Our Nova has been on the chopping block quite a bit lately, and rightly so. We love throwing this ol' hoot through the hoops and installing the most cost-effective products to help free up power. Besides, when you can accomplish these feats on a simple budget without taking a second mortgage out on your home, all the better.
This month we found something pretty unique. It's rare when the terms "fuel," "mpg," and "horsepower" can be found in the same sentence. Everyone knows the more power you make, the less likely you are to get good mileage, right? Nowadays just mentioning fuel or filling up hurts. Squeezing every last bit of juice from the tank is crucial.
We won't be breaking any mileage records soon. That's not what these cars are being built for. However, when the opportunity arises for getting just a bit more out of the tank and a tad more to the ground, that frustrated feeling we get at the pump tends to ease up a bit. Not to mention, going further for the same dollar.
So what's all the excitement about? Fitch is the name and fuel is the game. Not only have the folks at Fitch discovered a way to maximize the fuel being used, but they can also help you gain a little extra oomph in the process. The Fitch Fuel Catalyst is a simple inline fuel system bolt-on. This translates to a higher grade of quality, which means better fuel economy and increased power. Plus, the catalyst is maintenance-free and comes with a 250,000-mile warrantee!
It's going to take a couple of fillups to realize the full potential of our Fitch unit, so be sure to check out our online blogs at www.chevyhiperformance.com for the upcoming results. As for our install, we had the system installed within an hour. Follow along as we install the Fitch Fuel Catalyst on the Nova.
Quick Notes
What we did
Installed the Fitch Fuel Catalyst on our '72 project Nova
Bottom line
More power and better fuel economy for almost nothing
To get the system on the move,...
To get the system on the move, we mocked up the rubber clamps on the Fitch canister. We then found a location underneath the Nova, near the fuel filter, and marked where we needed to drill to fasten the clamps.
Next, we opened the trunk...
Next, we opened the trunk in order to make sure we wouldn't be drilling into anything critical. Using a 29/64-inch drill bit, we drilled two holes, first from the bottom of the car where we had marked with the clamps, and second, for good measure, from the trunk through to the bottom of the car.
With the drilling complete,...
With the drilling complete, we sprayed Gray Primer paint to the newly exposed metal. From there, we used two 7/16-14x1-inch bolts with associated washers and nuts to run through the holes (not supplied). These bolts with the nuts will hold the clamp and Fitch system to the chassis. To fasten the bolts, we used a 5/8-inch wrench.