That's my woodsman shaker back 79 when it was still black. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I'm looking for a project. Would like to build a period correct nova gasser. If anyone knows of one for sale. Thanks Russ
Here are some photos off my website of Chevy II FX cars, 1962-1965 models. Actually, other than the '62 Nicholson wagon (first photo) most of the rest were not legal NHRA FX cars (wheelbases altered past the 2% relocation allowance). The radical wheelbase modifications would put the majority of these cars in the "match race" category, and why not? That's where the money was in those days. All of these photos are from "back in the day", so you can get a good feel for how these cars really looked. Driven hard and put away wet... http://georgeklass.net/super-stock.html
Here are a few more of the '62-'65 Chevy II's... This photo is from the 1962 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, the A/FX final between Hayden Proffitt's 421" Pontiac Tempest and an unknown SB Chevy powered 4-door Chevy II. This was the first NHRA event that featured the Factor Experimental class. Engine, transmission and rear end transplants were legal, but the cars had to have a stock wheelbase and be all steel. Tube front axles were legal if they came off the same brand vehicle (in other words, if Pontiac made a tube front axle for any other vehicle, it could be used on the Tempest, etc.). Both of these cars used OEM front suspension and a rear end from the larger cars (Pontiac Catalina for the Tempest, which replaced the original swing axle) and a rear end from a Chevy Impala for the Chevy II. As it turned out, NHRA mistakenly put this Chevy II in A/FX, and it should have been in B/FX. The car could have run the Chevy 409 engine instead of the 327 SB. http://georgeklass.net/super-stock.html
Slightly off topic, as it's not a Chevy II FX car, but I thought you might be interested in a photo of one more original A/FX car, a Dodge Lancer with a 413" Dodge S/S engine under the hood. This car was built by Dragmaster in San Diego, well known for their dragsters. Notice that hood scoops were not permitted, unless the car originally had a hood scoop. All steel body parts were required in 1962. Basically, FX cars in the beginning were Super Stock engines in smaller (and lighter) bodies, with slightly larger tires (whatever would fit in the stock unmodified rear wheel wells). This shot is also from the '62 NHRA Winternats in Pomona. http://georgeklass.net/super-stock.html
Well, it depends. If you wanted to build an "original style NHRA A/FX Chevy II ('62 vintage)", all you need to do is to drop a 409 dual-quad engine in it with a 4-speed and a stronger Chevy rear end housing, along with a few more leaves on the rear springs. The rest of the car can't be altered if you want to have an accurate "restoration". Even need to keep steel wheels (narrow fronts, wider rears). On the other hand, if you wanted to capture the "match race" look of the era ('63-'65), get out the torch (and your checkbook or Amex Card).
I'm going match racing! (at Drag Week) blown 427, altered wheelbase, 57 ford rear, tube axle up front, tilt steel front sheetmetal, etc.
If you prefer the '66-'67 Chevy II's (the Nova), here are a few. http://georgeklass.net/super-stock.html
That car is like so many others of the period. Built on a shoe-string budget with almost no "trick" parts. Just gut anything that can be un-bolted from the car, inside and out to make it lighter. It was a lot cheaper to get rid of the windows completely than to duplicate them out of plexiglass or Lexan. Most guys even kept the steel hoods. Keep it simple and keep it cheap, and see if you could get a booking to match race some other guy for a few bucks on the weekends. For every Dyno Don and Sox & Martin and their "factory paid for" race cars, there were 50 guys that built these cars in their own driveways and towed them around with a tow-bar behind the family pick-up truck. Actually, they were very easy to build, especially if you already had a Super Stock engine laying around in the garage (there was no money in S/S for all practical purposes). And these cars got pretty well thrashed if you were lucky enough to do a lot of match racing. It won't get in any magazines but it had an over-bored Z-11 engine and a box full of rosin to spread around under the tires. You can see where the tow-bar bolts on under the front bumper for the tow to the next gig. No trailer for this dude. No helmet or roll bar either...
The 'Driveway built', no-budget, low buck cars have always been my style of cars... Love the pictures and stories George... Keep more coming if you can! Glenn
We are talking about a time 50 years ago, give or take. I could tell you many stories about drag racing back then but I'm worried that the statute of limitations might still be in effect, lol...
Hey Squirrel, if you are stretching the rear wheel opening you can use the sheetmetal that you cut out of the rocker as the patch for the opening created by streching the wheel opening. Thats how I did it and it worked good. Also make sure you move the quarter pannel at least an inch more than the axle for tire clearance. MELTDOWN DRAGS JULY 18-20 2014
I should have said that the rocker and sheet metal removed have the same shape as the wheel opening so it makes it a snap to do. MELTDOWN DRAGS JULY 18-20 2014
I made my rear spring mounts 3" lower than stock and also used two mono leaf springs per side. I just ground the factory pin down and drilled bothe springs for a new center pin. It rode way smoother than you would think, anf with all that extra weight that the rear carried it still didn't sit street freak high. With an iron headed bbc I still removed thre leaves per side on the front of the speedway springs to make it sit the way you see in the pics. MELTDOWN DRAGS JULY 18-20 2014
I'm probably going to do it more like this, leave the quarter as is, but cut a big chunk out to clear the tires. It will look crude...but that's ok thanks for the tips!
Any of you Nova owners got manifolds hanging around for the 153 Ci. 4? I need a set for the 153 in my 23 T project. PM me if you can help locate a set.
Damn that looks great..<object width="1" height="1" classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="undefined" value="http://lovesmileys.com/f2/3/swatch_white.swf" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://lovesmileys.com/f2/3/swatch_white.swf" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed width="1" height="1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://lovesmileys.com/f2/3/swatch_white.swf" undefined="http://lovesmileys.com/f2/3/swatch_white.swf" allowScriptAccess="always" allowscriptaccess="always" /></object>
How mine ended up....yeah, it took the first half (or so) of 2014 to get it done, but it came out OK. Dipped into the nines in Tulsa last weekend. The rear wheelwell is ugly, and not period correct...but it's lighter, cheaper (I would have had to buy patch panels to do it "right"), and it forces you to notice that it's been altered. I wanted the car to be fast, so I took out as much weight as possible, within my low budget. The car is all steel. Many thanks to George for the pics of all the old race cars...it really helped with figuring out the lettering. And the headers. Since this is a street car, it has lights, hood, windows, wipers, etc. 2800 miles on it already!
The Jalopy Journal
