After looking for a long time for a good quality 1966 or 1967 Chevy Nova , I purchased this 1967 Chevy II Nova in Annapolis, Maryland about 2 years ago. The car was in fantastic shape with a new motor, suspension, and chrome. The only real issue was the condition of the paint which could easily be taken care of.
During this summer I finally decided that it was time to have the paint work completed after finishing off some of the other work that needed to be done. Since getting the paintwork finished I have reupholstered the front seat and had some engine dress up items installed.
The work was done by a local body shop that specializes in some muscle car work and refinishing. After hearing about a recent ground up restoration that they had done on a 1962 Corvette, I decided that I would have them do the work. The shop was reluctant to jump into another project so soon but I explained to them that some the motor and other things on the car were not original so I wasn’t really concerned with a full numbers matching restoration. I was more interested in a nice car that could be taken to cruise nights, car shows, etc. I wanted a good solid car that I could drive and have fun with.
The body shop had the car for about 7 weeks. After completely tearing it done it was determined that some body work was going to be needed. Instead of doing things on the “cheap” I decided that it would be better to buy complete new body panels. The panels included, new rear quarter, new hood, new fenders and new drivers door sill. During the tear down I also replaced as much trim, emblems, glass, and other pieces that are reproduced for the car.
Here are some before pics:
I finally decided on the color which is House of Kolor Candy Brandywine over Gamma Gold. I saw the color on a 1939 Mercury Street Rod at a local car show and literally stalked the owner down at the show until I got the paint codes. I fell in love with the color the minute I saw it and knew I wanted it on my car. The flake in the paint in the sun is unreal.
After waiting 7 weeks for paint to cure, I decided it was time for the first real detail. The shop really went the extra mile on the car and painted the brake hubs and calipers to match the car. It was a very nice touch.
The paint had some minimal marring and some holograms from the body shop. The real issue was getting a lot of the wet sanding dust and crud out from all of the crevices and tiny areas. The body shop did a fantastic job but I wanted to go the extra mile and make sure it was perfect. The car was detailed over a three day period with about 18 man hours. It’s amazing how time flys by when you are doing something like this. I honestly don’t know where some of the time went during the days that I was working on it. I guess I was just having fun
Process:
Wash with 2 BM and Durgloss 901
Clay with Sonus green clay and Optimum Spray Detailer as lube
Interior completely wiped down with Citrus degreaser and/or Woolite 6:1
All vinyl treated with Optimum Protectorant Plus
All interior lenses and plastics polished with Megs Plastix
Polish with 3M Ultrafina via Makita 9227 and 3M finishing pad
CG EZ Cream Glaze via UDM and LC black pad
LSP=CG Petes 53
Glass cleaned with Zep Glass Cleaner
All chrome polished with Megs Hot Shine Chrome Polish
Wheels Polished via Powerball with Simichrome and English Custom Showman’s Blend
Engine dressed with CD2 Engine Detailer and 303 Aerospace
Suspension wiped down with ONR
Zaino Clear Seal on rotor hubs and calipers
Pics:
What’s next????
Well that’s a very good question. I really love the American Racing Torque Thrusts that are on the car. However, the prior owner kept them in decent shape but since they are a polished wheel they are a pain to keep up on. They have also seen some wear over the years. These same wheels can be custom ordered from a American Racing dealership program with a chrome center. I may get them and leave the lip polished.
I am also considering replacing the Edlebrock intake manifold with one of their Endurashine manifolds. I think it will match some of the other chrome work on the engine. The plain manifold is something that I notice every time I open the hood.
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