F41 Rear Springs with 6 Leaves

[big gear head]

I agree, whatever is going on here is taking away from the story of the car.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

To be honest, you have a cool car - at the end of the day it is a 4 door Nova Police Car.

It's kinda like this kid in our elementary school who actually had 6 toes on each foot, it was cool to see - but we didn't look twice!! Hang twelve, and enjoy your car!

[Jonesy]

Relax. You are taking this way too personally. I dont think anything was asked or said in a manner that ripped on your car. I remember in my town all the squads were novas of this vintage. Roughly 1974-77. I just wonder what happened to all of them. I would have never thought they were this beefed up.

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Originally Posted by Jonesy

Relax. You are taking this way too personally. I dont think anything was asked or said in a manner that ripped on your car. I remember in my town all the squads were novas of this vintage. Roughly 1974-77. I just wonder what happened to all of them. I would have never thought they were this beefed up.

They ended up in junk yards and us Deuce guys scavenged the rear sway bars for our resto's!!

[Canuck]

My Home town of St .Johns Newfoundland was on a financial squeeze in the early 70's and decided to replace the police cars one by one rather than a fleet purchase. The last "poloce spec" units were 1970 Fords and by 1973 they were worn or rusted out. The city started purchasing whatever the Chev dealer had in stock in 4 door Chevs. Biscaye, Bel Air and probably the odd Impala. They were put on the road as they were with a light and police radio. Cars were typically 350 TH350 and no HD suspension, full wheel covers,whitewalls some with vinyl tops, Paint varied from Beige to Green.Interiors were whatever was on a Bel Air or Biscayne. The cars barely lasted a year, spindles would break, springs, suspension bushings failed. 50,000 miles and they were done. The city relized by going cheap cost them twice as much. By 1977 they were rollng on Police Spec Crown Victorias. Lesson Learned.
When the Nova was conceived as a police car it benefitted by being the smallers 4 door with a host of bigger car parts that just bolted on. keep in mind the fastest regular production cars of the era were a Mercedes 450SEL 6.9 4 door and the Dodge Monaco police cruiser with a 440.

[9C1Beater]

Thanks guys...I appreciate all of your comments. I'm not on here to grind an axe or make enemies. I just want to be treated honestly and fairly, and if I present info on here that can be backed up (which I have), then I want it to be acknowledged by the guy who asked it (that is not too much to ask).

I have posted all of this info on Steves Nova Site (and quite a bit more), but felt it might receive more interest on here, and I would like to post more of the unusual things on the car here (like its full-size rear brakes). I still don't know exactly what is on this car as far as the front suspension, which may be standard Nova SS stuff (or Z28 stuff...at this point unknown). Harry Hammond can't recall exactly what they did to the car...only bits and pieces (that was 44 years ago).

I think I have located Jim Ingle in the Detroit metro area and plan to contact him soon. He was the suspension guy and made most of those changes to the prototype. I would especially like to ask him about the unusual rear springs and rear brakes, and get his memories of the time at the GM Proving Ground, what it was like to work with Vince Piggins at the Tech Center, and his memories of the trip to LA in the prototype.

I don't plan on changing anything on the car, other than to rebuild the tired, smoking engine and replace the squeaking smog pump. I think it is far too historic to alter a single thing.

Martin, was your Yenko Nova at Carlise in June? There was only one there and I think it was the same color as yours. And Paul, I hope you post a lot of stuff on your 9C1 Nova on the 9C1 Registry on SNS when it's done. I posted the photos that Harry Hammond gave me on the Registry a couple of days ago.

[RALLY]

Still waiting for your pictures you said you were going to take of the rear brakes and shocks. If you want to keep people interested, post them.

[9C1Beater]

Hey Rally...it has been colder than a witch's you-know-what here for the past 3 days...warmer on Fri and Sat, so I will take the pics then.

[RALLY]

Originally Posted by 9C1Beater

Hey Rally...it has been colder than a witch's you-know-what here for the past 3 days...warmer on Fri and Sat, so I will take the pics then.

Understand same in Mich. Ok take them when you can, still interested in seeing the pictures.

[9C1Beater]

Rally, headed to my storage space tomorrow to snap pics for you...we're supposed to hit 39 deg then...like summer compared to -13 deg with -35 windchill!