A Radical 1978 Nova 

Dillon LaDuke bought his 1978 Chevrolet Nova when he was 13 years old. Just eight years later, at the age of 21, he has already competed in the SEMA Young Guns competition, and the native of Clinton Township, Michigan, is a rising star in the car-building world. 

"We just found the car with a local guy, we bought it because it had good bones, it was a pretty solid car with a good motor in it,” LaDuke said of the Nova called “Radical” during the Bowtie Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in September. The vehicle was named in honor of his late grandfather Reginald Arther Davies. 

LaDuke was attending the show with his father, Dave, who was also instrumental in the project. 
 
Although it has been highly modified, the power plant in the Nova is based on a Chevrolet Performance ZZ502/502 crate engine* and retains that engine’s short block. 
 
“It was definitely a solid base with a good rotating assembly,” LaDuke said, noting the Big-Block crate engine was installed in the car when he bought it. “We wanted a short stroke to where we could wind it up without having to worry about anything coming apart.” 
 
The full ZZ502/502 crate engine from the Bowtie is built on a cast-iron block with four-bolt main caps and features all-forged internals. High-flow aluminum oval-port cylinder heads and a hydraulic roller camshaft help the engine make 508 horsepower and 580 lb.-ft. of torque. 

The engine is a stout performer, whether used out of the box, or in a modified configuration like the one in the car Dillon, his father Dave, uncle Don, and friend and engine builder Tom Tiganelli worked on together. 
 
“At first we weren’t going to go this far with the car, and then it kind of spiraled,” the younger LaDuke said. 
 
The top end of the Nova’s engine has been heavily enhanced with the cylinder heads all decked and ported by Greg Douglas at Douglas Porting. Additionally, the power plant incorporates both an Edelbrock intake manifold and an Edelbrock Rollin’ Thunder camshaft. The engine is backed by a Liberty’s Gears TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission with a McLeod twin-disc clutch. The nine-inch Ford rear end is by Dutchman Axles.

SpeedTech Performance suspension components include a three-link setup out back along with a SpeedTech  a torque-arm system to transfer the torque to the ground. The car sits on the original front subframe, but everything else underneath has been updated to a SpeedTech Street Fighter bolt-on kit to support the Chevrolet Big-Block crate engine.* 
 
The LaDuke family went to work on the Nova around six months after it was purchased. They tore it down to a shell, put it on a rotisserie, blasted it and fixed all the rust.  

They then started making modifications including fabricating the custom front splitter and rear spoiler, adding the SpeedTech suspension components, and replacing the taillights with those from a 1969 Camaro. 

The car is painted in a color known as a Granite Crystal. LaDuke and his dad did the bodywork, guided by Dillon’s cousin Tracy Armentrout, who shot the final coats of paint. The grayish Nova rides on BFGoodrich G-Force Rivals tires paired with black Forgeline GA3 wheels. Wilwood four-piston disc brakes with bright-red calipers bring the Nova to a stop. 
 
Inside, the LaDuke family made all the panels, which were then covered by Rob Seabolt, who retired as a director from one of the Big Three automakers. The dash is from Classic Industries and the gauges are from Speedhut, while the console and door cards are all custom-made. Additionally, a full roll cage allows the Nova to hit the track. 
 
No matter how it’s being used, the car both looks and sounds mean, due in large part to LaDuke’s vision. 

“I’ve always been a car guy in general,” he said. “I figured I’d go with a Chevy because it’s a little easier to find some of the parts. But I’m a fan of the Big Three.”  

His talents are evident just by looking at the car, but judges at some of the nation’s prestigious auto shows have made them official. He won his class at the 2023 Detroit Autorama with the leadership and guidance from the Motor City Modified Auto Club car club group from Michigan. He took the honors despite not initially intending to show the car. He was then runner-up for the Goodguys Next Generation award at the Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus, Ohio. He won his class again at the Cleveland Autorama. 
 
LaDuke also registered for the 2023 SEMA Young Guns program (open to builders 29 and younger) and was named one of eight “Golden Ticket” recipients. The program provided transportation and accommodations for each builder and their vehicle. He finished in the top 10 in the Young Guns category and top 40 overall in Battle of the Builders. 
 
LaDuke is a robotics technician by trade who also helps the legendary drag racing team Shadowoods Racing in Michigan.   

With the Nova being his first build, his experience with Chevrolet Performance crate engines* is limited, but he’s been impressed with what he’s seen. 
 
“For show cars it’s more than a great platform,” he said.  

Going forward, LaDuke would like to build another GM car, perhaps an early 1970s Chevelle or a square-body truck from late in the decade. However, he’s interested in trying other makes and models from the muscle-car era. For the time being though, he’s committed to his Nova and has no plans to sell it to fund another build. 
 
“I really don’t want to get rid of this one with it being such a family project,” he said. “I plan on keeping it.” 
 
In addition to the family element, the car’s throaty roar would be enough for anyone to want to keep it in their collection. The exhaust was also custom-fabricated by LaDuke and his family. 
 
“We had mufflers on it at one time, and we had it in the shop and we were like, ‘It’s kind of quiet,’” LaDuke said. “So, we just took everything off.” 
 
No doubt his builds will roar for years to come. 
 
Keep watching The BLOCK for more from the Indianapolis Bowtie Nationals and Chevrolet Performance-powered builds automotive events across the nation. 
 
*Because of their effect on a vehicle’s emissions performance, these engines are intended exclusively for use in competition vehicles. These engines are designed and intended for use in vehicles operated exclusively for competition: in racing or organized competition on courses separate from public roads, streets or highways. Installation or use of these engines on a vehicle operated on public roads, streets or highways is likely to violate U.S., Canadian, and state and provincial laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.