'70 Nova V/SA to F/SA Makeover

[Doug Hoven]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

Don't "lose" those original 6 cyl. drums!

Don?t worry, they?re safe and dry. OBTW, for inquiring minds, the weight savings was 8lb per side. And these are not the super lightweight brakes. They are definitely lighter than a stock rotor, but are still finned.

[Tim H]

Any "news" to share or results from this season ?

[Doug Hoven]

Originally Posted by Tim H

Any "news" to share or results from this season ?

Well, I've had some ups and downs this season. For the most part, the car has been great. Apart from maybe one or two runs, the car has followed my ET predictions really well. As a driver I've sort of just been all over the place this season. But, for it only being my 3rd full season of racing, I can't be too unhappy with how I've been doing. I've definitely made some progress in my E.T.'s this season compared to last year. My best ET in NHRA competition this year has been 11.21, knocking on the .65 under mark. The timing of the Dutch classic this year could be a recipe for some fast runs. I'm pretty pleased with how the car has been running. I am aware of a handful of things that are making my car "slow," but for now, my budget has determined where I've spent my money with this project. The front discs haven't shown me any ET so far, but the car is much nicer to stage, and more importantly it stops much better than before.

[Doug Hoven]

Well I originally was going to end the season with the conclusion of the "Dutch Classic/Virginia LODRS," but I made a last minute decision to do some "foot swapping" down at M.I.R. this past weekend to close out my season. For having never not used the 2 step, the car worked very well with a best of a 1.42 60ft. I struggled hitting the very loose tree, and by the time I figured out what I had to do, it was too late. I did manage to go a few rounds here and there, with a 4th round loss in the "gamblers" race Saturday night being the most notable, which made for some very nice pictures of the car. For Stock/Super Stock racers that never have, I would definitely recommend attending a "money race" like this some time. This marks the end of the season, with my best E.T. at an NHRA race now being an 11.18 at almost 116 at maple grove. Work on the car this winter will most likely reside in things like "neatening up" the wiring in the car, as well as some fiddling around with the "traction bar" setup that is on the car currently.

[Billy Nees]

Wow! nice car! ;-)

[Mike Gray]

So how would you rate the footbrake vs 2 step, which was better for RT and 60'? Do you leave at the same rpm?
I wanted to try some runs on footbrake only but haven't had a chance yet.
Nice picture and a pretty good wheelie for an 11 sec. car that looks like the front doesn't have a ton of travel dialed in.
(also like the color )

[Doug Hoven]

Originally Posted by Mike Gray

So how would you rate the footbrake vs 2 step, which was better for RT and 60'? Do you leave at the same rpm?
I wanted to try some runs on footbrake only but haven't had a chance yet.
Nice picture and a pretty good wheelie for an 11 sec. car that looks like the front doesn't have a ton of travel dialed in.
(also like the color )

My testing in footbrake vs 2 step is inconclusive. From looking at timeslips with similar 330' and 660' numbers, the 60ft times I was seeing down there were very similar to what I've seen with the 2 step. However, the headers that I was using at Maple grove were not my own, and I had to return them to their owner, so I threw my "trusty" hooker super competition 1-3/4 headers on and went down there. The car was down on 660' mph from Maple grove, which I am going to "blame" on the header change, but, I was also running the car a little heavier at the footbrake race to try and ward off any potential traction issues. What I did notice, was I used my 2 step launch rpm as my footbrake rpm point, and then at one point decided to go up 500 rpm, and the car picked up .02 in 60ft. Personally, my "grouping" of R/T has proven to be more consistent on the "foot swap" over the 2 step. As far as front end travel goes, the springs that I put in the car are definitely better than what was in there, but the front end runs out of energy pretty quickly. I like the "lowered" look the car has, but trying to find springs that will keep the front end low, as well as retain energy all the way through the range of travel is proving to be tricky.

[Mike Gray]

I'm definitely going to try the footbrake and some more rpm, a .02 improvement in the 60' would be good.
I also would like to change my Hooker super competition headers for a set from REF and try a radial tire. (When the budget allows)
I bought new springs from Marty Rinehart, you might want to give him a try.

[Doug Hoven]

Well, it's been a while since I've posted on this thread. The car has seen a few changes over the past few months, and I was forced to learn some things. The most obvious change to the car is that the car once again sounds like it has a 230-inch 6 cylinder in it, but that is just due to the bundle of snakes that found their way onto the car earlier last month (see pictures below). While I was assisting with the headers, I noticed the bellhousing on my th200 was cracked yet again. This time I figured out why it re-cracked the bellhousing and remedied the issue. Due to time constraints, and the fact that I conveniently purchased a core for $75 a few weeks prior, I taught myself (with some over the phone guidance) on how to re-case a th200. So far so good with my DIY transmission, and as far as the headers go, they aren't too shabby either. I've also been driving myself crazy with ride height changes, which I'm hoping to put an end to by installing some 180lb/in landrum front springs in the next day or so. I had a fun trip with Billy out in Norwalk last week, where the "crew cab" nova made an appearance. Next stop, Lebanon Valley next weekend.

[Troy Henderson]

Would love to know how the crossovers perform vs some 4 to 1's. Super cool!