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More often than not, many of us end up facing some pretty tough decisions during our car builds. Should you go with the traditional, 350ci. small-block or go completely late-model? Do you need forged pistons or will hypereutectic be a better fit for your budget? Will a TH350 transmission fit your needs or should you get a beefed up T56? What about your suspension? These are just a few of the many questions that can make your head spin when it comes to building a muscle car.
Tony's Nova still needs work in order to compete with ResurreXion.
But, what if I told you there was a place that can not only answer your questions, but make your dreams of owning a perfect track-ready car a reality? The name of this automotive Mecca is called Speed Tech Performance, and at Speed Tech the pros have the answers to all of your questions.
Take for example one of their customers by the name of Tony. When Tony brought his ’69 Nova to Speed Tech Performance for a relatively simple upgrade, he was just looking to add a nice pair of headers to his relatively stock 350 small-block.
After arriving, though, things changed a bit. While on a tour of the Speed Tech facility with Vice President Roger Maniscalco, Tony was given an exclusive close-up view of their infamous ’70 Nova, dubbed “ResurreXion.”
What started as a set of headers for his '69 Chevy Nova ended up turning into some a bit… more.
Sporting an LS series aluminum block and a myriad of LS series components such as an LS2 intake manifold and an LS7 ECU to run the whole thing, the engine in ResurreXion is part Frankenstein’s Monster and part NASA rocket scientist. Inside the LS block rests a Comp Cams camshaft, roller rockers, valve springs, and titanium fasteners. The pistons come from Manley and the rods are from Eagle. The entire setup is held together by ARP fasteners.
For those not familiar with ResurreXion, the Nova is a test bed for Speed Tech Performance parts.
It’s all good for laying down an impressive 500 horsepower at 5,800 rpm. The transmission is a fully-built, Tremec T56 Magnum with a twin disc clutch setup from McLeod. The driveshaft is a 3-inch chromoly steel with billet yokes from Bears Performance.
To help slow things down, brakes are massive 14-inch Baer ProPlus 6 piston calipers on all four corners to make sure ResurreXion stops fade-free. The subframe and torque arm rear suspension are all from Speed Tech Performance.
A few of the best modifications done to the Nova are the subtle ones. The front bumper was narrowed and the rear bumper and tail lights come from a ’69 Camaro. Another piece from a ’69 Camaro is the front valance; however this one uses driving lights in place of the original turn signals.
Tony's Nova is still under construction, however, Speed Tech assures ChevyHardcore.com that it's nearly completed. We can't wait to see the finished product.
After checking out the ’70 Nova and all of its amazing Speed Tech Performance parts and craftsmanship, Tony knew what he had to do. Having placed an order for headers after his walk-around, Tony gave Speed Tech a call the next day to order Speed Tech Performances’ Pro Touring sub-frame package to be installed on his own Nova. The sub frame would give Tony’s Nova rack and pinion power steering, a tubular sway bar, coilover shocks and the added benefit of being able to use almost any other additional aftermarket suspension part, be it wheels or brakes.
Speed Tech's current ResurreXion Nova is a masterpiece.
This was just the tip of the iceberg though as every few days Tony would call with another request. At first it began with things like adding a Speed Tech Performance torque arm rear suspension to mate up with the aforementioned sub frame. Not only did this add strength to the rear end, but the torque arm is actually designed with the Pro Touring racer in mind. When you do a lot of fast driving and cornering on the track, older Chevys are notorious about rear wheel hop and general sloppiness in the turns.
The torque arm is designed to fix the instant center, creating a more balanced car overall and offers much more control in the turns. Finally, after ordering parts here and there, Tony just gave the order to do a complete build for his Nova. It was then that the crew at Speed Tech began their mission to turn the classic muscle car from mild to a wild track-hungry machine. With over 8 years of building affordable full Pro Touring conversions, Speed Tech Performance will not only meet but exceed your every expectation. As for Tony’s Nova? Stay tuned because in the next few days we’ll be bringing you a full coverage article about it from start to finish.
