We fool ourselves with the thought of how easy a project is going to be. If we didn't, most cars wouldn't get built. Bo and Robbin Lumpkin of Mobile, Alabama, were already racing a '78 Camaro when they came across this '68 Nova that had been started by another racer and was at the RCE Racing shop in their hometown. It was rust free, the sheet metal had been prepped, it had a cage and rear end installed, how tough could it be? Sound familiar to any readers? Two and a half years later, Bo and friends Laverne Ferrouillat and Johnny Wilkins finished the car. That was, doing it an hour here, an hour there, with generous quantities of encouragement from Bo's very understanding wife.
The hardest part was not racing while they were building this car. When the Lumpkin's finally made it back to the track with their Nova they expected to spend considerable time "dialing-it-in" as would be expected with a new car. By their sixth outing, though, they brought home First Place. The car is consistent and regularly turns eighth-mile times around 6.10 at 111 mph. All of you Chevy fans with projects gathering dust in the shop take heart from what Bo did and get back to work; it can be done.
TECH SPECS
Owner Bo and Robbin Lumpkin Mobile, Alabama
Vehicle '68 Nova
Engine '72 Chevy 400 small-block, bored to 406 cubic inches, balanced, blueprinted, Ross 12.5:1 pistons, Crane custom grind cam, Brodix Track 1 aluminum heads, Brodix intake, Barry Grant Gold 750-cfm carb, MSD 7AL2 ignition and 8mm wires, Brodix valve covers, Hooker headers, Wysco steel hoses, Griffin radiator, Dedenbear water pump, ATI balancer, Cloyes timing cover, Moroso oil pan and trans cooler, Aerospace Components vacuum pump, Holley fuel pump, Optima batteries, ARC switch panels.
Transmission Powerglide with JW trans brake, PTC 5400 stall converter
Rearend 9-inch with Strange axles, center section, and spool, Richmond 5.14:1 Pro gears
Body Harwood hood, front and rear bumper. Moldings, sillplates, and eyebrow by Classic Industries.
Color/Paint 1999 Saturn Yellow, PPG
Painter Steve Hawkins, Graphics by The Tint Shop, Saraland, Alabama
Interior RCI seats, Simpson belts, Grant GT steering wheel, Hurst Pistol Grip quarter stick shifter, 12-point roll bar, Autometer gauges
Suspension
(F) Moroso springs, Koni SPA-1 shocks, Strange brakes, lowered 3 1/2 inches & (R) Strange double adjustable coilovers, Strange brakes, ladder bars by Competition Engineering
Wheels
(F) Weld Drag Stars, 15x3 1/2, 1 3/4-inch backspacing & (R) Weld Drag Stars, 15x14, 6 1/2-inch backspacing
Tires
(F) Goodyear, 26x4.50x15 & (R) Goodyear, 33x14.5x15