Why The 1968-1974 Chevrolet Nova Is America's Favorite Compact Classic Car
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- čas přidán 7. 08. 2019
- Today there's no compact classic car more popular than the 1968-1974 Chevrolet Nova. Watch this video to find out how this once low budget compact car has become a much sought after classic car.
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I still have my '72 Nova coupe that I drove off the dealers lot on August 14th, 1972.
You should make that as a collectible.
you fortune , congrats ,Peace
Hold on to that classic! A friend of mine in the early 80's owned a base nova straight 6 powerglide medium blue black vinyl seats cpe. He drove it to work every day solid reliable car he told me.
Wow, that’s awesome. Please don’t ever sell it, and when the time comes, pass is down to someone who will truly appreciate it and value it.
Love hearing stories like that. You should do a video on the car...
It’s about time these 68-74 Novas got some Love and recognition. These were awesome affordable cars very underrated. . The bodies were lightweight and with the right motor and drivetrains they were formidable street fighters. Great pieces of American Machinery
Now that i can agree on. I had owned 5 nova's mostly the '73-'74 model years from 1978 up thru the early 90's. They were great cars.
They are sleepers i'v owned 5 (70-75) Nova's and loved all of them A 71 6cyl ,2- 73 w350 's 1 was SS w 4 speed hatchback ,75 w 6cyl and i still have 70 w350 they are Great cars
I loved my 78 9C1 350 cid 4bbl. it was ordered by Texas DPS but never delivered. Richardson Chevrolet painted 10 of the never delivered police cars #51 Bright Yellow, where Mrs Cooper bought it. I bought it in 92 for $100.
I loved that car! It was a COPO, but just a police 9C1. Quick enough...black vinyl and EASY to work on. At least the front windows were power and it had “cop” everything including AC! Sold it for 3000.
They used to be great bargain buys to build into sleepers. And then the intermediate bodies (chevelles, LE mans, etc) prices skyrocketed and now novas are getting stupid pricey. Us Ford guys know that feeling when the mustangs prices went north and suddenly the falcons and Mavericks started climbing. I’m now into 80s cars because of this.
They to get recognition their 70 yrs old!
The Nova SS with a high performance 350, 396 or 427 was one of the fastest cars of the muscle car era. They were rockets!
U just texted my no. # friend 396 😻 🚗.
1notgilty
I had a 1970 396 4 speed. Yes it was a rocket!!!!
Never drove one with a 427. Must have been insane. I want one.
What do you know about a 76 nova
@@chrisj197438
I know
A terrific overview of a great Chevy, I had a Silver with Black vinyl top 1970 SS with a freshly built 350, 780 Holley, headers & factory Muncie 4-speed I only paid $1000 for from a good friend in 1989. I drove it by myself 3100 miles from Fresno California to Orlando Florida in a little over 38 hours, a drive I will never forget!
My first car was a '73 Nova Custom cpe silver with black vinyl top 41 years ago. It had the trade mark rust on the rear quarters inner wheel wells. 5.7 4bbl turbo 350 F41 sport suspension factory dual exhaust AC & ralley wheels. Did find the build sheet under the rear seat with option list after i bought it with 71,117 miles.
Sounds like she was a beauty 😎
i imagine that was a great drive!
My first car when I was in high school back in the early 80's was a white 1970 Nova with a straight six 250. My dad bought it for me for $400. He was a chief in the Navy and we were living in San Diego. I had plans to make the ultimate hot rod. The 68-72 Nova is still my favorite car of all time.
I remember my grandfather’s ‘79 Nova. Absolutely loved it. I miss bench seats.
My Great Grandmother used to own and drove in one of these awesome cars. I kind of wish she'd lived up to see generations like me, especially the other one.
Bought a 70 when I came home from Vietnam. This “compact” is bigger that most “full size” cars today. These were great cars
Thank you for your Service Walter!
Thank you for your service sir
My very first car at 16 was the '74 Nova SS with the 350 in it. Loved that car and miss it everyday. Wish I would of held on to it like most people here. Add many after market parts to it since dad was in the autoparts business. Had lots of fun racing it with my friends on country roads. Guess it's time to start searching for one.
I have a 74 Nova two-door hatchback. I've owned it since about 1985. I came out with a V6 automatic and I think transmission still in there but I used parts. So if you're still looking three years later 41 - been off the road since it was around 11 years old. Running driving car with a V6. I put that V6 Oldsmobile Omega. About dragged back bumper off the yeah I cook a rear wheel drive engine and put it in a front-wheel drive car. Anyway you want no more bad let me know
I own a 74 California custom 2dr with the 350. Beautiful American classic!
I love it more than that maverick. Heck the '74 gto/Nova should've had a 400 in there.
Classic junk.
Did you remove the pollution control? If so, how is the power?
@@shawnmiller9381 i would'nt say that! These r great built cars from that time when the feds were tightening chevy on safety & fuel mileage at the time of the first gas crunch!!
@@shawnmiller9381 Classic junk??
You must not know anything about cars because one of those SS 396 Novas will eat anything at the stoplight.
"Compact" car with a 111 in. wheelbase. Oh, those crazy 1970s ...
It was approximately 60% as long and 60% as wide the full-size cars of the era.
Dodge Dart was also 111 inch in '60s. Advertising called it a "senior compact"
Yea some sites called the old challenger compact. It really wasn’t that compact. And the new challenger being called compact would be an oxymoron 😂🤣
Hah. 'Compact' 1960 Dodge Dart had, I think, a 120" wheelbase!
It's not a big car by any means. Yes it had a long wheelbase, but the car was not big.
1968-72 Nova's have always been in my top five of all time favorites.
Over all I've owned 10 novas from 64 up,I had a 68 ss L78 396 that I owned 4 times and let it get away,it was a beast and after all these years im still sick.Great video.!!!
I had a 77 with the 250, great car and that engine was very reliable.
Stingblob my parents had one. It was a 3 speed standard on the column!
I've had a number of vehicles with a 250 straight 6 and really appreciated them.
Phil Sigman so good that we have these memories and not the revisioned stolen valor badged ss novas you see at car shows since originals with no hot rod overhauls are getting pretty rare.
Thanks for the memories guys. My dad had a '69 Nova it was our family car til I was 9. It was his first car and he loved it but had to scrap it in '88 when the body rust got really bad. I still remember the black vinyl seats that were 1000 degrees in the summer and burned some skin when I was wearing shorts! They don't make great cars like these anymore it's a shame. My first car was a '79 Chevy Malibu and I loved that car it was and always will be one of many long gone classic cars.
Those same seats vinyl seats are -1000 degrees in the winter.
I had a 1976 Nova and absolutely loved that car. It was the best $300 I ever spent and I hope to find another one
Wonderful bit of nostalgia. Your video production mimics the qualities of the car itself: simple, easy to watch and unserstand; no music and no flashy CGI. Thanks!
Had a 1970 with a 396 and 4 speed. It would scream!!
When I get my time machine working, this is one of many cars that I will buy brand new, hide in a barn, and dig out in the current day.
Or just build a big enough time machine and bring it over.
I'm Trademarking my time machine next year.
I would buy two - one big block and one small block, both four speeds.
Its one of my many dreams! Lol!
Bring one for me too. A black SS with a 350 would be fine. I'll just drive and baby it
Every time I see a Nova from 68-72, it makes me emotional. I had 2 of them 69-6 250 cyl, and 70-8 307 cyl. LOVE NOVAS!! 😍😍
When I was a senior in high school, there were a pair of brothers that lived across the street. One had a small block Nova, and the other had a big block. Those cars looked great and sounded really nice. Seemed like they were always wrenching on them. I later joined the Army, and after a year, started looking for a car to buy...either a Mustang or a Nova. Ran across the Mustang first, and still own it 39 years later. I really like how the Novas looks, and those brothers were an influence. A good friend of mine races a 69 Nova with a 454 and two speed Powerglide. On gas, he runs in the low 10's. Nice car!
Another reason why AMERICAN MUSCLE cars are loved by millions worldwide,,,,just beautiful cars....
Awesome to see the Nova getting some love. I think you hit all the packages and models other than the 74 Spirit of America one.
I did own a Spirit of America edition back 1992. Really wished i had it now. Would be a great car for car shows or cruisein's. Something unsual u would be surprized alot of folks who go to these events never knew about what chevy built back then. Even rarer is the hutch tent (camper) for which was available during the '73/'74 model year.
I was 14 when those came out. I was going to a Jesuit school and couldn't believe that the priests, brothers, or what have you, had gotten such cool cars. The only car that was better was the richest kid's '67 Malibu SS. Now that was sweet.
My parents owned a ‘69 Nova and I learned to drive on it in ‘72. It was a great car and I still miss it to today.
I learned to drive in a '69 Nova. Miss it to this day.
The car I learned to drive was a white 69, six cylinder Nova. I wrecked it a few times and drove it until it was worn out. I miss that car.
lol
Imagine a Nova, they were small, with a big block, INSANE! And heaps of fun.
I drive a 74 sedan with a 350 as my daily. Best car I've ever owned!!
Hopefully sedans will go up in value. I'm just saying that because I am driving one too 😝
Does it make a good, practical daily? I'm considering a 1969 coupe 350 as a daily
I’ve driven a 1973 Chevy nova with a 327 as my daily driver from 1999 to this very day. Amazing cars
love those 62-72 novas, one of the most beautiful cars ever made !!!
I had a '68 Nova with the straight six and automatic back in the late 70's. One of best, most dependable cars I ever owned.
Wow!! I had a 74" Nova 6 cyl 3 speed on the coloum. Was a rust bucket, but it got me from a to z and back. Good old car it was, payed 100 bucks for it and drove it for 2 years.
There were a hundred made with a 6 for every one made with a 396.
$100 no matter the year is a great deal.
Owned a 1971, 3 speed on the colome gave it to my Mother who I'm guessing my brother conned her out of it never seen it again 🤔
Didn't know about the two door hatchback. To me, the Nova was always a second tier muscle car kinda of like the Maverick. Glad to see they are finally getting some respect. I had a friend with a 72 Olds Omega and have to say it was pretty nice. Thanks for posting.
My first car was a burgandy hatchback.Did not know at that time the hatchback was kinda rear.
Should have kept it,was just another Chevy.
1974 ,350 v8.
Had a 74 Nova in the 80s. Dropped in a 454 with M22 Rock Crusher. Left many others in the dust. Sure would like to have that one back.
good fun but nova with big block....dat handling boiz lol with the 454 when you floored it the winshield cracked
Hopefully you installed front discs.
The Nova's relatively long 111" wheelbase extended far enough under the hood that a big block engine would not overburden the front tires or ruin the handling. This made it a favorite for muscle car fans, but also made it cramped for its size (the Cadillc Sevile was a Nova platform with a 3" stretch in the rear seat, and even it was cramped for a luxury car). By 1977, GM no longer offerred big block engines on any passenger cars other than the full-sized Cadillacs, so the rasion datre of the RWD X-body was pulled out from under it ; the smaller Malibu had similar engine choices and more interior room. So it makes sense that this car would die as the muscle car era drew to a close. The efficient but utilitarian Citation was a better fit for the power-starved engines of the early 1980s.
A poor man's real car, Not shy to pick up your date or drive to another state. A car with real muscle that could handle winter storms.
Every time he says 1968 to 1974 Nova take a drink.
One would die from alcohol poisoning!
@@LeeFred78 What do you do when he screws up and says "1968 to 1977 Nova"? It's at around 9 minutes in.
Bruce Selenka please, never comment again.
Or a hit✌🏻😁
@@wolfchild4414 A hit of acid?
I had a 73 Nova SS with hatch, a very fun car for a teenager in 1979. I fitted it out with big Kelly tires and dropped a new Craig sound system in it. I drove a lot of sophomore girls home in that car. However, the gas crisis of that time hit me hard as it barely got 10 mpg, and I was driving up to forty miles per day commuting between home, high school and work during my senior year.
I bought a Brand New 1974 Nova Looked like a Ma Bell Car .Root Beer Brown. Metalic 6cy Automatic with a Vanilla Pleather Interior, Payments were $56 $ a Month Nice car and Cheap to Drive Regret trading it only 45k Miles Loved that Car!!
The 4 GM X car names spell Nova, hahaha.
Love this video.
I had a '72 Pontiac Ventura II. It wasn't super-loaded, although it had an auto and AC. I still miss it...
My dad had a white 1974 Hatchback 350. Now days it is considered rare. He traded it for a station wagon back in 1992.
It was an automatic with a gear shifter in the floor. Had a big cam in it and would run 120 mph in 2nd gear.
I’m 37 years old and I still remember doing burnouts with my dad when I was 10 years old. I used to sit in his lap and drive it on the road all the time.
I hope to find one just like it one day and surprise my dad.
Great cars, and sturdy too. I've only owned one Nova, a 1972 4dr with a 307. It was a great car even with 4 doors. It was plenty fast, handled great on twisty blacktop roads and had good brakes.
I like the '68-'72s but my favorites are the '66-'67s
I agree and I own a very nice 69... :-) those 66-67 really had the best lines
@Titus Titus, in 1966 or 1967 a highschool student bought a plain Chevy II. The only options he had were 327 (Corvette) high horsepower, 4 spd and heavy duty suspension.
His car was said to be faster than most of the big cubic inch cars at the time.
I was young, about 12, but still remember that solid blue car with blue wheels and silver hubcaps.
He never put "Mags" on it.
I don't know when I learned he had a Sleeper.
yes, great video but when he said the 68-whenever are the most desirable of the compacts or something like that, I thought of the 66-67.
Had three friends that owned 396/375 Novas back in the day. Fairly sure they would love to have those cars back. I had a '63 6/3sp and a '64 SS 4sp with a 327/300 HP (came with a 283). Loved those cars. Continued great work!!
My Dad bought a brand new 1969 Nova after being in the Marines in Vietnam.
Though it came with a 350, in 1970 he wanted more horse power and bought a brand new LS6 crate motor direct from GM and put in the LS6. The Nova probably weighs 600-700 pounds less than a Chevelle.
I proudly have this gem in my garage and the car only has 26k original miles.
I love the 1969 Nova. My dad had one. I had a 69 powder blue with white vinyl top, bucket seats console shifter. I sold it.. cheap during 2008-2010 recession. It might have been a real SS
One of the great things about the entire Chevy lineup is that they had double wishbone suspensions that allowed huge engine bay's. Except for the full size cars, Ford used a modified McPherson strut. That required shock towers which made for a tight engine compartment. The exception to that is the Mustang II which had a front suspension still used by hot rodder's today.
Ugh 62-67 Nova/ Chevy 2 did not have a typical wishbone.
Great presentation of the Nova! Thank you.
I own a 1969 original configured Nova, and I'm leaving it that way and having fun with it.
In 1997 when I was 19 I bought a blue, 1973 coupe with the "boat anchor" 307. Had 63k miles on it and no rust. It was an actual "little old lady" one owner car, still had the original wheels. I paid 2k for it and threw some "steelies" on it. It was slow but man was it cool. Everybody wanted to ride in that thing all the time.
I have purchased a couple of little old lady/man cars over the years. The only problem is that many components wear out with age rather than mileage and then the new owner is paying modern prices to have them replaced.
Yeah the 307 was a slug. The 250 6 was dead right reliable. Owned a "73 with the 6 popper with the last time the 2 spd powerglide was mated with that engine.
This generation Nova will always be my favorite of any Chevrolet. Easy on the eyes, easy to work on.
Thank you man seeing these cars brings back A LOT of memories.
Incredible amount of historical research on your video ! Most impressive!
I had the 307 V-8 in the 1968 Chevelle. It was a good running engine with 200 HP. I remember the Yenko Deuce. One of my neighbors had one and it was a beast.
I once owned a 68 nova custom. You're right they were quite easy to work on, I replaced a worn out water pump in less than 30 minutes with hand tools.
I had a '70 Nova SS .....she was beautiful ❤
the last great era in american car history rest in peace GM 2019
In 1977 I bought a 1970 Nova L78 396/375 SS.... man, how I wish I still had it..
I still have my 1972 Nova SS I purchased when I was 16. At 50 it still turns heads. Absolutely nothing is stock except the body.
For a number of years a '63 Nova 4 door was our family car. My dad used to say it was the best car he ever owned.
At least until it was parked out front night and some came drunks along and pretty much bent it in half.
I had a 72 nova. It had a 307 2bbl 350 turbo trans. It was a rust bucket. But it ran like a top. I wish I still had it. I miss it.
7:45 I know its just an ad, but just imagine what a great time those boys were having. Makes me kind of depressed knowing that days like that are long over.
I love my Chevy "Reborn" Nova Custom! Restored it from the ground up!
Your videos are so enjoyable and informative to watch. Keep up the great work !
I'm a fan. '63 4 door six i wish i still had (It was my Moms) and a '71 2 door Rally Nova a friends Dad had . 307 but just a year old then. Ran great.
Thank you for keeping the memories alive of these Novas plus all of the other American automobiles that so many of us cherish, either owning one now or the great memories that we have of our own ideas of what we liked or loved of a specific vehicle.
For my 16th birthday, in 1979, I bought a 1969 NovaSS 350. Kept it almost 30 years. Miss it every day. Current owner recently redid all the cracking 30 yr old lacquer with modern base n clear. Looks killer in fresh Lemans blue. sniff sniff
Green 1970 Nova 2 door coupe with the 250ci straight 6 and Turbo Hydramatic 3 speed auto. Fun, roomy, quick, great handling and cheap to own. Too bad it only lasted 4 months when it was t-boned.
I miss the 1970 4dr Nova with a 307 my dad gave me back in 1985.
My brother in law had a ‘70 with a three on the tree. Cool car. We also had a 63 automatic. Plain Jane with a metal dash! Another great car
I loved racing and usually beating Nova's back in high school in the early 80's. There were so many of them on the road that you couldn't help but to meet one at a stoplight. They were usually seen with Crager SS wheels and jacked up in back sporting 350 fender badges. They looked like a box on wheels next to my orange 70' 383 Cuda' with the factory black reverse hockey stick stripes down the rear quarter. 79 cent a gallon premium gas meant driving around with my super sexy and naughty girlfriend and racing whoever wanted to, those were some great days and perfect nights. Yea we were some cocky so and so's back then but hey why not.
orange70383 You would have had your hands full with my buddy's '70 350 Nova. His had the high revving LT1 version of the 350. 3.73 gears and 4 on the floor.
Sorry. The Cuda’ with the loose Woman wins. 🏁 🏁 🏁 👀
Here in Argentina this car is one of the 6 most legendary in history, with the 250 engine
David Diaz there are many in Argentina still in use today ?
If memory serves, in the mid to late 70’s, Novas could come with an optional “Police package” that gave you some version of the 350 chevy v-8, bigger radiator and upgraded water pump with pulley to accommodate 2 belts, either of which could drive the pump by itself, a redundancy so that you had to lose two belts before your engine cooling was disabled. It was said that you could idle all day in the hot sun, 100 degrees outside, run the a/c full blast, and the temp gauge wouldn’t budge from dead center. You got a small tube-and-fin radiator type cooler for the transmission fluid, and another one for the engine oil. You got dual exhaust, larger diameter shocks, sway bar, extra spring leaf on the rear, high-output generator and high capacity battery. The finishing touch was a steel skid-plate welded to the chassis underside, so if the car went airborne (!!), it would bottom out on the skid-plate, not the radiator support, oil pan, bell housing, muffler, rear differential, gas tank, etc.
G.M. didn’t push or even advertise these option packages, they carried a low profit margin, and were meant to provide police departments with an affordable patrol car that could hold up under the demanding fleet service that they had to endure. It was like a public-service provision to assist cities, counties, and states budgeted by public funds to get the most for their money. (Citizenship... imagine that...) anyway, while not pushed or promoted, or even widely known about, they were available to anyone ordering a car and choosing options. The cool part was that if you knew about this reasonably priced option package, what was designed to normalize reliability and service life under extraordinarily punishing service has the unsurprising effect of rendering an already-durable, reasonably-priced family sedan under typical “civilian “ service demands into an extraordinarily reliable, durable, almost maintenance-free car that could go 200, 300,000 miles or more, and still not smoke, use or leak oil, lose compression, blow head gaskets, have violent shifts, roll backwards on an incline, have stinky, thin, burnt looking fluid, on and on. It was one of the best investments you could make... not just in dollars, but in time, trouble, inconvenience, anxiety, worry, peace of mind, all of those things that go along with car ownership, or entrusting the safety of a loved one to a car. Unfortunately, why on EARTH would a car company want you to have a car like that? That was another thing that was kind of cool about it ... it was a sleeper, a hack, a way to beat the system, get a little advantage for a change, take a little break from your life as a victim by catching a tailwind for once ... he, he, he ...lol .. Anybody remember this? Did I get most of it right, or is it just another hallucinogenic manifestation of my geriatric senility? Wait ... what was the question again?
Ha!!! What was the question again? Made me laugh.
Growing up, these cars 🚗 were EVERYWHERE...❤😮
I've always liked the 1968-74 Nova's a lot although I prefer the 1968-72's over the 1973-74's, they were definitely the best of the compact cars although I wouldn't rule out the 1966-70 Ford Falcon's or the 1970-72 Dodge Demon's/Plymouth Duster's.
Ford guy....but always liked this Chevy. Very easy to work on.
My very first car was the 1971 Chevy Nova with the slant 6. It was like a bronze color. My ship is pulling out of Norfolk for a 7 month cruise. I'm running late and all I can do is park near the dock. All that mattered was to get onboard. Usually you'll park in long term section, disconnect the battery cables and stuff like that. Well, after 7 months, we're pulling into Norfolk and we're betting on whether my Nova was towed. Get up to the signal bridge and found her sitting right where I left her. Next round of betting was whether she would start; got out to the car, pumped the gas three or four times, turned the key and she started right up. Drove her back to NJ that day.
Another informative video. Great job
I watched it because of my buddy that just sold his 70 SS350 Nova. He owned her since 73, and did a lot of high performance upgrades.
Funny, the first time I got to drive her, was the day he sold her. Believe me, I tried to get a ride for many years. ...but something always got in the way.
He had to sell her...so sad.
Such a cool ride, and very fast.
And yes, she was a 4 speed, with 4.11 gears out back. Built for racing back in the day : )
These and the Dodge Demon/Plymouth Dusters were great cars.
Trouble is, Duster, cud’s etc were made of salmon cans on wheels!😊
Novas, Camaros and especially Vegas rotted badly in the Northeast, so I guess they were made out something worse than salmon cans.
I had a 73 Duster 340-4 speed. I loved that car. The Mopar 340 was a screamer
Jeremy Thompson ... Did you have that abomination, the Carter Thermoquad (PFB) mixing fuel and air?
@@JW...-oj5iw I can answer for Jeremy.
Yes it had the Thermoquad.
I had a 1973 Challenger 340 Ralley.
It had the plastic carburetor.
Drove the car for 3 years about 90,000 miles.
Never had but 1 real problem.
Overheating, at 60,000 the car ran somewhat hot during the summer.
The Acadia Nova from Canada was awesome . My brothers Acadia would swap donuts when you gave er. nice car.
Hey Greg - The name was "Acadian" not "Acadia".
Except for the badges, they were identical to the Nova with Chevy engines etc. They were sold through Canadian Pontiac/Buick dealerships.
@@cybair9341 I Stand Corrected, Thank you Sir.
Thanks oldcarmovies always enjoy your videos. You changed your reading style! Whatever you want to do it’s your channel! Thanks again!
I just started driving when they came out my family owned 4 of them from 1969 to 1980. The Nova was the "Honda Civic" of its time...
Can confirm the ease of putting a small block in one of these took maybe half hour.
Wow. Was that a Hendricks pit crew doing the engine swap? Pretty quick. 🏎 🏁 🏁 🏁
@@xyrzmxyzptlk1186 the engine was already out and all the stars aligned and the 350 wanted to go to its new home lol
If you really went from empty engine bay to running car in 30 minutes that’s NASCAR pit crew fast. Gotta be Guinness Book of World Record stuff. You should post the video footage on CZcams. It’d be awesome to see.
I figured the 30 minute thing was somewhat embellished. You might be able to drop the motor in and get the motor mount bolts in place in 1/2 hour but a full engine, running car swap in 30 minutes is unbelievably fast, especially for only 2 people.
Had a 1970 Nova with a 307. 3 speed on the floor. It was fast! I miss it
Fast compared to the 6 banger at the time.
I think that 307 was a bit underated.
My first car from high school.
A 1971 coupe. Loved that car!👍
I love if Chevy revive the Nova as a cheaper muscle car that sits below the Camaro and have the SS version and a Supernova turbo charged version, I love the Nova, the design and look as well as the power is all I like about this car, such a beauty
They did.
They called it the Chevy SS.
Nobody bought it.
I never had the pleasure to own. I always like the car.👍
American cars from 1950s and 1960s was the best and the moust beatyfully disign inn the world .
They really were beautiful cars. Reliable and long lasting too to be honest. I had a junkyard nova with the small v8 and it was extremely reliable even though it was completely trashed and it still had good gas mileage, a lot of power, and no smoke or clunking and it had 183k original miles. miss that sweet little rusty girl.
Dad had a '75 Nova and Mom had a '66 Impala. I still miss both of the cars. The Nova was the first car i drove and I figured out that if you hit railroad crossings just right, you could fly Dukes of Hazzard style.... Still impressed that I never died or more importantly, wrecked her!
Thanks for the memories, please keep em coming.
Could you do a video on the MOPAR B-series vans, Buick Riviera and Chevy S-10?
i like those hatchback novas.
Never liked the hunchbacks.
Yep i owned 3 of the optional body besides the 2 dr coupe.
This guy is like the most exciting, most enthusiastic narrator ever.
Yes, I remember like yesterday, extremely popular cars as hot rods and grocery getters. If you couldn't afford a SS 396 Chevelle then the SS Nova was your next option. The SS Chevelles got all the glory but do to weight the 396 Nova was quicker.
Nice work. Novas were OK in my book. Not amazing, but OK. 🏁
I'll say.
I like how in your narration and storytelling we can distinguish when the government started meddling more in the marketplace. The fact that you hear for example 300hp down to below 200hp for later model years is telling.
For 1968-1974 Chevrolet Nova did make compact muscle car with V-8 engine and more then 400 horsepower. Usually some mid size cars are muscle cars, such as Buick 400 Skylark, Chevrolet Chevelle, Oldsmobile 442, Pontiac GTO, Ford Mustang Boss 302, Mercury Comet Cyclone, Dodge Charger and Challenger, and Plymouth Road Runner of that era.
See now this reassures me that I am very proud that I still have my 73 Nova SS dark green metallic with a small block 383 stroker.
You forgot the 1976 to 1979 Cadillac Seville as a Nova spinoff.
My aunt had a 1974 Nova and that year was so choked down with new required smog equipment (in California) that it ran horribly.
ez to fix
@@1racemate Ancient history and long gone.
That's what California emissions will do runnin state controlled gas just to pass the sniffer test.
I miss my Dads 72 ' Nova. His first car .. sky blue paint with black vinyl soft top. He used to push the pedal to medal and i remember it just unleashing the power it produced without any issues. Miss those days.
I had 70 Nova SS 350, 4 speed, 12 bolt, front discs. I completely restored it. Loved that car. The big bumper on the 73-74 Nova really took away from its sporty appearance. 68-72 were the best years.
True that
What about 76 through 79? I have a 2 door 79 and it shares a lot of the 75 parts such as the floor pan, suspension, and many other parts. It was also easy to put a 78 Trans Am rear end under it.
I didn't realize that the TA rear was an easy fit.
It just so happens that I own a 78 Nova, and have a yard full of ta part cars. I'll have to look into a swap!
Thanks
@@stuartb9323 2nd gen F body rear ends will bolt in, but they are slightly wider. 1st gen F body is an exact fit, as well as all 68-79 X body rears