This is a real rarity, a 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS with a 396, 4-speed transmission and a 12-bolt rear end. All numbers match the documentation and the original Protect-O-Plate comes with the car. It’s located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and is being sold without a reserve here on eBay. There is a buy-it-now listed in the text along with the auction of $12,000. Thanks goes to Charles H for the tip!
While rust has certainly taken it’s toll on the car, especially in the rear quarter panels, the seller is including something to help that out. More about that later. It is neat to see a car that, while certainly having some rust, still has it’s original major mechanical components and hasn’t been carved up.
And here’s the help! Over $4,000 worth of new AMD sheet metal comes with the car. The seller does note that the quarter panels are for a 1972, and therefore would have to have the 1969 rear side lights let into them. Some of the parts include the full floor with bottom bracing, both sides of inner and outer rocker panels, the full trunk with drop downs, R&L full quarter panels, the rear panel between the quarters and a tail light panel.
Unfortunately the seller didn’t include too many pictures of the current underhood situation, but from what we can see there will certainly be some cosmetic work needed. The car is showing 99,000 miles, so I suspect it’s time for some work anyway. I suspect this car will end up with a show-quality restoration somewhere along the line. All the documentation is included, including the first registration and some period pictures of the car when it was much newer.
The seller certainly thinks so, as they are including a set of original-type red line tires; it’s unclear whether they actually are original tires.
Ultimately, this one will have to go to the right kind of person that really appreciates a restoration to as close to as it left the factory as possible. Are you that person? Let us know in the comments below.
This is similar to one owned by a very good friend of mine in the early seventies. I believe his was a 1968 or 1969 SS 396 4 speed and was the plain Jane SS like this car. Unfortunately, he owned it as a teenager. We proceeded to destroy it by making many changes to it’s original configuration thinking we were making improvements. Young and dumb.
Why do you have to tempt me like that Jamie! I’d love to have this thing, but the price make this project hard to swallow. I bet it provided many years of fun to the previous owners!
I thought you might like that one… :-)
I agree. The problem with the prices anymore is that guys that really don’t know the musclecar market watch Barrett-Jackson-Scottsdale (I live near there and hit that incredible event each year) and base the asking prices of their old clapped out vehicles according to what they see on tv. Now, if this Nova were the L-78…then things might be looked at differently, but it’s just the basic 396/325 horse motor. And it looks like the brainiac forgot to put on the pass. side exhause manifold gasket when they put it back together….haha.
Love the hitch when I was a kid dad had a 66 fastback mustang 289 hipo and 72 340 duster hitches on both so he could pull his john boat
Ya, see that. My 70 GSX 455 had a hitch on it one time. Crazy, its a 4 speed too. I think a lot of people did that in the 70s. My friend has owned a 67 GTO forever and he talks about pulling a trailer from Chicago to California and back in that thing. I guess the cars have the power…
Had one brother put a cheep oil presser Gage with plastic hose to close to exhaust.coarse it melted it dad was driving it home from work and no waring light so it took out the crankshaft bearings . down hill from there .
It was somebody’s baby once, by the pictures. Also the different rear mags suggest it was drag raced. I like kinda it crappy like this, reminds me of Oscar the Grouch. Get it running and drive it.
Wow – this is going to vacuume cash
The title should read, “A Real……..RUSTY One!” A nicer donor body would probably be a better way to go………IF you can find one!
It’s one thing to buy the body parts it’s another thing entirely to cut fit and weld them in, so if you don’t know how to do this yourself your going to have to find some one that does. You could be into this for 30K just doing the body then there’s the 12K to buy it and at least another 10K to 15k to rebuild the mechanicals. In the end you will have spent concours money here, so why not just go to Barrett Jackson an buy one already done. This will never be a concours car, it’s nothing more than a parts car. You would be better off taking the front subframe engine and trans and reusing them in a vintage hot rod build.
Sad to see such a cool car that might not be worth the resto. Hard for me to say that. Like Mark said, but don’t forget the interior and a long list of “incidentals” for at least another 10K on top of that. You can buy an “eat off any part of the car” L78 375HP car with an M22 for 56K asking here in Illinois or other really cool 69 Nova’s again, done, for 25-50K. http://www.cars-on-line.com. sad to see one of these in such bad shape. This is a 60K to 80K restso if not more after the many surprises that will kick your butt…specifically in the pocket you keep your wallet in!
Cars like this make me wish I had the expertise and skill to do body work. I love everything about it except the rust.
I restored one car like this – meaning this condition, a 69 Firebird, 30 years ago and I vowed “never again”. Does not matter if you have the skill and expertise do this type of work or not. By the time you are done, your labor will be worth less than minimum wage. Better put, you will be able to sell it for the cost of the buy plus the cost of the parts and the labor will have to be free. Furthermore I am not interested buying a “done car” for top dollar that started out in this condition. I can buy one that was taken care of for less.
Whhooaaaa Nelly!!!! 12k for that rot bucket???? Call your banker asap! You’ll need to take out a second mortgage to bring this one back… Oh, and by the way,,, those redline tires….. Dry rot…
Too bad it is so far gone. The bidding is a little over $6K which is more than enough – I was part owner of a Chevy Store back in the day and we were the go to place for high performance in Montreal. We sold a number of these and several L-78 every year. They were great in a straight line but around corners – not so much. A hot Mini could leave these far behind after only a few corners – I know as I owned one of those before joining the Chevy store.
Looks like an original Cali car….before it rotted out up north…if you have the money…
Restoring cars of this vintage isnt a for-profit game. There are so, so many out there and demand is limited. Most restorations are either a crime of passion or a lesson learned. Prices for full restorations have been driven so high that every guy with a set of craftsman tools and a torch looks at his fugitive from a boneyard and sees big $$. Fun to look at them but best to give the checkbook to mama. This time she does know what’s best.