Yes, I recall hearing of the disc brake kits that used the 'metric' calipers not stopping as well as they should, Mark. Apparently, the full sized GM car calipers have a great deal better clamping force and when substituted for the 'metric' calipers, stop a lot better.
Happy Motoring,
Harry
Originally Posted by BamaNomad
We all know a little bit of different knowledge, Harry... that's how/why we're able to help one another here in the forum!~
WOW... that '69 Nova SS you ordered with the L78 engine... HAD to be very fast! Did you use all your vietnam combat pay on that one?
I'd LOVE that car right now...(and I don't even like big blocks!)...
Gary, I was WIA 8 May of '67 and mustered out of the Corps against my wishes Friday 13th, Oct., 1967. During those years, my folks were having a pretty rough time and one of the reasons I left for the service straight out of high school was so they would have one less mouth to feed. When I was in the Corps, I sent my paycheck such as it was to my folks back home except for $20 per month to live on.
The first new car I bought Stateside was a '68 Camaro. I saved the money for the car over a 6 month period from my civilian pay. It was just too sexy looking to pass up, but it was a 'stripper' with a 250 6-banger and 3-speed column shift and a bench seat. Yes, a Camaro with a bench seat. No power, no A/C. When I bought it, I was newly married and son #1 was on the way. The salesman at the time tried to point us toward a new Nova as a family car, pointing out more rear seat and trunk space as well as identical mechanicals.
Well, by the following year, we were ready for a new car to replace the Camaro. We lived simply and I worked so many hours driving a moving van for Bekins and humping furniture up and down stairs at the time that I had saved up a small nest egg and went down to the local Chevy dealer with good intentions of ordering a new '69 Nova to suit my quickly growing family.
Of course, when I looked over the options sheet, I lost my head and before long, had special ordered the L78 engine, an optional 400 Turbo transmission (4-speed was standard with this engine) and because the engine was only available in the SS package, the front disc brakes and 12-bolt rear were a part of the package.
Like the Camaro, I spec'd Rally Green paint, black interiour, a column shift and front bench seat and tinted glass. Only appearance item I added was bright trim around the side windows.
No power anything except for the power disc brakes and no A/C. Wheels were 7" wide plain steel rims painted body colour with the small hubcaps. Tires were redline wide ovals. This is a car like mine......
In hind sight, I should have spec'd power steering and A/C. I ordered it with a highway gear (3.07 gearset in rear).
Yes, it was fast. But honestly, a professionally built and prepped small block car could match it wheel for wheel from a standing start until the Nova reached 90 MPH and that was when the L78 engine started pulling like a freight train. That was because of the big solid lifter cam and the large port rectangular port heads, I suspect. Same cam and heads as the 425 and 435 HP 427 'Vette. With a bit less cam and a set of oval port heads fitted with the larger valves, I believe the car would have run better 0 - 90 MPH with the 3.07 highway gears.
I liked the Nova, but there was one thing I could not stand about the car. That was the hokey chrome things on the hood. Looked like stylized finned valve covers and the sun would hit them and blind you. 2nd day I had the car, I covered the rear surfaces with masking tape. 3rd day, I picked up the hood, popped the retainers off the darned things wrapped them in towels. Put them in the trunk and never saw them again.
Here is a photo of a Nova SS with the offending hood ornaments that I removed from mine (not my car and I did not have a black vinyl top as this one does)......
Happy Motoring,
Harry
Last edited by enigma57; 07-30-2020 at 12:54 AM.
The 3.07 gear was hurting you Harry!
During my time at Keesler AFB the fastest thing on the street in the southern Mississippi area was a '69 Nova SS driven by one of the guys who worked in Paul Vanderley's Speed Shop. L78 wtih Torquer intake manifold and huge Holley, with big rear end gears (4.10 or better), big tube hooker headers! He had a standing bet with anyone who would put up $100 on a drag race. I don't think he ever lost! The L78 engine was among Chevy's strongest big blocks!
I run the L78 cam in my 65 Impala 396 325 hp and love it.
You are right, Gary. The huge intake ports and big solid lifter cam were not well suited to the 3.07 highway gear at all. Learned that the hard way. I did not buy the car to drag race and once I figured out what it would and wouldn't do...... Limited getting down hard on it to rolling starts and from highway speeds when passing. Then all was good.
I might add that the original L78 intake and 780 Holley 4bbl carb were stolen whilst my car was en route from up North and priour to my receiving it from the Chevy dealer here in Texas. Those parts were on back order in Jan. of 1969, so I worked a deal with the dealer and he had his parts and service guys substitute the intake and tri-power carbs for a '67 435 HP 427 'Vette. I had to sign my mechanical warranty away, but that was no biggie.
Whether that added to the issues with getting the car moving from a standing start, I cannot really say. One thing I can tell you though...... When both the 500 cfm secondary carbs kicked in...... You better either feather the throttle or be moving fast enough before you get down on it because things begin happening in a hurry when you drop the hammer on 1,355 cfm all at once.
Best regards,
Harry
Really surprised the L-78 came with 3.07 gears I would have guessed 3.31/3.55/3.73.
I'm fairly certain an L78 would have had 3.73 gears std (at least with manual trans) maybe one stop below that for an auto (3.55 or ?); to get anything else it would have had to be special ordered.
In the SS Chevelle the 3.31 was very popular.
Braking balance is a huge issue on old vehicles without ABS like we take for granted now. The only way to maximize braking on these old things is try to come up with a setup that works the best. You must try and do something to get the front/rear brake balance optimized, and test it with by trying to see what happens at lockup. If the fronts lock up too soon, you can't steer. If the rear locks up too soon, all hell breaks loose. More fun though sometimes.
I'm going for an adjustable setup, with different F/R master cylinders with a balance bar, prop valve, and 2 brake pressure gauges.
Harry
My first Camaro was 67 equipped with a 250 also 3 on tree.
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