The Nova was a special car, because it was everything to everyone. For your first car, you could buy a basic, no-frills model. For a family just starting out, you could buy an inexpensive 4 door sedan. And for the older crowd, you could buy a fully loaded luxury model. And for those youngsters wanting to rip up the streets, there was the Nova SS
I rode in a few of them when I was a kid also. I remember it it was a smooth ride with a lot of get up and go it seemed. I love this particular body style , especially the two door and special editions
I rode in a couple of different ones, our pastor had a 70 I believe, and the family member had a 71, both were manual shifts, as a kid watching it being operated was fascinating to me. I've always had a fascination for cars for as long as I can remember all the way back to childhood.
My first car was a 1969 blue Nova with the basic engine and three speed column shift that I bought in 1972 and drove till about 1978 putting over a hundred thousand miles on it including a cross country trip. I don't ever recall a single breakdown. Stuff like ball joints had to be replaced but again it was totally reliable with respect to getting from point "a" to point "b". I did run out of gas once on the Van Wick Expressway in New York City where I used to live and that was pretty harrowing. And I came out to the car once on a cold winter night finding it wouldn't start but only to realize the battery had been stolen. Anyway, it really was a great car. Ps. I just remembered that there was a great little feature being the little side vent windows in the front could be turned out and around enough to force air in at high speed when on the highway which was great in summer as the car had no a/c.
My Dad bought a new redesigned one in 77 it was basic and was red it was a great car. It was tight drive smooth had power I loved borrowing it for dates
My dad always bought fords. When I took auto shop in HS, we talked him into gettn a Chevy. He bought a used 70 Nova w/307 cu. Great car!! Owned Chevies aftr that!.
We had fords when I was a kid. Then as a teenager we bought a Chevy Impala. The Chevy started in cold weather so much better than the fords. The Chevy drove much better too! My brother called it a " big two door sports car "!
My favorite and most reliable cars were all Chevys. I had a 68 Chevelle a 70 impala convertible a 73 Monte Carlo that was a sweet smooth ride and a 68 Chevy Camaro my favorite all time car
super cool, when I grew up all my friends had muscle cars. Mach 1 with a big block and 4 speed, 440 charger, dart with a 383 4 speed, 400 trans am. cutlas with a 455, even a 455 HO cutlas convertible, and many others
A feature a 1972 Nova has is a steel plate situated behind the rear seat so that if you hit a brick wall - a heavy tool box in the trunk won't come crashing forward and hitting you in the back. That's a relief. 6:12
I'd like to know why Novas are worth so much today! They used to be throw-away little compacts that you could pick up for next to nothing. Today you can't even go near one in good shape for less than $20K
From 68 onwards, the Nova shared it's underpinnings with the Camaro, they were essentially the same car with a different body. The Nova also had good looks, (especially the 68 - 72) but many were basic cars with six cylinders and three on the three transmissions. There were also a number of 4 doors. There were not that many SS models and very few with the 396 and I'm not even going to talk about the Yenko. Most of the less desirable models were long ago crushed or were converted into tribute cars. For the most part, the ones that remain are all two doors with 350s and up and that is what the people who are of age and income to buy them want as they either had one when they were younger or always wanted one. Even if you could find a four door three on the tree in rough but restorable shape, most of the demand for that car would be for its front clip and trim pieces to go on a more desirable two door body.
From what I understand the Camaro's suspension was upgraded for 1970, while the Nova's remained basically the same. I drove a rented 1975 Camaro with the 350/Turbo Hydra-Matic combo and it handled the highway like it was on rails. The 1973 Chevelle got the same design and I drove a '74 Malibu Classic in the 1990s and it handled straight and with confidence.
Although they sold a lot of them, Ford missed the mark on the Maverick looks wise. The Nova looked like something you wanted to own, but the Maverick had that, "I really wanted a Mustang or Torino, but had to settle for this cheap looking thing" look about it. Then again, they may have did this on purpose to try and get the buyer to step up. In fairness, when Ford made the Granada / Monarch out of the Maverick, they really did a nice job of making it a desirable looking luxury car for the up-and-coming person or someone who wanted to downsize as opposed to Chevrolet, whose Concours version of the Nova, looked like a gussied-up Nova.
It's a danm shame that the engineering team that brought about the Nova wasn't used on the Vega. The Vega did more damage to Chevrolet's reputation than any other car.
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 - Back in 1994 I used to carpool with a guy that had a 76 Vega station wagon. It ran good at the time. He made this joke about getting the car new and got a great finance deal through the Chevrolet dealership, he said he was still making his $7 a month car pament on it and he sould have it paid of within the next 15 years. LOL I havent seen him since 1997 and wonder if he is still driving that thing
@2:48 those are not NOVA wipers, those are concealed wipers from a larger car. I loved my old NOVA, it was a 69 two door Cortez silver with a black vinyl roof, 250 Turbo-Thrift 6 banger and a sloppy old Powerglide. Replaced it with a ‘74 SS that I drove for years and years. Great cars (but lousy in the snow).
Hell yeah, my 250 is so solid and tight I just can’t justify pulling it out for a V8. Not even burning smoke past the rings and it was truly pristine under the valve cover* Do I keep the 3 on the tree or cut it for a 4 speed floor shifter? I’m not sure if it’ll be a hackjob as most of the car is original, even in inconvenient ways.
I find my 74 sedan goofy looking in ways, the bumpers stick out really far, but I’ve learned to appreciate old. Even the ugly post ‘75 2 doors are starting to look alright to me.
Had to remove a 1970 chevy chevelle fender, let me tell you it had so many bolts to remove and every part the inner fender the bumper and braces are all metal and everything is metal and plated or zink coated or painted really chevys are well built cars not like today's plastic cars. Have a 63 nova and they are easy to repair engine and body.
In a way, the Nova was almost like a secret pony car. Maybe it didn't have the "cool" image that the Camaro had, but it still had pretty fastback styling in its coupe form and could be optioned out into a genuine muscle car. I like it more than the Chevelle, personally.
Got to love those Novas that supposed been my first car a guy own a junkyard wanted to sell my dad a Nova 4 $ 85.00 my dad said kiss my ASS just the body i said myself Damm back in the day my dad had a 71 Nova Hot Rod build a 427 4spd it kick some ASS orange color down the road brought a 74 Hatch back Nova custom it caught on fire Air condition was shorted out didn't damage the car he rewired the car and put a small Block 400 he picked that Nova off the Ground that supposed been my sister Car that's why u got to love those Novas getting hard to find Lil Bastard Novas
It is funny how you keep posting vehicles that I once owned. In 1976 while in the Air Force a total a white 71 nova SS. Some Lady was parked in the fast lane in the fog at night I didn’t see the car and we rented it at about 65 miles an hour. Don’t you know that was a surprise. Lol
Sounds like you probably totaled your Nova and her car. Had badly was anyone injured? Hopefully you were buckled up. I vividly remember those 4 point seat belts that you had to buckle both the lap and shoulder belts as they were 2 separate belts. I was probably the only 19 year old that wore both the belts back then.
@@bradparris99 both cars were totaled and I was the only one hurt but just barely. I was not wearing a seatbelt, never wore a seatbelt until about 1980. That car had a lap belt though, no shoulder belt.
I thought a 71 Nova came from the factory with shoulder belts as all cars made from 1968 on were mandated to have shoulder belts for the driver and front passenger. Glad you weren't seriously injured. You were lucky considering you weren't even wearing a lap belt. As a teenager I would get in, turn the ignition, push the lighter in, buckle up the lap and shoulder belts, light a Winston 100s and take off . I guess I thought I was being mature. Go figure.
@@bradparris99 i’m laughing right now, I was a teenager in 1972 I remember driving my 67 Ford galaxy convertible down the road with a cigarette in my mouth and again no belts. I think the reason this car only had a lap belt was because The actual owner of the car modified it. But I do remember it only had a lap belt.
@@OfficeofImageArchaeology Lap belts were standard equipment in 1967. In your Nova, there should have been shoulder belts up on the headliner, you just had your mind on other things to do in the car instead of buckling up.
Had a '69 with the 307 and the 2-speed Powerglide transmission, no power brakes, no power steering. It was a great car, very torquey, very quick 0-50, and got over 25 mpg on the highway. Bulletproof reliability.
Pre-1975 redesign, you'd have done better with a Valiant/Dart for basic to slightly dressed up economy. Better engines (unkillable slant six and the 318) plus torqueflight vs. powerglide 2 speed. And the 340 Duster/Demon gave better bang for the buck - with some handling (for the period) - than the over-engined SS 396 Nova
I had a 68 dart myself. none of these vehicles handled out of the box. I changed the torsion bars, leaf springs, converted the minuscule front drum brakes to 4 piston caliper disc brakes, and added sway bars front and rear. now it handled great. If only Chrysler had made it that way .
My biggest pet peeve with all of these mid size and smaller cars of the 1970s was the front bench seat. They should have had front buckets seats standard on all models. Much more comfortable, and no one I know ever needed to put 6 people in any car to begin with. 5 passenger seating was all anyone needed. Why an uncomfortable front bench just because someone MIGHT need to carry 6 people some day? I never did, and never knew anyone else who did.
Really no exaggeration. That Maverick was a horrible car. It got worse with the Pinto. Nova was simple concept that seems to have died long ago. Simple basic transportation. Nova was pretty easy to expand if you wanted to.
the maverick was a great car and sold very very well ..i owned a few mavericks and i can tell you they are reliable ...even took my drivers test in one...the maverick was also a simple concept...and one thing they dont talk about here is economy....my 70 maverick with a 170 and 3 sped stick would get 31.1/2 miles to the gallon all day long..my brother maverick with a 200 6 also 3 speed stick would get 33 mpgs day in day out
Nothing wrong with the Ford Maverick, if optioned right. We had a '74 LDO with the 302... rode smooth, quick steering, very dependable, and got over 20 mpg on the highway. Never had a problem with it.
That Nova looks a million times better than any modern vehicle you see on the road today.
they were very clean
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 they sure were brother.
The Nova was a special car, because it was everything to everyone. For your first car, you could buy a basic, no-frills model. For a family just starting out, you could buy an inexpensive 4 door sedan. And for the older crowd, you could buy a fully loaded luxury model. And for those youngsters wanting to rip up the streets, there was the Nova SS
It really was a great car for its day, both engineering and style wise. The Maverick always looked like something you bought because it was cheap.
They make a great classic car too as long as you stick to four-doors (the coupes are way overvalued, especially genuine SSs).
Very well put!
Not only that the 72 variant got a 9 out of 10 in real reliability points
@midnitesquirldog1 I prefer the 396
one of the finest automobiles ever produced. Seriously
We had a Nova growing up, wish my parents had never sold it. Great car.
I rode in a few of them when I was a kid also. I remember it it was a smooth ride with a lot of get up and go it seemed. I love this particular body style , especially the two door and special editions
@@tigre7739 we had a '73 hatchback, which was my favorite style.
I rode in a couple of different ones, our pastor had a 70 I believe, and the family member had a 71, both were manual shifts, as a kid watching it being operated was fascinating to me. I've always had a fascination for cars for as long as I can remember all the way back to childhood.
My first car was a 1969 blue Nova with the basic engine and three speed column shift that I bought in 1972 and drove till about 1978 putting over a hundred thousand miles on it including a cross country trip. I don't ever recall a single breakdown. Stuff like ball joints had to be replaced but again it was totally reliable with respect to getting from point "a" to point "b". I did run out of gas once on the Van Wick Expressway in New York City where I used to live and that was pretty harrowing. And I came out to the car once on a cold winter night finding it wouldn't start but only to realize the battery had been stolen. Anyway, it really was a great car. Ps. I just remembered that there was a great little feature being the little side vent windows in the front could be turned out and around enough to force air in at high speed when on the highway which was great in summer as the car had no a/c.
Those old Novas were really good cars
yes, great cars
My Dad bought a new redesigned one in 77 it was basic and was red it was a great car. It was tight drive smooth had power I loved borrowing it for dates
the back seat was big enough for the drive ins
My favorite bodystyle 68' to 72'
yes, beautiful cars
My dad always bought fords. When I took auto shop in HS, we talked him into gettn a Chevy. He bought a used 70 Nova w/307 cu. Great car!! Owned Chevies aftr that!.
nova was one of their best
We had fords when I was a kid. Then as a teenager we bought a Chevy Impala. The Chevy started in cold weather so much better than the fords. The Chevy drove much better too! My brother called it a " big two door sports car "!
My favorite and most reliable cars were all Chevys. I had a 68 Chevelle a 70 impala convertible a 73 Monte Carlo that was a sweet smooth ride and a 68 Chevy Camaro my favorite all time car
A friend of mine had the 396SS with a 4 speed.
That car really hauled.
super cool, when I grew up all my friends had muscle cars. Mach 1 with a big block and 4 speed, 440 charger, dart with a 383 4 speed, 400 trans am. cutlas with a 455, even a 455 HO cutlas convertible, and many others
@@theemulsionalchemist5688
The good old days.
I still drool over them at car shows.
*I strongly support this video*
🚘
thank you
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 Thank you!
A feature a 1972 Nova has is a steel plate situated behind the rear seat so that if you hit a brick wall - a heavy tool box in the trunk won't come crashing forward and hitting you in the back.
That's a relief. 6:12
This is fantastic. Thank you for posting!!
Glad you are enjoying these. I am posting as many as I have time to do. I have about 200 dealerships films in total
I'd like to know why Novas are worth so much today! They used to be throw-away little compacts that you could pick up for next to nothing. Today you can't even go near one in good shape for less than $20K
most were recycled. now a classic
They don’t make them anymore! That’s why they’re so expensive.
From 68 onwards, the Nova shared it's underpinnings with the Camaro, they were essentially the same car with a different body. The Nova also had good looks, (especially the 68 - 72)
but many were basic cars with six cylinders and three on the three transmissions. There were also a number of 4 doors. There were not that many SS models and very few with the 396 and I'm not even going to talk about the Yenko. Most of the less desirable models were long ago crushed or were converted into tribute cars. For the most part, the ones that remain are all two doors with 350s and up and that is what the people who are of age and income to buy them want as they either had one when they were younger or always wanted one.
Even if you could find a four door three on the tree in rough but restorable shape, most of the demand for that car would be for its front clip and trim pieces to go on a more desirable two door body.
From what I understand the Camaro's suspension was upgraded for 1970, while the Nova's remained basically the same. I drove a rented 1975 Camaro with the 350/Turbo Hydra-Matic combo and it handled the highway like it was on rails. The 1973 Chevelle got the same design and I drove a '74 Malibu Classic in the 1990s and it handled straight and with confidence.
And I recognize the voice of John Erwin, as the narrator, who also voiced the character of He-Man!
That is great to know, thanks for the input
I KNEW I knew that voice. Couldn’t place it. Thanks so much.
Geez makes me miss the Maverick too.
Although they sold a lot of them, Ford missed the mark on the Maverick looks wise. The Nova looked like something you wanted to own, but the Maverick had that, "I really wanted a Mustang or Torino, but had to settle for this cheap looking thing" look about it. Then again, they may have did this on purpose to try and get the buyer to step up.
In fairness, when Ford made the Granada / Monarch out of the Maverick, they really did a nice job of making it a desirable looking luxury car for the up-and-coming person or someone who wanted to downsize as opposed to Chevrolet, whose Concours version of the Nova, looked like a gussied-up Nova.
It's a danm shame that the engineering team that brought about the Nova wasn't used on the Vega. The Vega did more damage to Chevrolet's reputation than any other car.
the goal was to make a cheap car, that is what they did
The 72 Vega was a great looking car. Just a shitty engine
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 - Back in 1994 I used to carpool with a guy that had a 76 Vega station wagon. It ran good at the time.
He made this joke about getting the car new and got a great finance deal through the Chevrolet dealership, he said he was still making his $7 a month car pament on it and he sould have it paid of within the next 15 years. LOL
I havent seen him since 1997 and wonder if he is still driving that thing
@2:48 those are not NOVA wipers, those are concealed wipers from a larger car. I loved my old NOVA, it was a 69 two door Cortez silver with a black vinyl roof, 250 Turbo-Thrift 6 banger and a sloppy old Powerglide. Replaced it with a ‘74 SS that I drove for years and years. Great cars (but lousy in the snow).
I have the complete 1974 chevy film collection. I will be uploading them once the transfers are finished
Hell yeah, my 250 is so solid and tight I just can’t justify pulling it out for a V8. Not even burning smoke past the rings and it was truly pristine under the valve cover*
Do I keep the 3 on the tree or cut it for a 4 speed floor shifter? I’m not sure if it’ll be a hackjob as most of the car is original, even in inconvenient ways.
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 thanks, I really enjoyed watching this before we head out for dinner. Stay safe bro!
My 2nd oldest sister had a 71 Nova it was her first car Yellow with black vinyl to but it only had a straight 6 194 I believe
you can't knock those 6"s. not everyone needs to go fast
In '71 it would've been a 250.
After those Novas Japan Ate the American Auto Industry alive The 1987 Nova says it all.
😍!
I’ve got a ‘73 nova hatchback ss planning on fixing it up
nice, hope it all comes together
Most sought after novas nowadays are the 66 and 67s, best body style, imo
I find my 74 sedan goofy looking in ways, the bumpers stick out really far, but I’ve learned to appreciate old. Even the ugly post ‘75 2 doors are starting to look alright to me.
Yes, anything old and still functional is cool.
Would you have a video on the 1970 chevelle? Thanks for posting these!
not yet but always looking, I have 1973 and 1974 along with others coming soon
@@theemulsionalchemist5688 Thanks!!
Had to remove a 1970 chevy chevelle fender, let me tell you it had so many bolts to remove and every part the inner fender the bumper and braces are all metal and everything is metal and plated or zink coated or painted really chevys are well built cars not like today's plastic cars. Have a 63 nova and they are easy to repair engine and body.
I Still like the 1971-1972 Maverick Grabber better.
nice car too
In a way, the Nova was almost like a secret pony car. Maybe it didn't have the "cool" image that the Camaro had, but it still had pretty fastback styling in its coupe form and could be optioned out into a genuine muscle car. I like it more than the Chevelle, personally.
Got to love those Novas that supposed been my first car a guy own a junkyard wanted to sell my dad a Nova 4 $ 85.00 my dad said kiss my ASS just the body i said myself Damm back in the day my dad had a 71 Nova Hot Rod build a 427 4spd it kick some ASS orange color down the road brought a 74 Hatch back Nova custom it caught on fire Air condition was shorted out didn't damage the car he rewired the car and put a small Block 400 he picked that Nova off the Ground that supposed been my sister Car that's why u got to love those Novas getting hard to find Lil Bastard Novas
Why is the table rotating along with people working at 2:18?
It is funny how you keep posting vehicles that I once owned. In 1976 while in the Air Force a total a white 71 nova SS. Some Lady was parked in the fast lane in the fog at night I didn’t see the car and we rented it at about 65 miles an hour. Don’t you know that was a surprise. Lol
Sounds like you probably totaled your Nova and her car. Had badly was anyone injured? Hopefully you were buckled up. I vividly remember those 4 point seat belts that you had to buckle both the lap and shoulder belts as they were 2 separate belts. I was probably the only 19 year old that wore both the belts back then.
@@bradparris99 both cars were totaled and I was the only one hurt but just barely. I was not wearing a seatbelt, never wore a seatbelt until about 1980. That car had a lap belt though, no shoulder belt.
I thought a 71 Nova came from the factory with shoulder belts as all cars made from 1968 on were mandated to have shoulder belts for the driver and front passenger. Glad you weren't seriously injured. You were lucky considering you weren't even wearing a lap belt. As a teenager I would get in, turn the ignition, push the lighter in, buckle up the lap and shoulder belts, light a Winston 100s and take off . I guess I thought I was being mature. Go figure.
@@bradparris99 i’m laughing right now, I was a teenager in 1972 I remember driving my 67 Ford galaxy convertible down the road with a cigarette in my mouth and again no belts. I think the reason this car only had a lap belt was because The actual owner of the car modified it. But I do remember it only had a lap belt.
@@OfficeofImageArchaeology Lap belts were standard equipment in 1967. In your Nova, there should have been shoulder belts up on the headliner, you just had your mind on other things to do in the car instead of buckling up.
hey thats grammas car. same gold color
granny probably had a big block with a 4 speed
The Nova and it’s siblings were the donor platform for the Camaro/Firebird
everything gm makes are platform cars. even back then
Only the front subframe.
lol - my '68 nova was a SUCH a lemon! never idled right, gutless 307, freeze plugs blew out after about 20K miles - yikes - what a PoS!!!
Had a '69 with the 307 and the 2-speed Powerglide transmission, no power brakes, no power steering. It was a great car, very torquey, very quick 0-50, and got over 25 mpg on the highway. Bulletproof reliability.
In Spanish, no va means no go.
yep!!!!
The car has a one word name, not two.
Pre-1975 redesign, you'd have done better with a Valiant/Dart for basic to slightly dressed up economy. Better engines (unkillable slant six and the 318) plus torqueflight vs. powerglide 2 speed. And the 340 Duster/Demon gave better bang for the buck - with some handling (for the period) - than the over-engined SS 396 Nova
I had a 68 dart myself. none of these vehicles handled out of the box. I changed the torsion bars, leaf springs, converted the minuscule front drum brakes to 4 piston caliper disc brakes, and added sway bars front and rear. now it handled great. If only Chrysler had made it that way .
My biggest pet peeve with all of these mid size and smaller cars of the 1970s was the front bench seat. They should have had front buckets seats standard on all models. Much more comfortable, and no one I know ever needed to put 6 people in any car to begin with. 5 passenger seating was all anyone needed. Why an uncomfortable front bench just because someone MIGHT need to carry 6 people some day? I never did, and never knew anyone else who did.
Really no exaggeration. That Maverick was a horrible car. It got worse with the Pinto. Nova was simple concept that seems to have died long ago. Simple basic transportation. Nova was pretty easy to expand if you wanted to.
with a hypo 350 they were hard to beat
the maverick was a great car and sold very very well ..i owned a few mavericks and i can tell you they are reliable ...even took my drivers test in one...the maverick was also a simple concept...and one thing they dont talk about here is economy....my 70 maverick with a 170 and 3 sped stick would get 31.1/2 miles to the gallon all day long..my brother maverick with a 200 6 also 3 speed stick would get 33 mpgs day in day out
also..the nova would dog track..maverick didnt have this issue ..in fact all nova type cars would dog track
Nothing wrong with the Ford Maverick, if optioned right. We had a '74 LDO with the 302... rode smooth, quick steering, very dependable, and got over 20 mpg on the highway. Never had a problem with it.
Ford does make good trucks, chevy does too, but the ford maverick is thumbs down.
compared to a ford maverick..😂😂