While low mileage survivors always get our attention, it tends to get particularly triggered when it’s a car you simply don’t see in showroom condition. This 1977 Chevrolet Nova is one such example, as most of them by now have either been scrapped or hot-rodded to death, so finding one with under 30,000 original miles and cleanly presented here on eBay is hard to ignore. This model is the upper-crust Concours edition, which was the fanciest Nova one could buy in 1977. Clearly, someone wanted to protect their investment, and it’s currently bid to $7,800 with the reserve unmet and located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania.
Of course, the trouble with survivors like this is that while they deserve a fair price for having somehow escaped the fate that befell most vehicles in this price category, there’s a limited pool of buyers who want to pony up to own the best Nova available from 1977. The automotive landscape wasn’t exactly rosy at this juncture, as manufacturers pulled back from high performance models in favor of fuel efficiency and a sense of perceived luxury. The Nova seen here left the factory with rosewood vinyl trim, an upright hood ornament, bumpers guards, and full wheel covers, among other high-end touches, all to give the compact Chevy a shot at competing with the likes of other high-zoot models from Chrysler and Ford.
The Nova seen here comes equipped with the 305 V8 featuring a two-barrel carburetor. Not exactly a world beater, this engine, and while it may provide respectable acceleration, it definitely put high performance on the back burner. Still, for this car here, you’d just want to cruise in it anyway and avoid the sorts of hijinks that might cause the Nova to make unwanted contact with another vehicle or a lamp post. The seller doesn’t provide any context for how the mileage has remained so low, or what sort of maintenance it’s received in its years of being a little-used specimen. It seems quite likely this example belonged to the proverbial little old lady.
The Nova has a great stance, with a slightly raked appearance right from the factory. Of course, with a preserved example like this, very few details aren’t correct, including the chrome bumpers, sharp paint, clear glass, and landau-style roof that shows no signs of breaking down and falling off in pieces. The Nova comes with power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, and a premium radio. The interior is very red, so you’re going to have be OK with seating surfaces, headliner, dash, and door panels all wearing the same shade of crimson. If you want the best Nova left in existence, this may very well be among the top five cars that survive today – do you think the reserve is set to $10K or is it closer to being cleared?
That’s beautiful. I sure hope whoever buys it doesn’t modify it as happens with so many Novas!
Sweet ride, had a four door like this in high school. Wish I still had it.
Extremely nice! A kid in my class got a red `79 Concours coupe new in HS. By then, Chevy offered power windows on them too, and his had them; unusual for a Nova.
A Concours in concourse condition. WOW!
Except for the landau padded vinyl roof, this is the exact car I drove to college for most of 1983-1985. Silver over red interior, 305/auto, with rally wheels. Loved that car but the engine was starting to foretell of a rebuild and I didn’t have the funds to drop on pulling the motor.
Joe Sherman used his wife’s Nova Concours to experiment and develop the small block Chevrolet stroker engines that we all know and love.
https://www.hotrod.com/articles/joe-sherman-383-chevy-low-buck-engine-pioneer-passes/
Had a yellow 78 Concours. But after having a regular 350 Nova the year before it didn’t quite get my enthusiasm going.
Then we had a kid and if there’s anything that will convince you to sell a Nova, it’s trying to put a baby in a rear car seat, so she had to go. The car, that is.
These kind of finds ,I find very interesting, I always am attracted to them and want to be a buyer. It is as always the value is in the eyes of the buyer, what is the market, what will it support for this nice of an original car. I am lookig at a 1989 S-10 Blazer, 2 wheel drive, 37K original miles. The condition easily as nice as this Nova. Asking price 9K. I think its worth it, but I just can’t seem to step up, but I do think someone will, this Nova will sell too.
The car is for sale at Classic Auto Mall in Morgantown, PA for the pricey sum of $22,900. They use ebay for free advertising.
https://www.classicautomall.com/vehicles/1712/1977-chevrolet-nova
NT, not exactly “free” if someone is the high bidder on eBay and wins it. Even if it doesn’t sell, there are fees attached to listing your car on eBay especially in the twenty thousand dollar range. Classic Auto Mall will pay dearly for this “free” advertisement. Anybody else notice the write up by the seller (dealer) is full of odd word choices and bombastic marketing language?
“well minded gaps,” “Shiny trimmings” “Long sleek benches are for the comforts of the passengers,” “A very blue blocked buttoned up overall, underneath.” “All functions were working swimmingly, and it was an overall pleasurable experience for the test drive,” “snappy vinyl landau top,” “excess shiny trimmings”
These were so well tarted up, nothing like a little 70s excess to dress up your standard Nova. The best part is that you drive a Concours Cabriolet, while lesser folks drive Novas.
These were so well tarted up, nothing like a little 70s excess to dress up your standard Nova. The best part is that you drive a Concours Cabriolet, while lesser folks drive Novas.
$22,900 on their site:
https://www.classicautomall.com/vehicles/1712/1977-chevrolet-nova
Nice little Nova. I wouldn’t mind it, although I see it as a $5,000 car.
My parents ordered a 1976 Nova Concours hatchback and took delivery in April that year. Mom’s car. I later wished my father had spent the extra $150 or so for the 305 engine – the inline 250 six-banger was as rough as a cob, and gas mileage for us was probably the same as it would have been with the 305. It was the same color combo as this car – Chevy called the interior color “Firethorn”. My dad didn’t order too many options – PS, PB, automatic transmission, AM radio, whitewalls, tinted glass. Even with the Positraction rear end the thing was terrible in the snow with the idle speed set at factory specs. The silver paint started to fade after about six years. But they kept it for about eight years, and I learned to drive on it.
I had a 79 Coupe DeVille in the same silver combo, washed and waxed regularly, that the paint degraded on after only a few years. It looked like it was washing off the car, with black primer showing through all over the place.
I am SURE this car got driven so little because of that way too red interior – to me, it’s just way too hard on the eyes! Show me a blue one. lol
Before emission control, the 250 was peppier in the lighter ’60s novas & camaros, got 27mpg on highway at 55 with the powerglide(not so great in town tho) & my friend never got stuck in the snow with his 1st gen 6 cyl camaro & snow tires – remember those?
Looks good but it’s not the most desirable car!!! It’s not a luxury car and not a muscle car!! So if you need a daily driver it’s fine but I don’t think it’s a head turner like the earlier models were!!
Auction ended with 33 bids up to $13,100 on eBay. Guess the dealer better set their sights on someone local who wants to pay $23k for the same car.
Reserve Not Met at $13,100.
No surprise since they are asking $22,900 on their website.
And I thought $13K was probably a record for one of these.
See, what did I tell you? Ebay to test the waters on this car, now the dealer has the car rotting away in their showroom and has to start all over. Personally, I would have arranged to make a “second chance” offer to whomever decided the car was worth $13,100. They obviously want it. Of course the minute one buys this survivor, and use for its intended purpose, it starts to become just another 1977 Nova accumulating miles, wear and tear. May never look this good again. Unless we see it relisted on Barn Finds in a year! ha ha
Take it Barrett Jackson get 100000 for it ya that’s what we will do, oh wait we have to big fees to list it at a reserve. FEEBay here we come.
I sometimes comment on the shabby picture-taking (often Craigslist, are you surprised) people do when trying to sell a car. Cluttered backgrounds is a common issue. Here, this seller goes to the complete opposite extreme with pictures taken against a featureless, pale gray floor and ceiling. For me, it does solve the clutter problem and does facilitate focusing on the car, but for me it ends up looking….. sterile.
Stevieg is right about this being a $5k car. Bad enough that this didn’t meet reserve at $13.1k but you’d have to be nuts to pay anywhere near the $22k it’s on consignment for. The selling dealer should advise the owner to work out a deal for somewhere near the high bid.
This little Nova went to the disco.
My Mom had a new ’75 Nova LN, the equivalent of the Concours. With grey interior, bucket seats and console. It was a V8, the fender badge read 4.3L I believe it was a 262, one year only small block. In any event, I wasnt then, nor am I now, a big GM fan…but that was one incredibly trouble free car which she kept far longer than any of her other rides!
Ok so I have 1977 2 door never needs engine all original parts needs engine what would I ask for ir as is good fixer upper not whole lot just needs engine my friends late mothers car was sitting in back of his property