Brad Fancy bought the 1964 Chevy II/Nova in Aug 1995 for $800. The car started out as a stock, rust free, California car and as Brad pondered what he would like todo with the car, it sat in a container at his father’s house for a number of years. At some point Brad came across an issue of “Super Chevy’s Nova Handbook” that was published in 2000 that featured a series of step-by-step articles to build a drivable Chevy II Pro Street “Saturday Night Special.” Brad now knew what he wanted to do with his car, that he referred to as 64-1/2, as Brad was born June 64.
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Between 2006-2008 Brad ordered chassis parts from Chassis Works. In 2008 he ordered more parts from Classic Industries. By this time Brad’s friend Jamie Burgess had built a rotisserie that Brad, along with a hoist he installed in his large 2-bay garage he had built for the Chevy II build. Soon after the build started to take shape, starting from the ground up. Whenever Brad needed help, he would knock on his neighbour’s door, long time best friend since childhood, Tim Martin, and his wife Kathy, to help push the rotisserie with the body attached outside for him to sandblast, and then back in when he was done. Once the body was down to bare metal, Brad’s friend Greg Walsh did the body work with Brad looking on. Another friend, Eric Larson (Steel ‘n’ Motion; Halifax), installed all the Pro Street frame components from Chris Alston’s Chassisworks, for Brad, as well as fabricate various components for the frame and suspension. In 2012 Brad ordered a TCI Street Fighter 700 R4 transmission and had a 496 CID bored and stroked engine built by Allyn Armstrong (A & J Automotive and Machine; Kingston, NS). In 2015 Brad had I.C.E Coachworks in Stewiacke, paint the body panels, and by this time the car was a rolling shell in Brad’s garage, surrounded by most of the pieces required to finish the build.
Tragically, Brad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on Thursday May 3, 2018, that evening he asked Tim to build the car for him. Brad & Tim had planned to complete the car in time for Brad’s 55th birthday. By the following Monday word got out, regarding Brad’s diagnosis. With Tim taking the lead, at Brad’s request, it was decided that a team of friends would finish the car so that Brad could go for a ride before he passed. The team, in addition to Tim and Greg, included Larry from Nova Automotive, Roger Smith, Ken Murphy, Eric Larson, Spencer Phillips & Son (Spencer for Hire Electrical), and Greg Nickerson (Strictly Hydraulics drag car), who has also since passed after a battle with pancreatic cancer as well. That night there were so many people in Brad’s garage making up to-do lists and to-buy lists you could barely move.
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Over the next five weeks the group of friends set off to finish the car. After every major milestone in the build they would run into Brad’s house and keep him updated on their progress as it was very difficult for Brad to make it out to the garage. During this time a discussion between Brad and Tim started regarding Brad wanting Tim to have the car after he passed. Brad knew that Tim would finish the car and never sell the car. In fact Tim and Kathy to this day refer to the car as “Brad’s Car.” However, Tim said he didn’t want the car. The conversation went back and forth over the next few weeks, until one day when everyone associated with the build was in the garage, Brad sent his sister Pam out to the garage with the ownership to the car signed over to Tim. Unfortunately, Brad passed away a day before his 54th birthday in June, and a day before the friends had the car running. Once the car was running the family asked Tim to bring it to the funeral service. During the service the minister asked Tim to start up the car before Brad’s ashes were placed in the car and driven to the cemetery.
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After Brad’s passing Tim and the crew decided that they were going to finish the car to pay homage to Brad and his dream, and to fulfill Tim’s promise. Tim put the car together with Greg Walsh and Roger Smith’s help. Once the body and mechanical was complete, Tim and Kathy took the car to Alan Oickle, of Alan’s Upholstery and Car Restoration in Liverpool, NS as Alan was Brad’s first choice to complete the interior. Alan also did the final cut and buff on the paint. The car now resides in a garage that Tim originally built for his restored and mildly modified C10 pickup. The plan had always been for Brad and Tim to travel to shows together in their respective vehicles. Although that aspiration has now passed, the Chevy II now resides in Tim’s garage, and awaits the chance to be shown to the world of hot rod and custom enthusiasts. The Nova’s inaugural show was to be Radical Speed Sport in October 2021. Although Tim and Kathy will need to wait until April 2022 to fulfill Brad’s dream of showing the car, it will be well worth the wait for everyone as this is one car that needs to be seen, and one story that needs to be heard.
