By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by the Author
The classic muscle car hobby has the power to buck trends, reroute bloodlines, and realign gene pools. Muscle cars and the like, similar to this vintage 1962 Chevy Nova wagon, can form tight-knit bonds on an almost seemingly molecular level, connecting like-minded participants together in full-blown hot rod harmony.
When you are born into a family with a hot rodder at the helm, things can escalate pretty fast. Case in point, the lifeline of one Chris Yorek of East Meadow, New York. This Chevy-loving enthusiast was lucky enough to be raised under the tutelage of his father, Jerry, master Chevy craftsman and a pioneer of the original Pro Street movement. “My bedtime stories consisted of my dad telling me about his trips to the Street Machine Nationals in Illinois, and family drag racing events with him and my uncles,” Chris states.
Through his father and his circle of friends and family, he was lucky enough at the age of 12 to start joining his dad and his car buddies at the annual Super Chevy Show in Maple Grove, Pennsylvania. From those early days he was attracted to the box Novas. Throughout the weekend he would revisit those rows in the car show field numerous times to analyze every inch of the style each owner would infuse into those builds. Those experiences rubbed off on teenage Chris, as by the time he was ready to drive, both his buddies and his dad knew a Nova would be his first daily ride.
Chris and his father went on to build several Novas, including the first ’66 Chris drove to high school, and a ’64 that became his drag car. Though he still owns both cars, there was a void in his present-day hot-rodding lifestyle. “Now I was married with two young children,” Chris says. “The time to pass the passion onto my own kids was approaching and I thought a Nova wagon would be the perfect family hot rod for cruise nights and ice cream runs.”
Chris searched Online and finally found an all-original 1962 Nova wagon just miles away in Queens, New York. “From the pictures listed, I knew this would be the right fit,” Chris excitedly says. “The original silver paint, red interior, and super cool third-row seat had me totally locked in. It had been off the road since 1974 and had only 73,000 miles on the odometer.”
With that the wagon was secured and brought back to the Yorek family garage for its metamorphosis. The object of the build was to keep the original Silver Satin Poly paint and natural patina, while upgrading the powertrain and refreshing the interior. Of course, the suspension would get a makeover as well. Drawing from his past Nova experiences, Chris already had a great understanding of the aftermarket offerings.
The wagon was stripped down to bare essentials—powertrain and interior removed, minor rust repaired, and the front clip taken off. For the front suspension, Chris chose a Speedway Motors G-Comp series setup. This no-weld front frame assembly offers flexibility in fitment and was paired with power rack-and-pinion steering and upgraded brakes. Chris opted for Wilwood 13-inch rotors clamped by six-piston calipers, along with Viking double-adjustable coilovers to dial in the ride. Detroit Speed inner fenders were then modified to fit the Speedway setup, and combined with a smoothed firewall, they give the engine bay a clean look.
A Church Boys rear four-link suspension resides out back, also equipped with Viking double-adjustable coilovers. A Moser 12-bolt rearend featuring an Eaton Truetrac posi and 3.55 gears sets the stage for the car’s future powerplant. Wilwood 11-inch disc brakes provide stopping power, while Church Boys subframe connectors tie the chassis together.
Motivation comes in the form of a modern-day GM mill. “I found a deal on a new crate L96 6.0L LS engine and a freshly rebuilt 4L60E transmission with some performance upgrades. Chris says, “I swapped in a Summit truck cam for a bit more power and better torque range.”
A GM LS3 intake and throttle body were added next, along with several Holley goodies, including injectors, fuel rails, mid-mount serpentine system, and Terminator X engine controller. Speedway G-Comp LS swap headers feed a pair of Borla 3-inch mufflers through an exhaust system using a Summit 3-inch X-pipe.
Moving inside, Chris disassembled and restored the rear section of the interior and refinished the third-row seat structure to better than new. Fresh carpet and front seat fabric was sourced to match the same pattern as the original rear and third-row seats. A Dakota Digital RTX gauge cluster keeps track of the vitals, a Vintage Air HVAC system controls the climate while a RetroSound stereo supplies the tunes. Chris chose a GT steering wheel and Ididit tilt column to keep the Nova pointed in the right direction.
Chris understands that stance and wheel-and-tire fit can define a build, so he used a Verified Fabrication wheel fitment tool to dial in the ideal tire size and nail the perfect offset.
Combined with some massaging of the original rear wheelwells Chris managed to fit an 18×9 square setup with 245/40R18 Continental tires. Rocket Racing Wheels offer rims with the correct offset right off the shelf and Action Powder Coating in Farmingdale, New York, gave them the right hue to fit his vision.
After all was said and done, Chris and his family were floored with their newly restored Nova. “I couldn’t be happier with the result of this build, Chris says. “My kids are always excited for family outings in the Nova, and I truly love driving this thing. It’s got the perfect combination of power and handling, and I have no fear of getting any new parking lot dings or scratches. It’s the culmination of a lifetime of being surrounded by killer race cars and hot rods and an outstanding supporting cast of car friends who are one big family.
“The first time out with the car, we took a road trip to the Goodguys event in Dover, Delaware, and the car performed flawlessly,” Chris reports. “Spending the weekend with my dad and our crew was a great way to enjoy the fruit of our labor. Hopefully, all the fun we are having with this car will help pass the bug onto my kids and they’ll continue this tradition.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
Tech Check
Owner: Chris Yorek, East Meadow, New York
Vehicle: 1962 Chevy Nova Wagon
Engine
Type: L96 LS
Displacement: 6.0L
Compression: 9.7:1
Bore: 4.000 inches
Stroke: 3.622 inches
Rotating Assembly: Stock
Valvetrain: Stock
Camshaft: Summit Stage 2 LS Truck Swap 0.522/.524 lift, 218/227 degrees duration at 0.050
Heads: Stock aluminum, rectangular port
Induction: GM LS3 intake manifold and throttle body
Injection: Holley injectors and fuel rails
Exhaust: Speedway G-Comp LS swap headers, Summit 3-inch X-pipe, Borla mufflers
Ignition: Holley Terminator X Max engine controller
Ancillaries: Holley mid-mount serpentine drive system, Entropy aluminum radiator/fans
Drivetrain
Transmission: GM 4L60E with Corvette servo and upgraded clutches
Rearend: Moser 12-bolt, Truetrac posi, 3.55 gears
Chassis
Front: Speedway G-Comp suspension with Detroit Speed inner fenders and down bars, Viking double-adjustable shocks, Wilwood 13-inch rotors, six-piston calipers
Rear: Church Boys four-link rear suspension, Viking double-adjustable shocks, Wilwood 11-inch disc brakes
Subframe Connectors: Church Boys
Wheels and Tires
Wheels: Rocket Racing Attack, 18×9, 5.5-inch backspace
Tires: Continental ExtremeContact 245/40R18
Interior
Upholstery: SMS Auto Fabrics
Carpet: OC Auto Carpets
Installation: Owner
Seats: Stock
Seatbelts: Stock
Gauges: Dakota Digital RTX gauge cluster
HVAC: Vintage Air
Audio: RetroSound stereo and speakers
Steering: GT steering wheel, Ididit tilt steering column
Custom Honda CRV spare tire area cover
Exterior
Body and Paint: Owner
Paint: Original Silver Satin
Bumpers: Stock
Hood: Stock
Grille: Stock
Front Valance: 1983-94 S-10 pickup
Headlights: Holley RetroBright LED
Taillights: Holley RetroBright bulbs
