The Chevy II/Nova served Chevrolet well as one of their largest sellers between 1962 and 1979. They were straight-forward compact cars with rear-wheel-drive, replaced by the less-than-perfect FWD Citation in 1980. The fourth and last generation ran from 1975 to 1979 and the seller offers one from somewhere in the middle (the listing says 1977 in one place, 1976 in another). Either way, it looks fine, with just 67,000 miles, and it could be all stock, except for the aftermarket wheels. Located in Oxnard, California, it’s available here on craigslist for $12,500. Another nice tip from none other than Rocco B.!
Demand for the Nova was strong even in its later years, perhaps helped by the rise in gasoline prices after 1973. More than 334,000 units were sold in 1976 followed by another 365,000 in 1977, so the car was not on the way out due to shrinking demand. GM was about to begin shifting its products to front-wheel drive, plus the lineup had been downsized late in the decade (the Impala/Caprice in 1977 and the Chevelle/Malibu in 1978).
This Nova might be nicer than the photos suggest, but the seller had trouble getting the whole car into a single shot. The medium blue paint shines up rather nicely and the interior is quite clean. We’re told it has a V8 engine, but not which one and there are no under-the-hood photos (which get left out way too often in these inline ads). It’s either a 305 or a 350 cubic inch V8, with the latter probably having the most potential, even though emissions controls had tampered with output in the decade that was the 1970s.
We’re told this vehicle has its original powerplant and a leather interior (could this be a Concours edition of the Nova?). The California registration is current, which tells us it’s at least driven semi-regularly. If you like the wheels that come with the car, they might help draw a crowd to this Chevy at Cars & Coffee outings. From what we can tell, this could be a turnkey purchase.
Nice car. One of GM’s finest designs.
I thnk you mean the ’67 hardtop.
Looks to be in nice shape. Get rid of the ridiculous wheels and it would look great.
Those wheels look like they came off an IROC Camaro. So not totally ridiculous.
I’ve only seen one other Nova with tilt wheel. Nice car.
The grille is definitely from a Concours.
And concours taillights, regular novas had 2 block taillights.
Very nice. GM ruined the badge when it teamed up with Toyota to offer a re-badged, stripped-down Camry as a Nova. A big disappointment.
It’s a 1977, round gauges and the flat steering wheel.
Actually, that was a Corolla.
How could GM make the 70 Nova so stylish and then turn it into this eyesore by 77?
perplexing yet intriguing. A tilt wheel. Actual leather seats? So often it seems, people describe vinyl as being leather–but these appear to be the real thing. I didn’t know you could get leather in a Nova or Concourse for that matter. I’m not seeing a/c vents but the controls suggest otherwise–a under the hood shot would be nice.
I do love the color. John
I bought a used 76 hatchback with a 305 auto for my second wife’s first car and she learned how to drive in it. Great car…
Maybe the third time will be a charm…
My first car was a ‘78 and would love to have another. I agree I don’t get placing a classic car ad and not including engine photos.
A minor suggestion…This site needs better tech management. The like feature has never worked consistently and things are even worse since becoming a paying member. The 400 errors are constant, posts often fail and image attachment from a phone never works. Our fees should cover this very basic tech management.