A four-car garage that offers an extensive set of automotive tools and plenty of room to work - this is the sort of space where a gearhead can enjoy a well-earned retirement.
Above: The Chevrolet LSA crate engine is backed by a Tremec T56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission. The stock supercharged engine does have a custom air intake tube and K&N air filter element. The exhaust system has also been customized with a Church Boys 1-7/8-inch diameter racing headers, three-inch mandrel bent stainless steel exhaust pipes back to and through SpinTech three-inch mufflers. As you can imagine, the 6.2-liter, 556-horsepower mill makes a healthy rumble at idle and also sounds mighty fine in traffic or at speed.
Yes. Retirement. Not every human being, who has an entire career behind him or her wants to go fishing, or play golf, or tennis, or travel around the world, or be an influencer on social media for that matter. Some of us would just like to spend some quality time in the garage renewing a piece of American automotive history, perhaps with some likeminded buddies or toiling alone with just our creativity and talent to keep us company and working (creating) away. Such is the case for a gentleman named John Lambert, who lives in San Juan Capistrano, California.
Above: A Flaming River steering wheel crowns the Dakota Digital HDX gauge cluster and dash.
One of CI's professional photographer's, Vicente Diaz, had just finished photographing another customer's '67 Nova in the Classic Industries' retail showroom parking lot, when Mr. Lambert approached us and showed us some photos of his recently completed car on his cell phone. We knew straightaway that we wanted to snap some beauty shots of his Nova and write an article, despite the photos being two inches wide by one inch tall on John's phone. I was thinking to myself that, if I was still writing and photographing for some of the now non-existent car magazines, his '67 would be a cover car. John mentioned right at the jump that All Chevy Performance, an In the Garage Media magazine title, had his car on the September 2024 cover and had written a great story about the Nova, complete with some stunning photos shot with the Long Beach, California coastline as a stylish backdrop.
When car enthusiast magazines were abundant, it was considered taboo to follow a competing magazine's car article with a second article on the same vehicle. With the advent of the internet however, those same rules don't apply - a great vehicle is a great vehicle, and it deserves lavish acknowledgement of all the fabricators, hobbyists, mechanics, engineers, and pro shops involved in building the running work of art.
Above: Professional trimmer, Ron Mangus, owner of Ron Mangus Hot Rod Interiors, in Yucaipa, CA, upholstered the 2006 Pontiac GTO front bucket seats in black vinyl with a white horizontal seat back stripe, and gave the rear bench seat and the door panels the same Nova SS style treatment. Old Anvil Speed Shop, in Orange, CA, fabricated the 1.75-inch diameter roll cage.
After a one-year search, John found the Nova in Bakersfield. Upon taking the car apart to then build it to his plan, he learned that the Nova was regrettably full of rust, in spite of the fact that the previous owner said the car was rust free.
John wound up replacing the body floors, trunk floor, door skins, quarter panels, and hood with OER panels, purchased from Classic Industries. He then installed the 2.5-inch mini-tubs, which was easy. The brackets used for locating the Currie nine-inch rear end/axle had to be redesigned several times before successfully installing the rear suspension system. This part of the build was fairly challenging.
All in, the body prep and paint took almost one year. Old Anvil Speed Shop performed the body paint prep. Cambra Speed Shop, also in Orange, CA, applied the PPG gray paint scheme. The artful Ron Mangus Nova SS interior upholstery trim work took another six months.
Above: That's a Currie nine-inch rear axle with 3.89:1 gears and TwinTrac limited-slip differential. A TCI rear suspension system with torque arm and Ridetech Stage 2 coilover shock absorbers provides great handling and smoothes out the road bumps quite well.
Above: Superb braking for the Nova was/is achieved by installing a Wilwood dual master cylinder and 12-inch rotors with four-piston calipers braking system for the front and the rear brakes.
Above: The front subframe/suspension system consists of a TCI subframe and crossmember, Two-inch drop spindles, tubular upper and lower control arms, a Mustang II power steering rack and pinion system, performance anti-roll bar, and Ridetech Stage 2 coilover shocks.
Above: The OER body panels and floor panels are looking good. Mr. Lambert's Nova is almost ready to be transported to Old Anvil Speed Shop for the paint prep phase of the build. His Nova and his well-equipped four-car garage/shop is the envy of most every old car hobbyist on the planet.
Above: Though Mr. Lambert has been in the old car hobby much of his life, his 1967 Chevy II Nova is his first start to finish, ground-up restomod, pro-touring build. The result is a stunning success!
Above: The Optima Yellow Top battery, some stereo components, and electrical subsystems are hidden behind the Nova's backseat and in front of the trunk's front wall. An Alpine Type R head unit, Type S speakers, and amps comprise the stereo system - installed by Speaker Works, in Orange, CA.
Above: The headlights are NovaStar GX headlights. Notice the GoodGuys Car Show in Del Mar - One of Top 10 Cars award sticker for the 2024 event.
Above: The wheels are 18×9-inch and 18×11-inch Forgeline ZX3's. Falken Azenis radial tires shod the sexy and high-performance rolling stock and are sized 245/40R18's in the front and 315/30R18's in the back.
Above: The LED taillights have Eddie Motorsports bezels.
Since John, with much help from longtime buddy Rob Hervey, finished the Nova in January 2024, he quickly entered the car in the Grand National Roadster Show. He placed first in class at the 2024 GNRS, which is a huge accomplishment. The Nova's winning ways have continued at subsequent events:
If you're also building a Chevy II Nova or a later model Nova, you may rest assured that Classic Industries has a bountiful supply of reproduction, replacement, and performance components available for your vehicle. You can shop by vehicle online for those must-have Nova items. You can also request that Classic Industries mail a Nova / Chevy II Parts and Accessories Catalog right to your residence.