The Chevy II (and later as the Nova) would be Chevrolet’s long-running compact car, a part of their rear-wheel-drive portfolio from 1962-79. The third generation (1968-74) would be its most successful sales-wise, including this 2-door sedan from 1971. It’s a one-owner car that looks okay until you check out the rear quarter panels. From living in a part of the country where the roads are salted in the winter, rust has become a major part of the auto. But it runs well and has been treated to a lot of recent mechanical updates. Located in Merrick, New York, this Chevy is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $3,750 but the reserve is still hanging out there.

For 1970, the Nova would have its third-best sales year, but production dropped by a third in 1971. Part of that is attributable to a labor strike at GM in the Fall of 1970, but the rest may be because the cars were almost identical. It’s hard to tell a ’70, ’71, or ’72 from one another other than turn signal lens colors, the steering wheels, and the design of the optional Rally wheels. Of the nearly 195,000 Nova’s built for 1971, more than 18,000 were equipped with the L65 350 cubic inch V8 that’s also in the seller’s car. The engine was rated at 145 SAE net with a 2-barrel carburetor (not the SS version of the motor).

This Nova comes across as a Super Sport wannabe when it was first ordered. It has the 350 V8, but not the 4-barrel. And it has a floor-shifted manual transmission, but a 3-speed rather than the 4-speed. It’s numbers-matching meaning that the drivetrain has been with the car the entire 51 years. The Chevy was fitted with a G80 posi-traction 10-bolt rear axle, power steering, and power front disc brakes. Because the car was sold in New York State, factory air conditioning wasn’t specified on the options list.

Some effort and expense have gone into the car recently, including items like a new battery, starter, water pump, belts and hoses, radiator, ignition coil, front brakes, and a new muffler. Despite these things, the seller says a bit more work will be needed for anything other than a short hop. There are issues with the cooling system that cause it to overheat fairly quickly into a run. Maybe the seller figured it was time for someone else to sort out its troubles. The odometer reading is 45,000 miles, but the car looks to have seen more.

Unfortunately, rust may be the biggest challenge facing the buyer. It’s chewed away much of the rear quarter panels and there also is some in the trunk and the front fenders. However, the undercarriage is said to be pretty solid because the car was undercoated when new. Inside the passenger compartment where the Nova sports the deluxe interior option, the front bench seating will need to be recovered and the dash pad has the cracks that are often associated with cars of this era. The seller offers three videos of the automobile: a walkaround, the underside, and a test drive. As a prior Nova owner, I’m a fan of these cars. But as a project, I might be more inclined to seek out one that has fewer rust issues.