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.
another 1. 4k. this guy is nuts. you can buy 1 that drives for that price. unbelievable.
Solid starting point for someone with time, patience & $$.
Well, it’s cheaper than a brand new Dynacorn body shell, but other than that, there’s not much here to justify the asking price. $110 shy of four grand is a bit steep for a body shell that must be prepped and painted. Oh, and BTW, there’s still metal work to be done on the rear quarters, and why is the gas tank still in this thing? Spend ten minutes to drop the tank, so we can see underneath the trunk floor! Oh, and you might want to put the shell on a frame table, to check for straightness before you go any further, before you spend big bucks on bodywork and paint! No mention is made on if the data plate on the firewall is still with the shell, but if not, titling this beast when it’s finished could be a major hassle! The DMV takes a dim view of such things, so tread carefully! Art Morrison makes front and rear subframes with subframe connectors for these, or a full frame from the usual suspects (Art Morrison, Schwartz Performance, The Roadster Shop) is always an option. IMHO, $1500 to two grand is closer to the mark for this rotisserie restoration project, but GLWTS in any case.
Here’s another one that will never be put back together and on the road. Cost $$$$ prohibitive.