Nova Loses Brakes on First Test Drive and Things Get a Little Bit Hairy

When it comes to project cars, there is definitely a spectrum. Let’s just say that one person’s version of a project is another person’s version of pure insanity. While there are some who prefer starting with newer platforms that likely don’t have too many issues to consider, others love rust buckets. I think I can speak for more than myself when I say that it’s pretty easy to appreciate both sides of the fence.

This time, though, I think that you might be able to guess where we are going. When Matt Ryce over on the DNR Auto YouTube channel picked up his latest project, it needed a little bit of love. There was something about this old Chevrolet Nova that really made it pop, though. The patina is something that draws in the eye. Unfortunately, though, that patina didn’t stop on the car’s body.

Instead, as Matt would soon find out, the wear and tear had spread past just looks. In fact, it had begun to eat into one of the car’s most integral components. On the first test drive, Ryce would be greeted by quite the unwelcome phenomenon. After laying into the throttle and getting the car up to speed, he would discover that the brakes weren’t exactly in functioning order. Needless to say, this is something that could absolutely make one’s heart skip a beat.

By following along with the video below, we check in with the situation that Matt seems lucky to have made it to the other side of without crashing. On the bright side, while the test drive might not have gone perfectly smoothly, there is now an awesome story to be told about the first time that the car was ever driven. Surely, Ryce will have it back in the garage soon for a couple of much-needed repairs and updates.