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NORTHSTAR GOES NOVA
DOHC Caddy Power Motivates This Chopped ’67 Nova
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.