Finding a rough and rusty Chevy Nova can be fun, but not nearly as exciting as finding a pristine low mileage survivor like this Nova! This example has covered just 26k miles since new and has survived the years extremely well. The seller claims it’s a one owner car, except that they are the second owner and purchased it to do an LS swap. Thankfully, they decided to not modify it and sell it instead. You can find it here on eBay in Carlisle, Iowa with a BIN of $28,500 with the option to make an offer.
The seller claims that the original owner wanted as SS but couldn’t afford one, so they had the dealer install SS badging. It’s a 307 V8 car with an automatic transmission. It appears the engine is wearing a few none original parts, but hopefully, the original parts are still with it.
The interior looks great and as you’d expect a low mileage car should. There’s some surface rust present on the bottom side of the floors, so the next owner may want to consider pulling the carpets out to treat any rust before it turns into anything serious.
Novas have become quite popular over the past decade. At one time these cars were cheap and plentiful, making them popular with the drag racing crowd. As a result, unmodified examples are getting hard to find. This one could be worth a closer look.
Ouch.
$28,500 for a 307 low mileage original car…with some rust? OK, once again, that’s a lot of money for a 307 V8 car with a bench seat and column shift.
Take that $28,500 and apply it towards a fun car to drive with at least a 327 or bigger, automatic is fine or a manual car is more fun, bucket seats, floor shifter (instead of column shift) and now you are talking fun.
These 307 bench seat cars would be equal to a family car/grocery getter that guys did put a bigger v8 in and go street racing in as a “sleeper”.Nowadays, for all the cars out there tucked away in storage, not being driven, and when you see any muscle car era car being driven it is assumed that they are on their way to a car show.
For $28,500, buy a 327 or 350 car (get more HP and fun for your $), and drive the car. I had a 69 Camaro non #’s car with the intention to use it as a driver, but sold it to trade up with a rare car. I’ve missed the Camaro ever since. How long does it take the average Joe to save $28500? I recommend buying a non #’s car and enjoy it for much less money than this “grocery getter/family 307 v8 car” that, with the mileage and originality, would be better suited to go into a museum or collection of ho-hum average cars.
I think this seller is looking for someone to fund his LS swap project.
I like Nova’s but that ’57 Olds yesterday was more to my liking and have parked in the garage.
Nice car but $28k? Sad what what it has come to…….the only reason Nova prices are going thru the roof is because it’s Camaro and Chevelle counterparts prices have reached the level of absurdity.
Now that it’s the Nova it will trickle down to the Monzas and Chevettes.
Not sure why you’re knocking the 307… I had one in my ’72 Camaro back in the day and it ran with some pretty solid 350’s and even kept up with an SS 396 Nova for an eighth of a mile or so…lol. Only mod was a set of headers/4bbl carb and free flowing exhaust. Being a silly 16yr old, I ran that car to death, it started every time, never left me stranded, and it still ran decent when I finally parted with it 8yrs later with 147k on the clock after I grew up… a little ;-). Oh, and if you look at NADA classic guides, its high retail is 27.5k…so I am sure he has room for negotiation.
I guess I come from the old school theory of “Cubes are King” and ” There is No Replacement for Displacement”. You were doing ‘OK’ with your 72 Camaro 307 but how much wheel hop did you encounter unless you installed some slapper bars? I beat some 6 cylinder cars with my well maintained and tuned 4 cylinder iron duke car. If the engines are not tuned and maintained, or just beaten and tired, then yes I could see a smaller v8 hanging with a bigger v8. Point being made is dollar for dollar, start with a bigger v8. The car itself looks nice for a plain Jane car. But regardless of mileage it will always be an original, Plain Jane, 307 v8, automatic column shift, bench seat, low mileage car. How long does it take for you to earn and save $28500? Or if you finance, what is your car payment for 5 years ($475/mo w/o interest figured in and no down payment). Just because people are asking crazy prices for cars doesn’t mean pay them. I would rather shop for a better optioned car that needed some kind of work. This base Nova probably isn’t even museum worthy due to the lack of options. This back in the day would have been a great car for a transplant engine and good sleeper candidate, but not much need for that today as most cars are not even driven anymore let alone street raced. A lot is to be said for bucket seats and console interiors with a full set of gauges. $28500 for this? Nah!
Actually never had any wheel hop, the car launched clean every time… and really, not much difference between the 307 and 327 anyways. My Camaro had the full instrumentation center console and staple shifter as well… But I agree, this car is way overpriced for what it is. I almost bought a blue ’69 that was sitting at a gas station once years ago that had less than 30k on it and was pristine for $2500, but was a 6 cylinder… Just couldn’t do it because I had already had the pleasure of the Camaro and the car I regret ever selling, my 70 GTO convertible with the stock 400… ugh. Years later, (1991) I bought myself a brand new Mitsubishi Eclipse Turbo GS that would have embarrassed the Camaro :-)… the torque steer was definitely something to get used to with the FWD!
Yup, I wish I had that GTO also. That’s what my fiancé wants. We were in to buy a concours condition 70 GTO drop top, dark blue w/parchment? interior and top, 455 automatic car at Barrett Jackson. We were in up to 60k but this car came out of a private collection/museum and was, (dare I say perfect?), correct down to the hose clamps. Sold at auction for $100k. Woulda been nice, but that car should be in a climate controlled museum rather than driven in traffic to car shows (to get stone chips). I think a lot of us have those ‘If I woulda never sold’ and ‘I coulda, shoulda bought’ moments. Look at the price tag to replace today.
Not the greatest pics (no HD phones back in the ’80’s)… lol
Where is that car now? Did you ever try to track the car down to buy it back? Oh, and nice haircut…lol.
I saw it a couple of times after I sold it but then heard through the grapevine that he totaled it street racing… :-(… little did i know I had a retirement fund in my driveway! Yeah, I had lots of hair back then… lol…. now, not so much. hahahaha….
The hood is off an SS not a 307 model, so this car is not original , must have repaint
Wow. That price is off the charts for a 307ci. My first brand new car was a 1970 NOVA SS 396-360HP. I loved that car. I had to sell it to pay for college, but some 350ci NOVA’s could hold right next to me until over 70 mph. Fun car!
Beautiful Original Nova! I hope Nobody will molest or hot rod its very criminal in my opinion.
I am classic cars collector and fan. I have small collection various vehicles. Regarding the 70s GM X bodies 2 years ago I bought All original 76 Pontiac Ventura coupe blue on blue has 121 original miles Yes Not typo thats 121 miles since new Was stored since new with all documentation window sticker. has 260 2V, tilt steering, factory AM radio, PB, PS, manual windows. I paid $12,500 for it. Its just beautiful clasdic from past!
I just bought a 1969 Firebird Convertible non matching #’s 400 v8 4 speed car that runs and drives and needs a little rust repair. I’m gonna drive my car and enjoy it with the top down while shifting gears behind that 400 and work on it a little at a time to fix it up. I plan on keeping it in a garage, but not hermetically sealing it in a museum space.
Oh, and paid about $15,000 for it. I wonder who is gonna enjoy that money spent on another car more…
Just curious… What color is it? If it was originally white but painted mid 80’s GM aqua with a parchment interior….Nah, the odds are very very slim… lol
Same here, not every original Nova needs to be hot rodded to no end and tubbed out to be a 3 sec drag strip car. Just preserve it and enjoy it for what it is. And my Aunt had one with the 307, badly neglected it, and it was still quite peppy.
By todays standards, “quite peppy” doesn’t mean much. How many kids have I heard say “I went for a ride in my friends civic and it was fast?” Clearly fast is relevant to what you have experienced. A 307 would not even register in the peppy category of old school muscle car engines. As far as a 3 second drag strip car just from tubbing it out, a 307 probably wouldn’t even do a burnout with some big sticky slicks that would be on a 3 second drag car.
Funny that the owner wanted a SS and went so far as having the badges etc. put on a non-SS vehicle but it still has an automatic transmission? Nowadays, maybe but back then automatics were just a slush box.
The card certainly does look in great shape, however it’s going to be hard to find somebody who wants to pay that kind of money for a plain Jane Nova no matter what kind of condition it’s in.
The “SS” package had nothing to due with the transmission, manual or standard. An SS was available with either. We aren’t talikng about a stock powerglide behind a six cylinder in grammas 4 door. By the late 60’s, the TH350 and TH400 in Chevys was a far cry from a “slush box”. Most, if not all that were installed in performance applications had revised valve bodes and torque converters to shift at higher rpm than their non performance app counterpart, hold each shift long and shift firmer. The lowest ETs from cars tested during the period were equipped with auto transmissions. Granted, the four speed manual offered in these cars would be more fun to drive, but the limiting factor here would be the 307. A decent engine in its own right, but never offered in a “performance variation. I owned the 72 C10 that had a v8 with a 2 barrel carb, and I added an aftermarket aluminum intake, holley 650 carb and comp 268H cam. It really woke it up. I assumed it was a 350 and it wasn’t until later that I learned that it was actually a 307!
That is a nice Nova, but it is a lot of money. It has no A/C, no power brakes and no power steering.
It’s a cool car, I like the lighter color metallic colors GM used during that era. No matter how nice, it’s hard to see $28,000 for a low option Nova like this.
Steve R
My dad bought a 2 door 1970 Nova brand new, he ordered it. He wanted an SS350 but couldn’t afford it so he optioned the car in a way to get it as close as he could to one. All it needed to make it an SS was a 4bbl carb and the badging. It was Mist blue with matching interior, bench seat column shift turbo 350, 350 2bbl engine, 12 bolt posi, p/s, no p/b, white wall tires and dog dish hub caps.
ummmm, your fathers Nova did NOT come with a 12 bolt with the 2bbl engine
As far as getting a 12 bolt rear end in any v8 car,back in this cars time you could pretty much get any option you wanted by just checking the right box,so it is feasable that someone could have ordered a 2 barrel 307 with a 12 bolt, though im sure the sales man laughed all the way to the bank with his commsion check lol
Umm ya it did. He ordered the car from the Chevy dealer he worked at. I think we should know.
Reminds me of one I let go. Back in the mid 90’s, I bought a creampuff original paint off white 70 Nova 2 dr. with a 6 cylinder and 3 ott for $800 from the original owner here in Austin Tx. THe chrome dealer tag from Henna Chevrolet was still in place. (They are still in business.) It had nice chrome and trim, no rust or dents. The driver side of the bench seat was shot, though. I rebuilt the carb, installed new shocks, installed a new throwout bearing, wet sanded compounded and waxed the paint. I planned to do a 355/ 4 spd swap, but needed the money for school, so I sold it for $2,500(!) I would gladly buy it back today for that!
This is a great example of how to photograph a car for sale, excellent presentation. Cudos for not taking this gem apart they are only original once. The price is alot more than i would pay. But that is between the seller and potential buyer.
I’d rather pay $2-3k for an 75-76
Nice car, stupid price.
Used to have a 72 rally Nova, great cars, excellent hot rod material. Crazy prices these days
Nobody pays 28K or even close just to do an LS swap.
This guy must be looking to make a huge profit on his flip.
I would just pass this car up. There are much better cars out there for the money.
Whatever this guy’s smokin’, I want some!
This car just isn’t worth what he thinks it
is. Maybe 10K at the most. If you play
your cards right, you could buy a pair of
turnkey classics for that same 28K you’d
be paying for just this car. And just so you know, many of these cars were made
into dirt track cars in the ’70’s and ’80’s.
I still recall going to Fairbury Ill. to catch
the stock car races Friday and Saturday
night. You’d see mostly Novas, Camaros,
and ’57 Chevys tearing around a half mile
dirt track for your thrills and pleasure. Why, some guy brought a ’68 Corvette to
that same track to compete against the
very cars I just mentioned. What a dumb
ass! Don’t think he won any races with it,
but he was certainly a fan favorite!
That 307 doesn’t look quite stock. Might be fluff. But, if there’s some stuff in there, it could scoot. But, still, $28 large is somewhat out there. I’m afraid I’ll have to pass on this one. If I could afford it,,Id buy it for my son. He’s crazy about this style Nova. Lol
SS was just a trim package years ago. I had a 62 Chevy II SS Conv. with a 235 6 cyl and 3 speed floor shift with console. Back then you could custom build a car to your liking and they would take your money and order it. Now days we are stuck with overpriced junk that has pushbuttons for everything.
235 was never an option on any chevy II.
More than likely was a 230CID straight 6.J
I last week watched an extremely nice 72 Nova with a 383 SBC and a 4 speed go for the same price as this guy is asking. That car was turnkey and beautiful!
I attest to not being a Nova fan in the 80s, but today I get some many good feelings inside when I see a clean one.
Nice car but 10 grand to much.
Maybe 18,000
Perspective. Back in the day, decades past, Canadians were generally a rung or two poorer than their counterpart Americans. So, when Yanks were driving V8 powered Impalas, Galaxies and Furys, Canucks settled for six cylinder Novas, Darts, Valiants, and weird British Leyland imports. So as a Canadian I am baffled when so many Americans love Nova so much. Too me, they seem to be entry level cars, just better than having to take the bus. Although Brille Canadian Car bus were pretty cool looking !!
Lot of money for what you end up with. I’ve owned 4 Novas of that gen. Currently have a 69 SS clone with injected BB & auto didn’t spend anywhere near 28 g’s to get it that way. Do love the Novas though.
Some ideas, Were did NOVA gets name, and what does NOVA stand for!!!!
Did you miss that day in science class when they taught astronomy?
No go
in another language
The urban myth about Nova being a poor seller in Mexico and latin language speaking countries has been debunked, But its a popular topic.
See: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dont-go-here/
Nice try though…………..
My 72 is a factory 350 TH 350 car. Non SS like this. Protecto plate and build sheet etc. On a good day it’s worth $18.5K. Not sure a low mile 307 car would fetch this much?
@ sluggo, The name Nova, has nothing to do with Spanish speaking Countries, none. Nova came from the HR Dept of GM in the early 60`s. The link you sent is useless, in this contex. Second part of the question was, what did the letters NOVA mean, were did they come from. We can`t wait to read your reply.
N ova
O mega
V entura
A stre
Well, somebody thought it was worth it. Unless he took an offer.
N ova
O mega
V entura
A pollo
I put Astre in my last response by mistake.