We love hearing stories of long-time family project cars around here. And we also love unique and short-lived trim packages offered on mainstream vehicles.
So suffice it to say, showcasing this spotless 1971 Rally Nova in a Built with Summit feature article was an easy call to make. (If you’ve never heard of one, you might want to read this article first: What is a Rally Nova?)
Now, back to the story…
“I built it with my Dad during my senior year of high school in 1989-90,” Chris Anderson grins. “We found it locally for $350 in 1989.”
As you could imagine, a $350 car—even in 1989—was pretty rough. But Chris immediately recognized its potential.
“It was the straightest and rust free one we had seen,” he says.
“It was also a Rally Nova so it was a little different.”
The father-and-son team quickly went to work.
“We took it down to the bare shell and subframe, and started a nut and bolt rebuild,” Chris states.
While the car had evidence of a prior rear collision and wore some replacement sheetmetal, most of the Nova’s body was workable. Chris reveals that the toughest part of the project was replacing the old warped roof—presumably an artifact of the back-end impact.
“We had to replace the roof skin with one from a parts car,” he tell us. “I learned how to hammer weld with my dad.”
The results of their efforts speak for themselves.
On the inside, you’ll discover that the Rally Nova retains most of its original interior. Keen eyes will spot the bucket seats poached from a 1970-1/2 Camaro RS, which Chris had redone with the original Nova seat pattern material to conceal the upgrade.
A new steering wheel and a fancy car stereo were requisite enhancements here too, as were copious amounts of heat barrier and sound deadening material stuffed under the carpeting.
It gets even better under the hood, where you’ll spot a trusty Chevy small block.
“It’s a 350 bored 0.030″ over with balanced/weight matched. 2.02 Corvette heads,” Chris says. “It’s got a Performer intake and 750 Quadrajet carb with an Isky 280 Mega Cam.”
Behind that hot SBC rests a TH350, but Chris hints that a 700R4 is coming soon. In the back is an 8-1/2” 10 bolt rear with Quick Performance 30 spline axles and TrueTrac 3:42 gears.
The Nova also features a ton of chassis and suspension upgrades as well, namely a CPP pro touring front suspension complete with tubular control arms, dual adjustable coilovers, and two inch drop spindles.
Dual adjustable rear shocks are out back, while subframe connectors and modified traction bars add plenty of rigidity. And though it’s worn other shoes in the past, it currently rides on a set of American Racing Salt Flats.
Now all this magic didn’t happen overnight—and that’s evident as you scroll through these pictures of the Nova’s evolution.
As Chris points out, the Nova has gone through multiple iterations since he and his dad initially got it rolling in 1989.
“We got it done in time for me to drive the last two weeks of school, and it was a daily driver for about four years,” Chris explains. “And was parked outside 24/7.”
Then in 1995, the duo repainted the car in a shade of red borrowed from the Toyota Supra chip chart. At the same time, the Nova’s current engine was built and installed. Then in 2008, it got the iconic Rally Nova stripe package back. 2016 saw the engine bay get freshened up with paint and new fittings, hoses, and lines.
“Over the years we’ve wrenched on it together,” Chris reminisces. “It’s kind of in its fourth cosmetic version now.”
..And we can’t wait to see what you and dad have planned next.
Thanks Chris, for making this one #Built with Summit.
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