Having owned a ’73 Chevrolet Nova in my youth, I can really appreciate the durability of these cars and how easy the 350 is to work on and keep running well.  But I sort of sneaked something in when I got around to repainting mine, as I thought it would be a good idea at the time to add SS emblems all the way around.  The 1973 cars have three SS emblems on the body, including one on each front fender, one on the trunk, plus the SS grille.  But the ’72 Super Sports only have the SS grille and an SS trim panel between the taillights, so it’s a little easier to pull it off on the latter.  The only reason I mention it is because the seller of this 1972 Chevrolet Nova never once mentions “SS” or “Super Sport” in the listing, which seems like it would be a good selling point, and the car definitely has a Super Sport grille. Whether this is a bona-fide Super Sport or not, the car looks great and would definitely be worth checking out if you’re in the market for an early seventies Nova.  It’s located in Temecula, California, and can be found here on Craigslist with an asking price of $35,000.

We’d like to thank Barn Finds reader Pat L. for spotting this one and sending it our way!  And I’d like to emphasize that I’m not saying with certainty I don’t believe this is a genuine SS, I’m just not sure.  But if it is, I was curious why it wasn’t mentioned in the ad, so maybe if any of our Nova savvy readers have any input, yea or nay, they can share it below.  The car’s owner is said to now be deceased, so perhaps it’s as simple as the seller didn’t realize the Super Sport factor may have been important.

The condition of the Nova is said to be perfect and spotless, and while that’s a pretty bold statement, the Chevy is definitely pleasing to my eyes from every angle I can see.  The paint is stated to be excellent, and the body and finish both seem to live up to that statement, as does the outside trim.  One other observation is the fact there’s no SS trim piece on the rear under the trunk, and unless I’m not remembering correctly, I thought all the Super Sports in ’72 came with these.  Maybe the car has been painted and it was just never reinstalled.  Either way, it’s one of the better-looking Novas I’ve seen in a while and I’d love to own this one.

Under the hood is the original 350 V8, which is said to have been rebuilt with less than 2,500 miles since the overhaul.  The previous owner is said to have only driven the car approximately 2,200 miles during the last 10 years, so it must have been at least a decade ago when the motor was gone through.  There’s also a 4-barrel carb, and if this is a factory SS car, it would have come with the L48 350 and the 4-barrel.  But Chevy also offered a 2-barrel version of the 350 in the base Nova in ’72, and I’m sure many of those got changed out to 4-barrels over the years, so again, any of you Nova conoisseurs who can shed any light on this car please share your knowledge!  There’s also a Turbo-Hydramatic 350 automatic transmission, an aluminum radiator, plus a new battery, and the car is said to run and drive perfectly.

Some work has been done on the inside, including new upholstery and a new rubber floor covering, and at some point what I think is a Grant steering wheel was added, along with some aftermarket gauges.  The weather stripping has been replaced, and the tires and brakes are said to be in excellent condition.  Things underneath aren’t quite as spotless as the upper side, but from what can be seen it looks good and solid down below.  It’s been 35 years since I last owned a Nova, and I’m really liking this one.  How about you?