"Just like most street cars, it started out to be an 11-second car. It all began with a 383 and evolved from there. Now it's got a 540. We started racing in a local 11/48-mile stock-suspension class and went a best of 5.63.
"Everyone has his own opinion of what a street car is. Some will say it is anything you can drive on the street. I think anyone can take a tubbed car, gut it all out, and make it fast. It's a lot harder to take a stock-suspension drag-radial car, use pump gas, and go 153 mph or faster," Justin offers proudly.
The deal with the stock suspension thing is to have the whole system integral and working as one. And how do you handle the big-block application correctly? For this, Justin and Dave went to Smith Racecraft (Dallas) for its round-tube frontend assembly, which includes front- and mid-motor plates and rack steering and is purported to be a bolt-on. It also pared 150 ugly ones off the Nova's nose.
There's also the matter of blood lust, so the Nova has been known to rampage public roads "now and then." Though the engine could easily handle a bit more compression, Justin keeps it at a pump-gas-amenable 10:1.
Now, the most important part of the whole project and the absolute key to keeping she who must be obeyed on an even tack: "I need to give special thanks to my wife Eva for being so understanding over the years and to Dave Steffey. Without them I could not have built this car." Dave's pretty much on his own, but hey, Justin, Eva might enjoy a token that's a little more tangible, like a diamond something.
Motor
Ray Morton up Spring Hill way machined and built the 540 off a 4.5-inch bore filled with JE 10:1 slugs (also rings and pistons pins). Manley rods hold 'em on the forged steel crankshaft. Comp Cams got the nod for the entire valvetrain assembly, beginning with the timing gear. Specs on the bumpstick are somewhat proprietary (0.714 inch lift on both valves, duration unknown), but they tickle Manley valves in Merlin III aluminum castings that were ported and flowed by H.P.S. Cylinder Heads in Tarpon Springs. At the bottom of it all are a Milodon 6-quart pan and Melling oil pump.
On the top of the heap, Justin insinuated a 1050 Holley Dominator on an Edelbrock Victor intake manifold, and the meticulous Dave Steffey plumbed it righteous for the NOS 300-shot. MSD handles the ignition sequence with the timing at 29 degrees total. One feature of the Smith Racecraft frontend assembly is that it accommodates even the largest primary pipes in a respectable, efficient form. The newfound room provided by the Racecraft frontend enabled Lemons Headers to build a gorgeous system with 211/44-inch pipes. Justin merged them with Flowmaster race muffs. ARP fasteners are stationed throughout the assembly.