In the era of social media, and YouTube, any regular Joe with a bit of skill will blow over the internet just because they own a camera and can edit a video. Steve Strope is not one of those people. If anything, he lets his work speak for his skills. He doesn’t own a YouTube channel or run a car show with a major TV network, but you’ve probably seen his work in magazines, motor shows, and even award-winning car movies.
Steve Strope of Pure Vision is the Houdini of hot rods, and muscle car builds. Some of his notable work has silently featured in the Fast & Furious film franchise, including Anvil Mustang in Fast & Furious 6 (2013) and a 1970 Road Runner in Tokyo Drift (2006).
He’s also been in some of the most glorified automotive publications, including American Muscle Cars, Hot Rod, Hot Rod Network, and Car Craft. That’s not all. He’s also featured on TLC Rides, with some of his builds (Pure Vision Series of G Machines) available on Hot Wheels.
That kind of resume speaks for itself. And as you’d expect, everyone wants a piece of his automotive ingenuity. Recently, Podcast King, UFC commentator, and comedian Joe Rogan put him to the test to design and build a custom 1969 Chevy Nova.
Well, he didn’t disappoint. The result was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Strope has earned a reputation for improving on the already beautiful. He’ll take a design and spruce it to the point where you’ll go, “Dang!”
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/AutotopiaLA
Shawn from AutotopiaLA YouTube channel got to feature this fantastic build-and-ride shotgun with the builder (Steve Strope) behind the wheel. Strope and his team just finalized working on the project and shot this video before Joe Rogan took delivery of his custom ride.
Christened the ‘RNova,’ It’s not the first time this build has been out in public. It was on the cover of the 2019 April issue of Hot Rod and also broke necks at the Grand National Roadster Show in the same year. It was also featured at the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
Rogan’s 1969 Nova has bits and pieces from the best in GM’s performance line. He says the final product needed to look like General Motors did it.
We wouldn’t be talking about this build if it didn’t have a show-stopping exterior design. If Frankenstein builds had an inverse, this 1969 Chevy Nova would be on the top of that list.
The sheet metal work on this build is off the charts. It is a culmination of ‘69 Camaro parts (door skin, front panel), ’68-’69 Barracuda (gas cap), and ‘69 Firebird (quarter panel).
Photo: YouTube Screenshot/AutotopiaLA
Under the hood, it packs a supercharged 6.2-liter crate engine (provided by GM) paired with a T56 Tremec 6-speed transmission. To put a little bit of Pure Vision’s touch to the powerplant, the team disassembled it, painted it Chevy orange, and added some ARP hardware for a glamorous finish.
For the suspension, he used the front and rear subframes from Art Morrison, Corvette A-arms at the front, complete with multi-link IRS and C6 ZR1 hubs on the corners.
We’d love to share more about this build, but we’d rather you enjoy the full breakdown of the build in the video below.
Joe Rogan has a fantastic collection of cars. Do you think his new custom ’69 Nova by Pure Vision is a hit or miss? Drop your comments below. We’d love to hear them.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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