the InNOVAtor 1967 Chevy Nova MOST STUNNING build i've ever seen

[vwlarry]

The style and approach are strictly subjective so I'll leave that alone, but this car reminds me of that old story about George Washington's hatchet. You know, the one he used to chop down the cherry tree? It's in the Smithsonian Institute, and it's completely original, except that the handle's been replaced twice, and the head has been replaced 3 times.

There's NOTHING left of a Chevrolet Nova there!

[McBanagon]

link to full album http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/v...11%2011-17-11/

Nice. Got any more of this one?
http://i696.photobucket.com/albums/v...1/IMG_0943.jpg

[sirswank]

sort of a "ship of Theseus" ?

it really looks like a concept. the fab is awesome, but i don't want to know what it cost. you might have a hard time driving that with antique plates too...


couldn't The Roadster Shop pull some strings to have the chassis re-vinned as a fully custom car, like Boyd does, and call it a 2014 Nova?

[Cousin Eddie]

The fit, finish, and craftsmanship are top notch and amazing.

However, they still managed to rice out a Nova. I mean seriously, e-bay style LED tails? C'MON!

[boosted03]

Man, that looks expensive!

More than you can afford pal! Nova.....rarrarrarararar...

[A.Wilder]

at first i was like.

how do you even form all that plastic ?

but then is it actually metal?

edit. or aluminum

this is one of the better builds ive seen this year.

I think it's all metal. He says the rear tail lights are billet and the front's appear to be cnc'd as well.







This car looks more like a one-off prototype/concept car than a hotrod build. Amazing details and work

[AKADriver]

The undercarriage shot is amusing - all the "high tech" tinsel and underneath, it's body-on-frame with a solid axle. Extremely well-crafted, of course, but still. This is most amusing because the original Nova was a unibody...!

It's been said a hundred times already, but I give it an A+++ for craftsmanship and ingenuity but a C for style. By chopping the roof and extending the body downward they gave it the kind of proportions that turn me off on new cars... I like cars like the '67 Nova because they're not chunky-looking slabs with slit windows like everything you can buy now.

[boosted03]

Amazing work, in quality and the necessary talent to make it happen, although some of it is over the top for my taste. I will say that it is very well executed. The view from the bottom is engineering art.

[MAC]

Also agree that the fabrication and finish quality is amazing but it looks like a toy. Too far removed from the original style of the car.

That's gotta be a 500k build.

[PowerDubs]

I read the opening paragraph and was excited to see the car.. then I scrolled down and saw the pep boys taillights and other plastic atrocities and almost threw up on my keyboard.

This car is a perfect example of why I do not like show cars.

[A.Wilder]

I read the opening paragraph and was excited to see the car.. then I scrolled down and saw the pep boys taillights and other plastic atrocities and almost threw up on my keyboard.

This car is a perfect example of why I do not like show cars.

ignorance is bliss?

[jaystone]

Also agree that the fabrication and finish quality is amazing but it looks like a toy. Too far removed from the original style of the car.

That's gotta be a 500k build.

QFT. Money can buy expensive custom parts. Money can buy ridiculous craftsmanship. Money CAN NOT buy class.

[bora.the.explora]

I think it looks great but it's no longer a 67 nova. it looks like it could be one of those retro styled concept cars which would probably be received well when a lot of the flashiness is removed for the public. either way, I'd drive the hell out of that, it needs to get dirty, it looks way too sterile.

[FastGTi]

Do not want. The Chevy II is one of the most beautiful cars of the '60s, and this car ruins just about everything I love about it. Cartoonishly gaudy.

This.

I would rather see a frame up resto than this cartoony piece of crap.

[jaystone]

I think it also goes to show you that the overall design of a car is significantly greater than the sum of it's parts.

[The Ugly]

*falls if chair*

It can't be compared to the stuff foose comes out with but damn the detail work is near perfect.

[jettagli1991]

It wouldn't be my first choice of style if I wanted a '67 Nova, but I think part of being a car enthusiast is appreciating any well-built car even if it's not to your taste. And that car, without question has some of the best build-quality I've even seen on a restored car. And it's not like they did it to an extremely rare car, plus it looked like a basket case to begin with. I didn't read the whole thread, but I'm sure they went above and beyond with that car to use it to advertise the shop's abilities, fully intending it to be noticed and talked about.

[barry2952]

There we go again with who's an enthusiast and who's not.

[mellbergVWfan]

I like this view.

However I'm much more interested in these cars from OP's photo album. Anyone know anything about them?

[Ben010783]

That's not my style and I still think it's amazing.

[bmann]

Looks great. Obviously build quality is exceptional and the design is cohesive and stylish, a perfect juxtaposition of classic and futuristic. They came up with a concept and went all out with it.

The reason it turns some people off is probably because they simply prefer a different style (classic rod, Foose style, etc) or grew up thinking a Nova should look a certain way. If you release yourself from those expectations and see it for what it is, you might appreciate the concept a bit more.

[eggman95]

Awesome craftsmanship, but it's too much. Cannot bring myself to like it.

ditto

[patrikman]

I think it's all metal. He says the rear tail lights are billet and the front's appear to be cnc'd as well.







This car looks more like a one-off prototype/concept car than a hotrod build. Amazing details and work

So let me get this straight, they take a Chevy II...which is a very light and good handling car and stuff it full of a whole bunch of creatively designed excess metal.

Then they said, "hey let's make it look like a pro touring car or a drag car."

it probably handles like a barge now. How much does this weigh?

[Bains]

Money CAN NOT buy class.

being the driver of a VR6 you'd know that firsthand

amazing build, the result is still cool,

[barry2952]

being the driver of a VR6 you'd know that firsthand

Seems like a tad of that from you, too.

[patrikman]

Seems like a tad of that from you, too.

Have you heard about the rivalry between 1.8T and VR6 owners Barry? It is akin to civil war in an insane asylum.

[ProjectA3]

thats was for the DIW thread. gonna go post it now. it was just a random in the parking lot at the good guys show.

The main pic on the flyer that was by the car shows it on some kind of autocross/road course with cones being driven what looks like quite hard.

I really wish there was someone there to ask questions to about the car because i wanted to know a lot more.

I really like it because it was a thought in someones minded executed to perfection and it broke the mold of what a old Nova looks like and what a new one might look like.

[barry2952]

Have you heard about the rivalry between 1.8T and VR6 owners Barry? It is akin to civil war in an insane asylum.

I tend to ignore that crap. Why bring it here?

[barry2952]

thats was for the DIW thread. gonna go post it now. it was just a random in the parking lot at the good guys show.

It would help if you somehow linked who you were responding to. Things move quickly around here.

[patrikman]

I tend to ignore that crap. Why bring it here?

Because this is a VW site. Haven't you heard?

[Jettin2Class]

Craftsmanship on the Tron-Nova is pretty cool. None of it is what I would do, but I still admire the capability that it represents. Me, I like classic-restomod-frankenstein stuff like this Nova:

[The Ugly]

Seems like a tad of that from you, too.

Meh, no likee. Great build, but why?

bi-polar bit?

And to answer your question:

It's about pushing the limit of imgination and technology. I get bored of watching the same boring oem+ or replica schemes when i watch Mecum auctions. So this is definitely fresh of air. Only the rear taillights are a bit rice.

[under the radar]

its an amazing car no doubt...i just can't believe they made all those awesome aluminum parts and then painted them so they look like plastic.

[Jettin2Class]

Exactly. I'd leave all the cool metal bits in the raw. This is like taking a Rolex and putting a cheap casio/swatch exterior over it.

[MCTB]

bi-polar bit?

And to answer your question:

It's about pushing the limit of imgination and technology. I get bored of watching the same boring oem+ or replica schemes when i watch Mecum auctions. So this is definitely fresh of air. Only the rear taillights are a bit rice.

Its nothing but a "belly button car" to him. Dont worry. Hes been grumpy for some reason as of late.

I agree, I think it looks fantastic. He went a different direction and created something that HASNT been done before. Its not the same old, tired formula. Its awesome. I dont see a single thing wrong with this car. He had a Tron sort of theme and carried it all the way through. Not even the "eBay" tail lamps look bad.



BTW, Chevy IIs were semi unibody. The motor and front suspension was on a separate chassis that bolted to the rest of the car. You can look at the seams and see that the parts of the original unibody are still there but we added a central chassis for strength. I dont blame him. Engineering and strength were not really great back then and putting bigger tires and a lot of power through an old unibody probably makes for a floppy time. Even newer cars have unibody flex. Ask any Cherokee owner who hasnt welded on massive amounts of steel plate to strengthen the "frame" yet.