1963 Chevy Nova Wagon: Early 90’s Street Machine

[Dennis Lacy]

Starting with AMT’s 1963 Nova Wagon “Craftsman” low detail curbside kit, the original plan was to put a motor in it, set a lowered & raked stance and put some big & little rubber with American 5-spokes. It was supposed to be a simple project as a breather between heavier projects and then it snowballed into what you see here, set into motion by a simple wheel change! Born in 1979, this is the predominant build style I grew up with at car shows in the 80’s and early 90’s, the Smooth Billet era. Now in my early 40’s, over the last couple of years I’ve developed a nostalgia towards the style and decided I needed to “bring billet back” in scale. 
 

- AMT ‘63 Nova Wagon body with all side trim deleted, bumpers and grill chrome stripped and oval hole cut in hood for air filters to poke through. Front fender depressions filled. Scratch built air dam. 
 

- Under hood detail added including brake booster/master cylinder from Revell ‘32 Ford series with vacuum hose to engine, windshield wiper motor with washer fluid line to reservoir, fuel pressure regulator with Detail Master plumbing, battery from full-detail Customizing release of Nova Wagon. Radiator heavily modified from Revell ‘90 Mustang LX with scratch built overflow tank and electric fan from Revell ‘32 Ford series. 
 

- Revell ‘29 Roadster Chevy block, auto trans, heads, timing cover, belt drive and alternator. Revell Stacy David ‘32 Roadster Weiand supercharger, dual Holley carbs, tall air filters and blower belt drive. AMT ‘66 Nova Pro Street Weiand valve covers with breathers added. Revell ‘37 Ford Sedan block hugger headers. Revell ‘67 Chevelle Pro Street exhaust pipes and Supertrapp mufflers. Detail Master wired distributor and wire dividers. 
 

- Revell ZZ Top Eliminator Coupe wheels. Revell ‘40 Ford street rod rear tires. Revell ‘67 Chevelle Pro Street skinny front tires. 
 

- Interior HEAVILY modified. Molded-in front bench seat cut out and floor filled in its place. Entire face of dashboard cut out and replaced with flat panel. Sides panels smoothed, door lines cut and raised detail panels scratch built. Two pairs of buckets seats fit from Revell Dan Fink ‘32 Speedwagon Woodie. Revell ‘37 Ford Sedan tilt column. Revell ZZ Top Eliminator Coupe steering wheel. Center console, subwoofer box, subwoofer faces and amplifiers scratch built. Detail Master dash panel with digital gauges, stereo head unit and graphic equalizer, door handles, pedal pads and speaker grills. Spare tire cover opened and matching spare wheel added. Squirrel stuffed animal from kit. 
 

- Tamiya TS92 Pure Red over their fine gray primer with their gloss clear on top. Polished and waxed with Adam’s products. Interior colors: Tamiya AS15 Tan, AS16 Light Gray and TS62 NATO Brown. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by Dennis Lacy

[Crager]

Fantastic detail, your craftsmanship is second to none! Beautiful

[crazyjim]

Super nice details and paint.

[Snake45]

Very sharp, very clean! What's not to like? VERY well done and model on! 

[espo]

Beautiful looking build. Almost a shame the interior is hidden away inside. Paint finish is smooth as glass, and I like the black trim around the windows. Got a lot of good ideas for future projects watching your build. 

[70 Sting]

Super-cool ?

[NOBLNG]

That is one sleek looking Wagon! I love all the details in the interior.?

[Robberbaron]

12 hours ago, Dennis Lacy said:

Born in 1979, this is the predominant build style I grew up with at car shows in the 80’s and early 90’s, the Smooth Billet era. Now in my early 40’s, over the last couple of years I’ve developed a nostalgia towards the style and decided I needed to “bring billet back” in scale.

 

 

Looks like it drove right out of the pages of Car Craft circa 1990.

And the squirrel abides!

Edited March 21, 2022 by Robberbaron

[afx]

Turned out great Dennis.

[Zippi]

WOWSER....that is straight up one good looking ride.  Great detail work and the business end is killer.  That red looks really deep.  Great Job. 

[Rbray47]

I too, am a 79 model, and I remember this style fondly. Love it.

[lazlow]

In a word, WOW!!!

[Phildaupho]

You are the current Chevy II king. The wagon turned out awesome and I am really digging your big block hardtop build. The wagon got me thinking of a Chevy II wagon a friend had back in the 70's. He painted it in Gulf racing colors - light blue and orange.

[Speedpro]

Dennis, This is by far the best chevy ll wagon I'v seen. The engine is perfect for what should be in a 1.1 car like this. Thanks for not putting a LS or shoe horning a big block in there. Drips old school. Great job on the engine bay details to! The paint work looks flawless. Wheels and tires fit real nice and the car sits as it should for a street machine. But that interior work you did really is something special! This was a pleasure to watch you build also. Outstanding work!

Speedpro

[Koellefornia Kid]

Turned out super nice, Dennis! I was born in ´78 so I'm very familiar with that style as I grew up with it like you! I think it's period perfect! Great details and paint, too! Both thumbs up! ??

[RickyD]

An absolute stunner, Dennis. My favorite build of this kit that I've seen to date. 

[Beamerman]

Really cool! I love that 90´s stuff...Great work!

[Smoke Wagon]

Two amps, two 12” subs, 4 speakers, and 2 tweeters in the dash... you could open the doors, walk back a couple hundred feet, and still hear the music clearly. Excellent scratch building and the body colored bumpers and grille for sure give it that early 90’s look.

[Dennis Lacy]

On 3/20/2022 at 10:10 AM, Crager said:

Fantastic detail, your craftsmanship is second to none! Beautiful

I don’t know about that but thank you!

On 3/20/2022 at 10:23 PM, Robberbaron said:

Looks like it drove right out of the pages of Car Craft circa 1990.

And the squirrel abides!

Then my mission was accomplished! ?

On 3/21/2022 at 11:07 AM, Phildaupho said:

You are the current Chevy II king. The wagon turned out awesome and I am really digging your big block hardtop build. The wagon got me thinking of a Chevy II wagon a friend had back in the 70's. He painted it in Gulf racing colors - light blue and orange.

Ha! I don’t know about that but thanks, Phil!  Not sure I can picture that color scheme on one of these, interesting…

On 3/22/2022 at 10:06 AM, Speedpro said:

Dennis, This is by far the best chevy ll wagon I'v seen. The engine is perfect for what should be in a 1.1 car like this. Thanks for not putting a LS or shoe horning a big block in there. Drips old school. Great job on the engine bay details to! The paint work looks flawless. Wheels and tires fit real nice and the car sits as it should for a street machine. But that interior work you did really is something special! This was a pleasure to watch you build also. Outstanding work!

Speedpro

Thank you so very much! LS engines wouldn’t exist for another 7 years when this car was built. Paint definitely isn’t flawless, I just took pictures at the right angles! ?

On 3/22/2022 at 3:14 PM, Smoke Wagon said:

Two amps, two 12” subs, 4 speakers, and 2 tweeters in the dash... you could open the doors, walk back a couple hundred feet, and still hear the music clearly. Excellent scratch building and the body colored bumpers and grille for sure give it that early 90’s look.

Pounding out that ZZ Top Afterburner album! Do The Velcro Fly! ? 

[Smoke Wagon]

1 hour ago, Dennis Lacy said:

Pounding out that ZZ Top Afterburner album! Do The Velcro Fly! ? 

Was listening to that exact song earlier this evening.... gonna close the blinds now. 

[ChrisR]

Very nice!

[Straightliner59]

It looks just like it ought to, for what it is. Nice job, sir!

[Knox.Steve]

That is absolutely perfect!!!

[slusher]

Absolutely Stunning custom wagon!!   Amazing talent you have sir!

[Leica007]

Really impressed with your detail work in all areas and the no-chrome treatment looks great.