Mario started his email by saying the Reader’s Hardcore Projects are one of his favorite parts of Chevy Hardcore’s website. He also tells us that he has always been a first-gen Camaro fan, but still has a soft spot for the Chevy Nova.

Mario clarified, “My first car was a ’68 Chevy II that I bought and sold a few times, but eventually built into a show car with a big-block. I know who currently owns it, and he has my name if he ever decides to sell it.”

You have to start somewhere.

We’ve said it time and time again, nostalgia fuels many car enthusiast’s purchases, and that is surely what prompted him pick up this ’70 Chevrolet Nova. Our story begins after he recently sold his first-gen Camaro to take a break from the hobby, but that was short lived. Mario laughed as he stated, “The same night the Camaro left, I was surfin’ the ‘net when I found this Nova. It had been in storage since 1991, had an excellent body, and I couldn’t help myself. I bought it for $2,000.” It was an eight-hour drive to recover the car, so he and his copilot – one of his three daughters – jumped in the truck and made their way to gather the newest project.

Mario says that he has been building cars that teeter on street and strip usage for years, but not this time. “I have been dancing on the street machine/race car dotted line for years, but this time, I have decided there will be no more compromising for the street. This one is going to be all racecar. If it can be driven on the street, fine. If not, oh well”, he stated.

When he found the car, it had a sunbaked red paintjob covering the original Fathom Blue, and Mario plans to keep the “as found” look on the surface. Motivation will be via a 5.3-liter LS with some added pressurization. A single S480 turbo will be feeding the LS, and a Turbo 400 with a transbrake will handle gear changes. He is shooting for mid-8-second quarter-mile times.

A low-mileage 5.3-liter LS will be the basis for motivation.

The fabbed 9-inch will be supported by Calvert Racing leaf springs and CalTrac bars. He has also procured parts for a 10-point cage, and just needs to get welding. To lighten the car, fiberglass bumpers and doors will definitely be used, and he is contemplating a fiberglass one-piece frontend.

Mario finished by telling us, “The best part of this project is working with my 12-year-old daughter, Alexia. She has taken a serious liking to the car as well as working on it. She’s even the one pushing me as soon as she sees I’m not doing much. She loves to learn, and she’s just so much fun to have around.”

Mario is making progress, and we can’t wait to see the finshed car.

Do you want to read about more Reader’s Hardcore Projects? All you need to do is click here. If you’re working on a project, we want to hear about it. Since we’ve started the Hardcore Project series, we have received more than a few candidates, but we still want to see more, as we can never get enough. Send us a few pictures of your car showing the engine, interior, and exterior, along with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you Internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].