1966 Chevrolet Nova SS

Description

Is it the car that's irresistible, or the sum of its parts? This 1966 Chevy II Nova SS is an attractive recent build with enough new components to be a restomod, including one that directly connects this coupe to a racing celebrity legacy.

The Chevy II Novas make the best sleeper cars because their straightforward lines, with minimal chrome, have a perfect unassuming appearance that fools everyone on a Saturday night drag race. The gunmetal gray paint just helps highlight this 'wolf in sheep's clothing' attitude. But look a little closer, and this Nova SS can't help but be boastful. Not only does it have the cool Super Sport script on the rear fenders, but also when the sunlight hits this humble paint it begins to show off its deep shine with metallic tones. Torq Thrust style wheels are always a nice touch, but the details on these Foose models just have an extra aggressive quality. Do all these laser-straight body panels look too good to be true? Nope, it's just this coupe was completely rebuilt recently, and there's even the full photo book to prove it.

Inside, any thoughts of this being the budget Chevrolet instantly melt away. The standard buckets have been exchanged in favor of new two tone leather seats with modern bolstering, providing all day comfort without sliding around in the corners. These are so desirably comfy that the rear gets the same set of buckets, too. But it's more than just the four individual buckets that make this custom build so special. There's a uniformity that will be a big hit at all the car shows. For example, each seat has a custom flaming SS logo, and this is repeated in the fully trimmed trunk with bow tie custom stitching. The consistency continues with a extremely cool custom center console that runs the entire length of the car, and includes a wood grain that is repeated on the dash. For those who need control over the tunes, the stereo has been upgraded to a digital AM/FM tuner that fits the original knob-style mountings. But in a performance car like this, what really matters is the driver. Getting behind the wheel means grabbing the custom leather-wrapped tilt unit with a Chevy bow tie engraved in the center chrome. Beyond this, the original horizontal gauges have been upgraded to a full set of AutoMeter units. This give the driver a much clearer picture about what's going on in the engine bay, and you're about to find out there's a whole lot of action under the super clean hood.

As you might have already guessed, this V8 is far from stock....it is a beast! The 350 cubic-inch engine was bored out to a 360 less than 300 miles ago. At this time it was also reinforced with forged aluminum pistons, a steel crank, and a four-bolt main. This monster motor is fed by an Offenhauser intake running dual four-barrel carburetors. The fuel is then fed through heads that were repurposed from Dale Earnhardt's last modified car. YES, NASCAR LEGEND DALE EARNHARDT! If that wasn't enough to give this Nova genuine performance credentials, the engine's power is controlled by a Richmond straight tooth four-speed manual transmission before being sent to a stout Ford nine-inch rear end. This motor puts out some serious street-eating power with its growl, thus the leaf springs were swapped out for a four-link rear end with Panhard bar to make sure the rubber stays on the road. In fact, the battery was also relocated to the trunk to help with weight distribution and traction. The rear-bias improvements are for a good reason. The back fenders were tubbed so this Nova could hide its 11.6-inch wide tires and keep its Saturday Night Special attitude. A custom set of four-wheel disc brakes means the builders also didn't forget how to reel in all this power.

We know you already wanted this coupe the moment we mentioned Dale Earnhardt, but this custom Chevy II Nova SS has all the right looks and performance to back up its legendary pedigree. It is one nice build. Call today!!