Restarting My '70 Nova Project

[BravoXray]

I got the dash and radio back in this afternoon, I had to pull it out to relocate the wiring for the tach as it was getting pinched where it was. I also put the speedo cable in, should reach the trans with length to spare. I connected power to the harness, and no smoke came out of anything, the instrument panel and dome/courtesy lights work as they should, as do the wipers and heater motor.
I spent an hour yesterday and about the same today looking for the mount for the steering column that bolts to the two studs in the center of the instrument panel. I looked through almost every box of parts, and couldn't find it. Finally on the table back by all the boxes of parts, I found it in a bag under the plate the mounts to the firewall and clamps the lower end of the column in place.

 

[MossRoad]

....

At least it cooled off today, was pretty decent, lower humidity and temps in the low 80s. I can handle that.

YES! Today's going to be a real treat compared to the last week!

Thanks again for the detailed posts. Really enjoying them!

 

[BravoXray]

Spent all afternoon and into the evening getting some things done on the Nova.
The radio was not setting squarely in the opening and my OCD made me take it out and use some SS fender washers to get both sides even with the opening. Little thinks like that just bother me, even though 99 out of 100 people would never notice it. I had to rearrange and resecure all the radio cables under the dash and mount the SD card/USB drive reader under the edge of the dash with one of the dash screws.
That done, I decided to install the kick panels with the fresh air vents. I bought new ones as the PO had hacked holes in originals and installed speakers which really didn't fit and looked like crap. They are rather fussy to get in and out, either you have to fight with them for 10 minutes to get them in or our, or they almost fall in or out, no in between. I had screwed to dimmer switch to the floor and it had to be removed to install the kick panel. Unscrewed it and when I tried to pull the connector off it, the switch came apart. Damn cheap crap! I was able to get it back together, the two little crimps in the case let the connector pull out rather easily and I was able to get back together and applied a couple of much more secure crimps to hold it together. I don't think it'll come apart again.
I test fit the kick panels to make sure all the screw mounting holes lined up with the holes in the cowl openings, which they did, then took them out and put a bead of butyl sealant around the openings and reinstalled them.
After that, I installed the emergency brake pedal assembly, and had to adjust the little plunger switch that operates the dash warning light. It's really close quarters between it and the fuse block and I had to adjust the plunger a couple of times so it doesn't rub on anything and slides freely.
I had made an aluminum bracket to mount the MSD EFI display/programmer under the dash and had bent it in my little brake, but apparently the bend was too sharp and it broke through the bend when I went to reattach it. Found another piece of 0.060" aluminum, sheared it down to size and made a couple of bends using a sacrificial piece of 0.020" aluminum, the bends looking much better this time. I Scuffed it up with some 320 sand paper and painted it with a couple of coats of satin black.
While that was drying, I decided to install the rest of the Dynamat on the floor. I managed to get that done and only cut myself once with the Stanley knife. Of course I had just put in a new, razor sharp blade, so it make a nice clean cut! Electrical tape to the rescue.
By then it was almost 7:00PM, so I gathered up a bunch of tools and put them away, closed up and went to the house.

Got quite a bit done today, for a change.

 

[BleedingOrange]

Looking good. Any estimate on when you will be taking it out for a shake down run ?
Will it be late this fall, or next spring ?

 

[racer86y]

My 5 year project

 

[the old grind]

Camaro, Nova, and RWD Corvette drivers should remember/note that besides from windows the most road noise heard inside is from the rear tires and comes in through the wheel houses.

I'd put Dynamat there if nowhere else.

 

[MossRoad]

Spent all afternoon and into the evening getting some things done on the Nova.
The radio was not setting squarely in the opening and my OCD made me take it out and use some SS fender washers to get both sides even with the opening. Little thinks like that just bother me, even though 99 out of 100 people would never notice it. I had to rearrange and resecure all the radio cables under the dash and mount the SD card/USB drive reader under the edge of the dash with one of the dash screws.
That done, I decided to install the kick panels with the fresh air vents. I bought new ones as the PO had hacked holes in originals and installed speakers which really didn't fit and looked like crap. They are rather fussy to get in and out, either you have to fight with them for 10 minutes to get them in or our, or they almost fall in or out, no in between. I had screwed to dimmer switch to the floor and it had to be removed to install the kick panel. Unscrewed it and when I tried to pull the connector off it, the switch came apart. Damn cheap crap! I was able to get it back together, the two little crimps in the case let the connector pull out rather easily and I was able to get back together and applied a couple of much more secure crimps to hold it together. I don't think it'll come apart again.
I test fit the kick panels to make sure all the screw mounting holes lined up with the holes in the cowl openings, which they did, then took them out and put a bead of butyl sealant around the openings and reinstalled them.
After that, I installed the emergency brake pedal assembly, and had to adjust the little plunger switch that operates the dash warning light. It's really close quarters between it and the fuse block and I had to adjust the plunger a couple of times so it doesn't rub on anything and slides freely.
I had made an aluminum bracket to mount the MSD EFI display/programmer under the dash and had bent it in my little brake, but apparently the bend was too sharp and it broke through the bend when I went to reattach it. Found another piece of 0.060" aluminum, sheared it down to size and made a couple of bends using a sacrificial piece of 0.020" aluminum, the bends looking much better this time. I Scuffed it up with some 320 sand paper and painted it with a couple of coats of satin black.
While that was drying, I decided to install the rest of the Dynamat on the floor. I managed to get that done and only cut myself once with the Stanley knife. Of course I had just put in a new, razor sharp blade, so it make a nice clean cut! Electrical tape to the rescue.
By then it was almost 7:00PM, so I gathered up a bunch of tools and put them away, closed up and went to the house.

Got quite a bit done today, for a change.

View attachment 818249View attachment 818250View attachment 818251View attachment 818252

I had forgotten about the little pull vent knobs on the Nova's.

 

[BravoXray]

Looking good. Any estimate on when you will be taking it out for a shake down run ?
Will it be late this fall, or next spring ?

Thanks.
It just all depends on how everything comes together. This fall would be great, but I just figured on a year to get it together. It also depends on how **** and finicky I get in the process. If the process so far is any indicator, it'll be springtime, but as long as the weather doesn't get too cold this fall, I'll keep working on it.

Camaro, Nova, and RWD Corvette drivers should remember/note that besides from windows the most road noise heard inside is from the rear tires and comes in through the wheel houses.

I'd put Dynamat there if nowhere else.

I'm going to work on that today, but I'm running low on Dynamat. I ordered another box today from Summit, so I should have plenty to finish the job. I'm trying to decide on whether to try putting the Dynamat on the inside surface of the quarters against to outer skin, but it may be a real challenge working through the holes in the inner walls. I'll give it a try, but if it's too difficult, I'll just put it on the inside, under the interior panels. I'm going to do the bulkhead behind the rear seat, the package tray, and am considering doing the trunk also, although I want to put a mat/carpet back there and maybe that would help some. Maybe just covering the wheel houses in the trunk would be sufficient.
I found the Summit receipt in one of the two boxes I have had since 2013, for $139.00 per box of nine sheets. The box I just ordered was $229.00 per box. Talk about inflation!

My 5 year project

Oh yeah, an LS conversion! I considered that, but decided to stick with a small block though, so the original 350 could be stuck back in with little work. My 434 should be exciting enough for me. Isee tubular control arrms, what else did you put on the front suspension?
I see the subframe is silver, what color is the car going to be? What year?
5 years? Better toss out those cancer sticks laying on the frame rail!

Time to head down to the shop, lots of work to be done!

 

[Darth_DMack]

Great thread!!!

I have a 1972 two door Nova that I bought when I was 14 years old (I'm 54 now) and I still have it. It is a true SS, got it in Texas. It's a 350 car, had high back bucket seats, in dash tach, auto (with the four gauge cluster and T Handled shifter on the transmission tunnel) and factory radio delete. Pretty good find, back then.

I still have the car, but it has a 406cid small block that my brother and I built. Dart block, Callies Crank, Scat H beam rods, Ross forged flat top pistons, Air Flow Research 220 heads, fully ported and angle milled to 58cc combustion chambers. T&D Shaft Rockers, Engle roller cam, single dominator carb, MSD ignition, TH400 trans with an 8" Coan converter (5800 stall), now has a Mosier 9 inch, Spool, 4.33 gears with 4 link rear suspension. We cut the floor pan and tied the front / rear subframes together, full cage with the down bars going through the rear package tray. It's been mini tubbed, but we did it with a plasma cutter, and retained the factory trunk hanger... it has an 8 gallon fuel cell in it now, but it's all metal except for the hood. Factory glass, and rear seat is still intact. Even the horn works!

29x10.5x15 slicks with skinnies up front.

The car is consistent at low 10's at around 128 mph off the foot brake through the 1/4 mile.

We are talking about doing a full resto-mod, and going to a pump gas big block. It is a true SS, but they stopped putting the 396 in them in 1970.

Your Nova is going to be amazing when done. Definitely giving me some ideas... I will post a few pictures when I get home. My car hooks up really well, pulls the front tires off the foot brake. Runs straight as an arrow, and is very consistent in the brackets.

 

[BravoXray]

I used up the last of the Dynamat today doing the passenger side wheelhouse and quarter area. I decided to just put the mat on the inside surface of the area rather than try to install it onto the inside of the quarter panel. I won't have the new supply until Monday or so, which is a good thing as it will let my thumb heal up from the pretty bad cut from the Stanley knife when I was cutting up one of the pieces of Dynamat. I was using a metal yard stick as a guide, and the knife jumped up on the top of the yard stick and into the side of my right thumb. Bled like a stuck hog until I got it wrapped with electrical tape, an essential supply in a mechanic's first aid kit.
Brian was away for the week end, so he picked up the ash tray and glove box lid to repaint them this week. I ordered some more of the SEM Hot Rod black, and he's going to repaint the steering column and a few other parts that don't match.
I've been trying to decide on the carpet color for a couple of weeks, and though most people would go with black to match the rest of the interior, I think I'm going to go with silver carpet. It should lighten up the interior and coordinate with the silver paint.
What do you think?

Tomorrow, I think I'm going to get the fuel pump assembled and installed in the tank, then get the tank hung on the car. Hopefully.