MPC 1979 Chevy Nova

[doorsovdoon]

While I'm waiting for the paint to arrive for my Pontiac Grand Slam I've started on this 1979 Chevy Nova Squad Rod. I certainly won't be building the toy that's on the box art, I'll be doing factory stock with a vinyl roof and some aftermarket Rostyle wheels. Going through the contents the kit looks to be very well moulded with basically no flash or seam lines. The chrome pieces look very well done and the interior is nicely moulded with good detail in the dashboard and some very nice looking bucket seats. Another kit it would seem where the box art doesn't do the contents justice.

Edited September 16, 2020 by doorsovdoon

[doorsovdoon]

The only real changes I'll be making to this is a set of Rostyle wheels from the '66 Olds 442 and a vinyl roof.

[espo]

Good looking vinyl roof. You mention using Rally Wheels, and the OEM Chevrolet Rally Wheels are on the chrome parts tree. The Oldsmobile wheels look good also. 

[doorsovdoon]

Rostyle, not Rally. The Olds 442 wheel design is called Rostyle in the UK. Vinyl roofs are easy. The seam line is done with high build primer after laying down two strips of masking tape with a gap between. I then peel the tape off leaving a raised line of primer. I then paint the whole roof in the colour I want by holding the can a good three feet away so that the aerosol almost dries before it hits the roof, leaving a texture. I'll either give it a slightly heavier once over at the end or polish it to remove the dusty look this method gives.

[doorsovdoon]

Vinyl roof already done and a quick mock up of what it'll look like. The colour I'm going with is Aztec Bronze.

[gman]

1 hour ago, doorsovdoon said:

Rostyle, not Rally. The Olds 442 wheel design is called Rostyle in the UK. Vinyl roofs are easy. The seam line is done with high build primer after laying down two strips of masking tape with a gap between. I then peel the tape off leaving a raised line of primer. I then paint the whole roof in the colour I want by holding the can a good three feet away so that the aerosol almost dries before it hits the roof, leaving a texture. I'll either give it a slightly heavier once over at the end or polish it to remove the dusty look this method gives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rostyle_wheel

Having had a set of 4 lug Rostyles for my MGB back in the day, I knew what you are referring to. Most North American members may not be familiar with the name, but will certainly know the 5 lug version of the wheel as-sold on this side of the pond.

[gman]

9 minutes ago, doorsovdoon said:

Vinyl roof already done and a quick mock up of what it'll look like. The colour I'm going with is Aztec Bronze.

 

My brother bought a Nova from the neighbours many years ago in this colour:

Your chosen paint is certainly in the ball park.

[doorsovdoon]

Thanks for the link. I didn't know what they were called in the States, Magnum 500, now I know. I just called them what I've always known them as over here. My favourite wheel actually, though a set of Cosmic alloys comes very close.

[doorsovdoon]

3 minutes ago, gman said:

 

My brother bought a Nova from the neighbours many years ago in this colour:

Your chosen paint is certainly in the ball park.

Yes, it's very close. I think that's one of the pictures I was looking at on Google. I can't find it now but there was another picture, same colour as this one but with a vinyl roof, that I'm basing it on. Surprisingly hard to find any pictures of these cars with vinyl roofs.

[Can-Con]

Well, this should be interesting. 

I owned a '79 Nova for several years.  Drove it until it was too rusty to be roadworthy. That kit is a '79 BTW, not a '78.  Only year they used the square headlights.

Mine also had a set of 14" X 7" Olds Magnums but it was that light metallic blue that GM liked to put on everything back then

The dash and sew pattern on the seats is wrong for that year Nova. The kit was originally released in '75 as a Pontiac Venture and the interior was never updated.

Same with the engine. It's more Pontiac than Chevy.

But I wouldn't worry too much about that. I'd just build it and have fun. ?

Edited September 16, 2020 by Can-Con

[Deuces ll]

44 minutes ago, gman said:

 

My brother bought a Nova from the neighbours many years ago in this colour:

Your chosen paint is certainly in the ball park.

This one looks like a sleeper.... Notice the wheel width between the front and back????......??

[gman]

Yes, I noticed. The one my brother built was sitting on widened ralleys. Out came the inline 6 and in went a warmed up 350. That photo (not of his car) takes me back.

[doorsovdoon]

I didn't know about the '75 Ventura. The Mag wheels were a good choice then, haha. Title now edited to 1979 Nova! No idea why I put 1978? I think a lot of the cars I've been Googling are from 1978. I was close to doing a sleeper using the steels and caps from the '70 Galaxie 500 but I only have one and couldn't be bothered to cast them today.

[Elmer Fudd]

5 hours ago, doorsovdoon said:

  Surprisingly hard to find any pictures of these cars with vinyl roofs.

That's no surprise. If you can find a picture of a real 1977-79 Nova with a regular vinyl top and not the Landau top, i would be thrilled to see it.

[doorsovdoon]

15 minutes ago, Elmer Fudd said:

That's no surprise. If you can find a picture of a real 1977-79 Nova with a regular vinyl top and not the Landau top, i would be thrilled to see it.

Did they not come with a vinyl roof? I can't find the picture of the bronze car now, typical, but I came across these. The brown car could be painted roof though. Anyway, I don't know American cars and just thought a vinyl roof would look good:)

[Elmer Fudd]

Of course, this sucks. But i know of no 1977-79 Novas with a regular vinyl top. Landau tops,  Yes.

But regular vinyl tops, 1977-79? No? Just Landau tops. I would know. I still have a few parked here at the farm.

It don't matter, it's a model car. Models ARE NOT miniature replicas. Please build as you see fit!

[RichCostello]

I can't remember any vinyl roofs on any car that had the seam down the center of the top. All of them that I remember had the seams(2) running down both sides.

[doorsovdoon]

Probably aftermarket fitments then, it's no big deal anyway. I did the line down the centre because the ones I have seen with vinyl roofs the seam go's down the middle, you can just make it out on the last picture of the red car. I thought it odd, but that's how it is, or not apparently, Lol.

[bisc63]

There's no one-size-fits-all for vinyl top styles. Some cars used a single-seam design, some use a twin-seam style. References are invaluable. I'm liking your color combination, what can we expect for the interior?

[1972coronet]

1979 Nova brochure : http://oldcarbrochures.org/United States/Chevrolet/1979-Chevrolet/1979-Chevrolet-Nova-Brochure/index.html

Even if the covering you've replicated is completely imaginary , it still looks quite nice . Lord knows that there were plenty of upholstery shops around that would add whatever a customer wanted (within reason) .

[doorsovdoon]

Maybe they dropped the option by '79 but this one from 1976, bottom pic, says I didn't imagine it. Honestly, I've looked at tons and tons of pictures of these cars for reference and there were some with vinyl roofs.

[Can-Con]

If you look at the brochure page with the dash detail shot and chart for the available colors,, at the bottom of the page it says what colors were available , , 

"Cabriolet and vinyl roof covers for Nova Custom and Nova in black, light blue, light green, white, beige, dark carmine and silver " 

But you have to open the whole page up to see it written at the bottom.

That would certainly indicate that vinyl roof covering was available on Novas in '79. 

It probably was just not very popular on such a car. More common on the 4 door sedan than the 2 door though.

[Snake45]

You are making me very sad. Last year I bought three glue bombs of this kit hoping to build two good models out of them. I've been looking for them this week and I CAN'T FREAKIN' FIND THEM! AARRRRRGGGHHH! 

[randyc]

10 hours ago, Snake45 said:

You are making me very sad. Last year I bought three glue bombs of this kit hoping to build two good models out of them. I've been looking for them this week and I CAN'T FREAKIN' FIND THEM! AARRRRRGGGHHH! 

LOL.  I had that issue this year too.  Put 3 kits away last fall to resume this past spring.   I did find mine.   They were in box where I thought something else was.  Now I can't find the something else kit.

I like the Nova kit and Doors' idea for the vinyl top.  I have seen center seamed roofs (rooves?), but can't remember on what.   It wouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities for that era.  The Road wheels are probably less likely, but they will look great.  Build on!   I loved this kit when it was the current annual.   

[espo]

One of the reasons not many Nova's didn't have a vinyl roof was that this was more of a price leader car and the vinyl roof covering didn't preform any known function beyond attracting rust to start between the top and the roof panel. The huge padded half roof covering option was sometimes seen with the later Nova Concourse trim. We sold a lot of Nova's at the dealership I worked at and stocked very few with a vinyl roof. I had two different Nova demo's with vinyl roofs. The first was the '75 Nova LN. Not often seen since the option put it in the Chevelle price range. They had a very unique interior and it was a great little car. I later had a Nova SS but the Sales Manager had ordered it with the Cabriolet style vinyl roof in Black. The car was a dark Maroon color and all the SS Striping was also Black. To me it looked hideous and to get it sold I offered any salesman who sold it an additional $100 out of my own pocket, and it still look them 6 months to sell the thing.