The 1937 convertible got sold to a woman who had been stalking it for about three years. “I won a lot of awards with the car and I really enjoyed it, but it was time for something different,” Don says. “With the 1937 gone I wanted a good ‘daily driver’ and I really liked the look of the 1966-1967 Novas.” An online search led him to this 1966 in Pennsylvania. The car had A/C and a Mustang II frontend and was pretty much built, but there was room for improvement. “It was built locally and owned by a gentleman who had recently [died], so it was being sold by his daughter,” Don informs. “The A/C was an important factor, as out here in Texas it’s an absolute necessity.”

Once the car made it to Don’s garage, he began to personalize it to his taste. “I needed to lower the car a little in the front and drop the rear a lot.” Don said with a smirk. “Getting the right stance required the installation of mini-tubs to get it down to a decent ride height.” As they say, “stance is everything,” and Don complied with the adage.

The car rides the original frame but was upgraded with a Heidts Mustang II suspension up front, which includes 2-inch drop spindles. Don kept the leaf spring suspension out back and added lowering blocks for aesthetics and a sway bar to help diminish body roll. Bilstein shocks reside up front and Doetsch Tech single-adjustable shocks were used out back.

Rolling stock consists of Ridler 650 wheels (17×7 front, 18×8 rear) sheathed in Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 rubber (205/45R17 front, 235/40R18 rear). For now, the stock drum brakes still ride out back and GM discs with two-piston calipers handle stopping duties up front. But as Don says, “These cars are never really done, so upgraded discs aren’t a stretch at some point.”

This ain’t no drag car, and it’s no autocross cone-cutter, so Don employed a basic 350 small-block crate engine for motivation. Induction comes by way of an Edelbrock 600-cfm carb perched atop an Edelbrock performer intake, with spent fuel exiting through a set of Sanderson headers and a 2.5-inch exhaust topped with a pair of Dynomax mufflers. Sure, more power is certainly a possibility in the future, but for now he’s takin’ it easy and enjoying the ride.

A 700-R4 trans was assembled by Phoenix Transmission out of Weatherford, Texas, and is accompanied by a 2,000 stall converter. Nothing fancy or over the top out back–a 10-bolt with a limited-slip posi and 3.08 gears proves worthy to get the job done.

The interior is a tidy-looking ensemble featuring a steady flow of modern flair done up by Quality Custom Rides. They stuffed the stock dash with a set of Auto Meter gauges and built a custom center console for the Lokar shifter. Ray Mitchell from All Pro Trim & Glass (Forney, Texas) did the upholstery and matched up a set of leather door panels with the stock bucket seats. Climate is controlled by a Vintage Air A/C system and a period-looking head unit helps retain some classic style to the scene. The attractive cabin also includes an ididit steering column topped with a custom leather half-wrapped steering wheel for accurate course direction.