Vehicle Description
1970 Chevrolet Nova SS - Southern Car - 396ci built by Performance
Engineering - 4 Speed Manual - Power Steering and Power Brakes
(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1970 Chevrolet Nova
SS on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's
possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the
car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access
all the more than 150 photographs, as well as a short start-up and
walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept
Motors.) ... every other 19-year-old in the late Sixties... wanted
the 375hp, 396-cu.in big-block in his Nova.... �€" Hemmings,
February 2013 For a committed group of bowtie-performance fanatics,
the 1970 Nova SS 396/375 remains a very special highpoint for the
Chevy brand, a Goldilocks sort of Chevy. Lighter than the Chevelle,
roomier than the Camaros, the Nova SS, the 396 cubic-inch,
375-horsepower V8 was just right. Due to a lack of coding for the
engine in the VIN, authenticating these rare, big-block muscle cars
can be difficult. Offered here is a black-over-black, 1970 Nova SS
396 showing the key details known to represent a real 396 Nova SS.
The car's correct front grille, correct emblems properly placed,
together with the Performance-Engineering-built engine under the
hood tell the tale. Showing 91,755 miles on the odometer, or just
1,800 miles per-year on average, the car's excellent, original
condition is a tribute to the care it's received from prior owners.
The Nova's jet-black body paint remains in very good condition with
good shine overall and a few signs of aging (notably on the hood
and left-front fender). The blacked-out front grille,
characteristic of the SS cars, shows excellent condition as does
the bodyside trim. Likewise, front and rear chrome bumpers are in
like-new condition. The proper SS emblems fore and aft and the 396
front-fender emblems remain in place; even the dealer's
identification (Baldwin Chevrolet) trunk emblem is still on the
rear deck. The factory black vinyl top on the gently sloping
fastback, which adds distinctiveness and style, is free of rips or
other damage. Cabin glass and all lighting lenses are clear and
free of cracks or other damage. Five-spoke styled steel wheels with
SS center caps are mounted with BFGoodrich® Radial TA performance
tires. Inside, the black color theme continues: black-vinyl
upholstery features a classic, vertically-pleated design; a black
SS-branded steering wheel frames a black dash; black carpeting
(protected by rubber floor mats) covers the cabin floors. Door trim
mimics the seat upholstery design with an added ivory-colored trim
strip; roll-up window-cranks are chrome. Instrumentation includes a
120-mph speedometer with four monitoring gauges for battery-draw,
fuel supply, engine temperature, and oil pressure mounted on the
console, forward of the 4-speed manual-transmission shifter. The
factory AM radio remains in place on the dash; rear speakers are
mounted on the rear package shelf. The car was optioned with both
power steering and power brakes. Condition of the vinyl, plastic,
and dashboard surfaces is excellent overall, especially so after a
half-century of use. The trunk is clean with a (probably original)
Uniroyal® Tiger Paw 70-series 14-inch spare. Under the hood (with
the SS twin faux vents), the Nova's powerplant is a beautifully
turned-out, Performance-Engineering-built Chevrolet 396 cubic-inch,
375-horsepower V8. Trimmed with a chrome air cleaner cover and
valve covers, the engine is spotlessly clean and correct. The
entire engine bay shares that same look with all wiring and hoses
refreshed and properly routed. The brake booster's zinc finish
sparkles. Viewed from below, the car's chassis is clean, and well
ordered. The eye is drawn to the full-length dual exhaust system
with crossover pipe, and the view of the bottom of the 396. There
is no sign of chassis or component damage. The car's identifica
