![]() It’s a stock suspension leaf spring car. My learning curve has been tuning the chassis. Fans come to the pits looking everywhere for some trick part but there is none.” While the predominate car of choice for this class has been the Mustang, Watson said “The most interesting thing about my car is that it’s not a Mustang. I just tell them years of learning and tuning. “I get a ton of fans begging to know how I get the Nova down the track so quickly on a tiny tire and stock suspension. So what makes this car different? According to Watson, it’s all about perseverance and determination. When the light turns green this unsuspecting Nova stands all original 3200 lbs on the bumper and disappears down the strip in a hurry. It has a stock front suspension, leaf springs, Caltracs, factory 10 bolt rear, and 90% of its original street equipment. This car however is tells quite another story on the race track. Watson’s 1973 Nova appears at first look to be an average street driven car sporting a valid license plate. Originating in Kentucky as a low budget solution for racing, the class has grown from mild to wild in competitive ingenuity surprising both fans and fellow racers alike. Like other Outlaw series, the 8.5 refers to tire size and in this class an extremely small tire measuring just 26 x 8.5”. Though there are potential issues with the body, the engine is the real wild card here.Craig Watson of “2 Quick Nova’s” Racing is amongst a growing number of racers pursuing the small tire wars in a unique and upcoming class called Outlaw 8.5. Inside the passenger compartment, newer racing-style bucket seats and steering wheel are in place, but the dash pad is cracked in several places. The floors were rusty and had been patched, so you must wonder what else about this old automobile has corrosion. Under the car’s worn and scratched green finish is white paint which may or may not have been the Chevrolet’s original color. The wheels featured in the photos have since been sold, so the seller will substitute others so it will roll. The car has an automatic transmission which we assume is still in the vehicle. Under the hood was a 350 cubic inch V8 that the seller says is a “nitrous” motor, but we’re told it’s been pulled for a paint job. The Chevy pictured here probably has an interesting story, but we don’t know what it is. Out of 369,500 Nova’s in ’73, 91,000 were the new hatchback edition. ![]() And that’s without the impact of the OPEC oil embargo that didn’t happen until the last couple of months of the year, boosting ’74 sales even higher. The changes to the third generation Nova must have resonated well with buyers as sales for 1973 reached the car’s second-highest level ever. This racecar-in-the-making is in Dallas, Texas, and is available here on craigslist for $6,000. This one has been parked in a carport for a while and its powerplant set up to run on nitrous. In the 2-door models, a hatchback was available for the first time, which would have included the seller’s car. The rear windows were enlarged, and the bumpers were bigger, but the resemblance was familiar. The Chevy Nova got a serious facelift for 1973-74, but still retained the overall look and style of the 1968-72 editions.
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