Engine Mailbox Holds Lots Of Mail

Engine Mailbox Holds Lots Of Mail ENGINES Engines 32-2-22 You can't miss Nova Inc. It's the business with a mailbox made out of a Chevy small block engine. Actually the engine isn't real - though it managed to fool a few racers when it was first welded out of 1/8-in. plate steel and painted up in James Nova's LaPorte, Ind., shop. "The turning point came when I realized I didn't need to use a real engine block," Nova says. His fake engine reduced the potential weight of the box from 1,000 lbs. to about 300 lbs., Nova says, and that includes real engine accessories. With a shop full of stock car racing parts, his mailbox has a variety of first class accessories bolted and welded on to make it look real. Nova's mailbox held up well through its first winter, though paint touchups may be necessary on parts affected by road salt. Nova built the mailbox to regulation height and added flags. A magnet holds the door securely and a grid floor inside the box ensures a dry place for mail. "It's a high capacity mailbox," says Nova, who recently built a second engine mailbox to auction off at fundraisers. He hopes it'll bring as much as $4,000. He says he comes up with automotive artistry "if you give me a year to think about it." He also credits his good mechanic and fabricator, Max Mangold, who tweaks and refines his ideas for the final artistic result. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, James Nova, LaPorte, Ind. (ph 219 324-6903; knova69@hotmail.com).

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