Meet the Fleet – Muscle Cars: ’67 Chevy Nova SS

• BODY: Auto World
• WHEELS & TIRES: Road Race Replicas

In May of 1984, part time racer H.H. Henderson III-grandson of the farmer who once owned the land that Drag City is built upon-sold his “Butternut Yellow” ’67 Nova SS, called “Smooth Rider,” in order to move from San Diego to Los Angeles to pursue his budding career as a porn star. The lucky recipient of that deal was Dale Decker, a young recent discharge from the Navy nicknamed “DUMPTRUCK” due to his short, muscular build and bulldog-like constitution. With “Under New Ownership” stenciled on the edges of the roof above the side glass with a brush, “Dumptruck” set out to tune his 350 powered Nova within inches of its life, converting it from a TH350 automatic to a Muncie close-ratio 4-speed and redoing the induction with highly tuned Predator carburetors. Fortunately he maintained the car’s mostly stock appearance, right down to hiding new disc brakes behind the gray finish American Torque Thrusts that came with the car when he bought it.

And why not? Any changes to the look of a ‘67 Nova are unlikely to improve it: its such a good looking car in its factory state that it needed nothing. So, “Smooth Rider” still wears her Butternut Yellow paint and her original black bucket seat interior.

The car was fast before, but its downright deadly now, and Decker is leaving no doubt about how serious he is to climb the ranks with this car. His dyno sheets claim 380HP from the Clay Smith Cam-equipped forged crank 350. Competitors have taken notice: word is out that if this grille fills their mirror, they are advised to put foot hard down, else drift right!