BY Jeff SmithImages by THE AUTHOR

t’s the beginning of a fantastic day. You’ve tightened the last bolt to install that bad-boy small-block in your Chevelle and it’s time for a testdrive. The engine is just plain gnarly at idle, sounding more like an NHRA Comp Eliminator small-block in the staging lanes rather than just another street small-block.

But on the testdrive, the engine exhibits a nasty off-idle stumble, and you notice that the idle is stinky fat but fiddling with the idle mixture screws does not seem to help. And when you lean out the idle mixture screws, that off-idle stumble gets worse despite adding larger Holley accelerator pump nozzles and a more-aggressive pump cam. Even your brother-in-law, the self-proclaimed Holley expert, has no clue on how to remedy this situation.

But there is a simple solution that anyone can apply to virtually any engine suffering this fate. It will require some tuning patience, but the actual steps are fairly easy. We’ll also offer some alternatives if you’re not sure about your prowess with making modifications to a typical Holley carburetor. This is the carb that we will focus on, although as mentioned, the steps would be similar for any carburetor.

1. MetalWorks’ talented fabricator Dave Williams made the subtle changes to the bumpers on this 1955 Chevrolet Nomad shown here that are typical of the shop’s attention to detail.

espite the fact that Chevrolet was the automotive sales leader in 1954, it was painfully obvious it was time to make some changes. Chevrolet was still using a version of the inline six-cylinder engine introduced in 1929. While it was vastly improved compared to the original design, Chevrolet’s chief competitor, Ford, had introduced an OHV V-8.

Another inescapable issue was Chevrolet’s styling had grown stale. The basic design introduced in 1949 had been repeatedly massaged, but by 1954 it was old news. In 1955 everything changed. The revolutionary small-block V-8 debuted, and some of the brand’s most iconic body styles would be produced over the next three years: the 1955, 1956, and 1957 Chevrolets, commonly referred to as Tri-Fives.

One of the most sought-after examples in the Tri-Five series is the 1955 Nomad, and while most would agree these are spectacular-looking cars, MetalWorks Speed Shop in Eugene, Oregon, has found some subtle ways of making a good thing better. MetalWorks has gained a reputation for producing some of the finest restorations and custom builds to be found. One of their current projects is a ’55 Chevy Nomad that will be getting the full Pro Touring treatment. The build began with their in-house acid dipping process that removed all the paint and rust from the vintage sheetmetal in preparation for rust repair and bodywork (see metaldipping.com for more information).

1. The dash in Bruce Valley’s 1957 was too bad to ignore, especially since we’d be gutting it for the gauge and A/C install. There’s no better time than today!

BY RYAN MANSONImages by THE AUTHOR

t’s certainly not a rare occurrence for one upgrade to necessitate a whole slew of other unexpected tasks to pop up. When it came to our buddy Bruce Valley’s 1957 Chevy Handyman Wagon project it seemed to exemplify this. What began as a project with a short list of modifications soon turned into a near body-off restomod job. The simple task of swapping out the previous 350ci engine with a new LS3 meant that if we wanted the end result to reflect what we thought it deserved, the entire engine compartment needed restoration. When it came to the few suspension upgrades, the story continued. New parts shouldn’t be haphazardly thrown onto filthy framerails amidst miscolored inner fenders. No, the frame got a thorough cleaning and a couple fresh coats of chassis black while the inner fenders and all underlying sheetmetal got a new layer of undercoating. The end results speak volumes, so the extra bit of effort goes a long way in producing a product one can be proud of, but it takes more time and a little more money to get those results.

The interior of the car wasn’t originally going to receive too much attention, but with the addition of the LS engine, we decided that it would probably be a good idea to upgrade the gauge package so a keener eye could be kept on the operations of the 400-plus horse powerplant.

1. Our trusty and crusty 1977 Nova gets much-needed bumper filler panels and taillights to bring it back to life.

Rear Refresh

BY Tommy Lee ByrdImages by The Author

hen it comes to low-budget project cars, the fourth-generation Nova is holding strong. You can still pick one up for cheap, and they make for a great street cruiser or drag car project. All of the underpinnings are similar to earlier Novas and Camaros, meaning that the chassis and suspension can be upgraded easily. The problem area for many fourth-gen Novas is the body and interior, as replacement parts haven’t reached the same level of availability as earlier muscle cars. Thankfully, Classic Industries is stepping up to the plate with restoration components for these disco-era Chevys.

In the case of our 1977 Nova project car, the main area of focus for this article is the rear body section. Like many 1970s GM cars, the bumper filler panels were in dire need of attention. The centersection was completely missing and the corners were on the verge of turning to dust. A previous owner had replaced the old taillights with some generic LED trailer lights. They worked nicely, but we wanted the original look, so this was an opportunity to give the rear section a complete makeover.

n the weekend of July 12-14, Goodguys Rod & Custom Association rolled into Columbus, Ohio, for what they refer to as “The Big One:” The 26th Summit Racing Nationals presented by PPG. As expected, the huge classic vehicle event featured over 6,000 muscle cars, hot rods, customs, and vintage trucks throughout the massive Ohio Expo Center.

Beyond the thousands of muscle cars and hundreds of vendors gathered on the show grounds over the three-day event, many hard-core enthusiasts looked forward to Saturday’s announcement of the PPG Street Machine of the Year and the Classic Instruments Street Rod of the Year winners. Top builders from all over the country brought their A-game, which showcased intricate fabrication skills with sheetmetal draped in flawless paintjobs—all true works of art. Most of these vehicles have been years in the making, and these builders consider the Street Machine and Street Rod of the Year as one of the most prestigious awards to be given all year.