Turbo LSX Nova Taking American Muscle To The Track In A Major Way

You’ve heard the saying “go big or go home”, and when it comes to building a potent track machine, there’s nothing quite like building the biggest and “baddest” car you can think of. While some racers choose to do this by building crazy-fast Pro-Mods or dragsters, others, like our friend Daniel Rensch, choose to build amazing classic muscle cars that put plenty of power to the pavement on and off the track. Check out Rensch’s turbocharged LSX ‘72 Nova on the dyno in the video above.

Images provided by Daniel Rensch

The pro-touring scene is alive and well in the automotive world these days and while Rensch’s Nova falls in line with the popular idea of taking a classic muscle car and turning it into a modern performance machine, this Chevy third-gen goes above and beyond the normal pro-touring spectrum.

Originally a 250ci V6 car with the classic two-speed Powerglide transmission, this ‘72 Nova quickly turned into a more performance-oriented version of itself with Rensch equipping the car with a 350ci/TH350 combination starting in 2008.

But as we all know, the appeal of more performance and power quickly becomes prevalent in builds and Rensch decided to upgrade the car once more using the popular LSX platform. After collecting parts for a few months, Rensch started the next chapter of the Nova’s life back in late 2010.

What resulted is the car you see here. Under the hood you’ll find an Lq4 block bored .030 over and short filed. Mated to that you’ll find Eagle rods, All Pro CNC heads, Wiseco pistons, a Cam Motion camshaft and an Edelbrock intake. Adding more fuel to the fire is a Precision PT4788 turbocharger with a JGS 60mm wastegate and bypass valve, which all work in turn with a 4-inch A/A intercooler and an AMS 500 boost controller with CO2 to control boost. The engine is topped off with 160lb injectors, Fast rails, a Weldon regulator and a Waterman cable drive mechanical fuel pump that supplies the whole setup with E85.

With this setup and 17psi of boost, Rensch’s Nova threw down an amazing 1,017 rwhp and 1,019 ft-lbs of torque on the dyno.

But that much power means nothing if you can’t transfer it to the pavement at the track, so the Nova is also equipped with a fully built performance suspension system. This setup includes Caltrac traction bars, split mono leafs, TRZ control arms, a coilover frontend, AFCO double adjustable shocks and a Moser rearend with 3.23 gears.

This engine and suspension combination pushed Rensch’s Nova to a 9.80-second quarter mile with a trap speed of 145mph on low boost just recently, even with traction issues. Once the suspension is dialed in, Rensch is aiming for an 8.50 quarter mile time with a trap speed between 160 and 165 mph.

Rensch’s Nova may not be a lightweight, full-tube race car, but it sure can hold its own on the track. Congratulations goes out to Rensch for building such an amazing ride and we can’t wait to see the quarter mile results once the suspension is fully dialed in.

About the author

Lindsey Fisher

Lindsey is a freelance writer and lover of anything with a rumble. Hot rods, muscle cars, motorcycles - she's owned and driven it all. When she's not busy writing about them, she's out in her garage wrenching away. Who doesn't love a tech-savy gal that knows her way around a garage?
Read My Articles

Late Model LS Power in your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from LSX Magazine, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

We'll send you the most interesting LSX Magazine articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


chevyhardcore
Classic Chevy Magazine
dragzine
Drag Racing
enginelabs
Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • chevyhardcore Classic Chevy Magazine
  • dragzine Drag Racing
  • enginelabs Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading