When you think of projects, you probably envision a mostly complete vintage car that needs a lot of work. That description does not cover the seller’s 1973 Chevrolet Nova coupe, which is largely a body sitting on a cart. Some add-on pieces are there, like the hood and bumpers, but there is no engine, transmission, or rear-end. If you like a challenge that you can build the way you want, this could probably be it. Located in Fountainville, Pennsylvania, this chunk of metal is available here on eBay for $3,890 OBO. Thumbs up to Russell Glantz for the tip!
Chevy reworked the 1968-72 Nova in 1973 to allow for larger bumpers and a hatchback rear opening. As a result, the cars were bulkier in appearance than before, but continued to sell well, perhaps due in part to the rise in gas prices in the mid-1970s. The seller’s Chevy decodes as once having a 350 cubic inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor, so it was not a Super Sport model. Beyond that, we don’t know how it was equipped, but a TH-350 automatic transmission would have been a likely companion.
Some work has already been done on this shell. The floors are new and have been properly welded in. The seller says the quarter panels and shell are good, as are the trunk floors and rocker panels. Though not necessarily seen in the photos, the front sub-frame is included along with the fenders, hood, door,s and trunk lid. But no mention is made of the miscellaneous bits and pieces you’ll need to put Humpty Dumpty together again.
Since a build sheet or cowl tag isn’t referenced, trying to even get back to period-correct may not be in the cards. But you could go the restomod route rather than a SS clone and pick your own motor, tranny, and rear. For easier loading and shuffling around, the seller is including the custom cart you see in the photos.
In 1973, you could get a Nova SS with ANY engine, even an inline 6. This was because by 1973 the SS package was mostly a cosmetics package and no longer a performance package. So yes even a 2 bbl 350 could come on the SS Nova in 1973, but obviously not 1969-72. Hope this helps.