in mind from a nice ‘67 Chevy II exhaust project detailed on Steve’s nova site forum. Pipes will turn down and exit toward the ground near corners of rear bumper with everything up above the bottom edge of the rear quarter panel.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201107/1308222ddf16d1f903aa12b4e47b178c.jpg
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Guys have most of the brake lines finished up in the rear and working on running them to the master cylinder.

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Got a nice picture of the wiring and plumbing for the Vaporworx PWM fuel pump controller while I was crawling around under the car :)

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For fuel line, I ordered some carbon lined PTFE hose from TechAFX, which is available in a cool, matte black finish. The finish is similar to regular black radiator hose and will match the hoses I’m using throughout the engine compartment (radiator hoses, push-lock hoses for catch can and PCV system, etc). Below shows the hose connected to fuel rail.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201107/749c127423a99e4a6c1791a7d5d0bca2.jpg

I have a fuel pressure gauge set up in my Holley digital dash, so I needed a sending unit plumbed into the system. Wanted to measure pressure as close to the fuel rail as possible, but keep it hidden. We were originally thinking we would plumb it under the car near firewall; however, we were able to plumb the port for the sensor right off of the fuel rail itself, and have the sending unit and related wiring all fit under the fuel rail cover so it is completely out of sight.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201107/6542288de157ea8804e25c8b5892fea8.jpg

We’ll get the tailpipes redone this week and Kurt is also going to modify the hood latch for a remote hood release. We’re following a mod done by some others over on Steve’s nova site. The hood latch mechanism has two releases - first, it releases the hood lock and then as you pull the lever further, it releases the safety latch. You can modify the latch so the lever behind the grill only releases the safety latch. You then fab a bracket and have the hood lock operated by a cable mounted under the dash. That way, unless you’ve first released the hood lock via the cable in the car, the lever behind the grill doesn’t do anything when you pull on it. Take care,

Brian


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[bkswede]

Spent 1/2 a day with Kurt on Wednesday. Progress on the Chevy II continues... a lot of little things are being completed. Kurt got the exhaust completed, including revised location of tailpipe exits.

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I had the exhaust ceramic coated black at Race Coatings in Forest Lake and brought back to Kurt Wednesday when I visited. We mounted the front section while I was there, but didn’t get a picture while the car was up on the lift. Tailpipes will be installed soon and I’ll have pics of it installed.

Kurt’s also installing stereo system as part of wiring project. The head unit, amp and sub are mounted in the trunk under the package shelf. Installing 5.25” speakers in the door and 6x9” speakers in the package shelf. Both sets of speakers are installed from behind to make it easier/cleaner when interior is installed.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201211/890a1969a1a7da15c0284732a0ca70bd.jpg

Kurt finished the modification to the hood latch. Now, the lever behind the grill only controls the safety latch. The hood lock is controlled by cable remotely mounted under the dash. When that lever is pulled, it releases the hood lock and the hood catches on the safety latch. You can then pull the lever under the dash to release the safety latch and open the hood. Kurt fabricated a small pulley to route the cable through a 90 degree angle, all of which is hidden. The finished product is indistinguishable from stock, but provides additional security and piece of mind.

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Kurt also got looms installed to hide wiring for power door locks and windows as well as speaker wires.

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LED interior light installed. Received replacement headliner (originally ordered a dark gray (graphite) suede headliner, but color was way lighter than shown on website. New black color will look much better.

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Alarm for the security system installed under driver’s side fender...https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201211/624b6d11e974073c63b486dcbe22f0ca.jpg

Ordered up new dash knobs from Dutch Boys, which look awesome and will compliment other metal items in the interior that are combination of black and machined aluminum edging (shift lever, turn signal lever, etc.)

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201211/12b53ce7f560c9659f73353de783e759.jpg


Overflow tank for the radiator hidden behind grille but in front of core support...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201211/3f7bd474811fc7c52b9c75d5315c65ff.jpg

Found some radiator hoses with correct angles and distances, the guys trimmed them up and now fit like they were custom made for the car.

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Kurt is going to work on the headlight bezels so that they line up with the fenders a little better. After those adjustments, we’ll paint them black to match the rest of the front end parts. The rest of the front end is pretty much done - fender extensions are installed, as well as the grille and parking lights. I used ‘62 parking light lenses, which are clear rather than the amber colored lenses that were used on ‘63 models. The clear lenses look much better with the gray and black colors of the car.

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Kurt and I also spent a couple of hours mocking up a custom center console that he’ll build. Sides of the console will be made from wood and covered in leather. Console will include A/C vents, Vintage air climate controls, custom switches for power windows and door locks and a couple of cup holders with white led lighting.

Other items the team will be working on: installation of black suede headliner, install windshield and rear windows, install tailpipes, install emergency brake cables and mount hand brake, and install fuel cap and filler tube to tank. Stay safe,

Brian


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[Marcellus]

Man that thing is sweet. I tried to find a link to where you got the dash knobs as I think they would go well in my Chevy II. How did you order those I cant find them anywhere. Thanks.

[1965_SS]

Great build! Thanks for all the detailed pics and info.

[64G-lark]

Nice update Brian. I had been anxiously waiting. Ready for Christmas? Where did you source the interior light?

[RdHuggr68]

Made a trip to Eau Claire recently to meet with Kurt and check out some nice progress on the Nova. Wiring is basically finished up, but for a few items that will require mock up of center console (e.g., power window and lock switches). Kurt got the Vaporworx PWM fuel pump module mounted in the trunk (wiring is nice and tidy), along with the battery and the II Much fuel vent.

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The headlights are also mounted and wired up. These headlights are LED units with halos. The halos shine white most of the time, so they serve as daytime running lights when headlights are off. When the headlights are on, I can either leave the halos on or switch them off - I have them wired to a virtual switch on the Holley pro dash. When turn signals are activated, however, the halos shine amber and blink with the turn signals. Pretty cool, and excited to see them in action.

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We also got the radiator back from powder coating and it turned out great! We powder coated the tanks, top, bottom and sides. The fins weren’t powder coated in traditional way, but coated in a very thin coat of similar color to ensure no degradation of thermal transmission of the fins. We still need to deal with the radiator cap. We didn’t want to coat the cap as it has a rubber gasket that we were concerned about putting in the oven as part of the curing process. Instead, we’re going to have the cap coated with Cerakote, a product similar to a powder coat, but thinner and can be air cured rather than oven cured.

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We also got the catch can mounted. Went with a Mighty Mouse catch can. Will connect via a -8AN adaptor on the valve cover oil filler. We had to modify the fuel rail cover - drilled a hole and will connect a 90 degree elbow fitting with push lock hose that will connect to the catch can. Other line out of the catch can will plug into nipple on the intake manifold.

73203

Kurt had moved the Nova on to a four post lift as we’ll be working on the exhaust next. Was cool to get under the car and see some of the work close up. QA1 carbon fiber driveshaft installed, and good look at the aluminum center section 9 inch rear end.

73204
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/865f89cfb4dfb34e96f004c50bd1347c.jpg

Was able to get a few pics of the inner wheels.. calipers clear, but not by much!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/77a4b169f4fb0eb313a98824da2afb99.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/c69151007b4f80451cfd804918bdbc9b.jpg

Got a nice view of some of the wiring that was done under the car. I mentioned previously that the C6 Corvette PWM fan unit is wired with a nice splitter harness from Vintage Air that splits the output signal from the fan control unit in two into pigtails that plug directly into the Spal fan pigtail harnesses. Works awesome... we will need to secure the harnesses so that they don’t block the air flaps in the shroud, but is super clean.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/561ebed65a826dab6f1cc71990347cac.jpg

I also installed multiple temperature sensors to monitor oil temps and power steering fluid temps. My C&R radiator has oil and power steering coolers. We wired in temperature sensors in the input and output lines so that we can monitor oil and power steering fluid temps as they enter the cooling unit and after they exit the cooling unit. Because these all feed the digital dash (rather than a physical gauge), it is easy and inexpensive to monitor this data in a digital environment where you don’t need physical gauges.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/f7406c8569f6c8b523b07ee509b6dd3c.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/35f52a1493517cac7cb576ae47a1847b.jpg

A couple of under car shots where you can see where we will run the exhaust from the headers...

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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/b40411562eec88ff17b2a63ba79be300.jpg

For exhaust, I’m using Spintech oval tubing from the headers to an X-pipe to their 3000 series mufflers. The oval tubing is 3 1/2” wide and 2 1/4” tall, and the equivalent to 3” round tubing. The oval tubing will give us a little more ground clearance to tuck the exhaust up tighter to the floors. The mufflers are oval inlets and 3” round outlets. The round tubing will exit the mufflers and go over the rear end, angle toward the back corner of the rear of the car (the fuel tank has clipped corners) and will exit near the rear bumper. System will be Tig welded together but for a handful of V band clamps to take it off in sections. Once completed, we’ll coat the exhaust black. You can see one of the mufflers, the X-pipe and other oval tubing in the photo below. The exhaust components are sitting on lift in front of the rear tire.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/92c1d4c05cc4312caa87d51f0838b8b5.jpg

A handful of shots of the Nova on the lift. First time it’s had front fenders on it in a long, long time. Kurt adjusted the front shocks and the rake is pretty close... looks great! We’ll tweak it again after all fluids are in and weight is settled in.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201021/367ef86593cca0f5c7dc9bcd57b665e4.jpg
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Great to see the continued progress! PFTE fuel line should be in this week and will be installed. Also, as mentioned above, exhaust will be a priority this week as well. Stay safe,

Brian


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I like the idea of the air flaps installed in the shroud. Is there anymore info in your thread on this idea? Great build info BTW, great information.

[bkswede]

Man that thing is sweet. I tried to find a link to where you got the dash knobs as I think they would go well in my Chevy II. How did you order those I cant find them anywhere. Thanks.


Thanks! I looked all over trying to find knobs that I liked. Ridetech used to make knobs that I really liked that looked similar to these from Dutchboys, but they discontinued them a few years ago and I’ve never been able to locate any. I stumbled upon these from Dutchboys a few weeks ago on one of the forums where someone recommended them for someone else’s build. Glad I saw the post, as I really like these and think they’ll compliment the rest of my interior. Here is the link to where to purchase. I just ordered mine a few weeks ago, but their webpage now shows them as being sold out - hopefully just temporary... I’d give them a call and find out when they’ll have more in stock. Best,

Brian

http://www.dutchboyshotrods.com/online-store/Light-%26-Wiper-Knob-Kit-p175736154


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[bkswede]

Great build! Thanks for all the detailed pics and info.


Thanks - appreciate the kind words!


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[bkswede]

Nice update Brian. I had been anxiously waiting. Ready for Christmas? Where did you source the interior light?


I wish it would be ready for Christmas! I’ll be happy if Kurt is done with his work by the end of January, and we can get it to the interior shop so they can complete their work, and then get it dyno tuned and ready for the road by the time spring rolls around here in MN (say May 1). We still need to get it running and trouble shoot any issues (there is a lot of wiring in this thing!), but definitely getting closer... when we mocked up the console on Wednesday, we put the front seats in it to test positioning of the console and hand brake - made me really anxious sitting in the driver’s seat!

I picked up the led interior light on eBay... was a little unsure when I ordered it, but Kurt raved about it when it showed up at the shop, and we ordered two more to mount one on each side of the center console as courtesy lights. It has a nice little billet aluminum housing. Here’s the link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/LED-Billet-Interior-Courtesy-Map-Dome-Light-Black-BWDLBK-custom-/253772095609

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[bkswede]

I like the idea of the air flaps installed in the shroud. Is there anymore info in your thread on this idea? Great build info BTW, great information.


Thanks! The air flaps in the shrouds are just part of the standard Spal shroud system. The fans are part of a dual 11” unit, with each unit having three air flaps above and three air flaps below, the fan itself. Makes all the sense in the world to have those flaps so air can move freely through the shroud when you’re at speed and the fans aren’t running.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201212/f0d6c39c59243e710830da274ebe897d.jpg


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[syborg tt]

Brian Brian Brian,

WOW this car keeps getting better and better and better.

So now that we see all the work you have done so far. I feel we need to know more of what your plans are with the interior.

[badbu68]

Nice and clean, love how modern factory it looks with everything tucked in and not hanging out.

[bkswede]

Brian Brian Brian,

WOW this car keeps getting better and better and better.

So now that we see all the work you have done so far. I feel we need to know more of what your plans are with the interior.


Hey Marty,

Thanks for the kind words... my plans for the interior aren’t too crazy. I’m aiming for an interior that is a nice balance between function and good looks, but also some cool subtle details.

My first objective was to get rid of the stock gauge pod and replace it with something more fitting of a pro-touring car. I considered fabricating a new gauge pod that could hold an assortment of proper analog gauges; however, there isn’t a lot of space in a first generation Nova dash. I decided to incorporate Holley’s new 12.3” digital dash, which offered the ability for various dash layouts, all with the swipe of a finger - you can swipe between dash layouts by swiping the touchscreen, just like a smart phone. I was able to customize my dash layout by adding digital gauges and read outs to reflect whatever info I wanted to display that was captured by my Dominator ECU, or that I fed into the digital dash. Below is the base layout that was embedded in the dash. I had a graphics designer modify the template by changing the boost gauge in the Holley template to an oil temp gauge (cost $50 on Etsy)...

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201217/2f6b62aa204bf068fb26b82b842872d1.jpg

We fabricated the dash to mount the Holley digital dash in place of the stock gauge pod...

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Replaced keyed ignition with push button start and keyless locks, similar to newer cars (digital guard dawg)...

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Front seats are Recaro LS-C seats from some model of early 80’s Volkswagen, which were rebuilt and recovered in black leather with diamond pattern.

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For backseat, I’m using an early 2000’s rear seat from a BMW 3 series, which fits very nicely. Almost perfect width (the photo below doesn’t show the panels that cover the wheel wells and will need to be trimmed a bit)... purchased on eBay for $175... Interior shop will recover the rear seat to match the front seats (I purchased an extra hyde of leather from the guy who did my front seats in order to match the rear seats)

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We’re building a center console to house A/C vents, vintage air controller, power window and door switches as well as cup holders. The console will look somewhat similar to the one in this very nice ‘63 Chevy II.

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Momo steering wheel that I had recovered in same leather as my front seats, and added red stripe at 12 o’clock, as well as red stitching...

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I’m having custom door panels made by the interior shop I’m working with... again, nothing too crazy, but will incorporate arm rests into the door panels. The headliner is black suede and the center console and door panels will be some combination of leather and suede to match the seats and headliner. I’m also using Clayton Machine Works door and window handles, and pedal covers; as well as matching shifter and steering column levers.

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Will add custom black carpet and some black anodized sill plates. The stereo and amp will be mounted in the trunk behind the rear seat, completely hidden and controlled via RF remote. Speakers are mounted in the front doors and rear package shelf, as well as an 8” subwoofer mounted in the trunk. Thanks!

Brian


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[syborg tt]

You're welcome and that is going to look very nice.

I love the seats and have considered having him make me set as his work looks so nice. However that will be for version 3.0 of my car.


Hey Marty,

Thanks for the kind words... my plans for the interior aren’t too crazy. I’m aiming for an interior that is a nice balance between function and good looks, but also some cool subtle details.

My first objective was to get rid of the stock gauge pod and replace it with something more fitting of a pro-touring car. I considered fabricating a new gauge pod that could hold an assortment of proper analog gauges; however, there isn’t a lot of space in a first generation Nova dash. I decided to incorporate Holley’s new 12.3” digital dash, whch offered the ability for various dash layouts, all with the swipe of a finger - you can swipe between dash layouts by swiping the touchscreen, just like a smart phone. I was able to customize my dash layout by adding digital gauges and read outs to reflect whatever info I wanted to display that was captured by my Dominator ECU, or that I fed into the digital dash. Below is the base layout that was embedded in the dash. I had a graphics designer modify the template by changing the boost gauge in the Holley template to an oil temp gauge (cost $50 on Etsy)...

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[jarhead]

looks awesome!

[Flash68]

Looks incredible. Can't get enough of this car!

[bkswede]

I’m long over due for an update - been crazy at work and haven’t had a chance to focus on the car much over the last month. Kurt continues to make nice progress on many little details. I’m headed to Eau Claire on Friday for a visit and will have some additional photos. In the meantime, here are some updates:

We got the exhaust back from ceramic coating and installed - turned out great and tailpipe locations are exactly what I was looking for.

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Kurt got the headliner installed as well - turned out awesome. It’s a charcoal suede and looks fantastic. You can see the color variation in the suede in a couple of the pictures. Kurt has great attention to detail and the install looks great - nice and tight. The polished screws in the sail panel trim piece have been replaced with black ones - just didn’t have any at the time the picture was taken.

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I’m installing a pretty cool rear view mirror - has a HD camera on the front of the mirror that can record out the windshield onto an SD card. Not as high tech as the performance data recorder on my ZL-1, but still pretty cool. Also, the mirror connects to a rear mounted camera that is mounted in the rear bumper just above the license plate that serves as a back up camera or as your rear view mirror, if desired. The camera is hooked to my reverse lights and turns on when the car is shifted into reverse. The mirror surface is the screen and the image from the rear camera then appears on the entire rear view mirror surface. When driving, if you would rather use the rear camera as the rear view mirror, you just press a button on the mirror itself and you can toggle back and forth between the mirror and the rear view camera. Pretty cool tech for a ‘63 Chevy II. This photo shows the mirror waiting to be mounted to the windshield once the windshield is installed. Clamps are to keep the headliner in place while the mirror dangles from the wires that are routed up above the headliner.

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Speaking of windshield, they tried to install it on Monday, but we were sent the wrong trim. I purchased an excellent set of original trim for the windshield and rear windows since the reproduction trim never seems to fit correctly. We had the trim powder coated black to match as closely as possible the rest of the trim on the car (we didn’t want to paint this trim as we knew it would get marred during install). The glass shop got the windshield in and Kurt noticed that the trim was about an inch short. Turns out that sedan trim is about an inch shorter than hardtop trim on these cars and we obviously got sent the sedan trim by mistake. We worked it out and received a correct set of trim today, which immediately went to powder coater so the glass guys can install on Friday. Looks pretty good from 10 feet away...

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Not so much from up close...

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Kurt painted a black band around the interior side of the windshield and rear window. You can see it in the close up photo above. It’s a nice detail and will allow us to place RFID antennas for the keyless entry system on the underside of the glass without being seen from the outside of the car.

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Side glass is now complete with all weatherstripping, sweepers, roof rails installed, etc. Turned out great, but we ended up having to make a bunch of calls to find the correct channels for holding weatherstripping in place for the roof rails. Nobody makes reproduction versions and originals were hard to find. Ultimately got some, but took way more time than expected, and just another example of why it always seems to take way longer than expected for a project like this.

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We got the emergency brake lever mounted up as well - works awesome and will tuck in nicely next to the seat bolster. Will have leather boot made to cover that will match my seats.

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Stereo wiring all buttoned up as well...

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Wiring all completed for power door locks and power windows, and all works beautifully. Switches will be mounted in center console - theee switch panel, the two outside switches are left and right windows and middle switch is power door lock. The power window switches have express up and down modules wired into them - Kurt laughed that there are twenty separate wires all fed together for the windows. Looks like a rats nest, but will all be covered by center console.

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Cool little detail for A/C lines - black anodized and charge ports built in to the manifold making for cleaner look and much easier when charging A/C system.

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Pedals and linkage in, along with Clayton pedal covers, as is stering wheel column with aluminum levers for turn signal and tilt.

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Kurt was going to finish install of gas pedal, digital dash, headlight switch and wiper switch over the next couple of days. Hopefully, I’ll get some pics of those on Friday, as well as pics with front and rear glass installed. Have a great week.

Brian


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[camcojb]

Looks fantastic Brian!

[waynieZ]

Amazing build, so many great features.

[Goosesdad]

Looks awesome!!

[64G-lark]

Wow Brian, Looking fantastic. Cant wait to see more.

[bkswede]

Looks fantastic Brian!


Thanks Jody!


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[bkswede]

Amazing build, so many great features.



Wow Brian, Looking fantastic. Cant wait to see more.



Looks awesome!!



Thanks guys - appreciate the kind words!


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[bkswede]

I made the trip over to Eau Claire on Friday, but of course the glass guys were delayed a few hours, so I wasn’t able to see the car with the windshield and rear windows installed. Kurt was able to get the digital dash installed, which looks awesome!

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We also test fit harnesses. I’m using Schroth 4 point harnesses with their anti-submarine technology. These harnesses also have their AutoComtrol feature, which is an inertia reel that locks when the there are sufficient levels of force (acceleration, deceleration, side to side movement, etc) as measured by electrical sensors placed in the car. This setup acts similar to a retractable three point shoulder harness in that you can move your upper body in the harness freely, except when it is needed to be locked in case of an accident or sudden movement.

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Kurt sent me pictures after I left and the glass was finally installed. The replacement trim we received fit perfectly.

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The glass is tinted smoked gray, and appears darker in these photos than it really is. The side glass in the picture below is a better representation of the level of tint. It’s subtle, but definitely noticeable and looks great with the shark gray metallic paint on the car.

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We’re trying something a little different for the headlight dimmer switch that is mounted on the floor. I wanted a dead pedal for my left foot, and didn’t like the look of the dimmer switch on the floor. So, we’re using the dead pedal as the dimmer switch cover. Kurt fabbed up a hinge for the bottom of the dead pedal that will allow the dead pedal to hinge at the floor. The upper portion of the dead pedal will rest on the dimmer switch, and you can simply depress the dead pedal to turn high beams on and off. We’re going to powder coat the dead pedal in a color similar to the body color and all of the little holes in the dead pedal will be filled with black rubber plugs. I think it will end up looking pretty cool.

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Kurt also got the digital dash powered up today and sent me a pic...

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And the rear view mirror powered up as well.. pic of the mirror with the front HD camera rolling...

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Heading back to Eau Claire on Friday to get global tune file uploaded into the ECU, and test electrical connections on ECU, digital dash, etc. in anticipation of firing up the LS7 sometime next week!


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[214Chevy]

All of that looks so good bro...

[bkswede]

All of that looks so good bro...


Thanks - appreciate it!


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[bkswede]

Made the trek over to Eau Claire yesterday... was -17 outside when I left the Twin Cities with black ice on the road. I passed probably ten cars in the ditch on the way over, three of them upside down, so drive took a little longer than normal - lol.

More progress made this week on a lot of little details. Close to being done with installation of Schroth 4 point harnesses. Engine bay is basically done now - radiator and heater hoses all custom fit nicely with Gates powergrip heat shrink clamps. A/C lines are also custom fit and routed. Only thing left to install is the cold air intake and hook up the IAC sensor. Couple of pics of engine bay... I’m happy with how clean it turned out!

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Close up of A/C lines, heater hoses and lower radiator hose...

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We got the steering wheel installed, though need to install a 1/2” spacer to provide sufficient room for the horn button.

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I got the firmware in the Holley Dominator updated to the latest V6 firmware, and successfully uploaded my global configuration file, so the ECU is all ready to go.

Took a short video of the digital dash showing the turn signal indicators and high beam indicators that I programmed into the dash. If I can figure out how to upload that, I will. You can customize the dash screen adding gauges, lights, switches, etc.

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Also took a short video of my headlights to show how they interact with turn signals. Normally, the halos are white and are illuminated white at all times as daytime running lights. When you activate the turn signal indicator, however, they flash amber in unison with the turn signal. You can see the passenger halo is white in the photo and the driver side halo is amber with the turn signal.

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We still need to hook up the fuel tank filler neck to the tank and install the Ridetech cap. The cap is painted black to match the rest of the trim - I set it in the fender to get a sense of how it will look. I left the screws (not shown in the picture) their natural aluminum color, which I think will look cool as a contrast against the black.

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We’re going to start filling it with fluids this week. The motor has been sitting for 18 months since it was run on the dyno, so we’re going to pre-lube it before starting. Found a cool little pump from mdr tuning with fittings that screw into the drain plug hole and the front oil galley plug on the driver’s side of the block. The pump draws oil from the oil pan, and then pumps it through the oil galley plug on the front of the engine. Based on the video on their website, you can build up ~40 psi of pressure through the system as oil circulates. Pumping for a few minutes should be sufficient to fill the oil filter, fill the engine oil cooler in the radiator (and related lines), as well as immerse the valvetrain through the pushrods. Ideally, you would prelube with the valve covers off until you see oil coming out of all 16 pushrods, but we’re not going to disassemble everything for that. The motor was run on the dyno and the oil pump is already primed from that, I just don’t want to spin it dry after sitting for 18 months. The pump was only around a hundred bucks with shipping, which is a pretty small cost for the peace of mind that comes from knowing the engine is fully lubricated at start-up.

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[camcojb]

Did you mention where you got that billet a/c manifold?

[bkswede]

Did you mention where you got that billet a/c manifold?


Hey Jody,

They’re actually made by Metalworks Classics, the shop in Eugene, Oregon that I purchased my Nova from back in 2018. Here’s a link to their website:
https://metalworksclassics.com/for-sale/

And a link to a video they have on YouTube: https://youtu.be/RmU4cEnzvjY

Thanks,
Brian


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[bkswede]

Been awhile since I last posted - busy times at work and at home. Will be going to Eau Claire this week to pick up the Chevy II from AutoKraft and take it to the interior shop to begin interior work. Also need to have final tuning done on the motor whenever that can be squeezed in. Hard to believe it’s been three years since I dropped it off there... will post some additional details of recent events and some better pictures of the car when I get it home. Here’s a short video I took last week when I stopped by. Hidden hood latch needed some adjusting, which is why the hood is not closed in the video. Sounds really nice, though idle is a bit high (~1,100 rpm)... will drop that down to around 900 or so when we do final tuning.

lZ7p0o-8ZnA

Brian




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[WSSix]

Congrats, Brian! The car sounds and looks fantastic.

[waynieZ]

The car sounds and looks great. What a sweet ride!

[64G-lark]

Really nice looking car Brian. Can’t wait to see more of it.

[64G-lark]

Hey Brian, Any updates?

[214Chevy]

lZ7p0o-8ZnA

Brian



Thanks for the video. very nice....

[Cramer4918]

Truly amazing build! A lot of thought and attention to detail went into it for sure! What does the finished product look like with the interior complete and a few months on the road?

[bkswede]

Hey guys - sorry it’s been so long since last post… I haven’t been able to get the Chevy II into the interior shop as they’ve been backed up on a bunch of their builds due to supply backlogs, etc. Finally dropped it off with the interior shop at the end of July. Hoping they’ll have it complete by the end of September. Once that’s complete, I’ll bring it to CJ’s Tunes in St. Paul to have custom tuning of the ECU on the dyno and via road testing. Been a long process made even longer due to Covid like everything else it seems… goal is to be fully ready to roll by end of fall so I can enjoy it fully next summer! Picked up a nice Timpte trailer for hauling it around… it’s really unique with an internal winch to lower the bed of the trailer down to almost flat (I think it’s actually a 4 degree incline) allowing for easy drive on and drive off even with as low as the front end is on the Nova. Super light and pulls awesome!

[WSSix]

Glad it's progressing! Hope it goes well for you so you can enjoy it at least once before the snow starts.