Vehicle Description
The Chevrolet Nova has always been a fan favorite, mostly because
it can handle pretty much any engine you care to use and with its
lightweight bodywork, makes a formidable performer. Dress it in
vibrant Dover White livery, stuff it full with a period correct 350
V8 small block V8, and add a raked stance atop a set of 'Old
Styles', and you get a nasty little mid-sized Chevy with great
performance and killer looks.
Built to cruise the streets and look great doing it, this slick
Nova lived an easy life as a very solid Dover White 2-door sedan,
so when it was time to restore this muscle car a huge overhaul
wasn't necessary. There are no signs of major surgeries resulting
from past indiscretions, just laser-straight sheetmetal and neatly
aligned panels. The bright Code 50 Dover White paint is an original
shade, faithfully repainted to a very high driver-quality level
that can be shown off with great pride. The eye-searing color
accents the performance attitude of the X-Body Nova, and the
crouched stance 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. 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, rocker trim molding, and
correct 'SS' and '350' badges make this car look like a proper
performance machine.
The interior is dressed just the way you'd want it if you were
building it yourself: black vinyl. The no-nonsense look of the Nova
lends itself rather well to the street fighter role it plays, and
it's also all-day comfortable thanks to modern materials. The seat
covers are recent replacements adorned in the original patterns and
style, matching black carpets are plush and insulate the cabin from
the outside elements, while the uber-clean door panels at the
flanks feature a chrome and white accents that match the exterior
paint scheme. This cabin was obviously purposely conceived and
properly executed, with every component serving a genuine purpose
that help drive this Nova into an upper echelon of driver-quality
classics. The original gauges didn't tell you much about what was
going on under the hood, so the builders neatly integrated
auxiliary gauges under the dash, and there's a familiar sporty
3-spoke steering wheel with a Bowtie center cap that was swapped in
favor of the original, bulky unit. As a column shift car, it's a
'set-it and forget-it' situation behind the wheel, especially with
power steering helping the driver along, and for entertainment
there's a Jensen AM/FM/Cassette stereo in the original slot. The
trunk is surprisingly spacious and offers no surprises thanks to
the exposed sheetmetal, protected by a couple coats of
spatter-paint that wears like iron.
With a reasonable curb weight, the 350 cubic inch V8 under the hood
provides heroic performance. The bright Chevy Orange engine looks
appropriate popping out from the satin black inner fenders and
firewall, and a few shiny dress-up pieces to make it look suitably
intense when you open the hood. A Summit Racing 4-barrel carb on an
Edelbrock Performer intake manifold help make some additional
horsepower, there's an HEI ignition system that fires it up with
ease, and although it definitely feels like there's an upgraded cam
inside, this isn't a radical engine that will shake you out of the
seat. Instead, it idles well, is responsive up and down the
throttle, and should run very 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 long-tube
headers feed into a rather fresh dual exhaust system with
Flowmaster mufflers that give it a genuine hot rod sound. The
mostly painted underside is clean, incredibly solid, but not
over-detailed, and thanks to power steering, power front disc
brakes, and a big aluminum radiator, this Nova can be driven
regularly with great confidence. Big 17-inch American Racing Torque
Thrust 'Old Style' wheels wrapped in 215/55/17 front and 235/50/17
rear blackwall radials look ideal, filling the wheel wells without
causing clearance problems.
Dependable performance with the right muscle car look, this '69
Nova makes it easy to have fun straight away. Call today!
