By Scotty Lachenauer – Photography by the Author
Muscle car lover Doug Cooper didn’t have to stretch too far when naming his fresh Nova build. “I named her ‘Plain Jane’ for obvious reasons. Basically, she’s a no-frills ride on the outside but underneath she’s built to run hard with plenty of power to spare.”
And he ain’t kiddin’. This ’66 Chevy II is one precisely engineered ride built with plenty of modern conveniences and go-fast goodies, all to make this modest-looking Chevy a wolf in a woolly sweater, hiding her fangs for the moment she draws you in.
Though Plain Jane has all the makings of a top-tier build, it’s still wearing its original paint. “I bought this ride out of California about 15 years ago,” Doug says. “It was your typical six-cylinder daily driver that had accumulated the typical dings and wear and tear, but the paint has held up nicely for being nearly 60 years old.”
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Doug held onto the Nova over the years, while he attended to other cars in his flock. He’s owned several Camaros, Corvettes, and ’32 Fords, and he still has a good-sized collection. He’s been fortunate enough to have won several awards over the years, including Street Rod of the Year and the Ridler Award in 2009.
When the time was right, Doug pulled the dormant Nova out of storage and shipped it to the crew at Dynamic Speed + Custom in Gadsen, Alabama, for its transformation.
The guys at Dynamic Speed went to town, installing several choice pieces from Detroit Speed & Engineering (DSE), including the front subframe with rack-and-pinion steering, tubular control arms, and coilover shocks. Out back, a QUADRALink suspension system with coilovers and a 9-inch rear went in. Subframe connectors tie it all together.
Some metalwork was done as well, which included massaging the firewall, fabricating the transmission tunnel, and installing DSE stamped inner fenders. Important add-ons include Wilwood components, starting with their twin master cylinder and electronic e-brake. The front brakes consist of Wilwood 13-inch rotors with black six-piston calipers while the rears feature 12-inch rotors and the black six-piston calipers.
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When it came to the motorvation of this mild-looking Nova, it all starts with an LS3, pushing 10.7:1 compression and built with a Borla eight-stack fuel injection setup. Fuel is delivered through a Walbro 255-lph pump, pulling the go-juice from a Rick’s Tanks Restomod fuel tank with a Rick’s Billet Pump hat. Engine management is done with a Holley Terminator X system and the Nova was rewired by Dynamic Speed using a kit from American Autowire. The present powertrain is good for 550 hp at the crank.
Spent gases exit through a set of Ultimate Headers stainless steel headers installed with investment cast stainless steel flanges. This setup feeds a 3-inch Borla stainless steel exhaust system using their mufflers and tailpipes all fabricated in-house at Dynamic Speed.
An Entropy aluminum radiator along with 11-inch HPX aluminum fans with die-formed aluminum housings keep the Nova cool. Optima Batteries supplies power to get this ride firing on all cylinders. A TREMEC T56 six-speed built by Bowler Transmissions backed up with a Centerforce twin-disc clutch gets this beast through the gears. Lastly, a Driveshaft Specialists 4-inch aluminum driveshaft spins the meats out back.
A set of Forgeline OE1 aluminum wheels (18×9 front, and 18×12 rear) painted satin black give the appearance of stock steel wheels. He finished off the rims with a set of retrofitted GM “poverty” caps. The wheels are shod with Michelin Pilot Sports, 265/30R18 and 315/30R18, respectively.
The interior was redone in TMI’s red vinyl interior kit. Seats are Pro Classic Sport SS low-back seats in 957 red with matching door panels and dashpad. A GT steering wheel spins on an ididit tilt column to keep this ride pointed in the right direction. A custom-fabricated crossbar serves as the mounting point for seatbelts and shoulder harnesses sourced from Seatbelt Planet. A Dakota Digital RTX gauge cluster gives a modern look while keeping track of the always-important engine vitals.
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“The near 60-year-old paint was buffed and brought back to life. It’s got some bumps and bruises from its long life on the road, but it still looks damn nice for its age,” Doug confirms. “We also kept all the original trim and bumpers.
The results speak for themselves on this classic Chevy revamp. Doug is thrilled to the hilt on the final product and summed up the project like this: “I was very involved in developing the concept for the build, and the talented guys at Dynamic Speed were great to work with and understood the build theme I was going for,” Doug states. “It’s a car I look forward to driving every chance I get.”
Tech Check:
Owner: Doug Cooper
Vehicle: ’66 Chevy II
Builder: Dynamic Speed + Custom (Gadsen, AL)
Engine:
Type: LS3
Displacement: 376 ci
Block: Cast aluminum with six-bolt, cross-bolted main cap
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore: 4.065 inches
Stroke: 3.622 inches
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum L92-style port
Rotating Assembly: Nodular iron crankshaft, hypereutectic cast-aluminum pistons, powdered metal connecting rods
Valvetrain: Hydraulic roller lifters, die-cast roller fulcrum rockers
Camshaft: Hydraulic roller (0.525/0.525 lift, 226/236 deg. duration at 0.050)
Induction: Borla eight-stack fuel injection
Fuel Delivery: Rick’s billet pump hat, Walbro 255-lph pump
Ignition: Holley Terminator X management system
Wiring: American Autowire Restomod wiring kit
Battery: Optima YellowTop
Cooling: Entropy aluminum radiator 11-inch HPX aluminum fans
Exhaust: Ultimate Headers, Borla 3-inch stainless steel exhaust fabricated by Dynamic Speed, Borla mufflers
Fuel Tank: Rick’s Tanks
Output Est: 550 hp
Drivetrain:
Transmission: Bowler Performance Transmissions–prepared TREMEC T56 six-speed
Clutch: Centerforce DYAD DS twin-disc
Rear Axle: Narrowed GearFX 9-inch, 3.50 gears, 31-spline axles
Driveshaft: Driveshaft Specialists 4-inch aluminum
Suspension:
Front Suspension: Detroit Speed & Engineering (DSE) Chevy II front clip, DSE coilover shocks, DSE rack-and-pinion steering, DSE subframe connectors
Rear Suspension: DSE QUADRALink, DSE coilover shocks
Brakes: Wilwood 13-inch rotors, six-piston calipers front, Wilwood 12-inch rotors, six-piston calipers rear; Wilwood rear electronic e-brake kit, Wilwood pedal assembly, Wilwood twin master cylinder
Wheels: Forgeline OE1 aluminum wheels painted satin black, GM “poverty” caps (9×18 front, 12×18 rear)
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 265/30R18 front, 315/30R18 rear
Interior:
Upholstery: Complete TMI interior in 957 red with matching door panels and dashpad, TMI Sport molded headliner, package tray, and trunk kit
Carpet: TMI
Material: Vinyl
Dash: Stock
Gauges: Dakota Digital RTX Direct-Fit gauge cluster
Steering Column: Ididit
Steering Wheel: GT Steering wheel wrapped in 957 red
Seat Belts: Seatbelt Planet belts and harness, custom harness bar
Shifter: TREMEC, Hurst stick with white shifter ball
HVAC: Vintage Air
Exterior:
Bodywork: GM
Paint: Original with dings and patina
Bumpers and trim: Original
Hood: Stock
