This super clean – and stock – Chevy Nova has under 100,000 original miles and is a recent estate find, according to the seller. Sporting very clean sheetmetal with no evidence of rust, it’s not cheap but Novas are also rarely this original.Even that troublesome vinyl roof covering hasn’t lead to the germination of rust bubbles, so for those of you hunting for a stock driver, this may be worth a look. Find it here on craigslist or go here if the ad disappears; as always, thanks goes to our Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for sending this one in.
Normally, we shudder at the use of the word “perfect” in descriptions for cars with 89,000 miles, but that bench seat is incredible. I’d wager it’s been re-done at some point, and it still look brand new if it has. The rest of the cabin is very basic, but the Nova was a basic car in most forms. This one comes with a Powerglide automatic transmission, power steering and a functioning AM/FM radio. Door panels look quite nice and the color still matches inside the door jambs.
How nice is it to see an un-messed with engine bay! The Nova retains its 307CI mill, which we can only assume to be numbers-matching. The lack of aftermarket wiring from past radio hack jobs or failed attempts to diagnose an electrical or grounding issue is encouraging, and we don’t see the tell-tale signs of a repaint such as overspray on hoses or hood struts. The seller doesn’t mention any sort of maintenance history or whether the Nova was used occasionally or parked and stored for the last several years.
This is one of those cars where you grow so accustomed to seeing it modified that the stock condition with the dog dish hubcaps actually looks better than any restomods I’ve seen recently. One-owner, clean title, no rust Novas are getting near impossible to find, and despite the lofty price tag of $11,900 for a car like this, you can’t blame the seller for recognizing they rarely pop up in such honest condition. Our own Scotty G wrote this car up when it was on eBay; here it is now, clearly the target of a fast flip. Do you think it will sell for more the second time ’round?
It’s refreshing to see a truly bone stock example.
This is probably the poster child for non-sleeper sleepers, if that makes any sense. Basically, if you see a Nova like this at any car show, you have to assume it’s breathing some serious fire, because why else keep it looking stock? Old ladies stopped getting the groceries in these twenty years ago, so you’re far less likely to see an el-strippo special on the road in factory spec as you are one with a built big block.
It’s almost – almost – a shame it doesn’t have a Stovebolt.
I would prefer the stove bolt over the 307
While it is refreshing to see a stock Nova, the chances of it staying like this are slim to nil. My grandfather bought a new ’71 like this, only a 350. It was the coolest car any one of my elders ever had. Somebody’s eye’s just lit up, and will transform this to the nines and that’s ok. I think every Nova has been found and resto-modded, and to see a clean slate for someone, just too hard not to do it up “their way”, and that’s cool. The Nova is one of those cars, it doesn’t matter what you do to it,( except maybe a 4×4) it always looks neat.
Some paint blends in the body, bench seat has been recovered. I think that engine had a dress up kit on it, valve covers are wrong, dipstick. These are small things, that right rear wheel tub is worrisome and being a PA car it would be safe to assume the bottom is crunchy. And the hitch…… It might very well be a solid car but for that money an inspection is needed. I’m not sure you could buy this and not be upside down trying to dial it in.
I think the same about this car $11,900 it’s too much without the 350 some flippers want big profits fast but that’s not going to happen here.
I like it and a V8 to boot!
Leave it alone ! (Other to fix any rust)
Drive to shows 👍😎
You should say quickly flipped. Scotty wrote this Nova up in January when it was in Waterbury, Connecticut. There must be something amiss or at least dissapointing for the buyer to resell it so quickly. It loks like they didn’t even register it.
I find the previous 45,000 mile car being now listed as having 80,000 miles strange. That’s more than I drive in nine months and it was done in just two months!
Not much of a mark up if it is the same car. Nothing wrong with a 307 that a basic top end package would cure.
Bench seat memory:
My first car (76′ Skylark) had a bench seat. I brought it home and cleaned it using a tidy amount of ArmorAll (including the vinyl seats). Took the car for a spin, really excited to have my own wheels. I took a turn too fast and had to hold onto the steering wheel for dear life to keep from sliding across those slick ArmorAll’d seats.
After that I drove slower around turns and always wore my seatbelt.
Should have sprung for the Fingerhut clear plastic bubbley seat covers. If it was above freezing your butt stuck like glue.
Nice example of a second car for the family back in the day. My mom would have had a car like this except it would have been a Ventura since they were Pontiac people.
Back in the mid 90’s, I picked up a 70 Nova 2 dr that was the same color as this car, minus the vinyl top, for $1000. (It looked better than this car as well.) I bought it from the original owner. It had a six cylinder and 3 on the tree. Being an original Austin Tx car, it was rust free, with no dents, and original paint that buffed out pretty well. It needed new front seat upholstery, but I threw a wal mart seat cover on it for the time being. The throw out bearing was making noise, so I replaced it, rebuilt the carb for $10, tightened up the manual steering box adjusting nut to take some of the slack out of the steering, and installed new shocks. (Unfortunately it wasn’t very well maintained and the front suspension need rebuilding). I had plans to swap in a sbc (383) and a 4 speed. I was still in jr. college and had a chance to make some money working for an electrical contractor that was renting a house from my dad, and could stay at home with my folks on the coast where I grew up. I took it down with me with plans to work on it that summer, but when a co worker offered me $3000 as it was (cars didn’t last as long down there, due to the salt air), I jumped at the “easy money”. Now it would easily be worth 5 times what I got for it.
They weren’t stovebolts during this time. The sixes were known as thriftmaster.
89k miles these days is much different from 89k in those days, more than likely the drivetrain is getting pretty tired.
At that time 60’s 70’s and 80’s after 100K overhaul or at least 1/2 overhaul was required
But that powerglide, and 10 bolt will go 300k easy
Worked on these as a tech in a Denver bowtie dealership from the early to late 70s, the HEI distributor (introduced 1975) and an aftermarket (Ford style???) starter solenoid on the RS firewall with its post-factory wiring are NOT correct components for a ’69 Nova. All of the General’s engines of the era had their starter solenoid mounted atop, well … the starter! Wouldn’t stop me from wanting this nicely preserved NoGo, nonetheless. Valve covers look correct, just missing a PCV valve being inserted into the grommet on the driver side. (and being plumbed with its requisite rubber hose to the carb’s throttle body) Not sure that dipstick is correct though, unless its from a later “corporate blue” small block. Refreshing to see that basic workaday, non-SS, non-restomod coupe examples are still out there!
Good catch on the HEI and solenoid must have had some starting problems. Car looks decent but needs to be cancer free for top dollar like he is asking!
To bad it is not a 68!
Missing the PVC valve too
Have a 72 Coupe. Non SS 350 TH 350 Nova. Numbers matching if that makes a difference for a non SS. Mild engine build and added rally wheels. It’s a driver and owned it since 1989. Paid $600 back in the day. Could not afford a 1969 Camaro.
Think I saw this 69 on EBay as well. Flip city!!
My sister had a $500 ’69, with the 6, and three on the tree in the late ’70’s. Major “inconvenience” was shift linkage which bound up, stuck in neutral when stopped, had to raise hood, and fiddle with linkage, same problem with wife’s ’69 Camaro, 3 on the floor, had to reach under the car to free that linkage up. We could put up with those things when we were 20. Both sister and wife got credit with guys for being able to do this. Camaro had a blanket in the car to put on the ground to lie on. Engine was bullet proof, high 3rd gear made cruising at 75 mph easy, both died of rust long before the engine was toast. Interior on the Camaro was still pristine (vinyl) at 145,000 miles – put 3 kids in back, so tight they could not haul back to take a good swing at each other.
Sounds like the ’69 Nova that my sister and her first husband bought used in 1974, 6 cylinder and three speed on the floor,it had a noise in the rearend that eventually ended with him putting in a different axle but that little 250 six cylinder as the old Timex ads used to say took a licking and kept on ticking,by the time they sold it, I’d guess it had 2 to 3 hundred thousand miles on it (speedometer wasn’t working when they bought it)and was on its second transmission and rearend but the engine would still start right up.
Probably didn’t sell on eBay so owner now trying Craigslist. Looks like the miles were rolled to make a more believable low mileage story.
First off I though the stovebolt 6 was the 235, maybe Im wrong, anyway would rather have a 307 than a 305. If this Nova is in decent condition, might be a good buy.
After seeing countless Nova’s with mags, lifted in the rear, raspy exhaust, custom paint, etc.. it’s actually nice to see this one, never make it as a sleeper though. This look of plain janeness would have me expecting an ace up the sleeve. Been a long time since people bought these just for cheap transportation.
If thats worth 12 grand then my two owner 1971 Demon 318 with Butterscotch hi impact paint and red painted factory brake drums and Rallye wheels, must be worth 30 grand
I’d rather not have that tired old looking lump in my driveway. A work mate had trouble selling a 74 Maverick coupe with glossy paint and corvette wheels for $2500 just last year. Took it for a spin in a case I liked it, I needed a car, had the cash and I knew it was his daily driver. Not sure what I expected, but it was a complete bust, a real low quality ride, not much pickup and unwieldy. $12k, the guy’s dreaming, good for a laugh though!
Ummm… Let’s talk about the blue panel truck sitting right next to it!!
Too bad they cut that window in the panel truck