I know everyone is tired of this combo but I got a 72 Nova with a 350/350 for $300 for my 53 Chevy. Looks pretty straight forward, any advice or pictures of other swaps like this would be great.
They make mounts to bolt it in after you trim some things. There's guys (not here) who'd want the Nova in it's own right, though, unless it's been rolled or something - and maybe even then. Didn't have any trouble selling the last '72 we had and can't find any others.
Keep the original 6, they look cool with some speed equipment and split manifolds. or find a GMC straight 6-302 cubic inch monster.
Yep ... flip the Nova and go with 6 in a row. There's a guy near Mobile, AL been trying to move a 292 for $200 on craigslist. No takers, so he'd probably take an offer. I'd try myself but I've already bought a '57 full-pressure 235 for my '50 sedan, and right now I couldn't afford a monkey's breakfast!
if you really want to put in a V8 you might run into some problems with exhaust clearence. If your master cylinder is on the bottom of the fire wall behind the pedal it will give you plumbing issues with the exhaust and it will probibly be easier to get a master cylinder assembly out of a newer vehicle which places it up near the top of the fire wall and behind the dash board. Also there should be motor mount kits available from places like speedway motors or else you can go to an autozone or something and by a set of the later barrel style motor mounts (the ones with one bolt on each side that runs parrallel to the engine) and these with probibly be easier to weld in.
chassis engineering makes some mounts, walton fabrication makes some stuff for that swap also. exhaust is a bitch. I used sanderson headers. 265 exhaust will work but it's a bit restrictive. didn't someone put LS-1 (?) exhaust manifolds on thiers??? some sort of late model motor anyways. I had 2 1/4 pipes all the way out the back with no master cylinder clearance troubles. the only way I'd run a six in one of these is if it had a good one already in it, no way I'd put a bunch of money in a six. too slow.
Exhaust is actually pretty easy. Go with a center dump on the pass side (I used a 60's 'Vette Rams Horn) and on the drivers side a early 90's Camaro worked perfectly, just have to plug the A.I.R. holes. All that said, I would still stick with the 6. Wish I hadn't swapped out mine even though I like the power.
We're doing this swap right now. I think the worst/biggest drawback is the trans cross member. The companies that make one have really over-engineered them (Waltons and TCI). The brakeline also crosses the trans cross member. We've cut about 8" out of the center of the cross member and we're using a shortened/modified MOPAR Dart/Duster/Valiant piece. The late model LT-1 exhaust manifolds are probably the best to use; we're starting with early 265 because that's what we have, and the exhaust that's connected to them. You'll have to severely trim the firewall supports, and fab up a different parking brake because the stock parking brake fulcrum has to be sacrificed for a V-8. We're doing this car the way my nephew wants it, it's my car, his approach. Personally, I'd go the 194-215-230-250-292 late style six. You only have to move the radiator forward, no trimming of the firewall supports, and you keep the stock parking brake. And, the late model sixies will run circles around the old 216, 235, and 261 six cylinders. P.M. me if you need more info. Butch/56sedandelivery.
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