Vehicle Description
Good luck finding another vehicle that will give you V8 power,
rear-wheel drive, documentation, low miles, and a ton of
originality for less than this 1976 Chevy Nova Concours. Seriously,
if you want a nice entry-level hobby car, this relatively rare Nova
offers a ton of appeal and lots of potential.
When was the last time you saw one of these? 1979? The concours was
the Nova SS's cushy luxury-oriented brother and gets a few upscale
touches like the padded roof and some extra chrome. It sure looks
like it's lived its life someplace warm because the bodywork is
straight and it's quite clean underneath, and just about everything
you can touch was installed back in 1976. It's not a big dollar
car, but someone has given it excellent care over the past four
decades, and it really shows. Fit is quite good, with long doors
that show even gaps and a trunk that latches with a gentle touch,
and you know that with original paint there are no scary secrets
hiding underneath. Is it perfect? No, but it's far better than most
of its siblings at this point, and it'll show up at events and
everyone will reminisce about the one they used to own. In typical
Chevy fashion, this Concours received an ornate chrome grille and
the requisite script badges and all the chrome is surprisingly
well-preserved.
The tan vinyl interior appears to be entirely original as well, a
further testament to how well-preserved and cared for this vehcile
is. The front bench will look familiar to any GM fan of the period,
and the Nova Concours borrowed its steering wheel from the more
upscale Oldsmobile line to help with the luxurious look. The
instrument panel is standard Nova, which means a wide rectangular
speedo and a fuel gauge, all wrapped in some faux woodgrain, but
there's also factory A/C, which is rather rare, as well as an
ancient AM/8-track radio that was cutting-edge tech in 1976. The
back seat looks virtually untouched since 1976 and the carpets are
in excellent shape with only very minor fading that's mostly
covered by a set of rubber mats The trunk is sizable and solid,
still carrying what may very well be the original spare tire
The original window sticker specifies a 305 cubic inch V8 under the
hood, and that's what's there today. With good torque and a vast
array of upgrade options, there's just nothing like a small block
Chevy in your mid-sized Nova. It's totally stock and very nicely
detailed, looking almost showroom fresh with bright Chevy Orange
paint on the engine itself. The factory air cleaner inhales through
a correct hose, a part that's always degraded, and you'll note that
all the original A/C equipment is intact and fully functional
thanks to an R134a refrigerant upgrade. A TH350 3-speed automatic
links to a 2.73 gear set out back, so it cruises easily on the
highway and sounds suitably hushed through what might be the
original exhaust system. Factory-issue wheels are a sporty take on
the Rally and wear 205/75/14 whitewall radials.
Documented with its original window sticker, Protect-O-Plate,
owner's manual, registrations, and maintenance records, this is a
fantastic survivor that will wow crowds for not a lot of cash. As
such, it's worthy of respect. Give us a call today!
