The 1972 Chevrolet Nova was largely unchanged from 1971, yet production rose nearly 80% after labor issues hit GM the year before. This seller offers a nice sleeper that was stored for 10 years before being resurrected. It has a 350 cubic inch V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission, but the seller-provided VIN indicates this isn’t a numbers-matching pairing. Located in Clermont, Florida, this running project is available here on eBay, where the current bid is $11,700.
Chances are this 1972 Nova was a Plain Jane car when new. The VIN says it was built with a 307 V8, and a 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission could have been its trusty companion (that transmission was nearly the end of the line; the last installation was in 1973). As a standard Nova, a bench seat would have likely occupied the passenger cabin, so the bucket seats were probably added later. The back seat has a split in it, so perhaps some of the interior was lifted out of a period Super Sport.
Though it sat for a decade, this Nova is said to run and drive well now. That doesn’t mean it won’t need more tinkering to be trustworthy. The body is rust-free (for the most part), and the silver paint is described as older and showing its age (a redo at some point?). Rally wheels are installed and look like the ones I had on my 1970 Nova (the wheel style changed in 1971).
Besides the upholstery needing some attention, we’re told a new headliner is needed. The 4-speed is floor-shifted, of course, so we wonder whether it was ever column-shifted. Though the automobile photographs well, the seller admits it is a project, but probably not one that will require removing every nut and bolt. This is the kind of Nova you’d find in high school parking lots in the 1970s and 1980s.
Russ, you my friend, are going to make me a single man as this beauty is just down the road and I could have it hidden in the garage by dark! You are spot on about these gracing school parking lots as we were young. I think it is perfect just as it is, including the period correct traction bars. It just needs some tinkering, TLC and my arm out the driver’s side window…chirpin through the gears on a cool Saturday morning!
I like it. If I didn’t have my ’57 Chevy in H.S., this would have been my next choice. But Sleeper? From the front, back or side, this says anything but “sleeper”. Stance, traction bars, tires, quite a few tells here. And that’s just sitting still…
My first car as a teenager was a ’69 Nova, but I’ve always thought the ’72 was the best looking out of the ’68 – ’72.
They just seemed to lose their sporty style in ’73 with the redesign and the bigger bumpers.
I’m so tired of these Novas. You can’t swing a dead cat around here without hitting one. They’re not a good looking car by any means, maybe the earlier models before they got all bloated and blocky looking.
I never liked them either, always looked ugly to me. And they were EVERYWHERE during their run and some years after. So plain looking, I never understood the sporty references about them when there were many actual sporty cars during their time.
Says the commenter with the handle, Fox Owner.
Sleeper? Please explain.
Those drag bars probably eliminate this car from qualifying as a sleeper. Nice car though, and I am not tired of Novas either.
Sleeper=Looks like an old lady car on the outside, but has some serious power under the hood, and goes really fast.
Sleepers are also supposed to be fast. This is more like a cruiser.
Steve R
Sleeper? As in it doesn’t have flames???
Better than any 70s, 80s and 90s mustangs.
chrome can’t get you home.
Wow! I haven’t heard that phrase in let’s see, 55 or 60 years! Very cool to hear it again! As much as I liked the original Chevy II/NOVA (Not a fan of the ’66-67 cars) I have always liked the restyled ’68-72 cars. And those traction bars were required on hard launches. Even 6 cylinder cars could cause rear spring wrap up/axle hop. And you haven’t experienced massive axle hop unless you have had the pleasure with mono-leaf rear springs! There’s a good reason for traction bars on this car! And I suspect they have been put to good use!
You are correct. The mono leaf rear springs needed help. I drove a 1972 2-door Nova with column shift manual 3 speed 250 CID straight six for years. Drove it very hard. It was plenty of fun and could drift in turns with its bias ply tires. No carpet, no PS, PB, or A/C. Just an AM radio and cozy wing window vents. Above 90 mph the air pushing under the front took too much weight off of the front wheels to give much steering response. Just for the record, it was the 4-door version that was “the old lady car”.
A friend of my dad would chrome everything and even put chrome on his motor homes and everyone one would tell him that chrome won’t get you home and his response was ” No but you will look good sitting on the side of the road “
Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I always think that it looks like cheap garbage! IMO
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. I always liked these cars. Maybe because I remember them when they were new, when I used to visit my grandfather who worked at the local Chevy dealership when I was a kid.This one looks like a decent car for a decent price.
I actually read something rather funny about this car in a local news paper. In Spanish speaking south America this car didn’t sell at all. The reason turns out the words NO-VA means: “It won’t go!” hence why no one bought any…
What happed to the rear suspension? Something is hanging down. Oh, it’s a boy toy racer.
If I’m building a sleeper, I’m going with a big block, equal width tires, dog dish hubcaps, and a quiet over the axle exhaust. And I’m damn sure not putting traction bars on it. With all due respect, this is just another hopped up day 2 boy racer Nova.
This looks like a solid play toy! Get out the black duct tape and fix the back seat then cruise!
No accounting for taste, my friends. Ugly? Boxy? No way. Not able to swing a dead cat without hitting one? Getting bloated and ugly in the later models? Hmmm…all sound like Mustangs, and that includes Foxbodies.
Could and probably was a three one the tree car with a 307 engine. Since it al ready has the third pedal a 4 speed swap is easy.> also has manual brakes here.
Relisted and sold on 10/29/2026 for a high bid of $15,601, there were 40 bids from 19 bidders. The original auction attached to this sites feature closed at $18,100 , but the sale was not completed.
Steve R