What’s Up in the Forums: ’68 Chevy Nova is One ‘Sweet Pea’ of a Project
Years of hard work, trial and error, and multiple engines have turned this ratty Chevy Nova into something truly special at the strip!
In the world of hot rodding, four-door cars are largely frowned upon. But around these parts, we’re more interested in speed than looks. And building a four-door project only adds to the sleeper appeal. Which, in turn, helps throw off any potential opponents. The presence of extra doors certainly didn’t scare away LS1 Tech member Guard dog from this “pea” green Chevy Nova, that’s for sure. In fact, he was even more attracted to the car based on those attributes!
“Picked up a ratty LS-swapped 1968 Moar Door Chevy Nova with a 5.3 and old unidentified diesel turbo. I was planning to cruise it and play with it at the track, all while keeping the patina. The weathered Grecian Green looks like split pea soup, so I named her Sweet Pea.”
Like most Chevy II/Novas from this era, the wheel wells were rusty. But some seriously shoddy wiring was more of a concern. And a fire risk. So the OP did the smart thing and just went ahead and yanked everything out with an eye toward a budget build.
So work began on a 180k mile turbo’d 4.8 and a Powerglide tranny. With a new K-member in place, it was mostly a smooth process. And before long, she fired up with little drama!
After some more fabrication work, the Chevy Nova was able to go for its maiden test drive. But that’s when some of the car’s other shortcomings began to rear their ugly heads.
“The brakes are terrible and the suspension is shot. The roads were wet and she is wearing slicks, so no crazy antics. I have some upgrades planned for the suspension to make her 60′ decently, just waiting for parts. I think she’ll need a different rear end because I don’t think the 48 year old 10-bolt will hold up to the turbo power and trans brake. I’ll probably go with a Ford 8.8 for a good balance of cost effectiveness and strength. And the snowball keeps getting bigger.”
Our favorite mods, however, don’t really relate to speed. They’re the Velcro’d bible on the dash and tissue box on the rear shelf!
With those additions complete, it was time for Sweet Pea’s maiden voyage down the track. And she did quite well, running an 11.4 quarter the first time out. Sadly, however, things didn’t go so well for the little 4.8. Oil pressure dropped significantly once she got warmed up. So the OP yanked the whole thing once again. And work began on a new aluminum 5.3!
Which of course meant more test fitting, fabricating, and rinse and repeat. And shortly thereafter, a 10.8-second pass at LSFest. Not too shabby for a 3,650 pound curb weight with driver! And it was at that very event when this Chevy Nova became semi-famous.
But of course, that wasn’t the end. With more work and some fresh parts, Sweet Pea was running 11.13s at 3/4 throttle. Since then, the OP has been hitting up virtually every notable event and racking up wins. But you better believe he isn’t done yet! Be sure and catch up on this epic Chevy Nova build by heading over here!
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