The Chevrolet Nova was the sales leader in the compact car segment for most of the 1960s. More than a quarter-million of them were built in 1969 alone. The seller’s edition is a fresh restoration and has been redone as an L34 SS 396, of which fewer than 2,000 copies were built when new. With just 25 miles under its belt, since the makeover, this black-on-black beauty needs nothing but a new home as its collector owner is thinning the herd. Located in Plainfield, Massachusetts, this “new” muscle car is available here on craigslist for $69,900 (serious offers considered). Hats off to Tony Primo for yet another boffo tip!
This 1969 Nova decodes as having been equipped with a V8 engine when it was built. Which means either a 307 or a 350 likely lived there back in the day. Now, an L34 396 cubic inch V8 has taken up residence, the version that was rated at 350 hp. Another 396 was available, the L78 that was good for 375 horses, but the L34 found fewer buyers (1,947 vs. 5,263). Together, they comprised just one quarter of one percent of Nova production in 1969.
The rotisseries restoration on this Nova has just been completed. All the sheet metal is new except for the roof and body shell. Everything lines up properly, with new shiny black paint at every angle. The seller apparently spared no expense, as even all the chrome and stainless trim pieces are new, too, as is all the window glass. Work didn’t stop there as all the suspension pieces fore and aft were new, too.
Proper work was done on the interior to convert this ordinary Nova into a Super Sport. Bucket seats were added along with a console and the appropriate number of gauges. Though the radio appears period-correct, it’s an AM/FM stereo system with 50 watts of power output to each of the channels. Last but not least, vintage air conditioning was installed to help keep the occupants comfy in the summer months. The list of all the new parts is quite extensive and should comprise a large portion of the seller’s asking price.
This is a gorgeous car. Someone spent a lot of money to put it in this condition. It has a great drivetrain too. I’m not a fan of clone, if it were mine, I’d have left all the SS emblems off, but it’s not my car and you can’t argue about the quality of the work.
Steve R
Beautiful car but way too much cash for a clone.