1970 nova ??????'S

[hamlinmotorsports]

im in the process of building a 70 nova and wanted to see what everyone has to say about different combinations that is competitive and wont break the bank im looking to run it in G or H any feedback would be great thanks

[Bobby Zlatkin]

There is only one 1970 combination that will put you in G or H, a 300/350.
Claim it as a 1969 and add the 255/350 to that list.
However, to be competitive in either, you will have to break the bank unless you have a big bank.
Or, unless you buy one already built starting at approx. $17,000. More for a better one.

[Alan Roehrich]

Both of the small block combos you want to run for those classes have been hit hard, and they use cylinder heads that are hard to find in good shape. It is just as cheap to build a 396/402 car. There's no such thing as a competitive (relatively fast) Stock Eliminator car to run those classes that is not going to break the bank, unless you can do all of your own work, and get a good deal on parts.

[Mike Taylor 3601]

Have to be careful 69 - 70 have diferent size tailights and side marker lights& front bumper.68\69 use
shorter taillights&side markers 70-72 use longer versions can't swap them back and forth without body
work. Mike Taylor3601

[Todd Bailey]

I'm in the same boat here. How much do the tech guys lean on you to have the correct lights/bumpers for the year you are claiming?

[JRyan]

Ed's right. There are a lot of cars running as a different year then what they actually are. We used to run a 72 and claimed it as a 69 with the 350hp 396. I'm also building a 70 now to run as a 71-72 with the 350 that Al just mentioned. As an automatic it's rated 278 and 274 as a stick which is what I'm currently building. We do all our own engine and bodywork and one of our best friends is an upholestry guy. So the car is fairly nice but, even with that I'll have far more into then I care to think.
So, Alan is pretty much correct about you can't build a super competitive G-H car without spending a boat load. Even if you can do most the work yourself. However, it also depends on what your definition of competitive is. If you're looking to run .6-.7 under and aren't all interested in having it be the nicest car in the country it can be done on a reasonable budget.
I can't say if you're looking to be somewhat budget conscious that I'd look into a 396/402. While the majority of the parts don't cost anymore (pistons,rods,etc). Some of the castings as well as having really good springs, rockers, lifters which require a little more attention. That's the reason I chose to build the new car with a small block. After running our 350HP I knew I couldn't afford to keep up in A-E/S on my own. If you're looking to go -1.-1.25 under you'll have to spend the money for the best stuff no matter what combination you'd choose to use.

Best of luck

Rick Ryan

[hamlinmotorsports]

Thanks for all the great feedback. for the first year i just wanna dip my toe in the water and run .6 to .7 under then build up and go faster. so what would be the proper class that would be recomended for my car with how fast i wanna run?




i love watching this class seems real fun after all the technical stuff. i have done alot of reasearch but i am still confused about how you run someone in your own class is it just luck of the draw on how you qaulify?


thanks again guys


scooter hamlin

[Alan Roehrich]

I still believe that it is easier to go around 1.0 under with a 396/402 than it is to run that fast with a 350, and possibly cheaper.

What you need to do is look closely at the area you plan to race in. If there are as many or more F,G, and H cars as there are A,B, and C cars, then I'd seriously consider building a 396/402 combination.

You get a heads up race by where you qualify. If you "hold a little" during qualifying and "play the ladder", you can most often avoid heads up runs if you want or need to.

As an example, we've been running A, and more recently AA, since 2005. We've only had a couple of heads up runs, and might have had a couple more if we'd gone more rounds at a couple of races.

If you want to avoid heads up races for a while, and have a lot of fun, consider a stick car. I drove one last year, it's a blast, and there are not that many stick cars, so you won't be likely to get a heads up race. Often you'll be the only car in your class. And the higher class you run, the less likely you are to have a heads up in a stick car. So an A, B, or C stick car is even less likely to draw a heads up race than an F,G, or H stick car.

[JRyan]

Alan you're defineately right it depends on what part of the country you live in. In this area our local S/SS races you can get 3-4 A-D/SA at each race with only 30-40 car fields. You're also just as likely to run into a heads up with a stick car at a divisional or national around here. There's usually 2 or 3 A-C stick cars at each race. I'm not saying one ways better then the other but it does defineately depend on the area your in. That being part of the reason I chose a small block. Around here there are too many fast A-E cars that I know I counldn't keep up with on my limited budget. I also agree it's probably easier to run -1.0 with a big block.

Rick

[Danny Ashley]

Scooter,
I have a friend who has a '71 350-278 engine for sale that goes .7-.8 under. If interested, call Mike McDonald @ 812-677-1097.