After following that thread and seeing all the cool early/mid-60s drag cars w/ steelies, I deceided to ditch the centerlines and go for a vintage street / drag too-poor-to-buy-mags look. I already had the rolled and pleated interior. I figured eliminating the chrome from under the hood, and a change of wheels would put my car right back in the '60s. Before: After: Engine shot: Amazing how wheels can transform the look of a car.
I can't pick which look I like better, because I think they both look cool! I had a 64 with a 283 and 3 speed on the tree. Great car. My brother Tony did a motor for it and we put a 4 speed, Posi rear, hooker headers and some Lakewood bar painted flat black with hubcaps and radial tires. What a sleeper it was! Enjoy your Nova, I wish I still had mine!
As I remember these from the 60s..the top picture was more like what we had on the street. Mid 60s..with a Nova SBC..no one thought you were "too poor for mags". The second photo just looked like a kid that took the caps off Mom's Nova.. The V8 flags always earned the wheels.. Either way it looks good..just don't remember anyone with a hot car..and that Nova was a hot car..who did it like the second photo.. The 60s were not an understated time..if I remember.. Sleepers didn't have flags..certainly no chrome filler gas caps or pin stripe. The mags were to mount bigger tires to get the hook up..not just looks. Nobody in my area fell for stripper sleepers..that Nova was no stripper A two dr post..radio delete..no option Chevy II was to be avoided unless you had something to deal with it.
North East car=steel wheels. At least where I'm from. My tires always came from the junkyard, with the wheels, so no whitewalls for me. Your car has the "I'm the proud second owner of a couple of year old car" look. Nicely done.
When I was a kid I ran black steel rims with chrome acorn lug nuts on my 66 Chevelle. Raised white letter tires "T/A'S" and sometimes chrome trim rings,sometimes not. I liked the look then and I like it now....
The Jalopy Journal
