


ow often do you daydream of what you will do during your first few days of retirement? It’s a comforting thought, isn’t it? Leaving long days and micromanagement behind is a vision that gets us through more days than we’d probably like to admit. While a great deal of us can imagine spending our endless off days fishing or golfing as much as possible, there are newfound retirees like John Lambert of San Juan Capistrano, California, who chooses to enjoy most of his free time in the garage wrenching the hours away.


Moving forward, John wished to do as much to the car as he could on his own, he then planned to alter the Nova’s factory chassis with plenty of upgrades to sharply increase its handling abilities. Up front, a TCI Pro Touring crossmember package was assembled that included 2-inch drop spindles, tubular upper and lower control arms, and Ridetech coilovers with Stage 2 shocks. In the rear, a TCI suspension system with torque arm was utilized, along with the same coilover setup as the front. Then, it was upgraded with a Wilwood 12-inch, four-piston brake package for both ends, as well as a dual master cylinder. Forgeline 18×9 and 18×11 ZX3 wheels were picked for their sporty appearance, along with 245/40R18 and 315/30R18 Falken Azenis rubber based on the high level of handling and stability.



John came to the realization that every panel on the car, except for the firewall, would have to be replaced due to the unforeseen rust damage. Once that hurdle was cleared, John then entrusted the assistance of Old Anvil Speed Shop to prep the sheetmetal and Cambra Speed Shop in Orange, California, to take care of the paint portion of the build. The selected hue was a PPG Gray that is clean, classic, and will not be going out of style anytime soon. On the inside, Ron Mangus Interiors joined the project to wrap the ’06 GTO bucket seats and other interior panels with black vinyl to further push the car’s developing timeless vintage aesthetic. Old Anvil Speed Shop also created a steel 1.75-inch rollbar.
“My retirement project spanned the better part of seven years, but I couldn’t be happier with the result,” John exclaims. “I’m thankful to my longtime friend Rob Hervey who helped me so much in that time. The car was completed in January 2024, and it won First Place in the Pro Touring class at its very first event: the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California. That was an honor and so was the Top 10 award the car came home with from its second showing three months later at the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals.”





Vehicle: ’67 Chevy Nova SS
Type: ’23 Chevrolet Performance LSA crate engine
Displacement: 6.2L
Cylinder Heads: Stock aluminum
Camshaft: Stock steel
Induction: Stock supercharger, custom intake tube with air cleaner
Assembly: GM
Exhaust: Church Boys 1⅞-inch headers, 3-inch exhaust with H-pipe and SpinTech mufflers
Accessory Drive: GM
Fuel Tank: Stock 21-gallon fuel tank with high-volume fuel pump
Cooling: Aluminum radiator with dual electric fans
Transmission: TREMEC Magnum T56
Driveshaft: Custom
Rear Axle: Currie 9-inch with 3.89 gears and TwinTrac limited-slip differential
Front Suspension: TCI subframe and crossmember, 2-inch drop spindles, tubular upper and lower control arms, Mustang power steering, and Performance antiroll bar, Ridetech Stage 2 coilovers
Brakes: Wilwood master cylinder and 12-inch brake kit with four-piston calipers
Wheels: 18×9 and 18×11 Forgeline ZX3
Tires: 245/40R18 and 315/30R18 Falken Azenis tires
Seats: ’06 GTO bucket seats with black vinyl upholstery, upholstery by Ron Mangus Interiors
Seatbelts: Simpson seatbelts
Steering: Ididit steering column, Flaming River steering wheel
Instrumentation: Dakota Digital HDX gauges
Shifter: Hurst Blackjack shifter
Climate Control: Vintage Air with control panels
Entertainment System: Alpine Type R head unit, Type S speakers and amps installed by Speaker Works (Orange, CA)
Rollcage: 1.75-inch steel rollbar by Old Anvil Speed Shop
Wiring: Coach Controls
Bodywork and Paint: Sheetmetal prepped by Old Anvil Speed Shop, PPG gray paint by Cambra Speed Shop (Orange, CA)
Lighting: NovaStar GX headlights, LED taillights with Eddie Motorsports bezels
Body Mods: Removed all labels and side moldings, flush custom gas door, rear wheeltubs widened 2½ inches
Bumpers: Tucked




