Chevy High Performance – October 2019

OCTOBER 2019IICHEVY HIGH PERFORMANCE 17

TECH CHECK
Owner: Dennis Taylor, Booneville, Arkansas
Vehicle: 1972 Nova

Engine
•Type: Dart

• Displacement: 509 ci


• Compression Ratio: 8.5:


• Bore: 4.500 inches


• Stroke: 4.000 inches


• Cylinder Heads: Aluminum AFR Chevy
  Magnum 18-degree 457cc race heads


• Rotating Assembly: Crower crank, Custom
  BME pistons, Billet steel 6.800-inch rods


• Valvetrain: Victory titanium-coated intake
  valves, Inconel exhaust valves, stainless
  O-rings, 0.937 Enduramax lifters, 1/2-inch
  Manton pushrods, triple PAC springs,
  Crower billet steel rockers


• Camshaft: Crower


• Induction: Twin BorgWarner S400SX-E
  88mm turbos, AFR single four-barrel
  18-degree intake converted to EFI


• Ignition: Holley Smart Coils, Taylor wires


• Exhaust: Custom built by Dennis Taylor


• Ancillaries: Moroso vacuum pump, stock
  LS alternator, Meziere electric water pump
  
  
  • Output (at the crank): 2,448 hp, 1,
    lb-ft. Expecting near 3,000 hp with new tune
    and intercooler.
    Drivetrain
  
  
  • Transmission: Custom TH
  
  
  • Rear Axle: Custom housing, gun-drilled
    40-spline Moser axles, lightweight spool,
    3.40:1 Pro Series 35-spline Richmond gears
    Chassis
  
  
  • Front Suspension: Stock front subframe
    and control arms, QA1 coilovers
  
  
  • Rear Suspension: Custom-built JRi radial
    tuned shock absorbers, Calvert Racing split
    mono springs, CalTracs traction bars
  
  
  • Brakes: Wilwood 11-inch, front; Moser, rear
    Wheels & Tires
    •Wheels: Weld Racing V series 15x3 front,
    15x13 (double beadlock) rear
  
  
  • Tires: Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R
    Radial 26x6.00 front, ET Street Radial Pro
    315/60 rear
  
  
  
  

Interior

• Upholstery: Stock, dyed by Dennis Taylor


• Material: Vinyl/plastic


• Seats: Summit Racing front, stock rear


• Steering: Vega


• Shifter: B&M


• Dash: Stock


• Instrumentation: Stock/Holley 7-inch
  touch screen


• Audio: 3,000hp 509 BBC


• HVAC: Nope
  Exterior
  •Bodywork: Completed by Dennis Taylor


• Paint By: Dennis Taylor


• Paint: PPG Candy Blue with metallic black
  basecoat and silver lace


• Hood: Harwood fiberglass


• Grille: Stock


• Bumpers: Stock

of 50-series Mickey Thompsons, and
carried Dennis through his high school
days with regular visits to Orange
County International Raceway.
Summer 1980. After graduating and
jumping ship to Booneville, Arkansas,
Dennis takes notice of a feature on

Scott Sullivan’s 1967 Pro Street Nova.

Inspired by the car, torch in hand,

Dennis hacks off the back half of his

Nova to fab up a new rear floorpan

and framerails. He hung a narrowed

12-bolt, which made room for the

15x10 slot dish mags and Mickey

Thompson N50-15 rubber.

By his early 20s he was playing

around with a 6-71 blower that

was repurposed to fit an old Offy

360-degree intake. “When my

insurance man caught a glimpse of the

car, he refused to reinsure it. I sold the