Could this be the ultimate Pro-Touring Nova? Image: FeslerBuilt.com

Chris Fesler of Fesler Built is not one to take the easy route, the cheap route, or the slow route. This ’72 Nova that was built for Bryan Millhouse tells  that quite well as it has everything that the Pro-Touring crowd loves; a high horsepower modern powerplant, cutting edge suspension, a wheel/tire combo that would look at home on an F1 race car, and impeccable build quality with the fit and finish one would expect from Rolls Royce.

The Nova originally began when Bryan approached Fesler to build the car as something different than he was used to having. He’d had hot rods before, but this car would be the ultimate all-in-one machine with modern day suspension, navigation/DVD, air conditioning, comfortable seating, and blistering performance. He wanted to drive he Nova as much as possible, so comfort and convenience was a must. Essentially, he wanted the amenities of a modern day Corvette wrapped into a ’72 Nova shell!

Fesler began the project with a GM Performance Parts Corvette ZO6 LS7 engine and added Hooper Super Comp headers to a Magnaflow 3-inch stainless steel exhaust system. He chose a Vintage Air Front Runner system to run all of the accessories up front which include a Detroit Speed power steering setup, 130 AMP alternator, and a Vintage Air air conditioning compressor. He also added a beefy Be Cool aluminum radiator to handle the cooling duties with a 16″ SPAL fan inside a custom made shroud.

The Z06 is backed by a GM Performance Parts 4L65E automatic transmission with a 2300rpm stall converter sending power to a Currie 9″ rear end with 4.11 gears. To really be a Pro-Touring car though a smoking’ driveline is only half the battle, because a Pro-Touring car needs to handle with the best of them.

Fesler accomplished this by tossing the GM subframe completely and installing a Chassisworks subframe complete with control arms and drop spindles. The front and rear subframes are tied together with 2×3-inch connectors, and a four link setup in back replaced the old leaf springs.  All for corners of the car ride on Air Ride air bags as well.

Perhaps most important of all is the wheel/tire combo, and in this case the wheels are of Fesler’s own design. The fronts are a Fesler FS904 3-piece 19″ diameter rim and are 9.5 inches wide. The rear wheels are also FS904’s, but are 20″ diameter and 11.5 inches wide. Tires all around are Michelin Pilot Sports with 255/35’s up front and massive 345/30’s in back!  Fesler also chose to put in a set of massive 14″ Wilwood disc brakes all the way around. The video below shows the Nova in great detail and just watching the Air Ride system work alone is worth your time. Who doesn’t like watch a car “dance”? We’ll leave it to you to determine if this really is the ultimate Pro-Touring Nova, but we think that it’s definitely in the running for the title.