Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

The 1963 Fastback Novas...

http://www.novaresource.org/history/novafb1.jpg

In 1963, Chevrolet created three fastback Novas for road race competition. The Novas were all convertibles pulled from the regular production line. They were then shipped to the Corvette plant for the addition of fiberglass parts. The doors, inner panels, front fenders, hood and both front and rear bumpers were all 'glass. The new roof and fastback was also made of fiberglass and bonded to the metal. The fastback covered what would have been the trunk lid and blocked all access to the trunk area from the outside.

http://www.novaresource.org/history/novafb2.jpg

After a 1963 Corvette independent rear suspension was also added, the cars were shipped to Bill Thomas in California. Chevrolet also shipped the "Mystery Motors", that later ended up with Smokey Yunick, to Bill to be installed in the Novas. Bills job was to install the engines and setup the suspension for road racing. Before the Novas could be completed, GM put a ban on all factory racing.

http://www.novaresource.org/history/novafb4.jpg

GM ordered the cars crushed but Bill worked out a deal to keep the cars as payment for his work. The engines were sent back to Chevrolet and then to Smokey Yunick in Florida. He then sold one Nova to Fritz Callier, a Chevrolet dealer in Dallas,to be drag raced. Another one was sold to a Los Angeles Chevrolet dealer who drag raced it for less than two months before crashing it and totally destroying it. The third was sold to Alan Green Chevrolet in Seattle.

http://www.novaresource.org/history/novafb3.jpg

Alan Green also drag raced the Nova with driver Dick Milner and crew chief Tom Foster. Green, Milner and Foster raced the Nova at drag strips throughout the northwest United States and western Canada from 1963 until 1967. During one race the fastback roof blew off at 155 mph. The team then ventilated the rear section to keep the car from wanting to fly above 150 mph.

These fastback Novas sport a roof line similar to, but predating, that of the Plymouth Barracuda, AMC Marlin, 1966 Dodge Charger and about half of the late-1960's-era Fords. Fastbacks were popular with buyers in the later 60's, but aerodynamic efficiency on the race track was the main concern of Chevrolet engineers. Ironically, even though they were built to be road raced, all three of the fastback Novas spent almost their entire racing lives on the drag strip.

http://www.novaresource.org/history.htm

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Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

For what it's worth, in 1974 I went to an older mans home in Parsippany N.J. to see about buying a 67 Z-28 that he had for sale. When I got there he told me that he had 2 67 Z-28s that he and his brother had bought new. The one that he wanted to sell was pretty rusty and, at the time, not worth his asking price (hindsite?) but we had a nice conversation and he showed me his other toys. That's where this story gets good. He takes me into a garage and there sits a phonebooth T and a fastback Chevy II ! It was in primer and had an injected big block in it. And I have no idea what happened to it, I never saw it again.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

I always thought the 63 Nova fastback was a split window!!!!!!LOL

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Can you remember anymore details about the fastback Nova, any traces of old paint, any other body modifications, what type of mag wheels were on it, etc.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Anyway here's a couple of shots of a Ray Doyan's fastback Nova...also notice the Nova emblem on the quarter panel.

http://images34.fotki.com/v1192/phot...11968DN-vi.jpg

http://inlinethumb39.webshots.com/34...600x600Q85.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

San Antonio Tx. The CKC car.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Nope, too many years gone by. It was gray primer with no hood scoop and injector stacks through the hood.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Huston Platt in the Dixie Twister...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...5&d=1245808442

http://images31.fotki.com/v1097/phot...acknova-vi.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

If I had to take a guess, I would say that the car I saw was this one. It did have a straight axle and it had a 65 grille in it.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

It has the 65 SS only side moldings,and wheel opening moldings.the molding behind the rear wheel looks to be stretched also.The early funny cars had to be at least a 65 model ,so may be they changed a 63 to a 65 with the trim.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Like to see one of today's Big Show shoes try this thing on for size:

http://image.superchevy.com/f/913765...front_view.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Here's a few early shots of the CKC fastback Nova...

http://images34.fotki.com/v1195/phot...HR26519-vi.jpg

http://images36.fotki.com/v1180/phot...ack2662-vi.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...s/tn_nova1.jpghttp://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...s/tn_nova3.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...s/tn_nova4.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1.../tn_nova10.jpg

Found these over on The SuperCar Registry. It was posted in '07.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

And, if only 3 were made for racing......someone explain this obvious '63/64 picture I found over on the H.A.M.B.

http://images56.fotki.com/v701/photo...MG_8626-vi.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3.../Twisterad.jpg

Wonder what the asking price was?

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

One last pic for the day.
Again, from an '06 forum on The SuperCar Registry:

http://www.yenko.net/attachments/200...erII-viadj.jpg

http://images34.fotki.com/v1194/phot...stback7-vi.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Did they say who's fastback Chevy II / Nova race car this was originally...I see traces of lots of different colors on it...and a straight axle front end.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

It was reported to be, and supported by his daughter, this car, driven by Dick Milner.

http://www.npsaracing.com/images/IMG_1620_filt.jpg


http://images52.fotki.com/v729/photo...h1966vi-vi.jpg


If you just feel like chasing one.....here's an old phone number to start with.

http://www.bracketracer.com/nova/nov...ackForsale.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Charlie, don't laugh I might just try it...these have got to be one of the coolest looking Chevys built for racing that I've ever seen...uhh, what did I just say?

http://www.bracketracer.com/nova/nov...ackForsale.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3.../Twisterad.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Interesting photo, wonder if it was one of the fastback Novas before the modifications were done...or maybe it was a street version?

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Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

It seems the Alan Green Chevrolet fastback Chevy II / Nova started out as dark green, then painted lime green, and then ended up being painted yellow over the years...until it was found as seen in the previous photos.

http://images35.fotki.com/v1197/phot...rch1966-vi.jpg

http://images34.fotki.com/v1195/phot...stback8-vi.jpg

http://images47.fotki.com/v1455/phot...evyIIAG-vi.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...27TJ/00024.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

http://www.draglist.com/artman2/uploads/1/MB3.jpg

http://speedcityresin.com/AlanGreenInPits.jpg

http://speedcityresin.com/alangreenfastback.jpg

http://www.npsaracing.com/images/IMG_1623_filt.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Article on the CKC Chevy II / Nova fastback...funny it shows a few different big blocks in it though.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...8&d=1314565811

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...4&d=1314565811

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...5&d=1314565811

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...6&d=1314565811

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...9&d=1314565811

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

A couple more early pics of the CKC Chevy II / Nova fastback...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3569/...18c0dfc7bb.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2427/3...6a7_z.jpg?zz=1

http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/o...rag_racing.jpg

http://speedcityresin.com/ckc%20fastback%20chevy.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

And a few of when they switched to injection & supercharged engines...

http://images32.fotki.com/v1102/phot...o3868DW-vi.jpg

http://images35.fotki.com/v1169/phot...51967DW-vi.jpg

http://image.superchevy.com/f/913768...ar+burnout.jpg

http://images33.fotki.com/v1189/phot...SSDI266-vi.jpg

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Has anyone here ever heard of how many of these fastback Nova's that survived after all these years...

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

whats incredible is the rear is independent suspension, front solid. rear has coil over shocks and springs and front leafs, that is some amout of fabricating they did then.
It must've been some wild ride from launch, thru the full stop.

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

this is a pic of the car that I saw. I don't know if it was taken before or after I saw it but it is sitting at Sedgefield Gulf in Parsippany N.J..

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

That Sedgefiled Gulf Station was owned and run by Earl Benson for many many years.

Earl and his brother Bobby.....my good friend in high school......raced various cars.

They lived in Lake Hiawatha NJ and Bobby and I spent lots of time messing with cars and reading Earl's little Hot Rod Magazine collection before we were 17....

They owned a sizable property with a huge garage and other garages.

Their father ran a dairy and food delivery service out of the big garage before he died.


Earl had a Corvette and raced it as a gasser with injection. I can recall him struggling with that injection trying to get the car off the line....

Bobby at one time had a Turbo Corvair and raced it as well....

I passed that station many times and still do as 2 of my good friends live close by.

I don't recall ever seeing that Nova and have no recollection of the Bensons ever racing anything like that......

They basically were just locals like so many back then that went to the drags with a car to race for
trophys....


P.S. The van in the background of the picture is one I probably drove ! I worked at that parts store along with another friend around 1969-1970 for a short while....

Re: Chevrolet Racing, the early years.
 

Some other racers used the other regular Chevy II / Nova bodies like this one with the motor set back...

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me...xvpo1_1280.jpg