We last left Project Getaway completely stripped of its glory with a partially installed new front subframe and front suspension components courtesy of Chris Alston's Chassisworks in Sacramento, California. Our next mission is to progress from there in hopes that we don't encounter any major issues along the way.
After a brief inspection of the old front clip on this '66 Nova project car, we were reluctant to reuse any components that we didn't have to. The fenders were somewhat rusted on the inside toward the bottom, and though they may have been brought back to life, owner Ed Krawiec decided to find a set of re-bops or better. After perusing eBay Motors, Krawiec located a set of reproductions collecting dust in somebody's garage. After winning the auction for a mere $600, the fenders were on their way to Carroll's Rod and Racecraft in Spotswood, New Jersey, where they would be mated to the deuce.
Pictured here is the new radiator support as received from Ground Up. Unfortunately, we mu
Next, we needed to find a suitable replacement for the radiator support, as well as some insight into a custom hood for Getaway. After some research we called upon the professionals at Ground Up in Meriden, Connecticut. It was there that Paul Wolfer introduced us to the radiator support we needed as well as a steel (not fiberglass) 2-inch cowl induction hood. For the past 15 years Ground Up has been a leader in restoration parts and components for Chevelles, El Caminos, Camaros, and-most important for us-Novas.
When building a project of this magnitude, keep in mind that what we've done up to here and what we will do beyond this point is purely mock-up. We are out to rough-fit everything, which requires hours of measurements, multiple trial fitments, and most of all, patience (coupled with a love for what you're doing). Once the entire car is mocked together and satisfaction is achieved by both Krawiec and Bobby Carroll (the builder), then it will need to be completely disassembled for bodywork, painting, powdercoating, and any additional detailing work. Then and only then can Getaway be prepped for final assembly.
You're probably wondering what's going to power this beast. At first we discussed a stout LS-based engine with twin turbos backed by an overdrive tranny. While we know it can be done (anything can be done with a welder and a torch), it would probably require hours of fabrication to effectively route the piping for the turbo system as well as the intercooler. After giving Kory Enger a call at Turn Key Engine Supply in Oceanside, California, we were introduced to one of the many drop-in engine packages it provides. After a little back and forth, we've pretty much settled into a combination containing an LS2 block and Dart 72cc cylinder heads with a Kenne Bell Twin Screw supercharger mounted up top. Early indicators put this mill at 700-plus horsepower, which is no slouch in our opinion.
Follow along as we try to make the disassembled deuce look like a car again.
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To remove the core, Bobby first drilled small pilot holes over the spot welds in the core.
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Next, he used a special spot-weld cutting bit to remove the core in a cleaner fashion.
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With the core removed, the support fit into the frame perfectly (as indicated).
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No further modifications were necessary to seat the unit. Bobby installed the three mounti
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Now that the radiator support is bolted in place, we popped the box for the fenders.
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As of now we've heard of some issues with the tooling for these fenders; however, these pa