Restarting My '70 Nova Project

[BravoXray]

Well, today it was finally the day the Nova headed out to the paint shop.
Paint shop owner called yesterday and said he could get it in any time this week, so I called the towing company and they said they could pick it up this morning. The drive backed right into the shop, lowered the bed, winched it on and tied it down. A Benjamin Franklin later it was on the way. I loaded up the front fenders and a few other parts, took them to the shop, came back, got the hood, trunk lid and cowl panel and took them in too. We went over what areas get body color and which get black and a few other of the finer points of the job. The painter said they'd get started on it today and would probably take two weeks. I've decided to put the wide flat black racing stripes on the hood and trunk lid, but those won't be done until the car is assembled so all the lines match up.
Progress!!!

 

[goeduck]

looking forward to seeing it all dolled up.

 

[zzvyb6]

When I hired into GM Proving Grounds and an engineering student back in '69, we got a make-work project to put a 454 school bus motor into a Nova. 3 speed manual. Clutch ? Who needs that ? Brakes ? yeah, sort of a problem. Tires ? another problem.

Got 4 wheels airborne at the top of the 16% hill and was still accelerating where most anything else was ready to stall out. Those were the Glory Days....

 

[BravoXray]

looking forward to seeing it all dolled up.

So am I!

 

[BravoXray]

Some progress is being made. Painter called and asked me to come in and look at a color sample spray-out to make sure it was the color I wanted. Went in and took a look, and it looks just as I thought Cortez Silver would. He has the underside painted and is going to get the interior painted in the next couple of days, then he'll start getting the exterior and other parts painted.

 

[BravoXray]

Paint shop called this morning and asked if I could come in a take a look at the body, as they had the Cortez Silver on it, and wanted to make sure that's the color I wanted. Went in and I think it looks great. Great color and great body work.
He's going to get the door, fenders, hood and trunk lid painted later this week, he hopes. Hard to believe after 8 years it has paint on it. This is the original color according to the cowl tag, although it was maroon when I bought it, and there was a blue paint job under that, so this is the third color for this Nova.

 

[Boss 302]

Looking good, all you need is a couple of Boss Mustangs or Mach 1's sitting next to it.

 

[BravoXray]

Looking good, all you need is a couple of Boss Mustangs or Mach 1's sitting next to it.

Was never much of a Mustang fan, they sat too low for me. Felt like I was riding in a go-kart.
I'd really prefer a '70 Chevelle LS6 (454/450HP).

 

[Boss 302]

To each his own, personally go karts are a little slow for me. Keep up the good work and enjoy a piece of good ole American Muscle.

 

[BravoXray]

Well, tomorrow I go in for back surgery, so the reassembly will be on hold for a while, probably a couple of months.
When I first talked to the painter, I told him I was having the surgery about this time in January, and that if possible, could he have it done before then. He didn't think that would be a problem, but of course no plan goes according to schedule. So, since it still isn't finished up, I have a couple of friends that are going use my pickup to pick the loose parts, hood, trunk lid and fenders, and bring them to my shop for me. The same towing company that took the body to the shop will bring it back, so things are pretty well taken care of, I hope.
I'm having a fusion done, L3, L4 and L5, and hopefully that will end the really intense pain I get at times in my lower back and legs. The surgeon said I may even get the feeling back in my feet over time. That would be great too.
I'll keep up on any progress I make when I'm able to work on it. I have a few things that I may order or make plans to do during the reassembly. I'm still mulling over a Dakota Digital instrument cluster, but $1500 is a little tough to swallow, so I may stick with the stock cluster.
Another thing I am considering is a different set of rear disc brakes that have the shoe type parking brakes, like the Wilwood Rear Brake Kit – Part No: 140-11398-R.
Wilwood Disc Brakes
The ones I have now have the little actuator arm on the caliper, and with the staggered shocks on the rear, connecting the right side (I think) you have to run the E-brake cable around the back of the diff to connect it to the caliper.
So, still some issues to resolve by the time I can get back to putting it all together.