Back In Black
January 3, 2025
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
30 Years And Counting
Television has created an unusual interest in all things high-performance, both cars and trucks. On any night you can watch some creation of modified vehicles, and even though there’s not much reality to the builds, you can get a good idea of what’s going on. But don’t get your hopes up: Unlike the team of experts that supposedly does this in a week, your build will probably take six months or more, and longer at some shops. While you can witness a number of world-class cars rolling across the auction block, commanding huge prices from over-?enthusiastic bidders, you will find that this, too, is not the reality that most of us live in each day, as many auction samples are some of the more rare in existence. The one thing each of these shows has in common is that typically the owner rarely gets his hands dirty and if there is any owner involvement, it is often limited to writing a check.
This no doubt is a great way for some to enjoy the hobby, but it’s not the approach that most enthusiasts take, and that includes Rick Finzer. As a way of introduction, Finzer is the event coordinator for a much respected Florida car show and swap meet known as the Turkey Run. The legendary Turkey Run is celebrating its 33rd anniversary and is well known by most enthusiasts, and Finzer has been involved since its inception.
Car Spotting at HPX 2025
The inaugural High Performance Expo (HPX) made a powerful first impression, drawing industry professionals, builders, and enthusiasts to Charlotte for a three-day celebration of speed, innovation, and craftsmanship. From the packed show floor to live demos and high-profile panels, HPX delivered a dynamic mix of business and culture that felt more like a high-octane festival than a traditional trade show. With standout vehicles from top shops and legacy names alike—including purpose-built drag cars, pro-touring builds, and one-of-a-kind customs—the event proved to be a visual feast for anyone with a passion for performance.
Meet the Legends of Hot Rodding at the Triple Crown of Rodding
This isn’t just a lineup—it’s a living hall of fame. We’re talking the visionaries whose cars dominate the Ridler, the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR), and the Goodguys Top 12. The innovators who set the trends that every other shop follows. The craftsmen whose names carry weight in any serious shop conversation, even if they aren’t on reality TV every week.
Spotlighter
NORTHSTAR GOES NOVA
DOHC Caddy Power Motivates This Chopped ’67 Nova
Maurice and Lynne Hoover were already the veterans of two wild project car builds—a ’67 El Camino and a ’67 Camaro—when Maurice decided he wanted to build yet another. He says, though, that when he brought up the subject of another project, his wife, Lynne, was not particularly pleased. Maurice went ahead and brought home a ’67 Nova anyway. While in some situations such a move could have worked out for the worse, before long Lynne came to like the car, and the two dove into the project.
Author
Will Smith
Photography by Isaac Mion
A Deeper Restoration Than Expected
At the time, though, they didn’t know just how deeply they’d have to go. After buying the car, Maurice disassembled the Nova and took it to American Stripping in Sacramento, California, for media blasting. The car that emerged was not a good example of a great place to start. Black paint and body filler had disguised a variety of problems, not the least of which was a totally rotted right rear quarter panel. Somehow, the entire firewall, cowl and left front floor were pushed back 3/4 inch, and, interestingly, the right door actually had bullet holes in it.
Restoring the Body with Custom Fabrication
Hoover contacted Aiello Customs to discuss repairing this damage. The shop actually had to purchase a donor car to graft these sections onto the original body. John Aiello and Flynn had their work cut out for them both with the repair of the extensive damage and the customization of the body once the repairs were complete. The most obvious change is the 2-inch top chop; to accommodate this change, the builders leaned the rear window forward. The hood is also unique, with a custom cowl induction scoop that looks like a larger version of that fitted to big-block Corvettes. The vents in the cowl itself are long gone, filled for a smoother appearance and then molded to the fenders to eliminate the gaps.
Sleek Modifications and Show-Quality Paint
All of the corners are radiused and the rear decklid is actually extended down to meet the rear bumper. That bumper is altered with a cutout in the middle for the single exhaust tip; the front bumper, too, is changed after the addition of a lower grille opening in its middle. The taillights are hand-fabbed parts with LED bulbs and Lexan lenses. The side trim is from a ’61 Impala, and when it was time to paint the car, Hoover selected Vintage Color Studio. Darryl Hollenbeck laid down the two-tone Hot Hues Champagne Fizz over Molten Orange scheme.
A Unique Cadillac Powerplant
The bodywork, though, is not the only aspect of this ’67 that makes it cool and unique. What you find in the engine compartment is not your typical small-block Chevy, not even your not-so-typical big-block Chevy, or a healthy LS or even a time-warp W motor. No, in fact, you won’t find a Chevy at all powering this Nova—Hoover wanted something different. So he had Cadillac Hot Rod Fabrication build a healthy 4.6-liter DOHC Northstar V-8 for the car!
High-Performance Engine Upgrades
The changes to the engine run deep, and that begins with a new 4130 steel crank, a set of Crower rods and Arias forged pistons. Hot Rod Fabrication then ported and polished the heads before adding a set of four cams ground to its own specs, offering 0.412-inch lift and 300 degrees duration on the intake cams, and 0.422-inch lift and 310 degrees duration on the exhaust cams. A CHR intake manifold allowed for the installation of a Holley Commander 950 EFI system, fed with 42-pound injectors and a 1,000cfm throttle body. Everything you can see on the engine is polished, and that makes the engine look every bit as good as it runs. To make sure it runs just as it should in all conditions, the builders added an aluminum Be Cool radiator. At the power end of the motor lies a 4L60E, prepared by Dr. Evil Performance transmission.
Custom Suspension and Braking System
Suspension components are similarly top notch. A polished Speedway Engineering quick-change rearend hangs from a Total Cost Involved parallel four-link arrangement. Combination air springs/shocks let the tail go just as low or high as the owner wants, and Wilwood calipers with 11-inch discs bring it quickly to a halt. As with the engine, all the aluminum and stainless components are polished for a show finish. The icing on the cake is the pair of 20×10-inch Colorado Custom Slammers wheels wearing 235/40R20 BFGoodrich g-Force KDW tires.
Front-End Upgrades for a Smooth Ride
The original front suspension is gone, too, again in favor of Total Cost Involved components. This new IFS assembly incorporates narrowed subframerails to make room for bigger tires, polished tubular A-arms and a Flaming River steering rack. Polished Wilwood calipers clamp down on larger 12-inch rotors that tuck inside smaller 18×8 Slammers and 215/40R18 BFGoodrich rubber.
A Handcrafted Interior with Custom Touches
With only the interior left to do, Hoover delivered the Nova to Don Vigarino at Wrocket Products. Vigarino covered the front and rear buckets in a combination of cream leather and tan suede, and then applied this same look to the rest of the interior. The door panels also incorporate a khaki vinyl for a third source of color. The dash and center console were hand-fabbed from steel and painted in the same two-tone scheme as the exterior, with the color break even lining up with that on the outside. Dakota Digital Ion gauges follow the curves of the dash and the console; the passenger side of the dash shows off the Alpine IVA-W200 stereo head and monitor. Foose amps and ARC speakers provide the sound. Vintage Air keeps the car cool, and Mercedes wool carpet covers the floor. Finally, a Road Dawg Customs steering wheel, Lokar pedals and Smart Shift push-button shifter unit round out the cabin.
A Project That Became a Passion
As we said, Lynne eventually warmed up to the idea of their Nova project, and even helped out in a big way. She helped with lots of detailing, coordinated the colors, and lent Maurice a hand for many of the mechanical aspects during construction. And after two long years, the couple finally finished their Nova.
The Birth of the Killer 67 Nova Star
As with their previous two show cars, this one also needed a name; it’s the Killer 67 Nova Star. In its first showing, the car earned the Hoovers no fewer than six trophies. We’ll bet it will soon take home a lot more gold than that, but judging from what we learned, this couple just can’t sit still once a car is done. The rumor we heard is that there may be a ’57 Chevy pickup project in the not-too-distant future, so no doubt we haven’t heard, or seen, the last of this talented couple, which in itself is not unusual, but it is certainly cool.
