The venerable Chevrolet Nova, launched in 1962 as the Chevy II, was one of GM’s best sellers. It was redesigned for the fourth and final time in 1975, retaining its rear-wheel-drive platform. More than 334,000 copies were sold in 1976 when economy was the name of the game. Yet a third of them had Chevy’s smallest V8 at the time, 305 cubic inches. That motor resides under the hood of this car, which runs well but is cosmetically challenged. Located in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, this rough coupe is available here on eBay, where the current bid is $865.
There was nothing special about the 1975-79 Novas, which had spawned badge-engineered copies at all the other GM divisions except for Cadillac. But they were reliable, which drove consumer demand. Three body styles represented the choices that buyers had, a 2-door hatchback and 2-and-4-door sedans. 1976 would be the last year that performance would even be a function of the Nova, and the Super Sport was gone after that.
Though V8 power came in the seller’s Nova, it has a “3-on-the-tree” manual transmission that was slowly becoming a thing of the past in U.S.-built automobiles. This Chevy has seen more than 125,000 miles, and it certainly wears the part with sunburnt upholstery, faded paint, and corrosion in a few places. The seller has owned the vehicle for five years, while it resided in Virginia prior to that. New parts include the tires, front brakes, master brake cylinder, and a few more items.
Besides dealing with the Chevy’s cosmetic issues, the seller’s mechanic suggests other work to be done, including replacing the windshield, the axle boots, and its CV joints. But you could do that and simply drive it as-is if looks aren’t important. That’s what the seller would be doing if he had not acquired a Ford Mustang and doesn’t have a need for both vehicles.
Since when did 1976 Novas come with CV joints?
Is that the “check engine” light lit up on the dashboard in that interior picture? LoL. I think that $865 bid is probably as much as they should expect for this. I honestly don’t know why someone would put a car like this up for auction.