Reader’s Hardcore Project: Kyle Scheel’s Family Heirloom ’72 Nova

For many enthusiasts, the car that they call their “project” or “toy,” has been an integral part of the family for many years. Whether it was grandma and grandpa’s, or mom or dad’s daily transportation at one time, family ties run deep, and true car enthusiasts respect that.

These two images show Kyle's dad when he was racing the car in the early to mid-'90s.

Such is the case with this ’72 Nova that was brought to our attention by Kyle Scheel. “This project essentially encompasses a complete ground up rebuild of a 1972 Nova that has been in my family for 35 years,” he told us. The car first joined the family when his uncle acquired it in the early ‘80s. It was his uncle’s daily driver through high school, and remained as such until the early ‘90s. “That’s when my dad took over ownership and it became a fair-weather street/strip car.” But, like many non-transportation-essential vehicles, it was parked in 2010.

Nova

Mock up is underway.

Fast forward to 2017, and Kyle and his brother now call the Nova their project. “The car is solid and got new quarter-panels installed in the ‘90s. It just got the trunk replaced this summer,” he said. Kyle also tells us that this will remain a street/strip car, and it has a 10-point, mild-steel rollcage already installed. Plans include the addition of a new front suspension and steering system from TRZ Motorsports and a rearend upgrade via a Strange 9-inch with disc brakes. The car currently uses Caltrac bars, and will be getting new Calvert mono-leaf springs and Viking double-adjustable shocks very soon.

“The LS-based 427 cubic-inch engine is coming from Dart Machinery, and is based on an LSNext SHP block and Dart LS3 heads. It is supposed to make North of 750 horsepower while naturally aspirated, running on E85,” Kyle detailed. The Turbo 400 transmission will also benefit from a Gear Vendors over/under drive.

Nova

Kyle plans to modernize the Nova by adding an LS engine to the list of powerplants that have motivated the Nova.

Eventually, the car will be rewired with a complete classic update kit from American Autowire, and a Racepak dash will handle all of the gauge and data-logging needs. Once complete, Kyle plans to participate in NMCA events, and others like Holley LS Fest.

This is one of Kyle’s favorite pictures of his dad with the Nova. He loved the car and racing, and was well known and respected at their local track. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 63.

Do you want to read about other Reader’s Hardcore Projects? All you need to do is click here. If you’re working on a project, we want to hear about it. Since we’ve started the Hardcore Project series, we have received more than a few candidates, but we still want to see more, as we can never get enough. Send us a few pictures of your car showing the engine, interior, and exterior, along with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you Internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].

About the author

Randy Bolig

Randy Bolig has been working on cars and has been involved in the hobby ever since he bought his first car when he was only 14 years old. His passion for performance got him noticed by many locals, and he began helping them modify their vehicles.
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