By car number nine we finally figured it out. Buy a reasonably priced '68-74 Nova and spend the rest of your budget on the motor and drivetrain. Pete's gameplan enlists a common 383 small-block, some very good-flowing Dart Iron Eagle Platinum cylinder heads, a five-speed trans, and a decent shot of NOS. The combo makes for a very low 12-second e.t. The combination is also well suited for long cruises with the overdrive trans and hydraulic flat-tappet camshaft. Better yet, it's his daily driver.




Pete Cervantes
'69 Nova

Specs

Displacement - 383 ci
Block - GM 350
Bore x Stroke - 4.030 x 3.750 inches
Compression - 10.5:1
Rod - 5.7-inch

Induction

Carburetor - Holley 750-cfm
Intake - Edelbrock RPM Air Gap

Camshaft Specs

Comp Cams Xtreme Energy hydraulic cam

Valve lift - 0.477/0.480 inch
Duration @ 0.050 - 224/230
Lobe separation - 110

Cylinder heads

Dart Iron Eagle Platinum, 200cc intake runners port/polish stage 1

Valve size - 2.02/1.60-inch
Rockers - Comp, 1.6:1

Power Adder

NOS Super Power Shot 100

Drivetrain

Transmission - Tremec TKO 600 five-speed
Clutch - McLeod clutch
Rearend - Currie 9-inch rearend
Gears - 3.75:1

Rear rubber

26x10 Mickey Thompson ET Drag

Numbers

Peak horsepower - 423 @ 5,500 rpm(motor)
Peak torque - 437 @ 4,500 rpm
Performance - 12.00 @ 111.15 mph
60-foot - 1.682