But the most telling indicator is what happens at the dragstrip. At the eighth-mile Irwindale track, Mike made a bunch of passes, all within a whisker of the 7.363-second, 93.9-mph best. To get an approximate quarter-mile prediction, we multiply the e.t. by the NHRA's 1.57 correction factor, and it's like the Nova cranked an 11.55 in the quarter. So don't get bummed out by deceptively soft chassis dyno figures; the e.t. doesn't lie--and neither does that 93-plus eighth-mile trap speed.
Because Morgan's Nova has been a street/strip test mule for numerous small-block powerplants for more than two decades, he's got it pretty well sorted out, as proven by its 1.614-second 60-foot times. But if you're a first-time installer, you'll want to make certain the cooling and fuel systems are up to snuff and that, in general, your car is capable of handling the power infusion. After all, there's no sense sticking a 442-horse mill in a car that isn't properly set up.
We always say, for the best results, build the car from the back to the front. That means a limited-slip differential with axles and related parts tough enough to handle the job (the Nova runs a Moser 12-bolt with a spool), appropriate gears that offer the best balance of dragstrip capability and street cruising to suit your needs (Morgan's a bruiser and tools the street with 4.30 cogs), appropriate suspension and springs (he runs Calvert split monoleafs and CalTracs bars), and tires.
Ah yes, tires. We've seen altogether too many guys go out and cram massive power under the hood only to totally drop the ball in the traction department. In fact, we love it when these guys are in the other lane! When it comes to rubber, we like to set a car up with what we call a traction surplus. That means serious rubber in the form of soft-compound, D.O.T. treaded skins; all-out slicks (strip only, please); or a set of the modern drag radials everybody used to scoff at but now see as the miracle workers they are. Naturally, make sure there's plenty of sidewall clearance so there aren't any top-end surprises. You'd be amazed at how much tire growth there is at even 90 mph. If you need more clearance, make it happen before hitting the strip.
This traction-surplus philosophy seeks to ensure that you don't have to worry about how the car is going to launch. Your trust in its traction capacity should be strong enough that you can simply concentrate on cutting a good light then mashing your foot into the floor on the green. If you add big power but don't meet it more than halfway down, you don't have a traction surplus. You'll know right away if your car has the magic. Any tire spin, yaw, or smoke is your sign to step things up. As the wheels-up action shot proves, Morgan's Nova has traction in spades. Alternating between MT 28x10.5-15s and BFG P275/60R15 drag radials, he used a bottle jack to gently bulge the Nova's quarter-panels outward to gain needed sidewall clearance then smoothed the wheel-lip seams to eliminate sharp edges. Now it's all good.
The finger points to one of...
The finger points to one of the adapter plates that allow the 13/4-inch header primary tubes to be secured without the need for fastener clearance dimples.
Surprise! The Moroso '62-67...
Surprise! The Moroso '62-67 Nova oil pan (PN 20211) fits the '68-and-up Nova chassis with room to spare. Unfortunately, it doesn't work the other way around.
All settled in, the 383 sits...
All settled in, the 383 sits ready for its date with the chassis dyno. With timing set at 35 degrees BTDC, it happily swills 91-octane.