42 SUPER CHEVY OCTOBER^2019TRADING PLACES
It was in amazing shape when he
picked it up, with a fully powdercoated
tube chassis and many other custom
touches, but it was a full-on race car,
which is the furthest thing from Rick’s
intended usage. The bones were there:
the steel body panels; the steel factory
dash; the superbly crafted tube frame
chassis; the 582ci Dart Big M-based
aluminum big-block engine; and the
Ford 9-inch rearend housing, complete
with Mark Williams third member and
40-spline axles. And perhaps the most
enticing part, according to Rick: its
low, wide stance, which he says is just
about perfect.
With a vision fresh in his mind of
what he wanted the Nova to be when
complete, Rick has worked with several
friends—and a wallet set to take some
abuse—to develop the car and fulfill
his big-tire, big-blower plan. The first
move was to drop it off with friend
Pat Sullivan, who stripped out all of
the wiring and completely rewired the
car to be street legal, including setting
up the headlights, taillights, turn
signals, and other street-going gear.
Chris Carlson of Chris Carlson Hot
Rods fabbed up a new hood for the car,