The owner of a 1963 Chevy Nova SS almost had all his hard restoration work undone in a matter of seconds last week after he accidentally knocked the car into neutral, causing it to roll down his driveway and out into the road.
This home security camera footage was sent into the ViralHog YouTube channel by the son of the Chevy Nova owner this week. According to the son, his dad has been slowly restoring his 1963 Chevy Nova SS over the past 14 years and was putting some finishing touches on the car last weekend and installing the carpet. He accidentally knocked the shifter with the carpet during the installation process, however, causing the vehicle to roll away.
“This is my dad’s 1963 Nova SS he has been restoring for the last 14 years,” the video description says. “Over the weekend he attempted to put carpet into the car and the carpet hit the shifter and accidentally knocked it into neutral, the car then rolled back hitting my 1989 Dodge Ram 50. I ran out and jumped into the car stopping it. The result of this was the door is pretty screwed up, it broke hinges and scratched the front quarter panel, bent the trim and ruined the door liner.”
While we feel for the uploader’s dad, this situation could have been much worse. These folks live on what looks to be a relatively quiet suburban street, so there was little risk of passing traffic hitting the car as it rolled out into the road. The son also managed to stop the car from rolling back further and hitting the curb or one of the vehicles in the driveway across the street, potentially avoiding further damage.
Some commenters on the video pointed out the Chevy Nova owner could have avoided this situation by throwing down a couple of wheel blocks or bricks. Hindsight’s always 20/20, though, so we’ll chalk this one up as an important lesson learned the hard way.
Check out the clip embedded just below.
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Comments
Why did he park a manual on a slope, without parking brakes or chocks, expecting just the engine to hold it in place? Sorry, but he deserved that.
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Guess owner was too much in a hurry to install carpet? That door must be totally messed up. Lucky didn’t get pinned between Nova and flat-bed. Wheel chocks for Fathers Day.
Oh come on he made an error it happens everyday to everyone we all have our errors it may have been a costly error we all learn by our errors back in the day we had a slope driveway as well and my stepdad had the front of the car on ramps or jackstands and forgot to set the emergency brake and he had a air jack that would lift the rear of the car and as the car was being raised and before he could do anything to stop it the car rolled and the air jack went under the car and put 2 holes in the gas tank and he had a full tank it was 67 or 68 Impala and called the fire dept to hose down all the gas I was 11 or 12 when all that happened so yes we all make errors
Anton Yelchin made an “everyday” error. I’m sure he learned from it.
I would have deleted that video before I could be embarrassed by some snot nosed offspring,being in my internal memory bank is enough.
Reminds me of the time back in the late 60s when a similar thing happened to a neighbor while I was riding my bicycle as a teenager. It rolled down their driveway after they left it on in neutral and it went across the street and I was hit the tree. When I knocked on the door they were really incredulous that it happened and I believe their daughter was the one at fault
I’m thankful I have a flat driveway.
Reminds me of time neighbors Ford jumped out of Park while idling in driveway, backed out and smashed my brothers brand new 1974 Nova. Got it right in left front fender. Ford had a problem with that issue in 1970s.
I was working at Market tire Tysons corner when customer pulled car in the shop with the emergency brake stuck on the manager got under the dash and got it to release. The customer had left the car in gear. When brake released the car took off ran over manager and hit 3 cars in the parking lot. That was in 1973.
You never leave a car you are working on like that with no chocks. Sorry, but I agree, you get what you deserve.
No such thing as a 1963 Nova SS. Sorry! The first one was in 1965.
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That shows you what you know . A x code or a z code in 63 is a SS. You are stupid first year was 63 do some research
I feel for him. While the video may seem to show the damage to not look significant I assure you the damage is no easy fix. And for someone who has been painstakingly building his dream car it would be nothing short of devastating.
That being said I am a owner of 1963 and 1966 Nova SS cars I assure you that the car does come with a parking brake, I get constant grief for using the parking brake every single time before putting my car in park and there is no chance you would see me forget on a incline drive way this. I hope he gets her put back together soon.
Same thing happened to an Nova years ago. Don’t really know what happened just know that it rolled backwards into the street. That was back in the late ’70s I completely forgot about it till you just posted your vid. If I remember correctly it was a early ’60s not 66.
Switched the ear end in my 1964 Nova for a little later model Oldsmobile unit that had 5 lugs, lower gears and parking brake cables. The brake pull lever mounted between the bucket seats. I truly hope that the damage to this Nova is only hinges! I wish him luck!
Stuff happens I remember this happening to my neighbor’s car 40 some years ago. We couldn’t figure out what happened he parked it and got out and went inside 5 minutes later his car was out in the middle of the street. His car was a 64 I believe two speed powerglide.