Building a custom car is a very personal thing, and in the end, it’s about making the owner happy, and nobody else. Such is the case with this 1966 Chevy II Nova restomod, as seen in the following feature video.
Coming to us from the folks at AutotopiaLA, the video includes the usual walkaround and specs, plus some driving action on the street.
This 1966 Chevy II Nova restomod is owned by James Harris, and was built by the folks at Lakeside Speed and Shine in Arizona. The car was in good condition when Harris originally bought it, and it worked well for a few years before the Powerglide transmission started to have a few issues.
“I said, ‘okay, it’s time to go ahead and park the car and do the car I really want to, actually build the car,” Harris says.
Although Harris was originally set to keep it relatively low-key with a simple LS swap and a mild cage, the build ballooned into a full custom over the course of roughly six and a half years.
Popping the hood, the first thing to jump out is the hydrographic treatment on the intake and valve covers, which incorporates Las Vegas-style themes. Harris used to live in Vegas and got married there as well, so the theme fit perfectly for him.
“This one I was building basically for myself and I told myself, you know, it doesn’t matter how it looks to anybody else because I’m building it for myself,” Harris explains.
Under the graphics is a 454 LSX V8 engine with a host of performance upgrades, including new pistons, rods, cams, crank, and more. Output is estimated at 800 horsepower at the crank on pump gas. Output is sent rearwards through a GM 4L80-E automatic transmission built by Hughes Performance, and a Curry nine-inch rear end.
To help handle the extra power, the Chevy II Nova was upgraded with a TCI independent front clip with Ridetech coilovers, plus a TCI four-link in the rear. Apparently, there was some rusty bits that needed to be replaced, so the build incorporates quite a bit of new metal as well.
The upgrades continue into the cabin, where we find a mild roll cage and harnesses. Bright red upholster adds a splash of color to the gray cage and dash.
Check out the full feature here:
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Comments
It’s hot rodding and business is good!!
This is what us car guys live for ,yah man! !
Due to the proliferation of electric cars, maybe the traditional ” ice” powered cars should not use the term “motor” in their description. It could be either one now days…..?