A Closer Look at the 2011 Good Guys Street Machine of the Year

Nothing says innovative quite like customizing a car. The Roadster Shop in Mundelein, Illinois knows this just as well as anyone and has recently proven just how innovative they can be with their latest creation- a ‘67 Nova. Fittingly named Innovator, the custom Nova is more than just a custom car, however. According to AmCarGuide, it is also this year’s Good Guys Street Machine of the Year winner.

Innovator was not just customized, it was completely redesigned from bumper to bumper by the crew at the Roadster Shop. The outside of the Nova was treated to a number of customizations, including a bespoke layered grill, hand fabricated bumpers, new hood shape that eliminated the peak in the center and added air boxes to either side, angled A pillars to support the chopped roof and custom designed headlamp and taillight bezels.

The car also got a side exit exhaust, custom trunk lid with spoiler and flush mount front and rear glass to go along with the shaved door handles, locks, reshaped fenders and redesigned body lines which created the Nova’s new profile. According to the Roaster Shop’s website, the entire lower half of Innovator’s body was made from scratch. Even the floor of the cabin and trunk were custom made.

To give Innovator an even edgier look, it was painted white with a matte black hood featuring a perfectly asymmetrical digitally drawn bespoke design created with no repeats within it. This same design can be seen down the side stripes on the Nova as well as cut into the custom front grill and rear bumper inserts.

What’s a custom car without some custom performance components, you might ask. Not this one of course. Innovator was equipped with the Roadster Shop’s very own “Fast Track” suspension and chassis system with a custom 3-link rear end and custom frame and side rails to accommodate the side exit exhaust.

Add all this to the Nova’s custom interior, featuring a hand-formed dash, machined gauge cluster, custom patterned seats and illuminated shape details on the floor, and you’ve got one hell of a custom ride.