Vehicle Description
The Chevy Nova has always been a favorite, mostly because it can
handle any engine you care to use and with its light weight
bodywork, makes a formidable performer. Dress it in bright red,
stuff it full of small block V8, add a raked stance, and you get a
nasty little mid-sized Deuce with a ton of performance.
Built to cruise the streets and look great doing it, this slick
Nova was built from a clean 2-door sedan and treated to a host of
upgrades along the way. The bright red paint accents the
performance attitude, and the vivid paint leaves no question about
this nasty little Nova's intentions. You can see in the reflections
in our photo studio that the finish has an awesome gloss and a deep
shine that suggests a decent pile of cash went into the paint job,
and for an affordable hot-rod, this one fits together pretty darned
well. There's some orange peel that could be erased by a good cut
and buff, but even as it sits, it really dresses up well. A cowl
induction hood is pretty much a given on any muscular Chevy, and it
looks right at home on the Nova's classic bodywork, making it look
fast just sitting still. The SS package was still available in '72,
and this one wears a clean-looking SS grille and blacked-out tail
panel, although they left off the engine badges on the hood,
perhaps to keep the competition guessing. Bright chrome bumpers,
nice stainless trim around the windshield, and a few other correct
details make this car look like a proper performance machine.
The interior is has been substantially upgraded to match the new
performance found underneath, including a pair of very comfortable
high-back bucket seats that are a far cry from the slippery church
pew these cars usually got. Wrapped in high-grade vinyl, it's easy
to forget that the Nova was an economy car, and with a modern
3-spoke steering wheel the racy feel continues inside. The original
instrument panel covers the basics and they left it as the factory
intended for a clean, uncluttered look, tucking the auxiliary
gauges under the dash and out of sight. A Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo
head unit slots into the dash just to the right of the steering
wheel and blends in rather well, although that big B&M shifter
again gives it all away pretty quickly. The back seat is
upholstered in original-looking materials that are almost new, and
the trunk includes a full-sized spare and no signs of trouble.
With a reasonable curb weight, the 350 cubic inch V8 under the hood
provides heroic performance. The bright Chevy Orange engine looks
appropriate, and a few satin black dress-up pieces to make it look
suitably intense when you open the hood. An Edelbrock 4-barrel carb
on an Offenhauser intake manifold help make some additional
horsepower, and there's an HEI ignition system, but this isn't a
radical engine so it starts easily, idles well, and should run this
well for a good long time. It's tied to a TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission and a 10-bolt rear end, both hardy, reliable pieces of
equipment themselves, and the fresh dual exhaust system with
Flowmaster mufflers gives it a genuine hot rod sound. The underside
is clean but not detailed for show and the suspension has been
lowered just enough to give it a bit of a rake. Big 17-inch Torque
Thrust wheels wrapped in 215/55/17 front and 235/55/17 rear Nitto
radials look ideal, filling the wheel wells without causing
clearance problems.
Affordable performance with the right look, this Nova makes it easy
to have fun on a budget. Call today!