It's difficult to fathom these days, but there was a time when car guys did indeed call the shots in Detroit. For irrefutable evidence, look no further than the '68-72 Nova. A quintessential sleeper, the Nova was basically Chevy's compact ho-hum granny mobile stuffed with one of the baddest motors GM had to offer that year, the 396 big-block. Think Chevy Cobalt LS with a factory LS3 option, converted to rear-wheel drive, and you get the idea. As dementedly functional and entertaining as the car's unassuming styling was during sordid stoplight engagements, the Nova looked so understated that it still appealed to the dentures-and-oxygen-tank crowd. While it was certainly a fine-looking automobile, a '69 RS/SS Camaro or '67 Corvette coupe it wasn't. To make matters worse, street racers quickly pulled a Scooter Libby on the Nova's true identity. The end result was a car that still looked like a sleeper, but no longer enjoyed the benefits of a sleeper.
Well aware that the car's cover was blown long ago, Air Ride saw no need to prolong the sleeper motif when designing its '70 Nova, which will be given away at next year's Goodguys PPG Nationals in Columbus. To amp up its aesthetics, Air Ride infused the Nova with a vibe that's part vintage Trans Am racer, and part Pro Touring. One of the most prominent and unique visual elements are the heat extractors grafted into the fenders. "The Nova originally had a cosmetic vent installed in the fender from the factory, and we were just trying to modernize it," explains Bret Voelkel of Air Ride. "Real road race cars use vents like this for engine bay exhaust and brake ducting. Many of the newer European cars have some type of fender vent as well."
The position of the factory vent in relation to the fender and wheelwell means that Air Ride's modernized unit is strictly a cosmetic piece. However, when something looks this good and is so tastefully executed, it's hard to care. Nonetheless, depending on the vehicle, Air Ride's design can easily be adapted to functionally move air through the engine bay or wheelwell and simultaneously win a bunch of style points. If you're game or know a fabricator who is, here's a step-by-step outline of how they went together.
