 Click images below to enlarge |
 With the help of the guys in the shop Jeg built the 420-inch small block using a Dart “Little M” block, a rotating assembly from Lunati and a pair of Brodix “Track 1” CNC heads. A Crane roller cam, Lunati springs and Jesel rocker arms and belt drive timing make up the valve train. An MSD ignition system including wires and box provides the spark. Exhaust gases exit through Dyno-tech headers. Valve covers and oil pan are by Moroso. The alky-burning small block made 620 hp on the first pull on the dyno. |
 George Rupert modified the 1050 Holley for alcohol. An NOS Big Shot plate is used by Jeg as the override system in case he wants to make a move. The induction system sits on top of an Edelbrock intake manifold. A belt-driven Aeromotive fuel pump and filters complete the package. |
 The Nova features a side exhaust exit that duplicates the exhaust systems found on NASCAR Cup cars. BTW: it has a very nice exhaust note. |
When Jeg gave up his Pro Stock ride last season he decided to do a lot more bracket racing and although he had plenty of dragsters and a few NHRA legal door cars on hand, he wanted to build a dedicated bracket racing-only door car and actually do as much of the work on it himself as was possible. He also wanted to build the car using as many “track-tested” parts out of the Jeg’s Performance Parts catalog as possible. The results of that desire and effort are seen here as DRO July Car of the Month.
When Jeg decided on a Nova/Chevy II wagon he found the wagon on eBay. It is an Arizona car and Jeg was the high bidder for the wagon at $1,100. Actually he was kind of fortunate that the wagon was a Nova and not a Chevy II. The Nova’s roof line is about four inches shorter than the “deuce’s” and, although aerodynamics isn’t all that important in a station wagon bracket car, it still nice to have the lower roof line.
Once he got the car to his shop in Ohio they put a Jegster chassis under the car after the body work was completed. According to the guys in the shop that I talked to while I was shooting this feature, Jeg was involved in every part of the build-up from body work to bending the tubing to building the engine. In fact, Jeg says the small block Chevy that powers the Nova wagon is the first engine he assembled completely on his own.
As you can see from the photos this is a unique car. It has a couple of very interesting “options” that probably weren’t on the build sheet for this car in 1967 including a high-zoot stereo, a large air conditioner/generator system under the rear floor boards and a full-on NASCAR exhaust just under the rear doors.
The wagon weighs in at a portly 3,540 lbs with the driver and has so far only made runs on the eighth-mile recording steady 6.50 ET’s and 105 mph. The best part is the fact that the car is completely and absolutely streetable. Jeg and his crew guy, Kenny Underwood, chose a very soft converter and ‘glide ratio just for that reason.
Although the wagon’s single, four-barrel, small block Chevy is on a methanol-only fuel diet (other than the occasional shot of nitrous oxide), these days Jeg does take it on the street as it is fully licensed and insured.
“I’m putting some treaded DOT’s on the car later this year and taking it up to Detroit for the Woodward Avenue cruise later this year,” Jeg said. “I’ll be driving this on the streets before then. I built this car to be a street and strip car and I’m going to drive it on the street.” Maybe by then Jeg and Kenny Underwood will have figured out how to burn E-85 ethanol.
