By Nick Licata – Images by Jason Matthew
When acquiring a new project car, some start the journey with a rusted hulk knowing the road ahead includes the daunting task of stitching in new sheet metal from bumper to bumper, while others are fortunate to start off with a fully restored classic that whispers, “drive me now and change me later.” For most, that solid base is a great starting point to move forward building the car they’ve always wanted. Next comes finding the time, the funds, and having the stars align just right to make it all happen.
Joe Benedetto found this 1966 Nova back in 1999 in a humble newspaper listing introducing him to an original restoration in excellent condition. The ad didn’t lie. The Nova was clean, straight, and honest. The sheet metal hadn’t been chewed up by time and poor decisions. Joe didn’t hesitate, and just like that, the Nova became less of a purchase and more of a passport.
In those early years, the car didn’t sit still long enough to gather dust, Joe and his girlfriend drove it everywhere, treating the Nova less like a fragile restoration and more like a trusted friend. It handled daily driver duty without complaint, stacking miles and memories in equal measures. Somewhere along the line, that girlfriend became his wife, and life, as it tends to do, began filling the calendar. The Nova, once a constant presence, began to spend more time in the garage than on the road.
By 2025, Joe could feel it. The pristine restoration that once drew him in now felt a little too polite, a little too composed. Joe didn’t want a museum piece anymore. He wanted a time machine. Not back to 1966, but to the gritty, loud, aggressive street scene of the 1970s. The era of mismatched muscle, gold-anodized everything, and engines that sounded like they were picking a fight with the pavement.
So, Joe called in for reinforcements.
Eddie Gunder at Eddie G’s Muscle Car Garage in Holbrook, New York, isn’t the kind of builder who dials things down. He reads between the lines, finds the attitude hiding in a car, and drags it into the open. Joe brought him a clean Nova. What he asked for was something else entirely.
Gunder understood.
The transformation didn’t begin with a teardown. It started with respect for what was already there. The black paint, though decades old, still had life in it. Gunder and his crew worked it like craftsmen touching up worn edges, reviving its depth, letting the car keep its history while sharpening its presence. The result wasn’t overdone—it was focused. It was meaner. It was like playing a vintage Les Paul guitar through a Marshall stack.
But the real shift happened between the framerails. Namely a Shafiroff Racing Engines–built 427ci small-block that doesn’t deal in subtlety. Built around a Dart SHP block with a 4.125-inch bore and 4.00-inch stroke, it packs a 10.25:1 compression ratio and a rotating assembly forged from Scat and Diamond hardware. A custom Comp cam orchestrates the chaos, while AFR 210 Eliminator heads make sure every ounce of air and fuel gets turned into forward motion.
Feeding the beast is an Edelbrock RPM Air Gap intake topped with an APD GTM 4150 carburetor, a combination that doesn’t just suggest power, it guarantees it. Custom stainless headers route the exhaust into a full 3-inch system, giving the Nova a voice that lands somewhere between a warning and a promise. Vintage gold Moroso valve covers and a matching air cleaner add just the right amount of throwback flash, like a nod to the era Joe was chasing.
The package delivers 585 hp and 575 lb-ft of torque, but numbers don’t capture the feeling. It’s the thrill of dumping the clutch at high-rpm and getting pinned to the seat.
Backing it up is a drivetrain that knows exactly what it’s dealing with. An M22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed from Auto Gear handles shifting duties, paired with a Ram twin-disc clutch that clamps down like it means it. A Hurst shifter rises from the floor, unapologetically mechanical, while out back a 1966 12-bolt rearend with 3.73 gears and a Truetrac posi puts power where it belongs.
The chassis didn’t need reinvention, just reinforcement. Stock suspension remains, but Lakewood shocks and subframe connectors tighten things up, while CalTracs traction bars make sure the tires stay planted when the hammer drops. Braking is period-correct and straightforward (factory discs up front and drums in the rear) because sometimes simplicity just works.
Then there’s the stance.
Cragar wheels, 15×4 up front and 15×7 out back, set the tone immediately. Skinny Pro Trac tires lead the way, while fat Mickey Thompson ET Drags in the rear dig in like they’ve got something to prove. It’s a look that doesn’t ask for approval—it demands it.
Inside, the Nova stays true to its roots. Stock black vinyl, bucket seats, and factory SS steering wheel keep things grounded in 1966, but the details tell a different story. A vintage Sun Green Line tach is backed by an underdash Sun gauge cluster that looks like it was pulled straight from a speed shop shelf, circa 1974. Theres’s no A/C, no stereo, no distractions. Just essentials, wired cleanly with American Autowire setup handled in-house at Eddie G’s. It’s a cockpit built for driving, not posing.
Outside, the Nova features stock grille, bumpers, and trim to keep the envelope classic, almost understated. But spend more than a second with it, and the attitude comes to focus. The stance, the sound, the subtle aggression in its posture, it all adds up to something that feels alive in a way that the original restoration never quite did.
Joe didn’t just update his Nova. He redefined his relationship with it.
What started as a clean, well-preserved classic has evolved into a machine that reflects a different kind of passion. Less about preservation, more about participation. Less about what the car was, more about what it can be when you stop treating it like a time capsule and more like a street warrior.
Joe Benedetto’s Nova is a car that found its voice. A car that makes a verbal statement inside and out.
As Joe says. “I only wish I had done this 25 years ago, because today the car is way more fun to drive than ever before.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
TECH CHECK
Owner: Joe Benedetto, Setauket, New York
Vehicle: 1966 Chevy Nova
Engine
Engine: Shafiroff Racing small-block
Block: Dart SHP
Displacement: 427 ci
Compression Ratio: 10.25:1
Bore: 4.125 inches
Stroke: 4.00 inches
Builder: Shafiroff Racing
Machine Work: Shafiroff Racing
Rotating Assembly: Scat crankshaft, Scat rods, Diamond forged pistons
Camshaft: Comp Cams, custom grind
Cylinder Heads: AFR 210 Eliminator
Induction: Edelbrock RPM Air Gap
Carburetor: APD GTM 4150 950 cfm
Exhaust: Custom stainless headers, 3-inch stainless exhaust
Valve Covers: Vintage gold Moroso
Air Cleaner: Gold Moroso
Ancillaries: Edelbrock water pump, Ron Davis aluminum radiator, Powermaster alternator, MSD ignition
Output: 585 hp at 5,800 rpm, 575 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm
Drivetrain
Transmission: M22 by Auto Gear
Clutch: Ram twin disc
Shifter: Hurst
Rear Axle: 1966 Chevy 12-bolt, 3.73 gears, Truetrac posi
Chassis
Front Suspension: Stock with Lakewood shocks
Rear Suspension: Stock with Lakewood shocks, CalTracs traction bars
Subframe Connectors: Lakewood
Brakes: Factory discs front, drums rear
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Cragar 15×4 front, 15×7 rear
Tires: Pro Trac 15×5 front, Mickey Thompson ET Drag 15×8.5 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Stock black vinyl, black loop carpet
Seats: Stock bucket
Steering: Stock Nova SS steering wheel
Dash: Stock
Instrumentation: Sun vintage N.O.S. Green Line tach, Sun Green Line underdash gauge cluster
Wiring: American Autowire by Eddie G’s Muscle Car Garage (Holbrook, NY)
HVAC: None
Entertainment System: N/A
Exterior
Bodywork: Eddie G’s Muscle Car Garage
Paint: Two-stage black
Grille: Stock
Hood: Stock
Bumpers: Stock
Headlights and Taillights: Stock
