It was back to the school of higher learning at Meguiars' Headquarters-literally. We spent the day in the classroom and listened with open ears to get the real gist of paint theory and practices with marketing director Mike Pennington playing teacher and leading the way. Pennington drilled us in the process of wet sanding and explained, "a lot of imperfections lie under the clear, between the paint." He went over evaluating the paint surface and deciding if wet sanding is right for you. Pennington didn't try to fool us; he told us wet sanding takes time-and patience-but moreover, just plain practice.

Pennington showed us what to look for and the process through which many paint shops go to get that high-end, show-car quality. Pennington even suggests visiting a local junkyard to practice the fine art of wet sanding. It's too easy to get carried away and end up burning right through your freshly painted sheetmetal. Practicing on a junk panel is a great idea. "It will give you a feel of what and what not to do." No big deal if the panel gets worse. Take it to a paint shop and have them respray it.

While we were at Meguiar's, through its two-liquid-stage cutting and polishing compounds, we achieved a show-car-like finish on even the most measly of paint jobs. This isn't a sure cure for the paint, as some jobs really do need to be repsrayed. But for most jobs, wet sanding and polishing can relieve you of those nasty swirl marks, orange peel, overspray, and fisheyes.

Quick Notes
What it is
Meguiar's two-stage cut and polish compounds

Bottom line
It's not that hard to get a high-end, production finish.

Price (APPROX)
$100

Paint Depth Gauge
Although expensive, paint depth gauges can keep an eye on the thickness of paint. The gauges can guide you and display when the paint is too thin to continue wet sanding or even cutting with compound. Think about it: $400 for a depth gauge or the cost (not to mention labor) of repainting the panel that's too far gone to fix.

THE SHOPPING CART
ITEM	PN	PRICE
Cutting compound	M10501	$30
Polishing compound	M8232	$15
Wool pad	W5000	$30
Foam pad	W8000	$14
Detailing spray	M3416	$7
	TOTAL	$96

Air springs are to suspension systems what vacuum-secondary carbs are to engines. Catch a glimpse of vacuum-secondaries under the hood of a hot rod and you'll automatically assume the motor's a turd. Real men want full throttle right now, baby, and dig carbs that hit hard! Never mind the fact that vacuum-secondary carbs can easily make as much peak horsepower as their similarly sized mechanical-secondary counterparts without sacrificing streetability. Likewise, witnessing a car that can alter its ride height at will elicits a similar knee-jerk response. Air suspension is for poseurs, not racers, so it has no place in your musclecar, right? Not if Air Ride Technologies has a say in the matter.

The company has developed a habit of making converts out of skeptics. Not just any skeptics, but pros who happen to be among the best road racers in the country. Air Ride enlists big-time racers such as Boris Said and Scott Pruett-two guys who race alongside the likes of Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart-to test its products, and the feedback from the harshest critics around has been overwhelmingly positive. Common sense says that if it impresses them, it will probably impress you too. So how does it work, what are its benefits, how do you tune them, and how hard are they to install? We talked with Bret Voelkel to find out, and we quizzed him on other assorted suspension design topics as well.

Spring Rates
Whether a progressive-rate spring or a linear-rate spring is better for hard-core cornering is much debated, but there is a time and place for each. According to Bret, the only argument against using a progressive spring rate would come from the potential tuning headaches it creates for novices. "A progressive spring rate is just one more tuning variable to throw into the mix when it comes to overall suspension tuning, but if you have an adjustable suspension and the know-how, then that variable is easily manageable," he explains. When it comes to air springs, they can be made to be perfectly linear or extremely progressive. Air Ride typically uses double-convoluted air springs in the front suspension since it's highly leveraged. "This is because the front wheel always travels faster and longer than the air spring and shock, so we want the air spring to gain spring rate much quicker to properly control the oscillations of the vehicle. In the rear, we typically use a sleeve-style air spring with a nearly linear spring rate. Since the rear air spring is more of a direct load application that moves at the same rate as the axle and wheels, it needs more travel and a softer spring rate throughout its travel."

Components
"An air suspension is viewed as being more complex than a mechanical suspension, but in reality, the only additional part is the compressor system. The coil spring is replaced by an air spring, and you still need a shock absorber, just like in a traditional suspension. A compressor system can be as simple or as complex as the customer desires. A simple compressor system would consist of a compressor, a tank, air lines, and an inflate/deflate valve for each air spring. An automatic leveling system would add ride-height sensors and some sort of electronic controls to process the data generated by the leveling sensors. This is an area that has a lot of variables and could fill an entire article by itself."

Adjustability
"One of the biggest benefits of an air suspension system is the ability to quickly tune the chassis to prevailing track conditions. Theoretically, you could achieve the same performance from a mechanical spring as you could from an air spring if you had the necessary skill, patience, and equipment to properly tune the suspension. However, road conditions are only one factor to consider in a car that sees both street and track duty. If you change the load in the vehicle with passengers or luggage, you have to start all over with the tuning process. It takes a lot of perseverance to tune a suspension via the traditional method of changing components through trial and error. Therefore, people often end up living with some level of compromise in ride quality or cornering performance. An air spring gives the ability to make tuning changes much quicker and easier at the touch of a button, which often equates to less compromise."

Construction & Durability
Those unfamiliar with air springs may question their durability, but they're actually the spring of choice in applications far more demanding than any standard passenger car. "Since air suspension is somewhat new to the hot rod world, it is assumed that it is a new invention altogether," says Bret. "The truth is that more than 95 percent of all semitrucks use air springs-and have for over 25 years. Just like a tire, air springs are made from layers of fabric and rubber, and the weave of the fabric is a key element in determining the expansion characteristics and performance of the spring. Firestone's been making air springs for more than 70 years, and they manufacture springs for us to our specifications."

Shop Cars
"Air Ride has a total of 28 in-house project cars, and there are two simple reasons for having such an extensive collection. First, I feel the only way to develop a product is to have a car in front of you for an extended period of time. This means no customer-imposed deadlines, cost considerations, or squeamishness about hurting their car. Therefore, you must own the car. Furthermore, the development should not stop when the first system is shipped. We constantly evaluate and refine our products based on our experiences on the road and at the track. Since we are building the car anyway, we also take the opportunity to create installation tech and track-day articles and take photos for ads and various feature articles. It is a time-proven method of development, refinement, and promotion that we have copied from the pioneers of hot rodding and racing. The cars are much more a tool than a toy in these respects. The second reason for having so many cars in-house is that it's a great excuse to feed my personal hot rod habit. I love these cars because, as is the case for many of our customers, I grew up with them."

Air Leaks
One of the most common snafus of an air suspension install is air leaks, but fortunately, a few simple tricks can help you avoid them. If the air lines are cut cleanly and squarely, and thread sealer is used on the pipe fittings, leaks are actually quite rare. "To locate a leak, the old-fashioned method of spraying the connections with soapy water works best," explains Bret. More likely than not, the culprit will be at one of the connections. "I don't think I have ever seen an air spring itself leak. It's always a fitting that is left loose or has no sealer. DOT-approved fittings are a must as well, since they have a built-in insert that supports the inside of the plastic tubing to seal it better than standard fittings."

Four-Link Conversions
Air Ride's AirBar rear suspension system converts a factory leaf-spring suspension into a four-link. This begs the question: How is a four-link superior to conventional leaf springs? "A leaf spring is asked to perform several functions in the suspension," explains Bret. "In addition to holding the car up, it is expected to control the lateral, front-to-back, and pinion-angle movements of the rear axle. Obviously, trying to optimize all these functions ends up in compromise. By separating the job of suspending the car from the job of holding the axle in the car, we can optimize each job more easily."

Musclecar Handling
The straight-line machines of the musclecar era had some shortcomings in basic suspension design, and Air Ride works hard to correct these issues using modern technology. Bret says most OEM front suspension systems, especially those in GM vehicles, were designed to tilt the top of the tire outward when compressed. This resulted in understeer when driven to the extreme. "Their thinking was that in a panic situation, most drivers would instinctively go for the brakes, which, in a pushing situation would be the safe and correct action, but this design does not offer optimal handling," explains Bret. "Ideally, the top of the tire should tilt inward when compressed to maintain maximum tire contact when cornering, and we offer a taller spindle for several applications that improves this geometry. Likewise, the large, cushy pivot bushings commonly used in the '60s lead to lots of suspension slop. We use a firmer rubber or polyurethane bushing to maintain suspension integrity."

Drag Racing
For those with eclectic tastes, an unfortunate byproduct of a tight chassis that handles well is compromised grip at the dragstrip. With the extreme adjustability of an air suspension, however, you can have the best of both worlds. "Just like any other form of racing, setting up an air-suspended car for drag racing isn't much different from setting up a traditional suspension," says Bret. "I am not a drag racing expert, but in general, we try to set the car up as loose as possible without getting into wheelhop. Loosen the extension valving on the rear to allow the rear suspension to lift the car and plant its tires. Also, loosen the front extension valving to allow the front end to come up and transfer the weight to the rear while keeping in mind that some cars like a bit more preload in the right rear spring to plant that tire better."

Installation Tips
Although it takes the better part of a weekend, installing an air suspension is rather straight-forward. The only special tools you may need are an electric saw and a welder, and a digital angle finder will assist in setting up the pinion angle. "As with any customization, take your time by measuring three times and cutting once," he explains. "If you run into a problem or a question, please give us a call, since that is why you bought the stuff from us in the first place. I always advise customers to call a potential manufacturer with some trial questions before buying to determine the level of service they can expect after the sale. We have our installation instructions on our Web site so the customer can get a good idea of what he is in for before buying."

R&D
"Several criteria must be simultaneously considered when creating a suspension, such as safety, ride height, ground clearance, driveline angles, air spring height, shock length, tire clearance, and component interference. We start by making a general decision on highway ride height and then mock up an air spring at its intended ride height. This tells us if any modification will have to be made to fit the air spring into the car properly. From there, it's a matter of making those accommodations, building a control arm, clearancing a coil pocket, and making sure proper ground clearance, driveline angles, and tire clearances are maintained. After a first version of the suspension is built, we usually take a drive and decide if any revisions need to be made for better performance or to accommodate the manufacturing process. In all, a typical system takes 8 to 16 weeks from inception to shipping."

AirPod
One of the few drawbacks of air suspension systems has been the different plumbing and electrical connections necessary during installation. Consequently, a typical installation takes 10-15 hours, but Air Ride's new AirPod cuts that time down to 1-3 hours. The AirPod is essentially a combination of compressors, air lines, solenoids, electrical wires, and an air tank that have been integrated into a single assembly. "Since the AirPod comes prewired, preplumbed, and pretested, all the customer has to do is bolt it in with four bolts, plug in four air lines, and connect the power and ground," says Bret. "In comparison, a standard system requires making 17 plumbing connections. With compact dimensions of 20x12x9.5 inches, we made sure it will easily fit in the front of the trunk in nearly any car."

Track Tuning
Let's says you've taken the plunge on an air suspension and plan on taking your car to the track. Sure, it's almost infinitely adjustable, but how exactly do you tune the chassis to suit your driving style? "An air suspension is tuned just like any other suspension," explains Bret. "If the front pushes out first, you may have to soften the spring rate or shocks to get the car to take a set and bite. If the rear kicks out first, you may have to soften up the rear a bit to get it to roll over and bite. However, there are many variables in addition to spring rate and shock settings-such as tire pressure, alignment, and sway bar settings-and it simply takes time to figure out how to adjust each to optimize handling."

Body and paint-these disciplines are often referred to as black arts, unfathomable for all but a gifted few. The bottom line is that a multitude of procedures and techniques must be performed to come up with a sharp-looking paint job, and it takes skill and experience to perform them. It would take a book to lay out everything that goes into the creationof a top-notch paint job, and many have been written. Something like that is beyond the scope of this article, but what we can do is go over some of the important steps that must be performed to achieve success; we've also picked the minds of some industry experts for information that will help you come up with great paint, whether you're paying to have the job done or tackling the task yourself.

The very first thing to consider, of course, is what you want. "It all depends on what the customer wants to pay for," says Jeremiah Becker of Studio Auto Body in Burbank, California. And that, of course, covers a broad range. Paint jobs at outfits like Earl Scheib and Maaco start out at just a few hundred bucks. And something like that may do the trick for you. "Those guys are excellent at spraying," says Tom Prewitt of Resurrection Hot Rods and Customs in Fullerton, California. "They spray 20 cars a day." On the other hand-and we'll discuss this more later-the material usually isn't very good. Prewitt recommends upgrading the material if you can. "They just do a quick sand and paint, so if you take the car apart yourself and scuff up the hard-to-reach areas, you'll get a paint job that's not too bad. It's not what we do, though."

A single-stage paint job like the one Studio performed on our cover car is in the 10 grand range. "There's $1,000 there just in materials," says Robert Becker. "The gallon of paint alone is $400." The rest is all the body filler, sandpaper, tape and masking paper, primer, and most importantly, the man-hours needed to get the car ready for paint. And that's not counting the multiple patch panels that were needed on this car to exorcise the devil rust. At Resurrection, where custom work is the norm, Prewitt says the tab, going from bare metal to paint, is more in the $15-20k range. And at D&P Classic Chevy, where 75 percent of the paint jobs are done as part of a frame-off restoration, you can easily get into 25-30 large on parts, then another 30-40 thousand on labor, which includes paint and body. Again, it all depends on what you want-and what you want to pay for.

On the other hand, what if you want to do it yourself? The first question to ask is, are your skills up to creating the type of paint job you want? And that begins with the bodywork. Our favorite Chevys are often 30 to 50 years old, so rust damage is often an issue, and panel replacement isn't a job to be taken lightly.

"If you cheap out on your paint job and you're not happy with it," says Darryl Nance of D&P, "you'll just get disillusioned and sell the car." None of us want that. The lesson here is to do your research, take your time, and get the job done right. This is our contribution to the process, with the hope that you'll come out with a great-looking Chevy at the end of it.

Quick Notes
The Query
What goes into prepping and painting a vintage chevy?

Bottom Line
There's a lot to keep straight, but the payoff is an eye-catching coat of paint.

Cost
Affordable to out-of-control for a custom or body-off paint job

Counting The Cost
There's a lot more to painting than just paint, so we hit a local paint dealer-Coast Airbrush in Anaheim, California-to see what it would cost to paint a theoretical car. With Resurrection Hot Rods and Customs' Tom Prewitt as our consultant, we dreamed up a '68 Camaro that would be adorned in House of Kolor Apple Red with Snowhite Pearl rally strips. Coast owner Dave Monig pulled everything we'd need off the shelves, laid it out for us, then ran up an estimate.

We expected the paint and primer to count for a big chunk of the total, but were surprised that the substances needed to make them work-the activators, catalysts, and reducers-cost half as much again. As with most things, the little things will get you. It's good to know you'll spend more than $100 on sandpaper before starting, and that could easily double if you're taking a car down to bare metal. And you're looking at almost that much again just for tape and masking paper.

We did include a couple of sanding blocks in the total but didn't include power tools, like a grinding wheel, DA sander, or block sander-not to mention a paint gun. So if you, like us, have ever wondered why a paint job costs so much, now you have a better idea of where all that dough goes.

Primer 101
You might think of primer as just "that stuff beneath the paint," but the undercoats serve several important purposes critical to a good paint job, and there are a variety of undercoat types. First, primer protects the metal from corrosion. Second, it provides the final level of bodywork, filling in minor imperfections in a car's surface. Third, it seals the prep work below, and fourth, it provides a uniform surface for the paint to adhere. These are the types of primer and what they do:

*Self-Etching Primers/Epoxy Primers provide adhesion to the metal surface and all products that follow and also corrosion resistance. If you take a car down to bare metal, one of these should be used. This primer is generally not sanded.

*Primer Surfacers fill small scratches and imperfections in the metal surface. They dry quickly and sand easily-in fact, several layers are often applied and sanded until a satisfactory level of straightness is achieved. Some primer/surfacers have direct-to-metal etching qualities-read the tech sheet to be sure.

*Primer Sealers seal the preparation layers below and provide a uniform bonding layer for the finish coats. They can be tinted for color-matching purposes and are not sanded as long as the paint is applied within the curing window. If primer sealer is allowed to fully cure, some may require sanding before painting; again, follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

Normally, you'd think the smoother a surface is sanded the better. Not so, says our man Prewitt. We'll cover this more elsewhere, but paint products make two types of bonds: chemical and physical. If you sand primer too smooth, the next layer can't make the necessary physical bond. "Under a microscope, you see little teeth sticking up," he tells us. "That makes the physical bond." The bottom line is if you sand primer too smooth, the following layers can't stick. In a nutshell, 400-grit is as fine as you need to get during the final wet-sanding of the primer surfacer.

New Metal
Since we covered a patch panel installation elsewhere in this issue, we decided to contact Mark Vogt, general manager of Classic Industries, an OER distributor, to talk a bit about aftermarket sheetmetal. "Nobody beats a panel straight anymore," says Vogt. "There's so much good metal to replace it." So what tips does he have for those who decide to replace their metal? "We recommend professional installation on everything, even a fender that bolts on in five places. There are shims to deal with, and the whole thing gets more complicated if you're doing a ground-up. There may be other problems to deal with as well. And I believe in replacing the whole panel rather than a just a quarter skin. It'll blend better, you can make fit better, and it's easier to do, since it goes on at the spot welds." And that black coating aftermarket panels are coated with? "It's not a primer," he reminds us. "The coating is a rust inhibitor and protector for shipping. It has to be removed and the panel primed." What's the biggest problem with replacement sheetmetal? Vogt says "99.9 percent" of complaints are shipping damage. "Don't sign a delivery clear if there's a dent, nick, or anything that shouldn't be there," he says. And what does he say to those who question the fit and finish of aftermarket sheetmetal? "Get original metal if you're building a 100-point resto. If not, no one should know the difference."

Refinish Vs. Custom Paint
So just what is the difference between refinish and custom paints? They're two different strategies for two different purposes," says House of Kolor's training manager Brian Lynch. "The essence of refinish paint is to try to duplicate what was originally on the car, with certain expectations. Most of these paints are fairly simple, Lynch explains. They have an iridescent color (that's a metallic or a pearl to you and me) protected by a layer of clear. The layers of primer, basecoat, and clear are only 4-5 mm thick. With a custom paint, the metallic flakes might measure as much as 6 mm or even larger. "It's a structurally thicker paint job to accommodate thicker flakes and particles needed for the optical effects one sees," Lynch says.

How much thicker? Somewhere in the 10-15 mm range, even higher with graphics. So on one hand, choosing between refinish and custom paint is a matter of simple color preference. On the other hand, since custom paint systems are designed to work at higher builds, they are usually the better choice if you're doing graphics or custom effects. Note that we said system here; these paints need to be used with the appropriate primers and clears. "The primer system we recommend when we build a skyscraper gives us max mechanical anchoring," observes Lynch. And just as you need the right material underneath all that paint, you need the correct clear over it. Refinish clear, applied liberally, measures around 3 mm; doubling that, according to Lynch, would be way out of spec. This can keep the clear from curing completely. Clear designed for use with custom paints creates a more stable film at high build-important when you're clearing over flames or graphics-and it provides the additional UV screeners needed to protect the exotic colorants used in custom colors. Both are critical to paint longevity. Whichever type of paint you decide to use, you have to use the proper supporting materials with it.

4 Things To Pay Attention To, From Jeff Matauch, PPG Training Center Instructor
Safety
"Whatever you use, there is no safe paint. Protect yourself by using a respirator, spray suit, and gloves, and always promote fresh airflow in your painting area."

Equipment
"Nine out of 10 times there's a problem, it's the equipment, and the first thing is always the compressor." You can buy a $600 paint gun, but if your compressor doesn't put out, it's all for naught. "A typical HVLP gun needs 15-18 cfm air pressure, and a compressor creates 3-4 cfm per horsepower. That means a 5hp compressor is borderline. The size of the air lines is critical-you should use 3/8-inch hose and high-flow air fittings for better volume. And air filters are a must.

Wrong Product For Job
You have to put the right type of solvent or reducer in your paint. "Anytime you use a solvent, you have to choose the correct grade based on the temperature you are spraying at." If you use a solvent that makes the paint dry too quickly, for instance, it can skin over, trapping solvents underneath. This can cause problems like dieback (dulling) or solvent pop (blisters). "You can go on our site and get a description and mixing directions for any of our product lines. It takes the guesswork out."

Waterborne Paint
Use of waterborne paint will be mandatory in parts of California starting this July. So what, you say? Well, as the Golden State goes on environmental issues, so goes the rest of the country, eventually. Some painters think it's the end of the world; most are at least concerned. "My confidence is high, and I'd have no problem spraying it now." Waterborne paint is more consistent and stable, since there are no solvents to settle out. "It's easier to spray, the metallic control is better, and it's more durable." And, of course, it's more user-friendly.

Adhesion & Cocktailing
It's a given that paint has to stick to the surface you're spraying it on, and when it doesn't, you've got problems, usually of the take-it-all-off-and-start-over type. "There are two ways that paint adheres," Prewitt explains. "One is physically; that's the reason you use different grit sandpapers. The other is chemically; the layers melt into each other. Acrylic lacquer won't take acrylic urethane clear. "It won't bond; it's like putting a piece of plastic on it." That's an extreme case, but if you start cocktailing back and forth with different materials, it's a crapshoot. And a lot of adhesion problems come from cocktailing, the mixing of different products from different manufacturers. The bottom line is that you need to stick to one manufacturer's product line throughout the job, ensuring compatibility. "I always recommend you follow the manufacturer recommendations, read the tech sheets, read the can. You know, most painters, the more experienced you get the less you think you have to read; I'm guilty of it."

Ironically, it's easier than ever to get this information-tech sheets are available online from both House of Kolor and PPG, among others. Prewitt boils this subject down nicely: "Between the chemical and the physical bonds, that's what really makes paint stick. You can't sand too smooth or it won't physically bond; you can't cocktail or it won't chemically bond. Knowing those two things can save a guy a lot of headaches."

Photo Gallery: 1968 Camaro Auto Body Repair - Structure & Color - Chevy High Performance

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]]>http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/tech/paint_body/0805chp_1968_camaro_auto_body_repair_structure_colorhttp://www.chevyhiperformance.com/tech/paint_body/0805chp_1968_camaro_auto_body_repair_structure_colorThu, 01 May 2008 00:05:00 -0700Leakdown Test - Pressure Points

You must have cylinder pressure to make horsepower and torque. If a cylinder-or cylinders-isn't holding pressure when the spark plug fires, there's gonna be less power in the power stroke. Performance suffers, and more serious engine damage could be on the horizon. A traditional compression tester can tell you how much pressure is being created in each cylinder; comparing the numbers reveals much about an engine's condition. A leakdown tester, on the other hand, measures how much cylinder pressure is being lost-better yet, it reveals where this pressure is going, for a more detailed diagnosis.

While a compression tester measures the cylinder pressure created by the pumping action of the piston, a leakdown tester utilizes an outside air source to pressurize the cylinder. The less pressure being lost the better that cylinder is sealing. An engine in good shape will see a minimal drop-if it's seen some wear or has a serious problem, the drop will be greater. All cylinders will show some leakdown due to standard engine clearances and normal wear; the Proform unit shows up to 40 percent leakdown as within the "normal" range. It's more important that the reading be consistent-if one cylinder is out of line to the bad side, you know there's a problem.

And in any case, but especially when the readings fall into the "moderate" or "severe" range, it's vital to know where this pressure is going, and that's where a leakdown tester really shows its worth. The air being introduced into the cylinder escapes by any path available to it. By listening for this exiting air and noting its route, you can pinpoint problem areas in the engine.

That's what we did here. We ruled out the head gasket failure we feared but found moderate leakage past the rings. We now have a much better picture of this engine's condition-and can proceed accordingly.

Quick Notes
The job
A leakdown test on an '84 Z28

Bottom Line
We determined how much this engine is leaking, and where it's leaking from.

Price (APPROX)
$75

Possible Causes for High-to-Moderate Cylinder Leakage
The cause of low pressure can be determined by listening for escaping air.* Air escaping from crankcase breather, dipstick tube, or sump plug hole: Defective rings or worn cylinder walls

* Air escaping from carburetor: Defective intake valve

* Air escaping from exhaust system: Defective exhaust valve

* Air bubbles in radiator or air escaping from adjacent spark plug hole: Leaking head gasket or crack in block or head Courtesy of Proform

Photo Gallery: Leakdown Test - Pressure Points - Chevy High Performance

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]]>http://www.chevyhiperformance.com/tech/engines_drivetrain/cams_heads_valvetrain/0805chp_1984_camaro_z28_leakdown_test_pressure_pointshttp://www.chevyhiperformance.com/tech/engines_drivetrain/cams_heads_valvetrain/0805chp_1984_camaro_z28_leakdown_test_pressure_pointsThu, 01 May 2008 00:05:00 -0700Chevy II Nova Parts - The Right Direction

Think about it, 30-plus years on the same steering components can be brutal, and the endless abuse can leave your factory units feeling sloppy-making you a hazard to everyone around you. Unisteer, dedicated to producing the finest complete steering kits, now offers a performance rack and pinion for your '62-67 Chevy Nova II.

Each system comes complete and will bolt in with no welding, drilling, or modifications required to the frame. You can expect improved steering feel, handling, and response, and these units are sleek and slim to give you the greatest amount of ground clearance. And should you forgo the power steering kit for the manual steering system for your street/strip application, it'll knock an extra 40 pounds off the front end.

Additional options include your choice of a powdercoated or a triple-chrome finish. All kits come with the necessary column accessories; however, you'll need to purchase a new steering shaft, which is available separately.

Price: $950 & up
Unisteer Performance Products
Twinsburg, OH
800.338.9080 · unisteer.com

Motorized Operations
Window Controls
With all of today's modern conveniences and technological advances, why are you still manually rolling down the windows? Electric-life offers complete systems for '63-72 Novas. They utilize scissor-style regulators, Rockwell motors, and wiring pigtails for a direct-fit, plug-and-play installation. Switches are are sold separately, available in billet aluminum, GM-style chrome, and even illuminated black for a stealthy look.
Price: $325/pair
Electric-Life
Chicago, IL
800.548.2168 · electric-life.com

Drop It!
2-Inch Drop Spindles
Thanks to Heidt's steel drop spindles, constructed out of 1045 heat-treated alloy, fullsize '58-64 Chevy owners can now drop their street machines a full 2 inches without sacrificing ride quality. Expect improved handling with the lower center of gravity, and because the spindles don't affect suspension geometry, you won't have to worry about suspension travel or alignment issues. They'll fit everything from factory to Wilwood disc-brake systems.
Price: $289 & up
heidt's hot rod shop
Wauconda, IL
800.841.8188 · heidts.com

Big-Block Concept
Serpentine Kit
For all you big-block owners feeling left out of the true one-piece serpentine pulley system, Concept One eases the pain with its all-new system, which tucks in closer than anything you've seen before. Its compact design incorporates an Edelbrock water pump, a Powermaster alternator, a power-steering pump, Goodyear Gatorback belt hardware brackets, and all chrome mounting hardware, and it will fit all standard-deck 396-502s, including tall-deck 502s.
PRICE: $1,695 & up
Concept One
North Cumming, GA
877.785.5397 · conceptonepulleys.com

Keep it Rigid
Shaft-Mount Rocker System
There's a point when a rocker-arm girdle just won't cut it anymore, and for those occasions, PRW offers an aluminum shaft-mount rocker-arm system to fit most aftermarket small-block cylinder heads. The billet stands are CNC machined with ground steel alloy rocker shafts, while the rocker arms are also CNC profiled with 6061 T-6 heat-treated aluminum alloy extrusions. Also included are spacer shims and all the necessary fasteners to bolt them on, including a torx socket. CHP
PRICE: $580
PRW
Placentia, CA
714.792.1000 · prw-usa.com

Photo Gallery: Chevy II Nova Parts - The Right Direction - Chevy High Performance

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1. Body filler	$77
2. Sandpaper	$112
3. Tape and masking paper	$85
4. Primer	$171
5. Basecoat/stripes	$475
6. Clear	$125
7. Activators, catalysts, and reducers	$331
8. Respirator and spray suit	$90
9. Cleanup supplies	$53
Total	$1,519