When I bought my '72 Nova SS sight-unseen last summer, all I knew was it had been set up for a big-block, had a TH350, mini-tubs and a host of other hot rod parts. It still had the the original 10-bolt in it and the factory high-back bucket seats. It was a little rough, but the price was right and my friend Dan's inspection revealed it was a very solid car. I never gave much more thought to it other than it would be a fun ride once we stuffed a 669-horsepower Dart 509 between the fenders.         

As project sometimes do, this one escalated. We decided to put a TCI front clip in it to see if it would work in a street/strip configuretion. (It is supposed to take 140 lbs off the nose.) I've still not seen the car in person, but this picture reveals a little secret to its past life. When Dan was installing the ididit steering column, he noticed a clutch pedal tied up under the dash. Yes, this was an original four-speed car. This picture was the first I'd seen of the area below the steering wheel. The smaller brake pedal should have been a tip-off, but no one ever even paid attention to it until now.