What’s better than a big block Chevy in a Nova II?  How about a big block Chevy with a big, nasty ProCharger F-2?

That’s right – in case you missed any of our previous updates, we have stolen the Edelbrock/Musi 555 cubic inch big block out of our Malibu and completely rebuilt it for our fresh supercharged combo. Our goal was to build one of the baddest street cars to prowl the streets of So-Cal; and to make that happen, we needed a serious fix of boost. Now, we’ve got a complete “tech series” coming on our 555ci re-build, and on the Procharger F2 install, and subsequent dyno testing; but in the mean-time – this update will give you a quick overview of our progress.

The F-2 is part of ProCharger’s race blower line, but can also be used on super nasty street cars like our Nova. For our big block Chevy, we ordered it in a cog drive configuration to reduce belt slippage under high boost applications.  It also features a 10.5-inch volute that provides a significant increase in airflow when compared to the F-1/F-1A and F1-C/F1-R superchargers, but despite being a race blower capable of over 1,600 horsepower, it still retains all the F-Series design advantages, including the self-contained oiling system.  The F1-R would have been plenty enough to make the 1,000 crank horsepower we are hoping for, the size of the big block was going to push it out of its peak efficiency range and the nod went to the F-2 – producing that same power with less boost.

As you can see in these pictures, the F2 kit includes ProCharger’s beautifully-polished big block Chevy bracket system, the before-mentioned F-2 supercharger, and cog drive crank pulley.  The pulley configuration will put us a pinch under 10 psi of boost to meet our power goals.  Also, we opted for ProCharger’s monstrous 27.5 x 12 x 4.5-inch air-to-air intercooler that will support 1,300 horsepower. We are shooting for about 800 rear wheel horsepower on our Dynojet on a very conservative, pump gas street tune up.

The driver's side support bar will need to be modified to fit the compressor housing properly

If you’re wondering what we did with the 555 ci, we’ll clue you in quickly (you’ll need to wait for the full tech article next month to really get the goods). Pacific Performance took the 10:1 engine apart, honed the block, installed fresh bearings, and fitted it with low compression 8.5:1 JE Pistons and JE Pro Seal rings. Edelbrock’s new CNC “XT” cylinder heads, a new Comp Cams blower-spec hydraulic roller and valvetrain, as well as a FAST XFI system is getting the call to channel the boost and timing.

Fitting the Big Block and ProCharger

The first project was our complete Chris Alston’s Chassisworks front clip has already been installed in the Nova II, giving more space in the engine bay for the big block.  It is a gorgeous piece that converts to a more modern upper and lower control arm system with a double-adjustable Varishock coilover. Though we had run into some fitting problems with the firewall area on the stock body.  Sean slimmed down the firewall slightly, including smoothing out the “bulge” where the wiper motor resides, as well as the heater motor. While we could have gone with a different windshield wiper configuration, we decided to eliminate it completely since it doesn’t rain in So Cal anyway. For a cleaner look, Sean massaged the firewall further by plugging up all the unnecessary holes.

The massive ProCharger intercooler will take some work to allow a radiator to fit properly with it.

The ProCharger bracket, crank pulley and cog drive belt fit perfectly onto our big block.  Where we did run into a bit of a problem is with the front support bar for the Chassisworks front clip.  The support bar will need to be cut and angled to bend around the compressor housing.  Also, the valve cover’s outer edge hits slightly on the compressor housing, though this can be easily notched and it will not affect the valvetrain.

The ProCharger intercooler required us to notch the front grill and core support area so that it will fit length wise, though we have a few options on the depth. We know the grill needs to move forward to allow for proper radiator clearance to the crank pulley.  First, Sean will consider moving the grill forward to sit flush with the headlight’s sheet metal.  The other option is to section out the middle of the grill and push the intercooler through it.  We still have a fair amount of measuring to do before we figure out a final solution.

The ProCharged F-2 Nova II is taking shape and we will have the fabrication side of the intercooler and supercharger completed in December.  From there we will work on installing the fuel system and then off to paint.  Early next year, keep an eye out on our nasty Nova II as it hits the dyno streets in So Cal!