79 Nova Wheelbase

[peteski]

2 hours ago, TECHMAN said:

S  O  R  R  Y  for helping "de-rail" your original question, seriously.   To try to help:  If you are considering a racecar for the Nova chassis, you will be able to find several different bodies to use it under that were "close" to the same wheelbase (you can always google search the vehicle wheelbase of the body) and with a little "modeling skill", you can "adjust" the wheelbase on the Nova chassis to fit.  Look forward to seeing what you build.  

DJ

DJ, you just provided some technical info.  As I see it, this thread went off the rails way earlier with this statement from Mike:  "I think a Nova's real wheelbase is 111" on the left, and 114" on the right, with the differenct built in to the rear axle. That's how you get that sweet ofset (Beagle) tracking."

I would be interested to see a rear axle designed with a 3 inch offset.  Where do such ideas come from?
 

Edited September 8 by peteski

[Sludge]

Several decades ago, I would occasionally see a car with two different wheelbases. 
 

And it was always a Nova. 
 

Interesting!

Then one Monday night, I was listening to the Car Talk Brothers, Click and Clack, and a caller had the same observation. 
 

The Brothers knew the problem, and clearly explained it. 
 

I don’t remember the answer, but perhaps there is a Car Talk index out there somewhere. 

[Perspect Scale Modelworks]

On 9/7/2025 at 10:11 PM, TECHMAN said:

S  O  R  R  Y  for helping "de-rail" your original question, seriously.   To try to help:  If you are considering a racecar for the Nova chassis, you will be able to find several different bodies to use it under that were "close" to the same wheelbase (you can always google search the vehicle wheelbase of the body) and with a little "modeling skill", you can "adjust" the wheelbase on the Nova chassis to fit.  Look forward to seeing what you build.  

DJ

Lol. No worries. I got the information I was looking for. And, if I can spark an informative and entertaining conversation then it's a good day. Thanks 

[TECHMAN]

On 9/19/2025 at 1:16 PM, Sludge said:

Several decades ago, I would occasionally see a car with two different wheelbases. 
 

And it was always a  Nova.

A L L early Nova cars  (whether coupe/sedan/or wagon), were the same wheelbase.   Single wheelbase.  1968 up Nova cars shared the longer wheelbase.  Single wheelbase.  I would LOVE to hear the "experts" that were expounding on a "double-wheelbase-car",  and find out where they were coming up with this information.

And speaking of Novas, there was a spell-of-time when the Nova front-clip (as well as the Camaro front-clip) were super popular answers to "updating" the front suspension on various old cars/pickups/street-rods, (before the days of the Mustang II/ Fat-Boy front ends).  Done properly, those cars still maintained a "squared-and-equal" wheelbase......   Some amateurs who BUTCHERED the installation, did, in fact, end up with two different wheelbases on the same car, and the car, the ability to "crab walk" down the road.   

This whole thread, brings to mind a couple-of-three older pickups that passed thru my hands (years ago) that had been "clipped",  oh goodie........More projects!!!!  😉

DJ

Edited September 20 by TECHMAN
additional info

[jas1957]

On 9/3/2025 at 4:03 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

I guess this is a joke, but 1) I don't know what a "differenct" is, and 2) never in over 50 years of working on real cars have I ever seen a staggered rear axle. 

And the 112 mm shown above is 4.4 inches...like I said.

Up here in rust belt territory those late 1970’s Nova’s were notorious for dog tracking because the rear axle shifted a bit after a few years on the road.  I always assumed rusted spring or axle mounts were the reason.

[Ace-Garageguy]

3 hours ago, jas1957 said:

Up here in rust belt territory those late 1970’s Nova’s were notorious for dog tracking because the rear axle shifted a bit after a few years on the road.  I always assumed rusted spring or axle mounts were the reason.

Yes. I believe this has been covered.