One of the cars that will be sold at the Mecum Auction in Indy this May is a super cool 1965 Chevy Nova, built by racing legend Bill Thomas. The car is being listed as a Funny Car and that may confuse some people, but it shouldn’t. This is one of the early cars that helped the evolutionary process of the Funny Cars we know today. This example was recently and lovingly restored by John Tinberg, a Chicago metal fabricator. The coolest part is that Thomas himself help with the restoration in a “guide” type role.
Tinberg never met Thomas face to face before he died in 2009, but this car is an incredible tribute to one of the American racing scene’s great thinkers and innovators.
Originally built with clandestine support from Chevrolet the car featured several ground breaking innovations for the mid-1960s. The tubular front end, straight axle, flip nose, 427ci “Semi Hemi” rat motor, and leaf sprung front end were all later turned into a kit that Nova owners could buy to convert their llittle car into a drag strip brawler. We have the issue of Hot Rod that this car was featured in back in 1965. A “Novel Nova” indeed.
Hit the link below to learn more about the cars and see more killer photos of a wonderfuly example of early Funny Car history.
Thanks to Darr Hawthorne of DragRacingOnline for the tip!
Mecum – Bill Thomas Novel Nova
