In the 1960s, Chevrolet had two compact models, first the Corvair and then the Chevy II. The Corvair was an unorthodox entry by the standards of the day, with its rear-mounted, air-cooled engine, On the other hand, the Chevy II was more conventional – like the Ford Falcon – with a front-mounted, water-cooled motor. The Nova was the upscale model in those days and – in 1965 – the Super Sport was as dressy as it got. This ’65 Nova SS looks like a well-preserved automobile and could have as few as 37,000 miles on the odometer. Located in Medina, Tennessee, this classic is available here on craigslist for $37,500. Thanks, Pat L., for bringing us this “super” tip!
The first generation of the Chevy II/Nova ran from 1962-65, with a refresh in the styling at the midway point. As was the case with the full-size Impala, the Nova Super Sport came with special emblems and instrumentation, SS wheel covers, side moldings, bucket seats, console, and an optional floor shifter. As the case was with the Impala SS, both six and eight-cylinder power was offered, although the Nova was capped at the 327 V8. Nova production suffered in 1965 as did its SS edition, perhaps due to the tremendous success that Chevy was having with the mid-size Chevelle. Out of 122,800 Chevy II’s, 9,100 were SS editions.
Details regarding this Nova SS are sketchy. We don’t know if we’re looking at an original car or one that has been restored. We’re told it has the 283 V8 that gained 4-barrel carburetion and 200 hp midway through the 1965 model year. It’s mated to a Powerglide 2-speed automatic transmission, Chevy’s primary shiftless tranny as the Turbo-Hydramatic was in its infancy. The body is clean, the paint bright and shiny, and the interior most inviting. If there is any rust anywhere, I don’t know where you’d find it. Does this car qualify as the nicest one left?
Personally I would immediately reroute that washer hose around the shock tower and not through it. It’s a nice looking Chevy II, but not for 38 large ones.
Price is crazy high — Hagerty concours value isn’t that much. There’s a ’66 with the 327 and four speed on the local CL that looks just as good for $10k less.
With the price of many antique cars today I don’t see this is overpriced. A real SS V8 and possibly a survivor. Now I do believe the entire market is overpriced.
There is so much more that has more for less.
The key word here is SS , it seems to be priced correctly considering the market now .
Ditch the PG and retro fit a 4speed and I’m in….
7004r
Every time I see a ’65 I think, if I had just held out one more week. It was fall of 2009 and the recession was getting into full swing. The summer of 2008 I bought a virtually rust free ’65 ss 283 4spd, black bucket seat interior, for $2750. For a 40+ yr old car from Maine that only needed dents, dings pulled, and alittle body massage and paint meant it was basically a brand-new car. Anyway, I had a construction company, employees and bills to pay and way too many “yah, the checks in the mail” customers. So, I put it in the local car classifies for $3000. The first day the ad came out a guy calls, comes and looks, buys it on the spot. He gives me a deposit, asks if he can leave it till the weekend and come back with a trailer and the rest of the cash, I say sure. Well, before the day was out I got 30+ calls, one guy asks if he could come look, I said ok, he shows up and says, I’ll give you $6000, just call the other guy and tell him you changed your mind a don’t want to sell. I couldn’t do that as I had been on the other side of that before. I ended up passing along his number to the new buyer, if anything transpired, I don’t know. Sure enough, the “checks” started rolling in in the next couple weeks but to late for me….but I was fortunate, I lost an old car, plenty of people lost everything….
@sakingsbury20…Stand up guy at least you could look at yourself in a mirror. I’ve ran into a couple who have went back on their world.
Had a ’63 I dropped a 350 into, but that’s beside the point – those are the worst looking headlight bezels in automotive history. Ruined the look of the car.
Same thing with the tail lights.
finding trim pieces could be an issue with a ’65….I was missing a headlight eyebrow on one side, no aftermarket available as it was only for ’65….don’t know if that’s the case still or not……
You don’t see too many Chevy IIs with that grille.
Just all the 65s!
…and that metal upper portion of the door panel can be dented by impact from a middle-aged woman’s head. Wear you seat belts folks.
Had a 63 SS in HS and three years ago got a 63 convertible and restomoded it. LS3(450HP) connect and cruise package, Heidt front clip with rack and pinion and coilovers. Wilwood 4 wheel disc brakes, 4Heidt 4-link rear suspension with a Ford 9″ rear end with posi, Viking coilovers. If this guy thinks his is worth 37K, where am with I the same car basically, but a converible. 450 HP in a car that originally came with a 95 HP 194 six banger is interesting at times. Have never stomped on it a the line because I am afraid it will go sideways in a hurry. This thing corners like a go cart.
Very nice, but lots of $$$$$$$$$$
Didn’t have much of an option. When I bought it it had a CBR front end with a 283. I took it out after restoration and was hauling down our road at about 60mph and rolled up to the stop light and the passenger side lower control let loose and spun my car sideways. If I had been driving 60 when that happened I would be dead. I put it on my car trailer and hauled it back to my restoration shop. My guy said now is the time to put that LS3 you wanted and we took off the whole front end. Boy does half a restored car looks funny. Happy to be alive.
You could buy a first edition Viper and have cash left over for parts & rebuilding for the price of this Chevy Nova 65.
I never get the really good weed like these sellers do, frnakly.
Ask the seller if he could sell me some of the weed that inspired his overly massive asking price?
If this 65 Chevy Nova is worth $37.5K then I have a 1963 Plymouth Fury original radio for sale @ $1k.
Bob
the 65 283 was never 200hp 2 barrel was 195 hp and the 4barrel was 220 hp. Don’t know where you got your numbers but they are not right.
The only issue I see is that the tail light area on the SS model should be silver and not body color, which leads me to believe the car was painted at one time in its life
terry L McNutt it is not basically the same car. Yours is a hotrod, his is original.
My ’62 Chevy was a keeper in 1972. Until I got sideswiped on the interstate turning me 90 degrees into a guardrail at 60mph. The steering wheel ended up shaped like an egg from the impact of my head and my girlfriends’ head hit the radio volume knob and left it pointed towards the headliner. The insurance company totaled it and gave me $240. Not quite the $$$ territory of this one.
Gone! Unmolested true Nova SS’s are unheard of nowadays. Most have already been butchered up. Great find and I’m not surprised it sold at that price. Chevy should look in to making these again but with all the new mandatory safety equipment it would be impossible.