1971 Chevrolet Nova

Description

The recipe is as old as the automobile itself. Take one giant engine and stuff it into the smallest, lightest body you have. This bright yellow 1971 Chevy Nova is a fantastic example, a very potent SS tribute that's both beautifully built and incredibly fast.

This is an original code 52 Sunflower Yellow car, although it now sports a shade that's a few degrees more nuclear. Whatever you want to call it, it's spectacular, and the bodywork underneath is very nicely done. A solid, southern car all its life, it didn't take a lot of work to make it this straight, although you can tell it's a lot nicer than the factory workmanship. Good gaps all around indicate that someone knew what they were doing and cared enough to spend a lot of time getting it all lined up just right, and the doors open and close with precision. It's not a real SS, so all the correct SS emblems, including the rear valence and front grille, were rounded up and installed, along with the black SS stripes and requisite 350 badges on the front fenders. It's a pretty convincing facsimile of a real SS, and anybody who isn't an expert at decoding VINs and cowl tags will probably not notice. Chrome items like the bumpers are beautifully done and are probably brand new reproduction items, and all the stainless has been polished.

Inside, you'll find a stock bench seat interior, which is not uncommon in early Novas, and with fresh seat covers, it looks virtually new. There's no console of course, but there is a B&M shifter and that industrial look is way cool all by itself. The dash looks original, and is augmented by a trio of auxiliary gauges hanging down low. The original AM radio is long gone, replaced by an AM/FM/cassette unit from Alpine. Like the body, the interior workmanship is nicely done and although the Nova was designed to be inexpensive, it doesn't feel that way from behind the wheel. They kept the trunk largely stock, including spatter-finish paint and a mild-mannered spare whitewall on a steel wheel.

Under the hood, you'll find a stout 350 that's been punched out to 360 cubes and fitted with 10:1 pistons. No, it's not the original, numbers matching block, but it is detailed as if it were. Chevy Orange paint on the block and heads looks great against the satin black engine bay sheetmetal, while chrome valve covers and an open-element air cleaner give it a little flash. Edelbrock supplied the intake manifold and there's a Holley 4-barrel carburetor sitting on top of it, plus a high-output ignition system that lights the fires. Long-tube headers feed a pair of Flowmasters for that unique sound, and the floors are so clean you can still see traces of the original paint down there. A TH350 3-speed automatic feeds a rugged 10-bolt that should last virtually forever in this lightweight package. 15-inch Weld wheels look flashy and wear staggered radials for a race-ready look.

This is a tastefully done car that has had a lot more than the asking price spent on it and will make you smile every time you turn the key. Call today!