CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

1964 Nova Wagon “Plank”

Nova
Love the wagon. Im currently building a 63 hard top. Take a look at churchboys racing for the front. You can do it in stages. I did that until i went all in and got the modular front.
 
Would the DMV have a record of how many owners and where it's been previously registered that I could get? Curious about Planks past.
 
Would the DMV have a record of how many owners and where it's been previously registered that I could get? Curious about Planks past.
They would but it's not something you can usually get.
If you know someone at dmv that wouldn't mind bending the rules...
If you just want to know how many owners and what states I might be able to get that information, but not names or addresses
 
No names or addresses.
The car has the original CA plates.
I'm told I'm the "third" owner from the guy I bought it from in Wilmington CA.
It has a very old license plate frame from Bob Wonderies Chevrolet, Glendale CA. (Now closed) But if it was purchased new from there, I'd like to refurbish the frame. Kinda neat.

I'm curious if this car ever left LA county before me. Speedometer works, odometer is stuck at 70,xxx so Plank has seen some miles.
 
Did you look under the seats for a build sheet? Sometimes you get lucky and it is still there and will tell you which dealer ordered it.
 
I'm hoping my MSD HEI fits in the Nova. I've got conflicting reports it will hit the firewall. Also really hoping the Edelbrock TES headers from Bender will fit. That would be great, rather not buy more.
 
Bender is going into hibernation and will return better than before. Might even put him on a small diet :waytogo:

:haha:You guys make me feel so bad. Trust me, the job goes x2 slower cause I'm looking over everything and reminiscing. Pulled all the gauges out and was reminded of V2.0 of the wiring job I did. Lot nicer the second time. It won't be going back that way though :D
 
The stock front ends really get a "bad-rap" due to the lower control arm bushing being serviced incorrectly (incomplete). The frame and eccentric adjustments are fine (if you really hate the eccentrics you can use lock-out plates sold by a few companies). The issue is the stock rubber lower control arm bushing has the typical steel inner sleeve with serrated ends but then there are spacer-adapter plates that go on each side. These are typically thrown-out and not replaced on the new bushing install. -prob 90% of cars. These round spacers reduce the ID to be snug around the pivot bolt and provide a smooth outer surface to slide for camber adjustment. Bushing width is increased ~1/8" with them. Without them, the bushing is loose on the bolt (can chuck around), the frame pocket is wide and being pinched to contact the bushing sleeve when tightening the bolt, the serrated sleeve digs into the frame pocket making it hard to align and you'll be lucky to get it to stay there even if all is torqued correctly. When driving, all seems good until enough force shifts the arm/bushing out of place. You look and the eccentric bolt has not moved at all. It's the bushing sleeve barely being held by the frame and the big ID slopping around on the bolt.

A few companies have spherical bearing kits to replace them (welding required). I used the Global-West kit. Urethane kits are ok. Between G-W, CPP, ChurchBoys & Chevy-II Only there are nice options that you can do incrementally without throwing out the whole thing. Just getting the lower control arm bushing correct is a big deal as well as a good alignment with more caster. There are a also a few options on the strut rod bushings and a spherical bearing here is also very nice. The rest is fairly straight forward. Old dry-rotted or oil soaked rubber does not perform well.
 
If I had the funds last week, I spoke to someone selling an open box TCI Mustang 2 front clip, complete with brakes and rack for $1700. I'm just keeping the car going, it's doing great but I really want a 4 speed auto and fuel injection...which Bender has.

I'll keep hunting while on the pot lol and someday I'll have the funds to act. Right now I need to borrow a cherry picker. My neighbor has a small Kubota backhoe that he says can pick out the engine. I'm nervous though lmao
 
Also, I bought a cheap oil filter cutter. Cut it open yesterday and after it drains today I'll try to cut the pleats out and check benders health. If it's all good, which the oil looks like it, I can stab it into Plank. If it's questionable... I don't want to think about it.

Can I just use a razor knife to get the pleats out?

PS> wish I thought ahead when I drained the trans. I just changed that fluid before BB2023. Had no miles since then and it showed. Damn that was beautiful PRICY fluid :doah: :doah: :doah:
 
Also, I bought a cheap oil filter cutter. Cut it open yesterday and after it drains today I'll try to cut the pleats out and check benders health. If it's all good, which the oil looks like it, I can stab it into Plank. If it's questionable... I don't want to think about it.

Can I just use a razor knife to get the pleats out?

PS> wish I thought ahead when I drained the trans. I just changed that fluid before BB2023. Had no miles since then and it showed. Damn that was beautiful PRICY fluid :doah: :doah: :doah:
Yeah razor knife,box cutter, is what I’ve used. i thought they would cut easier though.
 
The stock front ends really get a "bad-rap" due to the lower control arm bushing being serviced incorrectly (incomplete). The frame and eccentric adjustments are fine (if you really hate the eccentrics you can use lock-out plates sold by a few companies). The issue is the stock rubber lower control arm bushing has the typical steel inner sleeve with serrated ends but then there are spacer-adapter plates that go on each side. These are typically thrown-out and not replaced on the new bushing install. -prob 90% of cars. These round spacers reduce the ID to be snug around the pivot bolt and provide a smooth outer surface to slide for camber adjustment. Bushing width is increased ~1/8" with them. Without them, the bushing is loose on the bolt (can chuck around), the frame pocket is wide and being pinched to contact the bushing sleeve when tightening the bolt, the serrated sleeve digs into the frame pocket making it hard to align and you'll be lucky to get it to stay there even if all is torqued correctly. When driving, all seems good until enough force shifts the arm/bushing out of place. You look and the eccentric bolt has not moved at all. It's the bushing sleeve barely being held by the frame and the big ID slopping around on the bolt.

A few companies have spherical bearing kits to replace them (welding required). I used the Global-West kit. Urethane kits are ok. Between G-W, CPP, ChurchBoys & Chevy-II Only there are nice options that you can do incrementally without throwing out the whole thing. Just getting the lower control arm bushing correct is a big deal as well as a good alignment with more caster. There are a also a few options on the strut rod bushings and a spherical bearing here is also very nice. The rest is fairly straight forward. Old dry-rotted or oil soaked rubber does not perform well.
I had Global West do my 66 in 84. Was so nice to have Nova that would go where you pointed again. My 64 CheyII 400 appeared untouched the front end was in decent shape. In 1980
 
So this oil doesn't have much time on it. Drove it around the town of Moab and did Hell's in it. Got it home and basically parked it. Before I started pulling it apart, it idled in my driveway for about 40min just getting the last little bit out of the gas tank. So not much time.

Pleats are perfect. There were some tiny flakes in the bottom of the filter can. Non-magnetic. I'm going to send it. I don't have the funds for any rebuild or upgrades. The oil pan is getting changed so while it's off I can check some things but that's about it. Any instructions for stuff I should check? :)

IMG_2851.jpegIMG_2855.jpeg
 

Latest Posts

Top Bottom