1966 Chevy Nova owned by John Wargo

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Issue

February 2024

Owner

John Wargo owner of The Custom Shop

Ride

ReNOVAtor
(1966 Chevy Nova)

Meaning Behind the Name

We built this car 28 years ago orginally the customer won tons of awards and 15 year ago torn it aprt to rebuild it and make it better. so we bought it back in 2022 in about 10,000 peices and renovated it to give it a Second Life.

Photographer

Chros Gozda and John Wargo

Ride Details

Original Cost

A lot lol

Build Cost

Way to much LOL

What was the inspiration?

We wanted to build a Strip / street/ show car. With all the Cool stuff that a Drag car would have but all the Show details a Show car needs.

How long did it take you to build?

from when we started to Renovate the car was about 7 to 8 months to completely renovate it.

How long have you been building?

I have been building cars since about 1985 when I was 15 years old.

Your future plans?

Build more Cool show cars and Sema cars.

Vehicle history

This car was Originally built for John Shrewsbury back in the mid 90's. he won tons of awards including Super Chevy Best of show many times. he wanted to smooth and paint the bottom and take the car to another level so he took it completely apart into 10,000 pieces then life got in the way. so he sold it to me at The Custom Shop to Renovate it and give is a New fresh look and a second chance at being a Show winner. we started working on the car in March of 2023 and hit it hard as the plan was to have it at Sema in Oct in the SONY booth. Yes we Finished in just in Time to be on display at Sema 2023

Thanks to

APEX LEATHER AUTO CITY GLASS Car- Rep CERAKOTA Cover Craft C-TEX EDDIE MOTORSPORTS Fairchild FLAMING RIVER GarageDog Creations Gold Eagle GOODMARK IND HAWKEYE IND Holley HUSHMATS Imagine Injections MBM BRAKES ODSESSY BATTERY PAINLESS PERFORMANCE PROSPRAY PSTD Driveshaft PYPES Race Ramps RamLift ROADRUNNER SATA SCOSCHE Sherwin – Williams SONY TANKS TMI TOYO TIRES Tuff Stuff Truler U.S CHEMCIALS VINTAGE AIR XK GLOW

Previous Rides

Lots LOL 1967 Nova names Cassanova 1968 camaro names SSAWD 2020 C8 Wide body

Engine Details

Make

Hixson Performance Engines Gibson city 2023

Cylinders

Displacement

427

Engine Mods

Brodix Aluminum block, all Titanium valve system, Ultra Crower crank, 6" titanium Crower rods Diamond Pistons, Brodix ported heads, Comp Cam, Crower Lifters, 3/8 push rods, Jezel rocker arms, Roller Cam bearing

Engine Add Ons

Imagine Injection with HOLLEY EFI, Moroso water pump, Vintage air Pulley system. Pypes Stainless exhaust and hooker headers all Cerakote coated K & N filters and vacumn Pump,

Driveline Details

Torque Converter

Huges 5,800 Stall Converter

Axle

Strange alxes

Gears

390

Chassis Details

Chassis

Vallow Chassis of Pontiac built Custom front Clip with Strange promod coilover shocks with Ramlift adjustable front suspension,

Mods to Frame

Rear end Narrowed and tubbed running a Caltrac leafspring traction bars, on a Narrowed sheetmetal 9" ford rearend,

Frame Builder

Mike Vallow

Drop or lift inches

Lowered 5" with custom frame with and springs

Front Shocks

Strange coilover

Rear Shocks

Strange

Spindles

Strange

Springs

Strange

Wheels Details

Front Wheel Type

Custom made 3pc Forged Carbon fiber barrel

Rear Wheel Type

Custom made 3pc Forged Carbon fiber barrel

Front Wheel Size

18 x 7

Rear Wheel Size

20 x 10

Front Tire Size

215/40/18 Toyo tires

Rear Tire Size

285/30/20 Toyo Tires

Paint Details

Color

Torch Red and Carbon Flash black

Paint Type

ProSpray paint

Graphics Description

Ghosted Pearl over a Carbon flash base with a Silver in a 3D effect and ghosted Forged carbon effect on graphics

Painted By

John Wargo The Custom Shop

Graphics By

John Wargo The Custom Shop

Body Details

Hood

3" cowl smoothed on the bottom side too

Grille

Garage Dog Creations laser cut custom grill

Bumpers

Forged Carbon fiber and carbon flash painted

Body Mods

Shaved all the or trim holes, flip forward hood, smoothed truck rear and bottom tucked bumpers, shaved marker lights, custom Forged Carbon ground effects,

Body Mods by

Rich Lloyd and Justin Rambo The Custom Shop

Interior Details

Dashboard

Custom made smoothed dash

Gauges

Holley Digital Pro Dash

Steering Wheel

TMI chrome tri spoke and Apex Leather

Console

Custom made

Head Unit

SONY Xav-AX6000

Amps

SONY XM-GS4 and 2) XM-GS100

Speakers

SONY front 2) XS-162GS rear 1) XS160GS sub 2) XS-W124GS

Video System

SONY in dash and Scosche camera and Wiring system

Stereo Installed by

John Wargo The Custom Shop

Shifter

Hurst quater stick forged carbon handle

Seats

TMI Chicane racing buckets with Apex leather

Tint Percent

30 Auto City Glass

Trunk or Bed

TMI and The Custom Shop with finger print scanner to open motorized amp rack.

Upholstery Description

the Interior was designed around race car but street and show as well. TMI made the seat and door panels for us we used there square weave carpet too. then we matched there custom design with the rest of the interior to make it look seamless, lots of detail and panels to match.

Upholstery By

John Wargo Mario Vietti The Custom Shop

“ReNOVAtor”

Owned by: John Wargo

Photos by: Chris Gosda

When it comes to the world of custom car building, few projects are as ambitious and rewarding as taking a drag car and turning it into a showstopper. That’s exactly what the talented team at The Custom Shop set out to do with their latest creation. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the inspiration behind this remarkable project, the journey it took to complete it, and the future plans of the builders.

The Inspiration

The inspiration for this project was simple yet profound – to build a car that seamlessly blended the best of both worlds: the high-performance features of a drag car and the meticulous details of a show car. The idea was to create a vehicle that not only turned heads on the strip but also took home awards on the show circuit. This vision set the stage for a project that would push the boundaries of automotive customization.

The Journey

The journey to transform this drag car into a showstopper was no small feat. It took approximately 7 to 8 months of dedicated work to completely renovate the vehicle. The project was helmed by an experienced builder who has been building cars since 1985, bringing decades of expertise to the table.

The car itself has a fascinating history. Originally built for John Shrewsbury back in the mid-’90s, it had already won numerous awards, including the prestigious Super Chevy Best of Show title multiple times. However, John had bigger plans for the car. He envisioned smoothing and painting the bottom of the vehicle, taking it to a whole new level. Unfortunately, life got in the way, and the project was put on hold. This is where The Custom Shop stepped in, acquiring the car and giving it a fresh start. The team began working on it in March of 2023 with the goal of showcasing it at the SEMA show in October of the same year. Remarkably, they accomplished their mission, finishing the car just in time to display it at SEMA 2023 in the SONY booth.

Acknowledgments

This project wouldn’t have been possible without the support of several key partners and sponsors. A big thanks goes out to APEX LEATHER, AUTO CITY GLASS, Car-Rep, CERAKOTA, Cover Craft, C-TEX, EDDIE MOTORSPORTS, Fairchild, FLAMING RIVER, GarageDog Creations, Gold Eagle, GOODMARK IND, HAWKEYE IND, Holley, HUSHMATS, Imagine Injections, MBM BRAKES, ODYSSEY BATTERY, PAINLESS PERFORMANCE, PROSPRAY, PSTD Driveshaft, PYPES, Race Ramps, RamLift, ROADRUNNER, SATA, SCOSCHE, Sherwin–Williams, SONY, TANKS, TMI, TOYO TIRES, Tuff Stuff, Truler, U.S CHEMICALS, VINTAGE AIR, and XK GLOW for their invaluable contributions to this incredible project.

Future Plans

As for the future, the team at The Custom Shop has no plans to rest. Their ambition is to continue building more cool show cars and SEMA-worthy vehicles. With their track record of success and dedication to excellence, it’s safe to say that we can expect more jaw-dropping creations from them in the years to come.

Conclusion

In the world of custom car building, turning a drag car into a showstopper is a challenge that requires skill, dedication, and a vision. The team at The Custom Shop has proven that with the right inspiration and a committed team, anything is possible. Their latest creation is a testament to their expertise and passion for automotive craftsmanship, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.