Almost Twins

The Journey to Rebuild a ’68 Nova SS

Over the years, Chip Rhodes has owned a ton of Chevys, including tri-5s, a ’70 Camaro, a ’56 Corvette, a ’66 Corvette, a ’65 Chevelle, a ’67 Chevelle, two ’70 Chevelles, and two Chevy street rods for good measure, a ’47 Chevy and a ’34 Chevy. That’s a lot of Chevys.

hen, several years ago, Rhodes got an itch to build another. This time he was looking for something very specific: a ’68 Nova SS—a car that has a few unique parts not found on any other model, so a ’69 or later just wouldn’t do. But Chevy built only 6,571 ’68 Nova SS coupes, and finding one proved to be more difficult than he had hoped.

Building a Clone from Scratch

Eventually, he decided that the best course of action would be to find a regular ’68 Nova and then build a clone. He soon found a six-cylinder Nova that had a good body but very few parts. He bought the car anyway and began the process of creating his clone.

Bodywork and Paint

The first stage of the build was the bodywork, which was one of the few jobs Rhodes did not perform himself. Instead, he took the body to Landry Kelley at Kelley’s Classics in Sparks, Georgia. Kelley repaired some minor rust problems and smoothed out the few bangs and dents here and there before priming the Nova and preparing it for paint. The color Rhodes chose is Butternut Yellow, a stock ’68 color that Kelley applied in a modern base/clear finish.

Black Vinyl Roof and Unique Trim Pieces

Next, the car got its black vinyl roof, something the donor car never had. The bumpers, lights, and trim are all stock-style parts, and one of those parts that is unique to the ’68 is the rocker panel SS trim—1968 was the only year it was blacked out. Other trim pieces include the 350 and Hurst badges on the front fender, and Rhodes also had to chase down all the window-molding trim pieces.

Suspension and Rearend Upgrades

Once Kelley was done with the paint, Rhodes brought the car home and began to work on the suspension. The rearend is from a ’70 Nova and rides on stock leaf springs and shocks; internals include a Positraction diff and 3.42 gears. Urethane bushings replace the stock rubber parts throughout the suspension, eliminating deflection to improve handling. Likewise, an Addco rear sway bar improves cornering by keeping the body level. Cadillac rear discs replace the factory drums to improve stopping power. While many of these parts may not be original to the ’68 SS, they hardly call out their presence. However, the same may not be said for the 20×8-inch American Torq-Thrusts and their corresponding 255/35ZR20 Nitto 555 Extreme tires. For some, these parts might spoil the clone look, but we love the updated look they bring to the Nova.

Front Suspension and Brake Updates

The owner made similar changes to the front suspension. He lifted the disc brakes from a ’72 Nova for this car and added another Addco sway bar and more urethane bushings. But the springs, shocks, spindles, and power steering are standard ’68 GM pieces. This pair of Torq-Thrusts measures a bit smaller (but still big) at 18×7 inches, and the matching Nitto rubber is 225/40ZR18. And take another look at the center cap on each wheel—they’re not your standard American Racing pieces, but instead read “Chevrolet Motor Division-Disc Brakes.”

Engine and Transmission Choices

Rather than try to track down an original SS engine, the owner ordered a GM ZZ4 crate engine and then went to a lot of trouble to make it look original. He had a special air-cleaner sticker made that replicates the look of the factory engine badging, but instead calls this engine out as a ZZ4. Even the hose clamps are the factory-original style, but with that said, there are a few noticeable deviations from stock. That was the point, too: Rhodes said he wanted his car to be like something someone could have hot-rodded a bit in 1968, so he added an Edelbrock 750cfm carb and an aluminum intake manifold. Hedman long-tube headers take the place of GM’s cast-iron manifolds. And behind the ZZ4 comes something that one would find in a real SS: an M21 close-ratio four-speed manual taken from a ’66 Chevy. James Smith of Tifton prepared the transmission and added the Zoom 3000-series clutch.

Completing the Interior

With only the interior between his project car and its completion, Rhodes ordered a stock-style upholstery kit and got to work. He installed the black vinyl seat covers over the stock seats along with the factory door panels and dash pad. The ’68 dash is another piece that was used in that year only, as it was the first year for the new body style and the final year for a dash-mounted ignition switch. The dash and gauges are original, and the center console houses the quartet of factory auxiliary gauges. A GM three-spoke steering wheel tops the column and a Hurst shifter is on the floor. The owner really lucked out and came across an NOS AC Delco AM/FM radio for his Nova.

The Perfect Balance

While it’s not a pure clone, Chip Rhodes’ ’68 Nova SS certainly looks the part—and isn’t that the point of building a clone in the first place? Those mechanical items he’s updated definitely make this Chevy a nicer car to drive, so it’s hard to fault him for improving these areas. When he does want the car to look a bit more original, he has a spare set of yellow steelies with dog-dish caps and red-line tires he can throw on.

The Nova’s Future and Legacy

Though he’s only taken the car to shows twice, he’s brought home awards both times. Currently, this Nova is one of four Chevys in his garage, as it shares that space with a ’72 Nova, a ’73 Camaro RS Z/28, and a ’55 210 two-door sedan. If history is any indication, it won’t be the last old Chevy he brings home and makes new, either.