When we introduced our Project SuperNova in the July '02 issue, we promised that "by the time we're through with this six-cylinder/ Powerglide-equipped '71 Chevy Nova, it'll shine at least one billion times brighter than it does now." While we're not exactly finished, a year and three months later, we feel confident in saying that we're well on our way to delivering on that promise.
Over the course of the past 15 months, we've rebuilt or replaced virtually every mechanical component on the car, including the engine, transmission, rearend, cooling and ignition systems, the entire front and rear suspension including body bushings, wheels and tires, and brakes. The only original chassis parts we haven't changed so far are the front and rear springs. We've also added Competition Engineering traction bars, an Unlimited Products fiberglass cowl-induction hood, a full complement of Auto Meter gauges, a B&M shifter, a Mallory ignition box, and most recently, a set of Center Line Convo Pro rear wheels for our slicks.
Response to Project SuperNova has been phenomenal since its inception, and recently the biggest reaction has been from readers wondering what's been happening with the car over the past few months. Although we haven't really had a lot to write about, there actually has been quite a bit going on behind the scenes of late. We've made some subtle changes, like adding the cowl hood and wheels, and we've even changed the engine once again (see sidebar) as a favor to the guys at Hot Rod. SuperNova has even been a TV star, appearing not only on an episode of Hot Rod TV that featured the Project Car Grudge Match we ran in our Feb. '03 issue, but also as a background prop on an episode of Home and Garden Television's Landscapers' Challenge series that featured a makeover of Editor Matt King's infamous backyard.
Many readers have asked about the trick TH400 transmission we built in the March '03 issue and said we'd be swapping in shortly. With its low 2.75:1 First gear, reverse-manual valvebody, and transbrake, it still seems like a good idea, but the durability of our rebuilt B&M TH350 continues to amaze and impress us. It shows no signs of weakness despite the abuse we've subjected it to, and frankly, we enjoy the streetability of a stock-type transmission-just put it in Drive and go. It's that type of user-friendliness that is our favorite aspect of the SuperNova, and the car remains devoid of most of the race car-type parts that cause many "street" machines to push the limits of the term. Its battery is still under the hood, and it's got a stock-type mechanical fuel pump, a stock gas tank, and a stock interior. We throw the slicks in the trunk and drive it to the track for every test session, and frequently commute through L.A. traffic to the office.
While no project car is every truly "finished," SuperNova has already accomplished most of our original purpose, which was to build an affordable, real-world street machine in much the same way a typical reader would, from the ground up, spending as much or as little as was needed to accomplish the job at hand, and learning and having fun while doing it. It still needs an interior restoration and a nice paint job before it'll be a show car, but trust us, its low-key demeanor turns plenty of heads when the hood is popped or the dragstrip lights flash an e.t.
So where do we go from here? We could continue to use it as a test mule for engines, transmissions, and other parts, or put it out to pasture as a weekend cruiser. We've even contemplated turning it into a corner-carving Pro Tourer or entering it in the PRO Fastest Street Car series Car Craft Cheap Street drag racing class we sponsor. Or we might just call it finished for now, and wait to see what pops up. Just don't be too surprised if you see a Hot Rod license plate on SuperNova's rusty front bumper in the future.
The Velcro Engine BaySo far, four engines have graced SuperNova's engine compartment during its career at Car Craft, not including its original six-cylinder, which found a new home in reader Terry Hamel's Nova convertible. Thanks to several sets of headers from Hooker and Hedman, two complete exhaust systems with Dynomax mufflers, reproduction engine-frame mounts from Chevy 2 Only, accessory brackets from Alan Grove Components, and matching mechanical fuel pumps from BG Fuel Systems, we can have just about any Chevy engine up and running in about a day.