If the snow ever decides to melt away and not be replaced with a fresh coating, I'm going to clear out the garage and make room to work on my Nova. I'm pretty much done on my Trans Am for now. It still needs a lot of work, but it is drivable. The Nova is becoming more and more of a priority. I really want to do it right the first time around so I'm going to do it my way. It's going to seem a bit backwards, but I think it will be best. I am going to get the floor braces and cross members sand blasted and cleaned up good before I weld in the new floor pans. I'm not sure how far I'm going to have to go with floor replacement. After the floor is all welded in and epoxy primed, I'll do the firewall and cowl area and get it epoxy primed. Next will be sub-frame blasting and re-refurbishing. Yes, RE-refurbishing. I had it cleaned up and painted back in '87 soon after I got the car. I put new springs and bushings and ball joints in it. I never did get the tie rods and idler arm taken care of. So this time I'll tear it all back down and re-do everything that needs it. I've got new leaf springs and shackles for the rear. I'll need new U-bolts for the spring/traction bar mounts. All those parts will be cleaned and repainted. That sounds like a summer full of work. But I'd like to get even more than that done this summer. I don't know how far I'll get. We'll see!

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There's so much to do on this car but I'm going to try to tackle it Check back and see what I do with it!

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It's been a long time since I got to do anything on this car. Last year I got my Trans Am back together and on the road. It still has a lot of work to get it all finished, but it's driveable. I want to get the Nova together enough to at least make it resemble a car again! I have to clean in all out and find places to put all the stuff that's in it. Then I'll have to sand blast the rust out of the floor braces and what's left of the floor pans before I weld the new pans in. I'll get the work done on the underside and inside before I worry about the bodywork on the outside. I'll get the sub-frame bolted back in and the new leaf springs and rear end installed so I can make a roller out of it. I don't know how far I'll get on it, but if I get anything done, it's more than anything in the past 10 years!

I'm going to try to work on it often, even if it is sporatic. I still have a lot of work to do on the house yet. I'll be doing that and trying to work on my Nova, too. I also want to wire in some new outlets in the garage and wire in the flourescent overhead lights and switches. I want to have outside outlets before next winter so I won't have to run extension cords under the doors to plug in the block heaters in the trucks. Then there's still the panelling I had given to me that I want to put accross the bottom on the trusses to be a ceiling in the garage. Then I'm going to paint the ceiling and walls WHITE! That garage is such a cave! The dumbasses that had this place before painted the walls dark brown with two small overhead lights! I want lots of light! My eyes just ain't gettin' any better! Macular degeneration sucks! Dad was legally blind with it by 62. He wasn't diagnosed with it until he was in his 50's. I'm 46. So much to do and time seems to be running out. I'm going to be pushing my limits until I'm blind or dead! Whichever comes first!

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I've got so many other projects going on, but this one is starting to fill my head again. I've got more house projects planned. Michelle is having surgery Monday and I'll be her service butler while she recovers. There's still the upstairs to be remodeled and the bedroom to sheetrock. The trimwork in the bathroom still need done. I need to get a transmission for the S-10 for Jessica. Then there's "Big Blue" to work on. But my head is filled with my Nova. I want a cool old car to drive next summer. Yeah, I still have my Trans Am, but I want a hot rod. One I can run hard and have a little fun with. I know I will eventually have the Nova even nicer than the T/A, but at first I just want a hot rod! Even after I get the Nova all done the way I want it, I'll still drive it hard, but what if I made it a full on "Beater-Beast" first? What if I got all the mechanicals together then just threw the old fenders and doors on it? Or maybe just primer it? Kept the Pontiac Rally wheels on the rear and the Chevy rally wheels on front. No fancy dual exhaust, just the glass-pack mufflers on the headers and left it like that? I know a lot of people would just shake their heads at me. But when I open it up I know their opinions would change! Imagine what it would be like if it looked like the picture at the top of this post and it could safely run low 13's! What do you think?

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It won't happen as quickly as I'd like, but I'm going to start on my Nova soon. I already have the quarter panels and wheel houses wlded in. I already have the tail ligt panel welded in (it still needs finished). I already have the rocker panels welded in (they still need finished too). I have floor pans to weld in. I have most of the old rusted ones cut out. I already hve thenew skin on thedriver's door. I have a good door for the passeger side that only needs a couple small patches welded in the corners. I have decent fenders that need a couple patches. the trunk floor is good. The frame rails are good. The front suspension has already been rebuilt. I want to add disc brakes up front. I have new leaf springs and shackles for the rear. I have a good strong 350 that was built fo one of my Monzas and later used in my S-10. I have a 700R4 that was in my V-8 S-10 that just quit on me. I think it's a broken sprag. I have a new package tray for the interior, and nothing else new. I had a good set of black door panels that I was going to use, but I had a racoon get in my trunk somehow and chewed them all up. The back seat is in real good condition (no rips or tears) it just needs a good cleaning. The front seats aren't such a good story. They aren't original, they aren't Nova seats either. Looking through catalogs, I figured out they're '76 Camaro bucket seats. I can live with that. The roof liner was shredded when I got the car and the carpet was gone. The dash pad is in perfect condition. The steering column is a tilt unit with a SS steering wheel. I have the single pedal brake (for automatic) that I can install if I run the 700R4 or I can use the clutch/brake pedals that are in the car if I run one of the stick shift transmissions I have (2 three speeds and 2 four speeds or a T-5). I have a new radiator support I bought when I worked at the Chevy dealer back in the early 90's. I'm not sure of the condition of the radiator itself, but it was good 20 some years ago when I dismantled the car. I have a new gas tank for it (that's a good thing because the original tank didn't make the move to Minnesota with me. The rusted out-beat up-piece of crap-junk gas tank from my FIrebird parts car did however make it here). I've got window chrome from a couple other Novas and extra bumpers (I'll probably still get new ones) and extra marker lights, tail lights, and headlights. I've got interior trim parts from several Novas. I've got 15"x8" Corvette Ralley wheels with center caps and trim rings that I want to use. I did have a couple sets of the 14' Ralley II wheels that I was originally going to use, but the Corvette wheels changed my mind.

So you see I have a lot of stuff done already and a lot of parts lined up!.

UPDATE: I'm going to start moving stuff in the garage (a.k.a. "the grudge") so I can at least LOOK at my Nova again. I'll have to put up shelves or something so I have places to put everything that's inside the car. I'll try to organize everything as I take it out and find a proper place for it. I may even make a list of the things and where they are so when I go looking for something I know I had, I know I have it and where it is. Wow! What a concept! Wish I would've thought of that 25 years ago when I started tearing down and getting stuff for it! I'll probably find the door panel clips for my Trans Am that I bought when I was putting it together 11 years ago that I couldn't find last month and bought more (and still haven't installed my new door panels!). I've got lots of stuff to inventory! I may have to build another shed just for my car parts because the grudge is full of garage sale stuff for a garage sale that was supposed to take place at least 2 years ago (before my cars were here and the garage was empty) Or maybe I could just take all the clothes to one of the donation bins and take the other usable stuff to the Salvation Army or Good Will. I could take my huge Broyhill dresser to a consignment store and my Grandma's old dresser to an antique shop. My old kitchen table is still taking up floor space and making more room to pile "garage sale" items. There's another table in there that was given to us to sell in the sale and some end tables my friend gave me. My one step-son brought home tires for his car (that he doesn't even have anymore) and they're stacked there.He also brought home some carpet remnants (rolls) for rooms we don't even have in the house.

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After working on my Trans Am since December and not being happy about all the things that were wrong with different systems, I'm definitely going to do the Nova Right, the first time! I haven't worked on my Nova since 2003. I was going to go at it like gang busters in 2004, but that was the year of my divorce that sent my life into a downward spiral until I met Michelle and married her in 2008. Since then, I've built my life back to a comfortable state. I'm not rich, but I've found contentment. Michelle has been a great wife for me. She's been very patient with me and my car obsession. I've spent all of 2012 working on my Trans Am.. I've just about got it done for this year. There's so much more I want to do to it, but it's going to have to wait. I'm going to get back to work on my Nova. I don't know where the money will come from, but it will come. However, before I can dig into it, I have to get our 4x4 Chevy fixed and ready for winter. I don't want to have to drive our van again in winter-weather. I also promised my step-daughter I would get my S-10 back on the road and let her drive it when she gets her license. So it's looking like the Nova will be a winter project. There's so much to do on every part of it. I've got floor pans to weld in. I've already welded the quarters and wheel houses in. I got the tail-light panel welded in but not completed.I welded the rocker panels in, but not completed, either. The front windshield channel and rear window channel both need attention. The dash top is kind of rusted too. And that just leads to the firewall. Then there's the rest of the body panels (hood, doors, fenders, trunk lid and such) that need bodywork, too. Then I can sand-blast the frame and refurbish the suspension and upgrade to disc brakes on the front. I'm going to put new bearings and seals in the rear end and check the clutches in the posi unit. Of course, I'm going to replace all the brake and fuel lines. Whew! I'm tired already just thinking and typing about it! But man, am I looking forward to it!

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I just read my last post on the Nova. "Rags to Riches..." I wrote that before I moved to Minnesota 4 years ago. I'm sick of waiting for the "right" time to get stuff done. I'm going to get my Trans Am together and then dig into the Nova. I'll do it just about like the "Rags to Riches..." post and throw it together so I can drive it before summer's over this year.I'm also going to get Big Blue back on the road too. I may need it to pull a trailer with the Nova on. I'm just going to get my stuff together this summer! I'm tired of putting it off! This car is going to be a rock solid driver even if it looks like something from the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Road Warrior!

UPDATE: 3/8/2012
I went to work today and told my boss (Brad) about my plans for my Nova and my blog-post to go with. I told him I was going to pile into my garage works when I got the time and warmer weather. He started work on his Studabaker pick-up again today, also. He said "WE are building hot-rods this summer" after I told him I'll do it when I could. He made it sound like he was offering shop space to me. If that's so, I know I'm going to get the Nova on the road this summer! I know he would bend over backwards to help me get it done, he's the best boss I ever worked for! He's also planning on getting his '56 Chevy in the shop to rebuild it, this summer too! I'll probably work a "labor for shop-space" trade out with him. If I do get it in the shop, or at least to the shop, I know it will get glass blasted and put together better than I was planning, but hey, I'm not going to pass up any chances! With Brad's help and his motivational drive, I'm going to get it done!

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My life has taken a pleasantly unexpected turn. I've fallen in love with somebody that is the one I want to stay with. The thing is, she lives in Minnesota and wants to stay there. I went there and I don't blame her. I've made up my mind to move to Minnesota to be with Michelle. So I'm changing my plans for my cars. I am still putting the 400 in my Trans Am but I'm packing the new stuff up and saving that project for later. The Nova is just a shell right now with gobs of parts that all need completely refurbished. I want the car to be A-1 when it's done, but I've got more important things to do right now. I'm going to assemble the body the way the parts are now (all rusty and crusty) and get the drive-train put together along with the chassis. I'm going to get this thing road-worthy and DRIVE it to Minnesota! I'll get all the lights working and make sure the wipers work too. I'm not going to worry about a heater or interior. It just has to be drivable. That in itself is going to be exciting! It's going to look like something from "Mad Max" on the hi-way. I don't care! I'm driving it there and trucking the parts in a U-Haul later. I'll probably have to get the biggest truck they have that you don't need a CDL to drive to take all my parts and tools up there in. She's got a garage there, but the Nova and it's parts alone would fill it up, so I'll build a shed for my stuff. It's just going to be my Nova and Trans Am parked in there along with her Bonneville. The cool thing about this woman is that she wants to help me with my plans! She wants me there bad and she's got me hooked! So I'm going to slam this car together and hit the road this summer!

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