1970 Chevy Nova: Regular Car Reviews
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- čas přidán 14. 04. 2019
- It's not an SS. There are no SS Novas. All super sport Novas are fake. We drive and review a fake Chevy Nova SS
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I'm so glad that the owner didn't go with an LS swap. In an era in which cars are starting to run together, character is everything, even if it's sometimes not as efficient. Well done, sir.
Before the LS era the SBC was the swapped into everything characterless option.
@@DrewLSsix
Except SBC is period correct for this car is it not?
P77777777 technically the true ss cars were 396ci, however I can see why the LS is a popular option, people blow their load on looks, suspensions, interior, and after that they only have a few grand left so they do an LS swap, turbo it with a wuhan whirly boy and make 700-1000 hp
In my opinion the 383 is a great choice too
"He who controls the Novas, controls the boomers!"
I will not shift
Shifting is the mindkiller
My mother can control the boomers, as a matter of fact, she married one, who happens to be my dad.
@@calebstj5155 litany against shifting
I'm 22 with a rusted out 4 door Nova. And goddamnit if that quote aint true. If I had a dollar every time some 60+ year old told me they had one of those when they were younger i'd be facking rich
🤣🤣🤣
I, for one, appreciate that engine note.
Sounds like a bad mic recording my diarrhea, and then the just-too-long afterfart.
"hurr durr the LS exists so every other V8 is pointless"
Facts
@@ClintonC1991 By the same logic, we might as well say that V8s are pointless because EVs are here.
@@GarrickStaples also facts
I know right. And he’s got a 302 Ford in a falcon😂
I'm not sure if you were talking about this car or your mom.yuppy snowflake
"An LS engine doesn't need anything to make power" - "Camshaft and turbo"
I see through your LS propaganda!
He said that to get to 450 hp
An LS may make those numbers with a turbo, as you said...but going old-school gives the exhaust that classic burble and bark that turbos muffle. And they can still make decent power without stupid money. It's just that you don't find them as often in junk yard, being sold cheap - like the LS. Not any more, anyway.
Chev 350: the LS before there was an LS.
You definitely don't need a turbo on an LS to make 450 horsepower. My LS3 has a small cam, headers, and a cold air intake and is making about 520 horsepower at the crank. SBC's were before my time, but I agree with RCR. Why go the SBC route when you can have an LS? I understand a numbers matching car, but for something like this Nova, drop an LS in there and make big power much easier and probably cheaper with a hot cam to really get the muscle car nostalgia.
@@KTM990WFO its fucking cheaper and simple!
aussiebloke609 350s where in everything from cars, pickups, school buses, vans, step vans, dump trucks, boats, medium duty trucks, etc.
KTM990WFO my nova has a 350 in it right now, and I am building another. 350s are way cheaper when you buy parts used. You can make 450 horspower on a sbc for around 200 dollars if you frequent Craigslist and swap meets
Caleb Hartley no, that’s ridiculous. You probably have some dude with a mullet telling you a stock compression, stock displacement, stock double hump headed 350 with a rv cam makes 450 hp. I mean sbc’s can easily make that power. But for $200? Just no dude. People swap to ls engines because they make the cheapest power. If you could make 450 for $200 nobody would have ever thought about buying an ls to put in anything. That being said, small blocks are perfectly cool. And cheap. But when you break down hp/$ it’s not close.
In Argentina this car was named Chevy (Chevrolet Chevy) because Nova in spanish means "doesn´t go/run". It came with a 250 inline 6 with around 175 hp...(with the ford falcon, Dodge Polara/GTX and IKA Torino they share a special place in car culture here)
That’s a easily disproven myth.
Vaminos NoMas
A 350 is USELESS even though you can buy one for 500 bucks, rebuild it in a weekend, run it for 300k miles, find parts at literally any junkyard in almost any chevy or gmc, put in in hundreds of cars and trucks with NO modifications and NO computers whatsoever because there is another engine that makes MORE POWER! LOGIC!
good points
72 nova with a 396 is perfect. Anything under that is powerless
@@erict8104 yep my 69 GMC with 375 HP is powerless. And it gets 14 mpg..
@@ericchapman8956 375 still isnt 450 so, yea it's powerless compared lol
@@erict8104 half the price so not really a comparison. Look guy, to each his own and 396s are cool but the point is that 350s are popular as hell for a reason. They can make 600 plus horsepower or more with about $5k and 400 with just bolt on parts. Saying 350s are powerless by comparison to a 396 is like saying ribeye is crap compared to a T-bone.
We still have a stock 70 nova with the 250 straight 6 in the family. And its BROWN.
These days, those things are probably rarer than any Ferrari. I would totally buy one.
I had a 72 in the late 80s and it was thoroughly rusted even then... I am guessing you live in southwest somewhere.
Cool!👍
Its brown what?
@@scarhart53 brown is an old rcr thing
"Generally the faster you go the more incorrect the speedometer gets" is how every single speedometer in existence works, the error margins are %-based
I think a little bit under 5%.
Unless its a digital speedometer
As a nova owner, though, this is so true but on a massive scale. It's like 20-30mph off on mine at any speed above 50.
Depends on the gears your running along with the height of the tire and getting the correct speedo gear drive in your trans. Pretty accurate if you know a few things about your car
I was worried that this would be a "wHy nOT lS SWaP" episode, and it partially was, but I feel like you wrapped it up very nicely by making the Nova act as a bridge between generations. Great episode Mr. Regular
"He who controls the Novas controls the Boomers". That have to be one of the best RCR lines.
Ultra spice ain't got shit on CONTOLLING THE NOVAS
When you were a kid and drawing cars with crayons, you drew a Chevy Nova.
I think I drew a cybertruck tbh
Still...it's the best sounding car you've reviewed...ever.
LS swap everything. Nah. Just stroke the engine. 383's have tons of torque and are great for cruising.
🕜🕡🕦🕣🕥🕧$💰💲💵🤑
Or just get a 454
Jeremy Diaz just 😄
That's what my buddy grant is doing with his 72 nova. It's an original SS with a 350 ci with a 350 turbo 3-speed auto transmission.
Imagine buying a crankshaft, rods, and god knows what else on the upper end to make up for the inadequacies of a 60 year old engine design, just to make it equal with a junkyard LS of a lesser displacement. Not hating on the vintage motors, I like those too, but the newer motors run better, and for good reason.
I honestly believe the first real F Bomb I've heard you say without pretending to be a creepy uncle was in your torque converter rant! Way to go!
In which videos he swears too?
Dune references ..
Getting me right in the feels
The slow reference pierces the shield.
His writing just keeps getting better and better.
40k for a 40 year old car that's been terribly painted and has several pretty big issues. This is why classic car culture will take a heavy hit once the boomers with money die off.
Asking 40 does not equal getting 40. I had a neighbor recently had a Chevelle , stuck crazy money in it, 396, much nicer paint, wanted money and eBayed it, and got 11.
.
LOL. Implying classic real American made cars aren't popular with the younger generations.
The only way you’re getting $40k for that is auction. only because the 69 camaro Z28 ahead of it sold for $90,000 and the guy who lost out on it doesn’t want to go home empty handed
Frankly I think the price drop which will go with that will be a good thing, they will become more available to those who want to get into classic cars but can't afford to. Cost has excluded many.
@@Aliceinchains1234 Such a boomer mindset. We didn’t grow up with these rolling museums. And who’s respect would we gain by driving these? The same generation that blames us for killing everything? No thanks.
When I was a kid, my parents owned a 1969 Nova sedan. 307, Powerglide I think it was Forest Green. They loved that car. I still would love to have a third gen Nova, but I'd put an old school 427 in it, not an LS. Everyone and his brother drops an LS into everything.
Kickass dude
Don’t need no stinking turbos on a 350 Chevy. Nothing sounds like a built small block.
As a driver of a straight piped coyote, I support this statement
My first car was a 1973 Nova Custom with a 350. I loved that car, and regret selling. My car now is a 1985 Camaro Z28 with a 305. I love the car. But small blocks Chevy's don't sound that great. They sound great as far as the fact that they're V8's, but that's all. The best sounding engines on the planet, in my opinion are the old MOPAR 318 LA's. They sound like a race engine, bone stock, and they have this pissed off growl to then that no other engine has..
That’s not a built small block tho....
Also, no v8 really NEEDS turbos. But pretty much everything is cooler with them.
@@67buick Or you get a blower if you care about performance all through the band.
Say it louder for the people in the back, they can’t hear you over my 350.
You know why you'd want to swap a 350 Small Block instead of an LS? Sweet, sweet, winga cred at Cars & Coffee. And it's easier to trick Uncle Pulltab into thinking the 350 swap is "original" or "period correct."
Trick? Since the '70 Nova SS came from the factory with a 350, it is "period correct." No trick needed. Just not original.
If you want the look toss an LS in there with a big carb and air cleaner
Only an LS doesn't really look like a 350, regardless of carb or air cleaner. It's obviously much more modern, and a little generic looking when compared to other modern V8s. The 350 small block is pretty distinctive.
That in baby blue, with white top and badly beat up and you get a Beverly Hills Cop, Axel Foley ride.
Guess I'm backwards. Walk up and see a LS swapped car and walk right away.
You're not the only one, it's a turn off.
Next thing you're going to say is carbs are better then fuel injection
I completely agree it’s the most boring thing you can do to a car. It tells me that person has never had an original idea in their life.
I don't really care for LS swaps, mainly because they're so overdone. I want to see engine swaps that aren't as common: like a 5.7 Hemi swap, 5.0 Coyote swap, or a Viper V10 swap.
Do a northstar swap if you have huge balls.
The Chevy Nova... the Honda Civic for boomers!
As a millennial with a Nova and a Civic. I support this statement
I am a millenial with a nova and a g35 coupe (the new honda civic to millenials cause they are so cheap) and I agree.
@@hartleyc3782 I thought G35 coupes were still kinda pricey. I know the four-door ones are dirt cheap though
Too bad that nova doesnt have a inline 4 with VTEC
I would argue the '57 Bel Air is the boomer Civic. The difference being that Civics actually have some individuality.
But that's just me.
People like the small block 350 for the same reason people like .38 revolvers. It’s the familiarity and the trust of the tool. It may not be as precise or practical like a glock, but you know that it will always do what you ask it to do, regardless of the standard you expect from it. It will always start, it will always work, regardless of the kick or the poor grip. This can be said for classic cars in general. It’s the trust of something simple. Without sinking 10k into suspension alone, you will never be able to hang a few feet behind the modern corvette, but god damnit, he’ll know you’re there as that earth shattering roar comes from the glasspack mufflers making you feel much closer behind than you are. As the tires scream for mercy and you curse the world for advancing without you, all your cares fade away, because even if you’re not as agile, you’re every bit as real. And both you, your adversary and everyone else know that. And in the end, that’s what’s important.
The LS is the Glock of the engine world. It's cheap, it works, but god I'm tired of them.
glocks are built like trash though
First Mr. Regural and now you... Hits are coming from all different directions..
This was beautiful. Thank you
AK02 I’m inspired. I want to build one now.
"Inside is a Chevy 350, why not an LS?"
Because why the hell not?
LS. 6sd auto od = 20 plus mpg .70 nova ss 427 4.10 gears 4 speed = 6 mpg
Welp. Hope if he does sell it nobody watches this diss of a review
Watch until the end, brah.
CAN Control every rcr is a diss, and every vid is a love story. This is both, in keeping with form
It may be a "diss" but it was actually quite accurate.
At least hes being honest when reviewing
I know literally fuck all about cars. So does anyone want to tell me why I've been binge watching these videos for 4 hours? I just like hearing this guy talk. What a fucking poet.
I have to tell yah Mr. Regular that a 2800 stall isn't that high and people who know what they're doing match the higher stall to the duration of their camshaft and intake and without hearing the specs of either I'd guess that stall is spot on.
Yeah.
My Ford's factory stall is rated between 2200-2700 (going from memory. Tthey vary - mine is closer to 2400), but it also has lockup. Which is definitely a "must have" on any aftermarket converter.
@@novass7493 a big small block is all you'll ever need❗
That Xennial bit hit hard. wooo I was unprepared. It also perfectly explains why I built my Factory Five car. Nice one Mr. Regular.
Always a welcome sight to see a new RCR review never has someone made you think about life so much while reviewing awesome and unique cars. Love what you do Mr Regular.
Revs up to 5k? Most stock 350s rev to that. In sure this does more.
Everything you said about the converter is wrong. He probably needs the converter that loose to match his cam.
And there's alot of sbc hating for someone who built an old 302
Lots of build hating from someone who paid someone else to build their car for them
Hell, SBC even with stock parts, if they're a 4 bolt main, can pretty safely go up to 6,500 with the right valve springs.
"All you need to do to match this N/A 350 with an LS is boost" - Mr Regular
I laughed at that as well. Turbos can be complicated for some people where as modding a sbc isn't. I'm guessing a ls could match the output of an sbc while NA somehow?
And he’s wrong about that, NA to NA or really in any state of build an LS has it all over a 1st gen.
I've watched almost every rcr, but I must say the outro of this one is one of the best moments of this Chanel, Mr regular with his amazing narrative followed by the best song Roman ever did. I sometimes mistakenly thought this Chanel had its peak, but I'm happily proven wrong by this and the lemons rally video. Thank you so much! Best wishes from a big fan from the Netherlands!
That Chevy 350 Sounds wayyyyyyyyyy better than any LS engine.
This GenXer gladly welcomes you into the tribe, Mister Regular.
The SBC is to the ls today
What the flathead Ford's were to SBC in peak muscle car era
yeah there not competitive any more but they're just right in some application over others.
I'll take a classic SBC over an LS any day.
Masayoshi sbc sounds way better in my opinion
@@rustypliers74 Plus, not much beats the sound of a 4 barrel carb on a SBC going wide-open.
It's okay to be wrong
@@ClintonC1991 curious on the shit box you daily
The Chevrolet engines were about the worst from gm with head bolts going through water and oil jackets, no valley pan, distributor in the back, coolent passing through intake manifold etc.
Probably your best one yet!
Jokes, tech talk, honest opinions and a dash of phylosophie at the end to tie it all in!
Great job!!!
I grew up with a 1970 Chevy Nova Rallye Sport in our drive way.
Metallic Green beauty, it never moved.
My mom bought it, then my dbag of a dad took it and put like 10k miles on it in 4 months.
If i win the lotto, im totally buying a new one for her... Its such a pretty car.
DismemberTheAlamo The Rally Nova was an option only 71 and 72, the the Rally replaced the 4th Gen’s SS from 77 to 79. Regardless which year you get her, she’ll be a lucky lady.
It may have been a 71 if that was the case. I was born in 83 and remember it vividly seeing it when I would walk home from school in the driveway, and it had to be at least like 10 years old at that point
*The comments: "You're wrong about LS always being the answer!"
The video: 6:00
Dude, if we use your logic then the 302 in the vagabond falcon is just as superfluous because an LS will fit between the fenders of a classic / sort of late model Ford. I’m from the same area as you are and the local yard, ie EZ-Pull has no LS engines in the yard you have to go to Harry’s u-pull it to find any LS engines. And if your looking at a given horsepower that’s usable on the street and you want a new or rebuilt engine a SBC is still cheaper than an LS. To add to this post, I looked up prices using 400 hp as a benchmark because unless you’re racing 400 is more than enough for the street. And if you’re buying new or rebuilt an SBC with iron vortec heads, fitech efi, and an LT1 cam you can put that together for $2200. A new or rebuilt LS 5.3 running factory efi, upgraded springs and a cam is on average $1000 more. So while a junkyard LS will make more power than a comparable junkyard SBC anyone building a car like a daily probably wants said engine rebuilt at the least. So no the SBC isn’t worthless or pointless, it’s still the biggest selling thing in the hotrod world because it’s still the cheapest way to go fast. Don’t get me wrong I love LS engines but don’t discount the SBC
Lima Bravo His falcon sucks balls.
Lima Bravo 👏 👏👏👏 bravo couldn’t have said it better myself. This is exactly what I was thinking watching this video.
Jacob Gonzalez / C’mon no it doesn’t, that cars a hot rod. He took something that was a slow leaky old car and turned it into something pretty cool.
Colin Nixon / thanks man. I don’t get why everyone thinks that the LS is better than well everything else. I love my little 355 and with 350hp and tq it’s more than enough for driving on public highways
Hi Lima, I agree. 350s can still be found cheap and with vortec heads + matched cam you can get decent power. You also have some more cubes with the 350 as opposed to a 5.3 or 4.8 - and you will have to pay a premium to get a 6.0, so the comparison isn't entirely apples to apples.
One thing nobody ever mentions when discussing an LS swap is all the associated hardware to do the swap. You have to get a new trans or get an adapter, maybe a driveshaft, set up mounts, and other things for an engine that wasn't "intended" to be there from the factory like the original small block. I don't know what has to be done in terms of oil pans, exhaust/intake manifolds, or belt systems to get everything to fit and work properly. Then there is also getting fuel injection to work.
And when Mr Regular discusses "throwing on an ebay turbo", at that point I assume you are shooting past the 450+ hp mark and at that point it may be worth considering either side. How much boost can a stock small block take vs an LS? Which is cheaper to rebuild? Power gains between the two? Price of installation? Etc.
Thank you, Mr Regular. Making days better, one video at a time.
I think Rcr underestimates the true cost of what an LS swap, or a turbo LS swap truely costs to put into a car that was designed around the sbc... i mean he even swapped a carbed 5.0 into his falcon. Why not an LS? Why not an LS?
You realize with a Turbo LS it doesnt come from magic. The owners dont tell you they dumped several thousand into injectors. Fuel pumps, rebuilds, studs, gaskets, piping, hand work, adapter kits, head swaps, pistons, etc.. it costs infinitely more than a 150 dollar ebay turbo.
Plus the eBay turbo kit guys never let on how long the swap actually lasted.... Made 1100hp on stock internals (for 3 x 400m runs in total before the engine grenades itself). Same with as the previous era with the 2JZ and RB26 turbo guys where they'd make claims of 900hp on stock internals (before the engine threw a rod on the fourth dyno run).
why not an LS? have you heard it running? that's why not an LS
The sound can be replicated with an LS.
11:35 Born August '80. Finally someone that gets me.
As the owner of a ’72 Nova, your extravagantly detailed description of ‘a Nova owner’ is hilarious! What my Nova lacks in an LS, it dose make up for in being a genuine SS model (one of the “K” VIN cars). Though at this point-it’s safe to say it’s something far less, and yet far more than any SS. Much like the example here, it’s a rebuilt SBC 350. (The factory SS model of ’72 had a wimpy L48 engine, made to satisfy the insurance companies. By then, the muscle car era was basically dead.)
Your anecdote about the random woman fondly asking about its motor is dead-on: the Chevy Nova was beloved as a family car for being economical and easy to drive. Being so prolific, no less than five very sweet middle-aged women have approached me at some point with unsolicited memories about riding with dad and their siblings, circa late 70s or 80s.
The Nova was America’s car: from the in-line six grocery-getter to the 396 drag strip beast, it had something for everyone.
And yes, it’s a money pit!
I did not want this review to end. Good job Mr Regular
Yo shout out to Roman for that sick ending song
Was that made in the tune of another song? I was trying to find out by maybe reading through comments
"I have a stall converter because I wanted a manual but I have sciatica in my left hip"
I never thought anyone could talk so much or so long about the Chevy Nova. That is some sort of skill. Love your videos.
My first car in high school was a '71 Nova. It was originally 'granny green' repainted black and had a healthy 350 w/ the traditional 80's stance - N50's on the back on air shocks! Loved that car! 👍😎
I'm kinda in the same generational camp--stuck between Millenials and Gen Z. Too young to be the former, too old to be the latter, and I don't identify with either.
But who cares? The Nova is cool no matter what generation is driving it.
Saw you driving through Columbia. Get some heroine on your way through? Wrightsville is my hometown
This one was written REALLY well. Ingredients in the form of information and references were mixed together in a bowl and what came out of the CZcams oven was fantastic. Tech info, LS culture, what the car means to each generation and how it ties them together.
This one is would be on the RCR Greatest hits CD. (bravo).
Absolutely loved the generational rant at the end, this is exactly why I check out the channel every now and then, so true, so spot on.
Cool car too.
Why are you fellating the LS so much when you put a REBUILT bog stock Windsor 5.0 in your falcon instead of the Ford LS equivalent.
What Ford LS equivalent?
If there was such a thing you'd think people would talk about it and swap it around.
Because Ford doesn't have an "LS equivalent" that doesn't cost 10,000 dollars.
@@3a.m.284 Erm... an LS is like 10 pounds heavier than a Coyote. But go off I guess.
@@woottastic Oh, I agree completely. The only category a Coyote can beat an LS is when price isn't an issue and you're just trying to make as much power as possible, in which case stock block coyotes can make well over 2000hp. But in that price range, you'd probably be better off with a billet BBC or an LSXR anyways.
@@woottastic
Exactly my point, you can spend 1500 bucks on a junkyard LQ7 and make 800hp, or you can spend 20,000 on a coyote to make 1,300. Dollar for dollar an LS beats it every time. BUT when price isn't an issue, a FACTORY Ford motor company Coyote can make more power than a FACTORY LS of any variant. It's just a simple matter of RPM's and a ton of boost.
Coyote's are amazing engines are remarkably reliable considering the mess of a million and one valves and camshafts, but the main problem with them is that they're friggin gigantic and cost a fortune.
I bleed chevy competition orange, but you have to give Ford credit for the few things they do right or else you're just going to sound like a brainless fanboy. Modern Fords are shit IMO, and the 4.6 and the Coyote are the only two good things they've done in 25 years.
Nova's got my respect, well built honest USA made real steel. Mr. Regular is too hard on Detroit steel, IMO.
"well built honest USA made real steel"
wow... a multiple oxymoron... keep up the good work!
@@notroll1279 It was a real world back then. The last days of mechanical simplicity before electronics entered the picture.
@@robj2704 Yes. But despite this simplicity, those cars rusted away within a few years.
@@notroll1279 no.
Boomer trash.
This video explained it perfectly, when you LS swap any vehicle the vehicle losses a piece and in some cases all of it's identity. Forget about all the work you have done with regards to the appearance. The LS will steal the spot light with any build. Don't get me wrong an LS is a reliable and bad ass power plant but it shouldn't be under the hood of every fucking car.
I had a 72 nova and sold it earlier this year. I miss that car each day. So much personality with the traditional sbc350 and th350
One of the better ones for sure. I even listened to the whole song Nick sang in the end. Which I never do. Thanks RCR.
PS: HE WHO CONTROLS THE NOVA. CONTROLS THE BOOOOMERS
One of the best episodes of late. Great cultural commentary
My favorite car since I was 12. And this video is spot on for the reasons I love it. Wonderful video man
I never thought I'd learn such valuable life lessons from a car review.
Just when I was about to go to sleep 🙄
7:23 I don't think I've ever heard Mr. Regular swear like that in a review before
Took me off guard too... Like, it wasn't part of an impression...
Maybe I swear too much but I had to rewatch it 3 times after seeing your comment before I noticed what you were talking about haha
I haven't either. Out of all the things we've heard on this channel, "Fuckin'" is something that we've heard the least.
Holy fuck
Holy crap, I thought I was the only one who thought that! (Most people just comment "Brown" which therefore explains why Mr. Regular doesn't swear much. He's a good writer; he doesn't need to.)
I can't wait till I've saved up enough for a muscle car of my own my dad has a 1970 chevy chevelle (malibu with a trim swap(no ss badges tho)) and I love that car and wish we drove it more
12:45 - 13:30 that was the best long shot you have shown in a while. We got to see the car drive around uninterrupted by cuts and closeups, and get a feel for its presence. Sudden zoom and auto-focus niggles not withstanding. I liked it.
I love High stall converters they're actually pretty fun to drive with
kingkobra agreed, I have 3200 stall in Trailblazer SS. It does pretty ok for a daily.
Most kids today would see this body style Nova and think it's a Mustang. It happened to my neighbor one time who owns a 72 Nova. He was a little insulted but fine nevertheless. I love not only the orange paint but the way the Nova sits with those wheels.
Faded Jate Most people today wouldn’t recognize any old car even if it’s just 10-20 years old. Never the less there are still a few of us interested like me, and I’m 15. I agree with you though. Not very often you see people (especially young people) know about older cars.
My moms first car was my grandmother’s Lime Green 1970 Nova, it was totally base, only options it had were the auto transmission and the 350 V8, other than that. It had no features, but it still managed to get stolen. Story goes, she parks it at school, some crackhead stole the car, two days later the police found it on blocks in Manhattan with no wheels and no radio and the officers were kind enough to give her some wheels. She sold it later for a 1972 Monte Carlo, and then in the 90s she sold that for an 80s Subaru, she’s been driving Subaru’s ever since.
I love the personality of this guy. 1970 nova is my first and had many funny comments that were true to my car
"Pedestrian friendly" body shapes. I wonder how many innocents had to be ran over (minus Mustangs) until it was considered.
I can imagine 1985 being tough for boomers when GM brought the name back and slapped it on a Corolla.
Theoretically, they'd be the ones buying them.
(And now I kind of want to do up a NUMMI Nova all muscle-like with bright muscle colours and a muscle exhaust and SS badges for revenge... "What? It's a Nova!" )
Dam dude, beautiful monologue at the end. Haven't had one like that since the SW20.
Believe it or not, the Nova began life in 1960 as a sensible, affordable compact car. But over the course of the decade, something wonderful happened. It moved out of its parents' house and started hanging around with V8's and fastbacks. Its wheelbase lengthened, its grille expanded, and its hood got so long and flat you could spend a whole summer of love on it. These days, it's exactly the kind of bad influence you were looking for.
Holly shit, well you made this Monday a hell of alot better. Thank you Mr.rcr
thank YOU for watching :)
If I had a car like this, I'd still put in a 350 purely for A E S T H E T I C. Fuel injection kits aren't too expensive either. You're right about the 350 being period correct. Do you have any idea how much it costs to make an LS look shiny like a 350?
No offense but who gives a shit?! You don't see all the chrome driving the fucking thing and if you're chroming it for people at car shows to go "oooooooooooooohhhhhhh" that's kinda pathetic
And if you drive it with any regularity, have fun polishing all that fucking chrome
@@disturbedrocks1996 You'd have to be a part of the culture to understand. No offense taken.
they dont hafta b shiny
@@disturbedrocks1996 people like it shiny cause they like their things to look good. why do people want bright purple cam gears on their 2JZ? or why do people want lime green strut braces? cause they think it looks good. no offense, you probably wont get it. lol
Doing all this work to a car and not upgrading the brakes is exactly what a Nova owner would do.
Out of all the episodes, this is my favorite out of all of them. The final song was really well done.
My 1st car was a 72 Ventura (Pontiac Nova) that had a stock 350. Boy I could do serious burnouts with it, but that's about it.
Is why I like 283s for light body cars.
why not an LS? it's pretty obvious you don't need a computer for a 350...
Computers make the world better
Clint Cochrane that’s like, your opinion man.
No clue why but out of every muscle car the Chevy nova has been my favorite. I love everything about it from the body style to the damn name. The “nova” shit just sounds badass. My dream muscle car would be a grey nova black rims and tinted windows with a big block NA V8 with an exhaust so loud it will make a grown man cream.
These cars are considered the holy grail in Argentina. It's one of the few if not the only muscle car produced in-house , although its name was changed to Chevy. We always joke and say that you must hook it up to a gas station before you start driving it haha
That engine starts like a sack of hammers meeting a box of porcelain plates.
That's what a large cam SBC sounds like when they start... Technology has spoiled us 450hp 350ci motor used to be fairly hard to accomplish while maintaining streetability.
@@gagechapin1000 oh, I know. But it still sounds like crap starting up.
A *TORQUE* converter has a *stall* RPM.
The writing and delivery here is perfection. Hilarious! 🤣 I'll be quoting this with my friends for sure.
Glad to say my father has a 71 Nova and has the exact opposite of what is “common.”
1. He has no “SS” badging on his
2. He doesn’t have an LS Swap
It was the first car he bought at the age of 15 and he did an engine swap with it. It came with a V6 in it however he put a 396 out of a 66 Chevelle and put in it. Drag raced and everything and it still has less than 160,000 miles on it. 35+ years later, he still owns it and says “This thing will never be done”
I had a 1973 one with a 350 in high school though it came factory that way and had discs up front.
One thing I can say about the generation 1 small block is they are simple and the parts are cheap.
I had a 72 350 Ventura and I could beat 318 Cudas and Challengers.
Why LS swap is best swap in 14 Minutes
Basically tbh
Millenial '70 Nova owner here. The tail lights will go out at times. My car has no ss badge. The best part about owning a Nova is giving the guy at the gas station a thumbs up when he compliments your "Chevelle".
These reviews are freaking masterpieces!
He needs that stall converter for the cam that he is running
That's not all that was missed here I don't think...
You know :)
I was just pointing out that large cams and automatic transmissions don't like each other hence why he needs the 2500 stall (which isn't even that crazy for street car). Without it the car would choke itself out and stall.
Getting 450hp out of a 360ci motor using 1970s technology is a lot harder than throwing an LS at it with a mild tune.
He does need to get rid of those front drum brakes though. I wouldn't take a 450hp car down the 1/4 mile with drums stopping you. You're going to have a bad time.
@@gagechapin1000 you were spot on, I was agreeing with you that there were plenty of things about that whole speech that weren't quite right, like the converter being sold as basically undrivable when 2500 isn't that bad
Oh how I want it. It's perfect. It's not too small, nor a landyacht. It's light and still has that musclecar-feel.
Some dude who lives in mah tawn got one in golden BROWN. I can hear the wingadinga every time he fires that car up and I want some of that wingadinga too.
X-er here. These things were auto shop beaters when I was in high school. The new engine in there is because some kid in the early 90s blew the original up by removing the rev limiter and hilariously mis-tuning the carb because cheap turbos weren’t a thing yet.
A friend of mine inherited a mint green 1970 Chevy Nova from his grandmother when he was 16. Had the 194 straight-6 and a PowerGlide 2-speed automatic transmission. No A/C. AM-only radio. Black vinyl upholstery, which was *ungodly* hot in the north Georgia summer sun. It was literally the cheapest Nova you could buy in 1970. And it was in *pristine* condition. Literally driven by a little old lady to the grocery store and to church. Had just a tick over 15,000 miles on it in 1986 when he got it. I bet something that original and clean today would sell for $40K -- if you could even find one that hadn't been cut up to make a fake SS.
Questions people about what's the point to rebuilding an older engine when you can LS swap it, when same dude has rebuilt a 5.0 to convert into a 302 for his Falcon.
Honestly, LS swaps aren't as interesting as Mr Regular or what everyone else might think. Yeah it's a good choice of engine, but these engine swaps have become overly oversaturated in the car community.
The era of the LS swap installations will peak if it hasn't happened yet.
Great engine, the LS, but over hyped in our modern day. The only reason why LS swaps have become so common, is that they aren't to be enjoyed. But to be sold for much more money for the poor sucker that wants one. But who knows, maybe this Nova is worth $40k, because it didn't get the LS treatment yet.
By that logic he might as well Coyote swap that Falcon.
LS are not as cheap as SBCs. You can build a rock solid 300-400 hp SBC for $2-3k. That won't even get you a used LS1 with less than 100k miles if you can find one. If you're buying brand new the cheapest you got is the L96 at about $5.5k for roughly the same power. Yes the L96 is going to be more drivable and reliable but it is going to cost more.
@@gagechapin1000 agreed he's pretending that a 5.3 can make power cheaper than a 350 with a cam and heads.
What regular is saying. The fake SS badge and trim plus the degrading condition of the vehicle he's stating why not go cheap because while prices are high it's not worth it in the long run and just cheap out now.
And if you think LS motors aint cheap go to a junkyard and pick out any 1995+ GM truck and 98% of the time you can get a Vortec LS motor that fits muscle car specs.
That stall converter is about right (or near enough, without knowing the power/torque curve) for an old-school street engine. Newer engine designs have plenty of smooth torque down low, so a low stall is fine...but a 350 with a big cam means the power is a little peaky and comes in at higher rpm...and the torque converter should be just barely able to let the engine start coming on cam at full stall. Rather than lowering the stall, an overdrive or a locking converter (or both) would fix the worst of his fuel consumption issues.
This is how cars were in the day, before we had EFI and computers and variable vale timing and variable intake runner length to widen the power band and take the fun out of driving.
7:34 I feel complete now hearing Mr Regular dropping an f bomb in his normal voice.
My Dad had his Camaros. I have my Prelude (he loves it). We are no different. We're all clinging to a feeling of joy no matter our generation or age.