I've had a 75 nova from the time I was in 6th grade (I'm 20 now), also the same time I started to Read Car Craft. A few months ago when I saw the late 70s X-body on the cover I thought god had finally answered my prays. Finally some one thought my car was cool!! My question is have They done anything with it. I'd like to see a quick good handling car that could do some road races. Going fast in a straight line is good, but being able to corner like you're on rails and stop on a dime is better. It would be even cooler if they could do all that with a small block that would make 300-350 HP and get 20-25 mpg. With Gas the way it is now gas mileage is very important for people with a hotrod that is also their daily driver. If Car Craft started to do something cool with their Nova I would Renew my subscription today. All I can say to the guys at CAR CRAFT is DON'T let this car fall by the wayside.

It's been super annoying to try and get the Disco running, partially because we're so busy, and partially becuase we're now having to rebuild the engine that the machine shop already rebuilt. Taking stupid forever kinda time. And now we're off to SEMA for a week, and then we'll kill ourselves catching up for two weeks after that.

DF

You mean GMPP's covert operative (J*ff Sm*th . . . Shh! Don't tell anybody . . . especially if they're named "Scooter") couldn't hook CC up with a "SEMA deal?" 

Something like a covey of "Off the Rack" hotties "rebuilding" the Disco mill with "genuine GM parts" in front of a legion of SEMA attendees?

GM's inside man at CC must be slipping . . . .

Maybe there's still hope Chip Foose will snag the Disco taxi for "Overhaulin'". . . .

i too own a 75 nova and i was also excited to see a magazine take interest in a car that many consider unappealing. but honestly i was getting tired of seeing the same articles in the mag every year and i was hoping CC would get the disco finished before my subscription expired. BUT THEY DIDNT. then i got really frustrated since they went what seemed like 6 months with no coverage of it at all, so i let my subscription expire in an attempt to punish them lol. dont believe me fryburger? check the facts man.

and yes i know i spelled you name wrong--------slowpoke

They give CC away for $10 a year . . . pack it full of SBC stories every month . . . show freakin NOVAs ON-THE-REAR-BUMPER . . . put scads of '69 Camaros, El Caminos, and Chevelles on the cover . . . apparently pay that shameless GM prophet Jeff Smith a living wage . . . AND THE CHEAPSKATE BOW-TIE BUNCH STILL GRIPES "IT'S NOT ENOUGH!"'

GET A GRIP, MAN! 

You CHEVY HEAVIES don't know how good y'all have it!  You could be a '96-up Mustanger waiting for a Cammer story in CC . . .

Or for a 460 Ford-powered project car . . .

Or a Mopar Maniac waiting for ANY MOPAR PROJECT!* . . .

Or a turbo tripper who's waited about TWO DECADES for CC to rediscover bodacious Buchi Blasters!

Mr. Freiburger & Mr. Glad: DON'T negotiate with these "subscription droppers" trying to take CC hostage!

BTW, Turboted is going on a hunger strike until CC publishes a FIVE PART SERIES on turbocharging the AMC Pacer 6.

*Of course, Glad's Rambler is, technically, now part of Mother Mopar's extended family. Still, I doubt the proletarian Pentastar peeps perceive it as a proper Mopar project.

...proletarian pentastar peeps....

Ahhh.... the exquisite ecstacy of edification combined with the agony of alliteration.  Thanks ted.

[Turboted's Nurse, standing in for the Insane one]

 ". . .exquisite ecstacy of edification combined with the agony of alliteration."

 The foregoing phrase caused Ted to laugh so hard that his Oxford unabridged Dictionary "careened" like Yugoslavian skier Vinko Bogataj (http://www.ew.com/ew/fab400/tv100/70s_p1.html  off the rickety, oil-stained card table Ted uses for a desk in our psych ward, knocking him off of his "genuine mechanic's seat" onto the floor and out cold.

At least he's stopped babbling about how many "kegs" fit into an BMW Isetta "refrigerator" . . . .

Thanks For  replying to my message. I can't even think of all the time it takes to wright every thing up as you work on a car. Just make sure this nova sticks aound.

P.S. If you guys at CC need another project you can help me finish this one: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2080082

So Ted when was the last time you saw a chevelle on the cover of CC?

Seriously Nova, AMC motor, two sbc's, camaro.  Still curious I have seen several other vehicles although a chevelle hasn't hit the spot in a long time.  If I was a ford cammer fan I would be reading mustangs and fast fords.  if I want diversity I would oh wait I do read CC.  So why bag on a guy curious about a magazine project car that they have already put into ink?  Alot of people like to follow along with things like that reguardless of the vehicle in question.  Thats why I like the behind the sceens page where we get some updates.

I agree with you to a certain extent, but there is a slight Chevy bias in the mag.  It may be as simple as proportions- 55% of the cars sold from 1962 to 1979 were GM's, so 55% of the articles are about the most numerous GM.  I KNOW the numbers aren't right, so don't bust my balls over that, but look at my main point.  In My Opinion (I didn't use shorthand for a reason), CC does a better job of including various manufacturers than many of the mags out there.  Perfect?  No. Decent?  Yeah.

Besides, I think it was Glad that pointed out that the Rambler is a leaf-sprung 3 box, and that many of the tricks that make it go fast will make your XYZ car fast too.  Suspension tuning, engine tricks, restoration tips.  Do the  fuel pump and fuel filter look and work the same from a 273 to a 289 to a 283?  No.  Will playing with fuel pressure and increasing fuel delivery have similar benefits?  Yeah.  Some people are interested in the Taxi because they have a similar mid '70s hulk in their driveway and are interested in how that project works, and if any of the things that work on the Nova would work on a '79  Gran Fury. 

I know that was your point, I'm just seconding it.

yeah i third that.

when your job is to build cars then write about it, the cars should be built quickly.  heck, i work 50 hours per week as a tool and die maker and EVEN MY PROGRESS ON MY CAR is faster than CC's. how many WEEKS does it take to write 15 or 20 paragraphs, especially when half or what they write could be copied word for word out of many past articles.

i feel CC is purposely dragging their feet(GET IT?) cuz the nova is popular and they know the nova-faithful will stay tuned month after month for the next "disco" article.

i mean, is it right to promise more "disco" articles month after month and then not deliver? the answer is no. and by promising and not delivering, at what point does that become a lie?

Slight chevy bias?

In the January 2006 issue of CC, I analyzed the number of pages devoted to each of the major manufacturers (excluding advertising, CC Quickies and On the Rack*,  and awarding mixed brand pages based on the predominance of a brand (e.g. larger or more photos) HERE'S THE "STRAIGHT SCOOP:"

Chevrolet: 29 pages

GM (non Chevy): 7 pages

Mopar (including AMC):  12 pages

Ford: 11 pages  (3 of which were carnage)

Chevrolet alone consumed almost half the editorial pages.  All the other brands (including other GM brands) put together received only ONE MORE PAGE than Chevy.

CC will claim that the Jeff Smith cam yarn shouldn't count because it was "basic tech" applicable to all makes. But it was a Chevy test, regardless of how CC wants to spin it.

Taking a page from the fetid book of "drededss,"** perhaps CC could get the Disco Nova project off high center with a Ford Racing Performance Parts crate 514 Cobra Jet!  At least it would up the Ford content in CC a tad bit . . . .

*Note that the controversial Anne Shae (a/k/a "Tranny") is wearing a "Nasty Z28" shirt.  So that page probably should go to Chevy as well. And I'm sure the Mopar and Ford folks will throw in Anne with the deal

**For more on "drededss," see http://forums.carcraft.primediaautomotive.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=carcraft&msg=1883.2

"CC will claim that the Jeff Smith cam yarn shouldn't count because it was "basic tech" applicable to all makes. But it was a Chevy test, regardless of how CC wants to spin it."

Actually, Jeff Smith DID claim that (pg. 38).   One of the tests was a regurge of Steve Dulcich's 440 Mopar (pg. 43).

Still, CC has made substantial progress toward brand equity, even if the January 2006 issue reads a bit more like the old Camaro Craft (albeit infected by a heavy dose of AMC fever).

And remember, the TURBO 302 Ford is coming!

DISCO NOVA:  CC's struggles are real world. 

It would have been easy to cop out with a freebie crate mill. 

Even though the Disco Taxi doesn't seem to plow ANY fresh ground, I'm relatively satisfied with the progress thus far (but it'd be better if CC would build a similar Fox (Powered by FORD, of course) to face off against DISCO -- Snake vs. Mongoose style . . . . 

 (Or maybe DISCO vs. ROCK  . . . And we know what happened to disco on July 12 1979 . . . http://whitesoxinteractive.com/History&Glory/DiscoDemolition.htm)

This might be the finest arguement against legalized weed yet.

Glad

Damn dude...Ya might want to cut 'em a little slack there.....I've seen pretty regular excuses for not having a story in the mag - and pics of the derelict taxi published pretty regularly too...I think your theory of conspiracy to generate circulation numbers through manipulation of the Nova faithfull is a little bit out there... I've been regularly driving an X-body since 1979 ( I once had a yellow 76 ventura) and the only x-body's you ever saw in a mag was a short one page article about a panel painted chromed rotor trailer queen or some clapped out - but fast as hell - drag car... So I was completely stoked when I saw Frieburger ripping 'irrerplaceable' trim off of an x-body! My first thought was that because of this body style getting a regular series of articles in CarCraft, my rides value might go up. and if that happens then maybe someone will start making quality replacement quarter panels and other hard parts for it. Lovers of this body style should be greatfull for the coverage. There are still enough of us out there (I think...) to generate interest in our cars from the aftermarket ...  The excuses for no running Nova have been numerous -thats true, but hey -  it really is just real life rearing its ugly head. I trust the guys at the mag to give us some more killer coverage of Disco launching hard with daylight under the left front tire...Patience Duuuuuuude..........

oh yeah... for those guys posting thier thoughts on a chevy (GM) bias at CarCraft....well....they need to look at the CarCraft shop pics in the Jan. '06 "This guys garage" photo spread.....Hmmmmmm.... And don't let Chip Foose steal the taxi  -  CarCraft is about fast cars....He can steal my x-body instead!

Hey Glad - Did they really kick you guys from your shop..? That's cold man....Is it gonna be on an episode of Overhaulin?...huh? huh? well? when?