In the modern age of twin turbos, intercoolers, and small-tire flyers capable of clicking off seven-second passes without breaking a sweat, it is sometimes easy to forget our roots. In the case of Schenectady, New York’s Rocco Rescelo, he need only go out to the garage to see and hear rolling, rumbling history in the form of his 1967 Chevy Nova. Built in the late 1990s, the car represents a different era in drag race competition, but the well-preserved build isn’t just some crusty museum piece.
An avid collector of all things Chevy, Rescelo started the Nova build in 1994 when he purchased a poorly-executed basket case. “The body was sitting on an S-10 frame that didn’t fit right at all,” he recalled. A call to his friends at MK Automotive and plans were underway to scrap that nonsense in favor of a custom installed Art Morrison mild steel chassis with 2×3 box rails and an 8.50-cert cage.
An Art Morrison ladder bar setup with QA1 coilovers was used in the rear to hang a narrowed 12-bolt posi. The rear-end features 4.30 gears, Strange axles, and aftermarket disc brakes to help slow the rotund Goodyear Eagle slicks mounted aboard iconic Draglite wheels.
Up front, the Morrison componentry continued. Tubular upper and lower control arms and a rack and pinion steering setup replaced the wonky factory setup these cars are notorious for—not to mention the ill-fated S-10 debacle Rescelo had to scrap, too. Another pair of QA1 shocks smooth the bumps while matching discs and spindles reside behind 15×3.5-inch polished Welds with Mickey Thompson tires.
With the chassis complete, MK turned their attention to the car’s drivetrain. Even in 2020, it’s hard to beat the power-per-dollar of a blown big block Chevy….
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