By Scotty Lachenauer – Photography by the Author
When you’re in the business of making muscle car magic it’s hard to leave good enough alone. Case in point is this wild-eyed, patina-plated, nasty Nova on the pages in front of you. It was once a lowly, original, base-model ride sitting for sale, but luckily the right guys snatched it up and decided that this X-body needed an infusion of modern tech under its vintage outer carapace.
Mark Denlinger, proprietor of Steel Town Garage (STG) in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, is no stranger to the pages of All Chevy Performance. The shop’s outstanding Pro Touring ’68 Camaro reboot was featured in the Mar. ’24 issue, receiving in print the accolades the build deserved. This time around, STG decided to skip doing their award-winning paint to showcase the natural aging that took place on this Nova.
The backstory is straightforward: “My business partner John Detweiler brought me the ad for this car last Memorial Day weekend and asked what I thought of it. I said, I think you better go get it!” So, without hesitation [Detweiler] hooked up the trailer and headed out to make a deal on the Nova. [Detweiler] loaded up the little blue 40K-mile survivor and brought it to its new temporary home at STG.
Persistence Pays Off: Pro Touring Granada Gold 1967 Chevy Nova
Once back at the shop, Mark took a good look at what Detweiler had just dropped off. “After a quick inspection I figured we would just clean it up and flip it just the way it stood. But I just kept looking at it, and after a while I said to [Detweiler], let’s do something crazy with it.” Detweiler questioned what Mark was implying. “Do what with it?” Detweiler replies. “Let’s build it,” Mark says. With that the twosome agreed that it was time to make this original-paint ’69 Nova into a Pro Touring, road munching machine.
The build started off like the many that have come before it. “We rolled it into the shop and literally just started tearing it apart, making sure not to mess with that awesome baked-on skin,” Mark states. “The first day we had the front clip off, the engine and transmission out, and most of the interior gutted. We even skipped most of the Memorial Day weekend just so we could just keep plugging away on it.”
Once a game plan was set, Mark started ordering the parts needed to bring this build to fruition. These included a Detroit Speed suspension, Billet Specialties wheels, and all the extras necessary that would be hard to get in a short amount of time. The reason for the hurried nature of the build was to have the Nova ready for the Goodguys Columbus show, which was only five weeks away at this point.
However, due to issues beyond their control (some of the parts were not available in that time frame) they changed plans and set their sights on the inaugural Triple Crown of Rodding show at the Nashville Superspeedway in Lebanon, Tennessee, which was three months away. With the extra breathing room, the crew settled in and started remaking this Nova in true Pro Touring fashion.
First up was the suspension. The crew at STG went ahead and installed the Detroit Speed Hydroformed subframe up front. It’s a complete replacement for the original and is built so that a variety of engines can be bolted in with ease. Knowing that an LS would be powering the Nova, the Detroit Speed setup was a great choice. It came with all of the suspension already mounted, including their tubular A-arms and JRi single-adjustable shocks.
For The Long Haul: Pro Touring style 1964 Chevy Nova
Out back, the guys went with a Detroit Speed QUADRALink rear suspension, and like up front JRi single-adjustable shocks were used. To get the power to the pavement, a Detroit Speed narrowed 9-inch rearend handles the duties. For braking power, 14-inch Wilwood brakes were mounted on all four corners.
Chris McClintock at Bux Customs in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, handled the duties of bringing the cockpit up to snuff. They made the seat upholstery being that no kit was available. Bux also wrapped the dash and steering wheel in leather and installed a new headliner. STG installed new door panels and reused the original rubber floormat for some additional sleeper vibe. Dakota Digital gauges add a modern flair, while a new Vintage Air unit handles all the Nova’s HVAC needs.
At the corners, Mark went with Billet Specialties Motor City steelies, a stretched version of the original steel wheels found on many of these base model rides. They are shod in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, 245/40R18 and 305/35R19 respectively. STG installed a set of Detroit Speed mini-tubs to provide ample room for the massive meats out back.
“We wanted this Nova to have the reliability of a modern engine but with the look of an old-school big-block, so we built a 525hp LS3 dressed to resemble a period-correct 396.” Mark says. To get the Nova through the gears, a TREMEC TKX five-speed was commissioned from Hanlon Motorsports.
STG made their deadline, which was three months to the day from when they started their project. “We got the car back from being tuned the Saturday before the show. We were able to put around 150 miles on the car and then took off for the event on Wednesday. We drove the car to and from Lebanon, which is around 1,700 miles round trip, with absolutely zero issues; the car ran flawlessly.”
Mark wants to give a shout-out to all those responsible for this modern take on a classic ride. “Thanks to the guys at the shop for all their hard work on this car to make it what it is. Especially our fab guy, Angus Tuttle, and also our mechanic/electrical guy Mark Alexander.”
So, what’s it like piloting this classic? “It’s a blast to drive because it still looks like the original 40K-mile car that we started with, but it handles like a modern sports car thanks to the Detroit Speed suspension. It also has plenty of power being pumped out from the LS3. It’s a screamer!”
Tech Check
Owner: John Detweiler
Vehicle: ’69 Chevy Nova
Builder: Steel Town Garage, Birdsboro, PA
Engine
Block: LS3 (dressed like a 396)
Displacement : 376 ci
Compression Ratio : 10.7 :1
Bore : 4.065
Stroke: 3.622
Heads: 821 aluminum
Induction: Stock intake, 90mm throttle body
Rotating Assembly: Hypereutectic cast aluminum alloy pistons, powdered metal I-beam rods, forged steel crank
Ignition: Stock
Valvetrain: Stock
Camshaft: Stock hydraulic
Exhaust: Hooker Headers cast manifolds, STG-fabricated 2.5-inch stainless exhaust, Borla Pro XS stainless mufflers
Output: 525 hp
Drivetrain
Transmission: TREMEC TKX five-speed
Rear Axle: Detroit Speed 9-inch
Chassis
Front Suspension: Detroit Speed Hydroformed subframe, Detroit Speed tubular control arms, JRi single-adjustable shocks
Rear Suspension: Detroit Speed QUADRALink, JRi single-adjustable shocks
Brakes: Wilwood 14-inch disc, six-piston calipers
Wheels & Tires
Wheels: Billet Specialties Motor City, 18×8 front, 19×11 rear
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 245/40R18 front, 305/35R19 rear
Interior
Upholstery: Stock appearing by Bux Customs (Pottstown, PA)
Material: Vinyl
Seats: Stock
Steering Wheel: Stock
Shifter: Hanlon Motorsports short throw with Hurst handle
Dash: Stock
Audio: None
HVAC: Vintage Air
Exterior
Bodywork: GM
Paint By: GM
Paint: Lemans Blue
Hood: Stock
Bumpers: Stock
Grille: Stock
Click on this issue’s cover to see the enhanced digital version of Original Blue Patina 1969 Chevy Nova Sleeper.
