Murdered out and roaming the streets of Kastrup, Denmark, American muscle is loud and proud outside of the United States. In particular, Marcus Walther’s 1966 Chevrolet Nova pays homage to that old school Detroit muscle.
Denmark is a small country located in Northern Europe, but we can’t knock Walther and his obsession with American cars. Walther is the owner of Rudetoning Custom Solfilm in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Walther has been running his window tinting business for the past 15 years. Servicing nearly 1,500 cars per year, Walther and his team strive to give customers the best quality tint job around.
“We listen to our customers’ needs and never deliver less,” said Walther. “We have been recognized in the automotive industry due to our expertise and experience, and have a large network with many talented people.”
Furthermore, Walther says his shop is dedicated, discerning, and experienced in window film.
“Since cars are our passion, we are always in fashion and follow developments closely,” Walther said.
We try to take our own footsteps so we do not follow others. In this way we can maintain our leading position in window film. – Marcus Walther
Walther’s infatuation with American cars has led to astounding results. Rebuilding cars for years, Walther began his journey with American-made cars by reconditioning Chevrolet Astro Vans and Chevy pickup trucks.
“The Astro Vans and pickup trucks were easy to build on you know – rims, complete paint, and exhaust was enough to get it sold,” said Walther.
He worked on a 1969 Chevrolet C10 pick up truck that was featured in Truckin Magazine in 2012. With each project improving on build quality, Walther felt it was time for a bigger challenge.
Choose Your Destiny
Aspiring for something different, Walther decided to choose a 1966 Chevrolet Nova. Walther always longed for a ’67 Chevelle or ’67 Camaro, but the abundance of so many custom Chevelles and Camaros in Denmark made him change his mind.
Walther found the ’66 Nova in March 2013 in San Jose, California off an eBay posting. With friends stateside, Walther had his friend Nick pick up the car from the seller and drive it to the shipping company.
From the shipping company, the Nova was taken directly to Denmark where it reached Walther with joy and excitement.
The previous owner was in shock when he saw the car rebuilt on YouTube. -Marcus Walther
“It’s small, crude, and just my style,” said Walther. “This has been my best construction yet and the cool thing is that it can be used every day.”
In short, pro-touring is a term used when a musclecar has the same features and modifications as a high-performance automobile, only it is street legal. With so many ideas and plenty of time, Walther had so much planned for the Nova he couldn’t wait to get started.
The Transformation
With the red Nova in Walther’s hands finally, his first order of business was to completely tear apart the car. Walther said he had to devote six months away from Rudetoning to focus on the project.
He said that although there was a tight, strict plan for the Nova’s reconstruction, the project was not easy by any means.
“It was hard to make room for the 4L85E automatic transmission,” said Walther. “Also, the painter was sure that he could match the paint but kept getting stresses in the roof.”
As a result, Walther said the painter made three laps around the Nova, meticulously sanding and painting the car to perfection before he was satisfied with the custom Mercedes Designo Magno Graphite paint. Moreover, he said the primary reason the painter was having a difficult time with the car was because of the clear coat.
The Nova had its body reworked with black anodized door handles from Ring Brothers, a 2-inch cowl-induction hood, mounted with Dynamat, and the installation of new ZL1 and Chevy II emblems.
“The engine in the car is a story in itself,” Walther said. “It’s the new LSA engine from the Camaro ZL1.” -Marcus Walther
According to Chevrolet, the supercharger’s advanced rotor design broadens its effective range, enhancing low-rpm torque and high-rpm horsepower. In addition, the LSA engine has a unique aluminum cylinder block casting that houses a forged-steel crankshaft and durable reciprocating parts, integrated piston-cooling oil jets, and high-flow cylinder heads.
As mentioned earlier, power is put to the pavement by a General Motors’ 4L85E four-speed automatic gearbox. In regards to the transmission, the 4L85E transmission is designed specifically for heavy-duty use; specifically GM’s Duramax diesel applications.
Under the hood of the Nova, Walther went all out. The Nova has a Chevrolet Performance pulley, Lemons Headers, a fixed fuel gas system, and a 22 gallon fuel tank mounted in the trunk.
Furthermore, the Nova has a C&R Racing GT 500 intercooler with external containers, a black-coated 3-inch Flowmaster 44 series side-exit exhaust, and a Ford 9-inch rear axle with Currie Enterprises 3.50 gearing with rafters.
Features Galore
With everything coming together nicely, Walther’s Nova was completely reborn into a new entity. Dismantled and re-envisioned from the ground up, the Nova stances itself with unfiltered aggression.
“The car has so many insanely cool details, all the while keeping the classic lines, which was important for Walthers,” said Kasper Erling, Editor of Boosted Magazine. “There is nothing worse than big, dull surfaces without the lines and edges as the car is born with.”
The chassis is from TCI Engineering and is specifically made for 1962-67 Chevy Nova applications. Furthermore, a Varishock coil over kit handles all the bumps and grooves the pavement throws at the Nova. A Hydratech braking system with Wilwood rotors give the beauty plenty of stopping power during spirited driving.
The brake system is covered by a set of Intro Wheels Gallups measuring 18×8 in the front and 20×12 in the rear. Michelin Pilot Sport tires are wrapped around the wheels, with meaty 335/30R20s keeping the rear glued to the ground.
Moving to inside of the Nova, there are black anodized power windows and door openers from Billet Specialties. Also, the Nova has a Billet Specialties 14-inch steering wheel with a Flaming River steering column.
The Nova is guided by Dakota Digital instrumentation and a B&M shift kit. Moreover, the car has a full roll cage and Recaro sportster seats to keep the driver in a steady position.
The Nova has a beefy sound system that includes complete reconstruction of the rear shelf. Two 12-inch Kicker Bass Competition subwoofers provide boom in the trunk and a Kicker KS65 component system keeps the audio crisp and clear inside the Nova’s cabin.
With All Said And Done
Overall, Walther’s Nova has garnered attention wherever it has gone. With 556 horsepower, the Nova has placed first at Power Big Meet, the Viking Classic Auto Show, and the Scandinavian Motor Show. We couldn’t argue with Walther, his Nova is a black beauty that is mean in all the right ways.
Walther said he would like to thank his friend Nick in the United States for helping him get the Nova and everyone who helped along the way. Most of all, he’d like to thank his family for supporting him and his passion for custom cars.
With support from his native country of Denmark and praise from his pals in the United States, his Nova is just another successful project in his worthy portfolio of custom American automobiles.
“I ran the Nova once on the field in Malmo, Sweden, and the time was 7.6 seconds, which I am quite happy with when you consider that I win all the shows I’ve entered in and can run into the supermarket with family no problem,” said Walther.
Spending time away from his business, Walther can now resume his daily duties at Rudetoning, but with another accolade to add to his growing collection of cleanly built American automobiles. This Nova truly packs a punch to earn its credentials; doing the Supercharged ZL1 emblem justice.
Settling for an all black chassis, engine bay, engine, and interior, it is clear Walther wanted nothing but black on his imported Nova. Special thanks to Kasper Erling at Boosted Magazine and don’t forget to check out Rudetoning’s Facebook page here.