To a non-Chevy guy like me, I used to hear the word “Nova” and think “cheap car.” And that part is partially true − smaller in size and accoutrements than Chevelles and big Chevrolets, the Chevy II and upmarket Nova were hardly the stuff of dreams for this teenager in the 1980s. However, with age comes wisdom, giving me the understanding that they weren’t necessarily ugly, and “adding lightness” goes a long way to making a fast car. A perfect example of this is this 1966 Nova SS resto-mod that will appear at Mecum’s Dallas auction September 3-6, 2014.
Even though the styling was held in disdain by this kid back in the day, 1966 Novas have everything that make mid-1960s GM products great, such as Coke-bottle styling (albeit subtle in the Nova’s case), graceful C-pillars, and quality trim. The SS specifically came standard with bucket seats and subtle brightwork and trim to proclaim it the most deluxe of Chevy IIs, while the top L79 327/350 was a fully capable motor that could show its hiney to a Hemi with proper tires (with Grumpy Jenkins driving, natch).
This resto-mod Nova SS that will be at Dallas has a sparse write-up, but the seller makes these claims:
- Demon Six-Pack
- Custom Ultra leather interior
- Front and rear bumpers cut down and tucked into body panels
- TCI independent front and 4-link rear stainless suspension
With a 383 small-block and 425 horsepower, custom interior, and trunk that would make it a pleasure to sneak into a drive-in, this Nova is enough to make me forget about its downmarket origins if I was 15 all over again.
No Comments yet