Pro-Touring 1966 Chevrolet Nova Is LS3 Badassery on Beautiful Schott Wheels

The small American car was produced by the bowtie carmaker between 1961 and 1979, spanning over five relatively successful generations. All of them still have their share of fans, but probably not as many as the ones going nuts over the first and second generations.

Somehow the stars aligned in such a way that they gave us two extremely exciting Nova this Christmas. We've discussed the first on them, an unnamed beauty initially produced in 1967, that blends elegance with badassery, on Saturday, and now it's time to have a closer look at its evil twin.

I say evil because this Nova, a bit older than the one from yesterday (Chevy made it in 1966), takes badassery to whole new levels, as it blends killer looks with pro-touring gear and just a touch of modern components to become a package we wish we'd come across more often.

The car is the work of an Oregon-based shop called Artistic Customs. The name might seem familiar, as we only recently stumbled upon another one of their projects, a 1971 Chevrolet K5 Blazer that would have no problem putting modern-day SUVs to shame.

The 1966 Nova underwent a major overhaul that transformed it into nothing less than a show-quality wonder on wheels.

The body of the car still wears the telltale Nova lines and design cues, making it look vintage enough to be valuable, yet beautiful enough to still be a ride that turns heads as it moves down the road.

Black all over, with the exception of the front and rear, where the bumpers, grille, and light surrounds come in shiny chrome, the Nova must be an imposing presence no matter the company it keeps at specialized shows.

But it's not the looks of the vehicle that should be the topic of our coverage (after all, there's little one can do to make perfection better), but what lies underneath. And that would be hardware all drivers should dream of having under their control.

I said earlier this is a pro-touring build. That approach manifests itself through hardcore components, most of them playing the suspension game. This thing has got a Detroit Speed suspension system, a full front frame that's been hydroformed and equipped with tubular upper and lower control arms.

At the rear the Nova was gifted with a 4-link suspension with fully adjustable coilovers, while braking power for the monster is supplied by hardware wearing the logo of specialist Baer.

Aluminum body coilover shocks and power rack and pinion steering complete the setup in this respect.

All of the above would not have mattered much if it weren't for a powerful engine under the hood held in place by Fesler hinges. Just like in the case of yesterday's Nova, we're talking about an LS3 powerplant supplied by GM Performance.

The unit is 6.2 liters in displacement and in this configuration (meaning with things stacked fuel injection by Borla, Wegner custom billet valve covers, and Ultimate stainless headers) it develops 525 horsepower.

The powerplant breathes out through a TIG-welded exhaust system, and its power distribution is controlled by a Tremec 6-speed manual transmission, probably fitted there for the ultimate kicks of really being in control of the car.

The power of the engine reaches the ground with the help of Schott wheels. They are sized differently front and rear, meaning 18 and 19 inches, respectively, and they all wear Diamond Back classic radial performance tires.

Yesterday's Nova came with a red interior to die for, and this one isn't any lesser in this respect either. Leather in eye-popping red is spread all over the place, somehow managing to highlight everything that's not leather and make it stand out even more: the Dakota Digital gauges in the dashboard, the chrome door handles, the mirror, and even the shifter.

Unlike the builders of the 1967 Nova we drooled over on Saturday, Artistic Customs do not seem to have fitted this one with stuff like fancy touchscreens, or Bluetooth, or reverse cameras.

The pro-touring 1966 Nova is, together with the 1967 example, on the lot of cars that will be sold by auction house Barrett-Jackson during the event it is hosting in the final days of January 2024 in Scottsdale.

It too is scheduled to go under the hammer with no reserve, making it impossible for us to make an estimate as to how much it might get. For reference, I'll remind you valuation specialist Hagerty puts the price of a 1966 Nova in concours condition at $41,600, slightly lower than what the 1967 example is said to be worth.

Update: sold for $227,700.