Body
Says Frank: "All exterior paint and bodywork were completed before we purchased the car. We added aftermarket repro trim. We cleaned and painted the engine compartment and undercarriage using PPG basecoat/clearcoat products." Paint is original color code 962-Saddle Tan.
Chassis
The Nova's original "chassis" is a woeful thing, an accident waiting to tumble down. Brakes, steering, and location all suck in this car. Replacing the bad stuff with the good stuff is the only way to avoid mayhem. The TCI components, along with the sheetmetal wheel aprons, lend a feeling of neatness and spaciousness to the engine compartment. Not a fleck of schmutz anywhere. Thankfully, the firewall hasn't been shorn completely. The equipment that remains adds specks of dimension to Frank's nicely detailed engine. He connected the ends of the car with 2x2-inch rails, infused the tube-arm front suspension with Air Ride bladders, and nailed down the butt end with four parallel links and another brace of ShockWaves. Directional rotation is dictated by a manual-box Flaming River assembly pointing TCI Mustang II spindles. A dropped transmission crossmember helps tighten up the Nova's wiggly undercarriage.
Wheels & Brakes
Frank had no compunction over escaping the 15-inch wheel plague, either, and his choice of 17s made way for a healthy influx of braking performance. Wilwood four-piston slammers hug 13-inch front and 12-inch rear rotors. Frank formed and installed all the brake lines. Road gear consists of Intro Hammer 5 hoops, at a modest 17x7 and 17x8, and flypaper-sticky Kumho P205/45ZR and P255/ 50ZR rubber.