SS Looks: 1971 Chevrolet Rally Nova

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UPDATE 2/9/22: This Nova is still on the market, but it’s now here on craigslist and the price has been reduced by $2,500 to $25,000 even.

The Rally Nova was an appearance option on the standard Nova in 1971-72. It had some of the looks of the more muscular Nova SS, but without the performance accessories. RPO YF1 was added to 7,700 Nova’s in 1971, a small fraction of the 195,000 built overall that year. This nice survivor hails from San Francisco, California, and is a mostly original car with 80,000 miles. The interior is immaculate, but the body and paint need a bit of help. It’s available here on eBay for the Buy It Now price of $27,500 or you can submit an offer.

Although the Chevy II/Nova had been a GM staple since 1962, those built from 1968-72 seem to attract the most attention today with enthusiasts. Perhaps that’s because those years were the height of the muscle car era and the Nova SS competed against the likes of the Plymouth Duster 340. As the Duster and Dodge Demon were sportier looking than the Nova even in basic trim, that may have been the motivation for Chevy to add the Rally Nova option in ’71.  They looked great but went no faster as they could be ordered with I-6 engines and up, but not the 350 found in the SS models.

This ploy may have worked as the Rally Nova jumped from fewer than 8,000 copies in 1971 to more than 33,000 units in 1972. With a restyle for 1973 and the availability of any engine then in a Super Sport Nova, the Rally option disappeared after just two years. The seller’s blue-on-blue Rally Nova from ’71 looks like a nice original that may only need a dent knocked out and new paint applied to rock again. But it’s nicely presentable just the way it is.

The Nova is numbers-matching with the basic 307 cubic-inch V8 and TH-350 automatic transmission. Dual exhaust has been added that may help performance a bit. The carburetor and tranny have both been rebuilt and we’re told the car runs and drives well. The paint is good for the age, although it doesn’t seem to match on the driver’s side, which suggests a partial repaint at some point. Oddly, that’s the area where the only dent in the car resides today.

We’re told there’s some minor rust in the rear valance and the lower portions of the fenders, a common area for this to crop up. The interior looks spotless and has working aftermarket gauges. The front seat has been recovered with OEM material that matches perfectly. The radio has given up the ghost, but replacements aren’t hard to find. We’re told the car has been well-maintained over the years and the car shows it. As a Nova fan, I’d be all over this one if I weren’t on the other side of the country. The seller has provided several videos of the Nova in action: Video 1, Video 2, Video 3.

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Comments

  1. Bob S

    Rust free California car, check. Highly original, check, but 27.5 large for something that needs extensive quarter panel repair, and a complete paint job, which ain’t exactly cheap these days, am I THAT much out of touch reality?

    Like 45
    • Frank Sumatra

      Buyers are always in touch with reality. Sellers, not so much.

      Like 40
    • Bound4Glory

      No you are not, plus its a Doris Day model with the column shift, prefer three pedals

      Like 8
  2. gbvette62

    71 Nova’s, including the Rally Nova, were available with the 350, but only in the 2 bbl version. Only the 4 bbl, L48 350 was limited to the SS.

    This looks like a nice little Nova, but considering the amount of rust, numerous dents, and the need for a full repaint, the asking price seems out of line.

    Like 16
    • Gregory Stutzman

      You are correct! The author is mistaken. The first car titled my name was a ’72 Rally Nova with a long throw four-on-the-floor and the 350 2BBL.

      Like 0
  3. Stan StanMember

    Price-eeee 307 and 350trans is a pleasant driver. 2.56 gear is a drag. A gentlemanly performer at best, requiring a 3.55 and positraction rearend swap.

    Like 7
  4. Grog

    Agreed, I was thinking more in the neighborhood of $16k no muscle car with the 307 but, still a nice representation of the classic Nova.

    Like 10
  5. rextremeMember

    “Rally NO VA” as in no go. Better projects for a lot less money available..

    Like 6
  6. RoughDiamond

    I owned a red ’72 model Rally Nova with the 350 2V and 3-speed floor shifted manual with a bench seat. I added a four barrel intake and Holley carb which helped.

    Like 13
    • Stan StanMember

      Nice choice Diamond 💎
      350 and a standard transmission is always fun combo. Nothing wrong with
      ” a 3 by the knee”

      Like 7
  7. HEAVY CHEVY

    You never see these. I have a Heavy Chevy I cloned from a malibu. I have only seen two or three real hc’s, Rally Novas? I have seen one in the wild. Was red w/ white stripes. I think the $ is high, but try finding one in any shape (Rally Nova).

    Like 2
    • mark r westphal

      Heavy Chevy I only ever saw one also, it was blue in Maine a neighbors car

      Like 1
  8. Shawn

    While the 71 model year for a Rally Nova is rare, it’s not rare enough to demand this 27K price tag with so many issues. Fun fact, the 71 models saw substantially less production numbers due to a huge worker strike at GM. Thus there’s only the 7,700 71 Rally Novas, but the 72 Rally Nova saw production of 33,000.

    This is a nice car overall, but not at the price point. Sure, it’s got power brakes and power steering, but she’s saddled with the terrible 307 and the highway speed 2.56 gears, plus the bench and column shift. By 71 emissions control was in full effect and dragging performance through the basement. This car seems to have the full system intact, so your 0 to 60 time would be YES. Looks like the distributor has been swapped though. I can’t quite tell if that’s a GM HEI or not.

    Like 3
    • brad460Member

      This is a serious question. Can someone please explain to my why the 305 is a decent engine, 327 is regarded as very good, 302 chevy was supposedly a good high revver, but the 307 is thought of as not very good. What gives? They’re all small block chevrolet engines. What can possibly be so different between them?

      Like 1
      • Pugsy

        Everyone says the are lousy because it’s cheaper to build a 350 so their argument falls to “why build a lousy 307 when a 350 costs the same and gives more power?”

        Funny how this true fact makes the 307 lousy. True, 350 is better, but that does not make a 307 lousy.

        My 307, 1971 Chevelle was my funnest car. Cruising around, 4 of us in the car and doing donuts on dry pavement at a 4 way stop intersection in the middle of the night waking up the neighbors with all that squealing.

        Like 0
  9. Karl

    Lots of potential and a fair amount of money to make it what I would want. The price leaves no room for any additional mods/repairs

    Like 2
  10. CaCarDude

    I had the SS beefy cousin to this car my ’71 was lime green and had the 4 spd with black interior bench seat full rubber floor mat. I bought in ’76 with 50k mile for $1400 and sold a year later for $1450, I would have kept longer but buying gas every couple day was killing me and driving it like I just stole it every time I got in it did not help. That Nova is one of several cars I owned I would like to have back today!

    Like 2
  11. Pugsy

    I believe the price is just right. It sold.

    Like 1
  12. Stevieg

    My Dad’s Mom had a yellow Nove coupe, a 1972. It had the black vinyl top & chrome around the windows. I thought it was a neat car as a young kid.
    I wonder what happened to it after me Dad’s Dad killed my Dad’s Mom.

    Like 0
  13. Alfred Richton

    27.5k!I’m sure you can make any offer you’d like. Its on eBay with the option to offer.hard to find these classics in near original condition

    Like 1
  14. Nice Pony

    My mom purchased a new 1972 Rally Nova off the lot. It was Mojave Gold with Black vinyl top, 307 automatic and power steering and drum brakes. Other than motioned had pretty much no options. She was old school and said she couldn’t feel the road with it so sold it to my dad a few years later. I inherited it in 1989 after is sat in the garage not being driven much with only 75,000 miles on it. Added a 4 barrel and a cam and drove it as a daily driver until 2001 putting 300,000 miles on it. In 2002 I fully restored the car and upgraded everything including the engine and transmission. Now sporting a ZZ4 350 and 700R4 transmission with 3:42 posi. Pretty much has every option that was available back then on it now getting NOS parts from eBay. Still a very fun car to drive and show. I did change the color to white which looks much better than the original Mojave Gold IMHO.

    Like 0

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