Drive and Fix: 1971 Chevrolet Nova

This 1971 Chevy Nova looks like a fairly basic car for its day. But it has a 350 cubic inch V8, an automatic transmission, and power brakes, at a minimum. And it’s yet to be converted into a Super Sport clone and, hopefully, it will not go down that route – if the important hardware is numbers-matching. Located in Monterey, California, this Nova needs paint and an interior, but the rest appears to be a solid foundation. This Chevy is available here on craigslist for $14,000 OBO. Thanks for the killer tip, Tony Primo!

Nova sales dropped by a third in 1971, but that may be because of labor issues at General Motors that year. Production bounced right back in 1972, and the 1970-72 models were virtually the same cars with minor nuances. 25,000 Novas had the 350 V8 that year, whether a 2 or 4-barrel (the latter reserved for the SS). We owned a ’70 Nova with the 350X2, and it was a great car (even with a 2-speed Powerglide automatic; why did I ever sell it?).

We’re told this automobile runs and drives (how well?), and the suspension has been rebuilt. That may be because the odometer is on its second time around, somewhere past 100,000 miles. No mention is made of any mechanical work needed, so we assume most of the buyer’s efforts will be dedicated to the blue paint and passenger compartment. The bench seat is rough, and at least one door panel is missing, so you’d better figure on tearing it all out.

On the plus side, the body is solid, and there’s no sign of corrosion. I’d go with a redo of the original color and replace the black steel wheels with a set of Rally wheels with raised white letter tires. Even keep the proportions the same as the current rear wheels are wider than those on the front. My vote is to avoid going down the SS clone route, mainly because there are already a lot of them out there, and this one seems solid the way it is.