1968-1974 Chevy Nova
There are cars we could have bought. Cars we would have bought. But this is the car I should have bought back in high school. My well-meaning parents helped me get a 1972 Vega in 1973, before the self-destructive properties of that model became so awfully and costly apparent.
They were thinking "small and economical" for my first car, but looking back in hindsight (as we all do), the long-term costs of a Chevy Nova would have been far less. And it wasn't much larger than the Vega.
The Chevy II/Nova line started in 1962 and went to 1979, and again from 1985 to 1988. But I'd like to focus on what I would have had in my high school years, the ones made from 1968-1974, which are now known as the 3rd Generation Nova. Those other cars have their own followers, and deserve separate posts.
So what's so unique about a Nova? Well, really, practically nothing at all. Recirculating ball steering, drum brakes (discs were optional), blah sedan styling (window frames remained after the glass was rolled down), and spartan interiors and gauge clusters made up this car for the most part.
Maybe that's what makes the Nova so special. GM took their best, proven build ideas at the time and made them work, skipping on some of the frills. And the test of time has proven that they still work. These cars were built during the heyday of muscle cars, and the Nova undoubtedly benefitted from some of that technology.
This foundation made it possible to build a Nova as anything from a nurse's car to a dragster and anything in between. I would not call them luxury cars during these years, but you could opt out of the vinyl floor and flat front bench seat with the LN Package in 1973. Of course, bucket seats were available all along.
These Novas were sold as coupes or 4-doors. There were no wagons or convertibles during this time.
One thing that was especially well-designed about the Nova was that it had a subframe up front, but was unibody from, say, the bulkhead/firewall on back. This large piece continued under the floor somewhat, as it had to be bolted to the main body. It added immense support for a large engine, but made the overall car much lighter than a full body-on-frame design. The F-Body Camaro and Firebird had a similar unit.
Where many unibody-car front-ends would have been beyond repair in an accident, this allowed the possibility of unbolting the subframe and replacing it, along with the front clip (that's the fenders, hood, and radiator support assembly to some of us). I have seen it done, and this kept many Novas out of the scrapyard prematurely.
The Nova offered Strato seats, Astro ventilation, and an optional Turbo-Hydromatic transmission ... GM sure went wild with space-age marketing names back then!
A bud had a Nova, circa-1969 model, that was plain and stripped to the bone, and I got to drive it on several occasions. Seems it had power steering, manual brakes, an automatic, 6 cylinders, and moon hubcaps--remember them? His car, in that form, was about as exciting as watching paint dry, but it got the job done. It was a solid car, until a battery turned over in the trunk. We all know what happened after that.
The Nova was reskinned for 1973. Though style is always subjective, I think the new looks took the car out of the 1960s and was a pleasant update. The front vent windows disappeared for a sleek, more modern look, and 5-mph bumpers were fitted as pleasantly as possible. A potentially hot hatchback was offered for the first time, and I remember a cool snap-on camping tent option for the hatchback. Well, at least I think it was for camping.
A Nova SS (Super Sport) was and is known by some as "The Hot Set-Up." Imagine putting a 396-cubic-inch (6.5-liter) V-8 with 375 horsepower into a 3,300-lb. car (A 2001 Miata with 144 horses weighs 2500 pounds). Install a 4-speed, add disc brakes, and tighten the suspension. Don't forget a sporty trim package. Better yet, let the factory do all of this for you and give you a warranty. The model years of power availability vary, but is there any wonder why folks love these cars?
This Nova has a claim to fame with Cadillac. With a little frame stretching and an all-new body, the first Seville sprang from the Nova. The altering of the Nova's backbone and new coachwork earned the Seville the K-Body designation over the Nova's then-X-Body. At $12,479, the Seville was the highest-priced Caddy of 1975.
Buick/Olds/Pontiac also had their versions, namely the Buick Apollo, Oldsmobile Omega (shown here), and Pontiac Ventura (later the Phoenix, years before the front-wheel-drive X-Car with the same name). Yes, they were virtual clones of the Nova, but at least each had a different face, with styling cues resembling other cars from each respective GM division, such as the "Pontiac Point."
But, unlike the Nova, those cars are now almost forgotten. They were offered only as a small car alternative in those divisions, like the Chevy Cruze and upcoming Buick clone. Will GM ever learn that badge-swapping may not be the best idea?
Maybe the Nova was a bridge between a large GM car and a sub-compact--tidy dimensions, but with tons of power and a solid feel. The doors sounded like a big car when you shut them, and there were no complaints of claustrophobic proportions once inside.
If I had owned a Nova in high school, I'm sure I'd have one now for reflection. I think this is one of the best cars GM ever built, as there are many still around. Their owners are fiercely faithful, and with good reasons. This is the best small car Chevrolet ever built, and I wish that they had stopped here--most everything that followed has been a total disaster.
--That Car Guy (Chuck)
The first image is from MuscleCarClub.com. The dash image is from Hemmings.com. The body/frame image is from ahwagner.blogspot.com. The red Nova SS is from Wikipedia. The Olds Omega photo is from www.NorCalOlds.com.
OldCarGuy on November 20, 2009 at 08:30 AM
I liked the look of these Novas. Very clean styling, and it didn't take much in the way of upgrades (tires and wheels, perhaps paint) to make them look very sharp.
I had a friend in high school who had an SS version, with Crager wheels and wide tires, slightly jacked up in the rear. In less than a year he totaled it when he hit a bridge abuttment and flipped it. Miraculously, he walked away. Another friend had a similarly customized Olds Cutlass, also totaled. (sigh) Just a little too much fun and power for inexperienced youths, I guess.
Anthony Cagle on November 20, 2009 at 08:46 AM
Y'know, I've never worked up all that much enthusiasm for these things. Probably because I always found the styling so bland, and it was the model of choice for all the dirtbags in HS (no offense to owners, probably situational) turned into dragsters with the huge back wheels. OTOH, seeing them in more or less original muscle car form, I really like them. Much closer to the original idea of a muscle car: cheap, light, simple, and with high power-to-weight ratios. I have much the same feeling about the '68-'69ish Road Runners.
Cookie the Dog's Owner on November 20, 2009 at 09:09 AM
These things were common as bugs back in the day, which is probably why I never paid all that much attention to them. That said, the badge-engineered Pontiac version starred in the greatest car chase ever filmed--"The Seven-Ups."
Pilot on November 20, 2009 at 12:28 PM
My first car was a used 1973 Nova that I bought in 1978. It had a 307 V8 with a three-on-the-tree, light blue with a white vinyl roof and a hatchback. No a/c. It ran well and had a lot of "git-up-and-go" to it. Would have kept it after college except for all of the rust - every time you closed the hatch little flakes of rust fell off, and the rear fender was rapidly disappearing. Was a great college car because hardly anyone could drive a standard shift car - especially on the column!
Bill on November 20, 2009 at 12:44 PM
My dad bought one of these new in 1973, and I wound up with it in due course, finally selling it (deer-crumpled hood and all) in 1986.
Unfortunately this particular one had the infamous Chevy 307-cu. in. V-8: noteworthy for having pretty much the lowest hp/displacement ratio of any engine in history. And of course 1973 was the year pre-catalytic converter power-sucking emissions gear made its unwelcome appearance. If the a/c was running, you'd better rev it and drop the clutch or it would stall out. The fuel filter also clogged (stopping the thing completely until replaced) about every nine months.
But aside from the crappy engine, it wasn't a bad no-frills utility car. I imagine with a 350 it could have been kind of fun.
Tom on November 20, 2009 at 12:46 PM
N(ova) - O(mega) - V(entura) - A(pollo)
Nova - get it?
Gene on November 20, 2009 at 12:57 PM
Ah, so many memories. My first car was a '69 Nova 6-cylinder coupe I bought from my aunt in 1979 when I started college. She lived very frugally and always bought the most stripped-down version of any car. This Nova had a bizarre transmission called a "Torque Drive," clearly designed by junkies. It was an automatic (no clutch), but you had to shift! In place of "drive" there were two gears, Lo (basically first gear only) and Hi (2nd and 3rd, I assume). The shifter was on the steering column like a typical automatic, with the gears (L to R) P-R-N-Hi-Lo. The shifting was a little stiff, requiring a fair amount of force to go from Lo to Hi. Of course this meant that if you pushed too hard you could overshoot Hi entirely and end up in N. And then, there was the night in rural Oklahoma when my semi-sober friend was driving it, overshot Hi and N entirely, and put the car into reverse at 25 MPH. I wish I had a photo of the rear end of my Nova shooting 2 feet in the air, and a recording of the BANG! that transmission made. Miraculously the car still drove, though it was never quite the same.
If any of you know which GM marketing genius thought of that tranny, I'd like to have some of what they were smoking.
I for one rue the day they eliminated front wing windows. The wings on my (non-air-conditioned) Nova made summertime ventilation easy. And, speaking of ventilation, that Nova had the most awesome heater I've ever had -- on a cold day that car went from refrigerator to sauna in about 10 seconds. I never really liked the car, but despite many minor problems it got me through college and then some.
dac on November 20, 2009 at 01:22 PM
They were designed well enough that if you had the right color scheme - red worked well, dropped a set of chrome wheels with mag tires, it looked pretty sharp, even if the motor you had in it was not hot.
Donald Sensing on November 20, 2009 at 01:24 PM
My dad bought a '73 new. I was just starting my senior year in high school. It was considered a small car at the time, but now does not seem so small. Anyway, that car would haul! My recollection (which may be in error) is that it had a small-block engine with bucketloads of spare power. It took off from a red light like it was shot from a cannon. By today's standards it cornered like the Queen Mary and leaned in a turn like a drunk in a windstorm, but back then, who knew? Every car did that. Many were the weekend nights I spent behind the wheel cruising with a buddy or two, or a girl or two, often one of both. Gosh yes, I would take one now, although I would not give up my Volvo turbocar for it.
That Car Guy on November 20, 2009 at 01:28 PM
Tom, you're a genius! I never knew that! Go NOVA!
Alan Anderson on November 20, 2009 at 01:54 PM
These made the best "beaters" of the late 70's through the late 80's. I lived in a neighborhood filled with fellow Policemen and firefighters; all of us paying high city taxes and parochial school tuitions. The same dark blue 4d door 68 or 69 Nova was in my hands on three different occasions when I needed a car quick and money was short. After a few months of side jobs I would put it on the block. Sure enough another neighborhood guy would buy it. Got us to work and home, all we needed.
David Colborne on November 20, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Gene - the Torque Drive sounds almost identical to my understanding of how the old-school Hondamatics worked. Then again, in Honda's case, it's because they couldn't make a three-speed automatic that was small enough to fit in the mid-'70s CVCC. I have no idea why GM went with that. Cost, perhaps? It does seem to be the GM way.
Honestly, I never thought much of the Nova, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Now that I think about it a bit, I know I still see a few of them around, so I suppose they were pretty durable for the time. To be honest, I think there's something to be said for a car that quietly and reliably gets the job done day after day, so I'm willing to issue a nod of respect to the Nova.
I wonder if we'll think about the Camry with such fondness 30 years from now?
DSmith on November 20, 2009 at 02:09 PM
Truly wonderful cars. Everything practical transportation should be, imo.
For those less practical, the front and rear subframes were virtually identical with the '67-69 Camaro. And a 396 is just a 427 that's a bit smaller on the inside. Which means it is both practical and inexpensive to bolt in the entire suspension, brake, and wheel setup from a '69 Z-28 or Trans-Am, including the 4-wheel disc option (expensive then, now in repro). Add the 427 Tri-Power from a '69 Corvette. Or maybe a modern 540 crate motor. Do this to a 4-door. Big fun, small car, holds all your friends, draws no cop attention, embarrasses very pricey Euro sedans. :)
DSmith on November 20, 2009 at 02:13 PM
Also note that the Pontiac GTO was built on this platform for one year, 1974. It came with a Trans-Am shaker hood scoop and a Pontiac 350 instead of the Chevy. Considered sacrilegious by the Poncho faithful, it was still a pretty nice package for the time. It came in that cool giant-hatchback body, and the 350 put out 200 SAE smogified HP, an amount that was good for bragging rights in the Trans-Am of just a few years later.
Bobby on November 20, 2009 at 02:16 PM
Maybe my memory is getting fuzzy, but the standard six cylinder engine plus automatic transmission driven by my mom back then was pretty fast (at least compared to my 62 Ford Falcon).
Matt from St Paul on November 20, 2009 at 03:15 PM
My mom had a white over green 74 4 door Nova we drive for some time. I remember the plastic covered seats with the little checkering pattern would stick to us when we would come home from the beach in the summertime. We drove it until I backed it out of the drive to shoot baskets and forgot to shut the drivers door, nearly ripping off its hinges on a full garbage can. I caught hell for that one...
tigerstrypes on November 20, 2009 at 03:58 PM
I read in Car Craft that Novas were named different in Mexico, because they thought that Mexicans would translate Nova for "No va", meaning "Doesn't go" in Spanish. Yet here in Puerto Rico, which is also a Spanish-speaking country, received it with the name unchanged and sold like hotcakes. You can still see them running to this day.
I also read that Don Yenko built the Yenko Deuce, which was a great handling car with the LT1 350 smallblock from the Corvette and Camaro to meet emissions and insurance rates.
If you really had no fear, then you MAYBE could handle the 427 Yenko Nova, a car that even Yenko admitted to be quite a hellraiser.
seguin on November 20, 2009 at 06:03 PM
"Will GM ever learn that badge-swapping may not be the best idea?"
Toyota hasn't yet either (Lexus ES350 and Toyota Camry), so GM probably won't for a while...but, just to clarify, the Buick Regal is pretty different from the Cruze. Cruze is a GMDAT design, the Buick is the Opel Insignia, AFAIK...unless you're talking about another Buick, in which case I wouldn't know.
comatus on November 20, 2009 at 06:28 PM
That Nova 307 may have been the best SBC ever. It had none of the corner-cutting of the later 305, noticeably more torque than the 283, and could get decent mileage, unlike the 350. They hotted up nicely, too.
I transplanted one into a '67 3/4 ton pickup, replacing a clapped-out 350. With a real big 2-bbl and careful exhaust system, it made a fine truck motor, and spun up 20 MPG on the highway. I liked it so well, when I got a '68 half-ton, I had the same motor transplanted again.
Charlos on November 20, 2009 at 06:42 PM
My dad and all the kids drove a '72 Nova with the medium size engine. It survived a year of my brother driving it without ever changing the oil. It had gone a quarter-million miles and was still running when Dad sold it.
That Car Guy on November 20, 2009 at 06:45 PM
To Seguin: "Wouldn't you rather have a Buick (Than a Cruze?)":
http://wot.motortrend.com/6484152/auto-news/spycam-is-this-the-buick-cruze-if-so-would-it-sell-here/index.html
William on November 20, 2009 at 07:52 PM
The third generation Nova also made police car history. In 1974, Harry Hammonds and Jim Engels of Chevrolet met with officials from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department about making a compact police car for urban patrol use with good gas economy, better handling and maneuverability, durability, and low operating costs. The LASD signed off and one month later a prototype car showed up in for an evaluation. LASD loved it so much, that later in the year, 15 showed up in Southern California, 11 went to the LASD, the remaining 4 went to Fountain Valley CA. Next year the LASD split the bid - half to Plymouth Fury and the other half Nova. The low operating costs and officers loving the performance, that in 1976 the LASD went all Nova. The Chevrolet Nova 9-C-1 came with upgraded body and rear seats, Z/28 steering box and pitman arm, Impala 11x2 front discs and rear drum brakes, C-20 Pickup cooling fan, clutch and radiator, Camaro steering wheel and heavy duty bucket or bench seats. That package was so popular with the police, that Chevrolet put the Nova before the Impala and Chevelle in their police brochures. The Nova set the standard for compact police cars, in fact the most influential police car of the 70's.
For example, the brakes will haul the Nova from 60mph to 0 in less than 120 feet under repeated heavy braking. For a 3750 lbs car, it is astounding. Too bad a few are left now.
Chuck on November 20, 2009 at 10:54 PM
Oh, and they were the police cars in "Live And Let Die!"
Ron T on November 20, 2009 at 10:59 PM
My neighbor keeps a 1968 6 cylinder black coupe in his garage - stock plus Baby Moons. He refused to sell it for $12K to a Detroiter who told him he wanted to convert it to a dragster. He's the original owner and an old school guy who appreciates what the car was meant to do. Nice to see that love for an old car.
OldCarGuy on November 23, 2009 at 06:51 AM
I just remembered the line in Beverly Hills Cop where Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) hands the keys to his incredibly battered Nova to a parking valet:
"Can you put this in a good spot? 'Cause all of this s__t happened the last time I parked here."