The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova was likely the best-selling during its long run from 1962 to 1979. The generation built between 1968 and 1972 is especially popular today because of the cloning potential to turn one into a Super Sport. That may be the only viable future for this rough roller from 1972 that has been in the same family for ages. It was assembled as a six-cylinder, hardly restoration fodder on its own merits. Located in a storage unit in Edison, New Jersey, this major project is available here on eBay for $5,000 OBO. Our thanks to Mitchell G. for another Chevy tip!
Nova production was up 80% in 1972, even though the car was virtually unchanged. That was likely due to labor issues that plagued General Motors in 1971. Telling a ’72 Nova from a ’71 is hard to do, and there weren’t many changes as far back as 1969. Though the seller says this car once had a 350 V8 and an automatic transmission, both are long gone, and the VIN provided decodes it as having left the factory with a 250 cubic inch 6-banger.
We’re guessing this Chevy has been in the family for 20-30 years, as the seller got the car from his dad around 2005. It’s been sitting untouched until the seller pulled the drivetrain presumably for use elsewhere. We’re told the rest of the car is intact, but the collection of photos suggests otherwise.
To further your use of the vehicle, spare parts include a door and header pipes. Do you see this as a donor that would head to the crusher once picked clean, or would you attempt to restore it as an SS 350 or something more creative?
Nothing to see here…keep looking!
You can tell a 1971 Nova from a 1972 Nova by a few ways:
1. VIN
2. Seat belt warning light
3. Reverse lamps
This car is really rusty, holes in the firewall, top of the radiator support, floors, quarter panels, generic high back seats, rusty headers that you’d be lucky to get $25 for at a swapmeet, low end steering wheel and shifter. Even if the engine and transmission which were recently removed were fully functional and produced good power this car would be hard pressed to generate interest at its current asking price. As it sits it might be worth $500 to $1,000, at best.
As for cloning the car into an SS, it would be smarter of people to build their cars without emblems, it you like the look of an SS hood, by all means install some louvers, but without the emblems it’s not a “clone”. Even if someone added correct bucket seats, console with gauges even a factory tach, all of which were available as options on non-SS Novas.
Steve R
Good Will Hunting Nova, I’m not sure if this is going to make to California to visit Skylar but Will is going to give it a go. Tell the professor . . .
lot of money here for a rotted-out nova. scrap value is 6.00 per hundred right now. i see no useable parts. better starts out there than this
I am surprised the gas tank has not fallen out from the rust. Too much work! I grew up in NJ and rust was very common there. 5grand for this with no drivetrain. Move on and I agree with all other comments!
Sad to see any of them crushed, but to the right young man for $500. this might live on.
Agreed. a $500 to $1,000 car on a good day.
Wow that’s a rusty bucket not worth more than $1500 in my opinion. Would need so much replaced like quarters trunk and who knows how bad the floors are. Walk away fast!
Headlight bezels look intact, scrap the rest.
The car is in New Jersey, that’s an Ohio license plate on the front of it.