WTB 1969 Magazine Big Block swap 66/67 Chevy II

[PxTx]

I'm looking for a Magazine article from 1969 or so where a fellow showed an L88 swap into a 2nd Gen Chevy II. I beleive it may have been Popular Hot Rodding, but not 100% certain. Could be other popular magazines but it was definately in print around 1969- possibly a little earlier.

Taking a shot in the dark on some of you with archives of old magazines. Any help would be appreciated.

[markjohnson]

That really doesn't ring a bell with me or sound very familiar and if I didn't lose my magazine collection in my house fire last month, I would have done some digging for you today. If you're interested in doing this swap, maybe a set of the correct Hooker Fenderwell headers instruction sheet explains where to exactly cut the inner shock towers for the clearance. I also know you need the specific Moroso or Milodon pan with the centerlink notch. After purchasing the correct headers, oil pan, and notching the towers, everything else is a bolt-in actually. You'd just use the small block engine and frame mounts and transmission crossmember. A lot of people don't realize on those early Novas that the actual engine frame mounts are only spot-welded to the bottom of the shock towers and a very heavy and torquey engine can tear them away. Going around that seam with a Mig Welder would go a long way towards adding support.

[William]

?

A "2nd Gen" Chevy II is '68-'74. With the correct factory brackets an L-88 will bolt in.

In '73 Hot Rod featured a '73 Nova with a Nickey L-88 conversion.

[PxTx]

Thanks for the response guys. I beleive the second Gen is considered 1966 and 1967 wiht the Chevy II, but if I am wrong, please correct me.

I'm actually working on researching THE car from the article. I know there was an article written on the car, just not sure of the specifics of which rag it was actually published in. The original owner of the car has been contacted and we're working on filling in some of the gaps.

The car may have had tow tabs in the article- but not 100% sure. The motor was supposed to have been an L88.

Thanks in advance!

[markjohnson]

I do remember that in the Classified section of one of the East Coast magazines that there was a '66 Chevy II Super Sport advertised for sale that had an L-88 in it and man, I'll tell 'ya, it just looked so sinister being slightly raised in the front with American Racing Magnesium 5-spokes on it! Looked like it may have even been an original L-79 327-350 HP car and the owner upped the ante with a crate L-88. The car was advertised as "King of The Connecting Highway" and I bet that bad-ass'ed sumbitch really was!

[SS427]

Good memory Mark!

[PxTx]

Sounds pretty cool Mark. You don't see too many of the early Nova's with the fronts raised without being straight axle converted cars. The car I'm trying to research originally was a 275hp 4 speed non-SS Chevy II. I am unclear if the press was a feature, how-to article, or some other purpose for the ink but I'm thrilled to learn there is some old coverage of the work.

The car had 2 different GM crate motors early on and was "dyno-tuned". I really need to get with the original owner of this car to clarify the early timeline of things. This request for help is a shot in the dark, since I don't really know for sure which publication covered the car. I've seen guys get lucky here before so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[kwhizz]

Do you remember what color the car was???

[PxTx]

I don't know if the article was black & white or color, but the car was supposed to have been BN Yellow w/ a black hat. I'm gonna try and get some personal pictures off a guy soon.

It has some custom FW headers because Hooker wasn't making them yet.

[67 Nova Boy]

http://www.jimsmegamagazines.com/index.php?cPath=21_97_174&sort=2a&page=2

Paul...see if this site helps you out some. All kinds of magazines from the 60's and he has whats in the mag at the bottom of the front cover picture.

Dave
67 Nova Boy

[x Baldwin Motion]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: pxtx</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thanks for the response guys. I beleive the second Gen is considered 1966 and 1967 wiht the Chevy II, but if I am wrong, please correct me.

</div></div>

You are correct. I have heard &quot;non-Nova&quot; guys frequently refer to 62-67 as the box Novas or first gen.

Steve's separates 62-65 as first gen; 66-67 is 2nd gen
http://www.stevesnovasite.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=76

[PxTx]

Thanks Dave. I've been looking under Hot Rod and PHR with no luck yet, but there is a lot of magazines left to check out and the original owner hopefully will be recalling more and getting some pics. I'll stroll over there and see what I find.

Chris, I don't know if Steve draws the line or if others outside of Steve refer to them the same- but I'm glad to know where I got it from.

[rat tuned]

is it under car craft? for some reason i remember this. was an L-88 installed in a 66 or 67 nova and ran 11's.

[1970Bluel78]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 67 Nova Boy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://www.jimsmegamagazines.com/index.php?cPath=21_97_174&amp;sort=2a&amp;page=2

Paul...see if this site helps you out some. All kinds of magazines from the 60's and he has whats in the mag at the bottom of the front cover picture.

Dave
67 Nova Boy </div></div>

Thanks for the link

[PxTx]

Little bit of a break. The place that did the swap has been confirmed as <span style="font-weight: bold">JA Robinson Automotive</span>. They suppositly had some round stickers often applied to cars they did work on.

Anyone ever hear of them or can give some history? I know a bunch of his stuff was recently auctioned off by Barry Slosberg (bssauctions). Any stories, pics, lit is all appreciated.

[PxTx]

Looks like I somehow need to contact some of the bidders of this auction.

http://www.phillyrecord.com/2008/0403/0-article-09.html

[PxTx]

Got a nice lead from over at the HAMB. Fellow who posted this worked there in the 1980's. Thought this might help someone else recall the place. Looking for anyone who know someone who may have worked there in 1968/1969.

http://i710.photobucket.com/albums/ww101/Plowman7/ja20robinson20001.jpg

[PxTx]

Chipping away here guys. Original owner of the car says the magazine was kind of a DIY type rag. He tried real hard to recall the details of the photo-shoot and thinks the photographer said it was going in &quot;Chevy Power&quot; Magazine.

I did search ebay, but couldn't come up with anything earlier than 1973, but is was great to verify there was such a magazine! Pages form Chevy Power have already been posted on Yenko.net

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&amp;Number=363204

Any help finding the late 1968 or all of 1969 is appreciated!

[supcarbob]

Hey Paul,by chance what your looking for. i remembered this big block nova from the Feb. 68 issue of Super Street Cars.

[ban617]

I know in the 90's there was a regal red 66 SS with an L-88 tri-power and if I recall it had exhaust manifolds and more of a factory what if production even rally's I think... cool car tho

[PxTx]

Thanks guys! Original Pa car from Reedmans, yellow with a black hat. Non SS car originally started life as 275HP, 4 speed. I'm still looking and thanks for the efforts guys. Car ran with 538 gears and tow tabs.