In the last two issues of SUPER CHEVY, we ran a series of
suspension installs on this mellow yellow '70 Nova. We also flogged the
Nova and its TCI suspension and ended up with some of the fastest track
times we have recorded yet. This time around we're going to follow what
work was done to this Nova in order to get it to the track and around those
cones. Jim Reis, owner of both the Nova and Classic Performance Parts (CPP),
lit some fires in order to get his Nova built and running before the '07
SEMA Show. Mission accomplished. So let's take a look at a small portion
of the bodywork and what was done. Most third-generation Nova owners are
very well aware of the fact that the factory rear inner quarters allow almost
no room for a tire wider than 6 inches.
That's nice if you plan to keep the Nova in its stock grocery-getter
state, but what if you want to throw some bigger, thicker meats in the back?
Tubbing the back half would be a great solution, but that re quires extensive
amounts of work, and if you're going to drag race a Nova, that's a fine
way to go. But if you aren't going to drag race, what do you do to fit a
well-performing street tire in the back? The guys at Dreamers Creation Paint
& Body worked on a simpler solution when it came to the rear tire size
dilemma.
1..The first step was to create a solid foundation. No sense in
having a Flintstones-style car where your feet hang out the bottom. Sheetmetal
from Classic Industries and Modern Performance was used throughout the Nova's
build.
2..The new sheetmetal is trimmed down and ready to fill the
gaping hole in the floor that was just cut.
3..The crew at Dreamers Creation takes its time and tack welds
the new floor and toeboards in place. Move too fast and heat buildup will
occur, which can potentially
warp the metal.
4..Thankfully, only the very front of the floors needed replacing.
It would have been a bear if the entirety of the floors was rotted.
5..The OE trunk floor also had some rust issues, and the easiest
remedy was to cut the old metal out and replace it with new steel from Classic
Industries and Modern Performance.
6..The guys at Dreamers Creation busted their humps working
on the Nova trying to get it ready before the SEMA Show. This photo shows
just how deep into the
project they got.
7..They did an excellent job with panel alignment, and all
the door, hood, and trunk gaps are true and squared.
8..The biggest test was to see how much tire they could reasonably
fit in the rear. While these are not the l8x7 wheels and the 275/40R18 Toyo
tires that were planned for the back, this mock-up does demonstrate that
bigger meats in the back will work. Let's take a look at what they did to
make this happen.
9..The first step is to grind out the spot welds that hold
the outer and inner quarter-panels together. Once these two panels are separated,
it will be easier to make the necessary adjustments.
10..With the Nova flipped on its side, we can see where the
guys at Dreamers Creation cut into the inner fenderwell. You may notice
the lip of the outer quarter-panel has a line drawn down the middle; the
lip will be cut off as well. Every little bit counts.
11..The essence of this job is removing the inner wheelwell's
rounded slope and squaring it off. The OE piece of steel that is cut out
is discarded. Several pie cuts
are made on the original remaining metal as well as the new fabricated piece.
The pie cuts will allow the new wheelwells to extend all the way across
and join
the outer quarter-panel. After everything is tested and fitted, it's all
tack welded in place. The original wheelwell was more rounded and shaped
much like an upside-down U. The upside-down U is now squared off, allowing
more tire to fit under the car.
12..The tack welds are all filled in and ground smooth.
13..This final shot shows how nice it looks when everything
is patched, welded, and painted.
14..The view from inside the trunk shows exactly how the new
wheelwells looks. Sometimes being a square is a good thing.
15.. Both wheelwells are done and the entire underside
of the vehicle is painted and ready for action.
16..The crew at Dreamers Creation is proud of the Nova it
just finished, and it's ready for paint.
