To steal a quote from Freibuger, if you don’t like this car, your opinion is wrong. Wow is this 1966 pro touring Nova good. It combines the best of a factory style, rotisserie restoration with hot rodding, amazing fit and finish, perfect stance, a cool engine choice, and an interior that looks like it was just zapped out of a time machine. Yeah, we know that building a car that handles and shoving a bench seat in it is kind of doing it wrong but when you see the whole package here, do you really think that some racing style seats would look right in this car? Bracing yourself in and bombing off ramps, the occasional autocross, and whatever else you can do would be a riot here. Oh, and that engine? It is an LT4…not the currently LT4, we’re talking about the factory hot rodded version of the LT1 engine that predated the LS series in the 1990s. That’s neat to us because those engines are 100% lost to time basically. Before you chuck rocks at us LT1 guys, we respect and like the engines but you have to admit that they’re kind of a lost sister at this point. The engine is backed by a 4L60E transmission which is kind of a let down because a stick coming up through the floor would be totally appropriate in this machine. That could be fixed.
The work and parts on this thing are serious. The paint, interior, and all the bright work look be the without flaw in the photos that accompany the ad. The front end is a Heidt’s Pro G kit with adjustable coil over shocks, a big 1″ front sway bar, good brakes at the corners, put this car in the awesome to drive realm but not totally over the top like some of these builds are getting today. We LOVE the combo of the factory colors and looks with all the hot rod parts. The big diameter steel wheels are so subtle and classy on this car that we can hardly stand it. Whoever started this project did so with a clear vision of how they wanted it to turn out and deviated not once during the build process. Wow this is cool!
The ad is one massive run on sentence but if you can weave through it, the seller seems to be saying that the interior is largely original! Is that even possible?! This car is a trip and one we would LOVE to own and drive. Well done.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE A COUPLE PHOTOS AND THEN HIT THE LINK FOR THE FULL AD –
The big wheels and the automatic kill it for me.
The car is super cool, and the LT4 looks great in there but you gotta
really want one to spend the time and money it takes to make it work.
Those engines are basically worthless since the LS engines came out.
I actually took a complete LT1 to the scrap yard because I could get more
for it than selling it.
If you have a complete one already and can put it in, go for it. Otherwise, not worth the effort.
BTW: I think the Optispark ignition in this one is going to fail right…about…now!
Nice build. I seriously considered putting an LT1 in my truck before going with an LS swap – an LT1 probably would have been up and running a bit faster.
The automatic is a little bit of a letdown but seriously nice car otherwise. I’ve always been a proponent of the LT-1/4 engines. Compared to the original 350 Chevy, they had a lot of advantages. The problem was they were out for such a short time that they never got scienced out fully and then their replacement was even better.
Honestly, when I saw the “Engine you wouldn’t expect” title, I was hoping it would have a built 250 I6 with a trio of Weber carbs.
Yeah, I feel like this was a “facebook” hook line.
Look up Karl Ellwein engines. King of LTX imo.
thats awesome – love the wheels and stance!
death to big steel rims…I hate them ALMOST as much as I hate any other large diameter wheel….
Overall tho, it works…I dig it and would gladly give it a thourough thrashing.
I’m amazed that I’m not the only one who thought the choice of rims/caps didn’t work. Love the car, the drivetrain and even the autobox works for me, and I’m not slagging the builder/owner but the rims really leave you wanting.
Magnum 500’s would have been the business on this Rodney if I had a say…………. 🙂
I was hoping for a LT5 with a touch of boost.
THATADISTERRIBLE!
I’d take the factory 6 popper before I’d want to put an opti-spark on that lt4.
You didn’t even notice the big rims until you read the article. Admit it.