Back in the 1960s, the Chevy Nova was called the Chevy II and the Nova was just the upper series. This 1966 sport coupe was one of 32,676 built that year with a 283 cubic inch V8 and was sold new to a lady in Carrollton, Texas. She passed away a few years later and the next owner transformed it into the quality sleeper you see here today. Now located in Yorktown, Virginia, this Chevy is available here on eBay where the latest bid of $35,100 hasn’t been enough for the reserve to kick in.
The second generation of the Chevy II/Nova was produced between 1966-67 and would sell fewer cars than the ones that came before them. Still, more than 172,000 of the small machines left the factory in 1966. This example is still wearing its original off-white paint and beige interior components, likely because the car was kept under wraps a good deal of the time. It had only 56,000 miles on it (58,000 now) when the second owner bought it from the original purchaser’s estate.
While the body and interior were left alone, the rest of the auto went down the performance path. The 283 was jettisoned in favor of a brand-new SP383 V8 with a steel crank, Roller Rockers, Holly 850 CFI carburetor, headers, dual exhaust, aluminum radiator, a rebuilt M22 4-speed manual transmission, and a lot more. The lot more consists of a new rear-end (10-bolt), a hydraulic clutch, a bunch of front-end suspension changes, and power front disc brakes.
So, if you pulled up next to a Camaro SS or Chevelle at a traffic light, they’d probably think a granny mobile was sitting there. To better show how well the car looks and performs, the seller has provided three videos that should do a better job than the dark indoor garage photos supplied. An exterior, under-the-car, and pass-by videos are here for your enjoyment. This certainly comes across as one of the nicest transformations we’ve seen of late.
Russ in the video he states the original owner Gladys is 95 still alive 🙌
Awesome build, but with gas at seven bucks a gallon (and rising), who can afford to drive it ?
You drive a car like this maybe 200 miles per year. It doesn’t matter.
I agree. While it’s true that fuel is getting pricey, nothing lasts forever, and prices may start falling again. I’ve seen it before. Might as well enjoy the car.
Not when moronic clowns are running the show, lol! $10/gal gas is right around the corner!
You need to look for one with the 194 cube 6 cyl or a falcon with the 144 or a slant 6 compact. Or better yet, a nova with the 153 4 cyl. lol
I’M trying to figure out where people are getting the money for gas for the most common vehicles today – the full size guzzling trucks whose beds are rarely used! Just what the world needs today.
scroll down … http://www.losangelesgasprices.com/
I bet the next gen Nova would have frameless side glass like on this sleek gen, if the camaro was not made until 1970 or later.
I had a 67 (327 4 Speed ) For 5 days. Saw it sitting for about 4 months, Stopped one day and the guy said it needed a clutch, I ask how much and he said $750.00 ( 1973) I went and got the Tow Truck and a loan from my boss. Towed it back to the garage and put it on the lift. Pulled the tranny and found the throw out bearing fork bent and broke. Put a new one in and had it back on the street in less than 4 hours. Gave it a FLUID CHANGE AND QUICK DETAIL and hit the town. It run pretty sweet and I mad a few bucks. I’m running my bosses dealer tag so no problems. The third day I was out with it some guy ask where I got it. I told him and he got a little bit pissed. He stated asking a bunch of questions and if I wanted to sell it. My answer was anything id for sale if the price is right….. He made me a offer and I said sure. The next day he handed me $2000.00 and I handed him the title with his cousins name still on it. Not bad money for a week. I heard a month later he totled it
My BS meter is tingling on this one. Nice car but….
My BIN meter is tingling!
I bought a 66 SS in 1969. There had to be some out there but never have seen another that was true SS 283 powered , 3 speed on the column. On the transmission hump it had a small SS chrome plate instead of most that were larger because of the floor mounted shifter. Bought another many years later that turned out to be an SS clone but was a beautiful car.
Tort: sounds like someone added that plate, was it just an emblem? Did your car have bucket seats? The nova ss option in that year was the buckets only, the 6 cylinder engine was standard SS. My 66 ss nova I had in the 70’s had a 283 & a 3 speed on the floor with a boot & ring, no console, no floor emblem. I’ve seen a few like mine, was told by a few older guys that my trans set-up was the standard SS trans set-up. I haven’t seen either in a brochure but chevy usually showed the options on the brochure cars. My OG brochure did say the console came with the 4 speed or auto trans.
One of my HS classmates borrowed his BIL’s 67 Nova SS the night of our Senior Prom. It was the HIPO 327 with a 4 speed and he drove that thing that night like he stole it. While we were dancing then having breakfast, he was racing right up to the point he lost control and put it head-on into a very large maple tree. While we were looking into further education, jobs, etc. he spent many months in the hospital, initially on life support. His BIL wasn’t too happy having the front bumper sitting by the firewall of the car (Obviously it was a total loss).
IMO the one shown has a lot of dangers associated with it. It has so much power for a car that size, someone without a lot of experience and skill is likely to hurt or kill themselves or someone else showing off.
My 2 cents
Fatman Fabrications makes a kit to install McPherson Strut suspension & rack/pinion steering linkage. It costs more than a Heidts but you keep the strength & crash protection of the original thick steel inner fenders/doghouse structure.
Love these. I have a super-clean red ’67 SS 327 with 54,000 original miles. Original owner was a Nurse. I found her, she’s still alive. She put $200 down. I even have her down payment check.
1966- Slayton Chevrolet in Ft L Fla had a special package for buyers of a new Chevy II SS with the L-79 package. When the new car was delivered to the dealership, they would install Duntov (Corvette) solid lifters and camshaft, multi-leaf rear springs, a 3.73 posi rear end, and a 12,000-mile warranty. All that was needed was for the buyer to install a Hurst Completion/Plus shifter and it was good to go. Except for tires, of course, which were 5″ wide bias belted little things, making these cars a challenge to drive fast, back in the day.
Fond memories…….
I had one of those, 65′ . U know a 427 BBC fits right in that engine bay with one small modification to the fire wall for distributor clearance, man I mis that car
The title “sleeper” is all wrong for this II, nobody pulls up next to one of these early Novas, exhaust burbling away, nice engine noises coming from under the hood, and thinks grandma’s ride… Unless she was related to Bill Jenkins! The Grump! He’d get a kick out of this Nova here just before smoking it in his 327 Mopar killer. Looks like a well put together car,,, for a quarter mile at a time with gas prices and all being INFLATED. Well over 5 dollars some places charging over six dollars a gallon here in Kalifornia.