During the build process, Monica took a decisive path for her Nova. While her sister had the sleek, polished car, Monica embraced an old-school Day Two approach. Inspired by her dad’s era, she built it like a true ’70s street machine—aggressive, loud, and undeniably fast.

A big-block and a four-speed were must-haves for the build. Family friend Andy Starr helped Monica with the powertrain, starting with a 427 originally built with a solid flat-tappet cam. Before it was ever fired up, she swapped it for a hydraulic roller cam—now within her budget and better suited for the tight valve cover clearance. To handle gear shifts, an M21 transmission was chosen and installed behind the 450hp big-block, which exhales through a set of Hooker Super Comp headers and Thrush Turbo mufflers.

During the project’s progression, Monica got the opportunity to meet Joel Rosen of Motion Performance at a get-together organized by the Yenko.net community. Monica shared her build progress with Rosen and they continued to discuss parts selection and even camshaft choices. Without a doubt, the muscle car legend made an indelible dent on the young gun who certainly pushed her to finish the build in true Day Two fashion.

Moving forward, a stout 12-bolt with 4.33 gears was installed to get the power to the M&H meats. The suspension is mostly stock, though with taller springs up front to give the nose some height. A pair of Tholey-engineered traction bars provide that attractive old-school look and additional grip during hard launches. Stock discs up front and drums out back get this Nova to a halt while keeping the vintage vibe in check. A classic Hurst Line/Loc helps Monica do some tire frying at will. Keystone Kustomags, 15×4 front and re-barreled 15×8 out back, coincide with the Nova’s vintage style.

Steven Schuck handled bodywork and paint, spraying the Nova in its original Frost Green pigment. Monica’s brother, Paul, handled the Pontiac-inspired graphics on the aftermarket Stinger hood. Originally sold at Reedman Toll Chevrolet in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, the car still wears its dealership badge and Motion emblem on the trunk lid. The interior retains its original upholstery with correct-for-the-time add-ons that include a Super Sun tach and a set of Sun Blueline oil, water, and voltage gauges. Monica chose a Hurst Competition Plus shifter due to the original bench seat. All interior work was done by Scott Gogel and Monica herself.

Monica admits that the teenage version of herself was more of a badass than she is today, but with age comes knowledge and a much clearer mind. Today, she’s a successful project manager, a profession who lends herself to meeting deadlines, which played a big part in finishing the car in a timelier manner than what could have been a more drawn-out process. Since finished, Monica received an invitation for the Nova to be featured at the Solid Lifter Showroom, hosted by the Super Car Workshop during the GM Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, back in 2020.

Monica, her mom, Eileen, Dad Paul II, and brother Paul III, came together to celebrate the journey they all shared with the Nova. The Celebrity Choice award she received at the GM Nationals that year was recognition for her vision and commitment to a stunning Day Two Nova build.