Is there a better time capsule for so many men of a certain age than a Nova coupe? It isn’t the Nova you wanted then, which had at least a 350 under the hood, and not a wheezy six. But when it comes to first cars, you make do with what you can afford.
And now that you can afford a ’69 Z-28 or a 1970s BMW, who wants to have what all the other guys at the reunion now have? They might be living their high school dreams, but that’s not the same as actually reliving high school. Isn’t their an expression about high school being the best years of one’s life?
Sadly, there’s no price. And I haven’t been back to see if it’s still there. But maybe the market for these isn’t as strong as it once was.
Yeah, a used Nova coupe was cheap back then, and the next best thing to the real thing. Hey, it really was a ’67-’69 Camaro under the skin, except for a few inches of extra wheelbase. Which wasn’t all that good a thing, as the gen1 Camaro wasn’t exactly a ballerina, to put it lightly. The ’71, with its new front end and steering was a lot better, but the Nova (and its stablemates) would have to wait until 1975 to get those goodies. This was 1968 revisited.
Unless I’m being deceived, from the lack of fender call-outs this should have a 250 six and a three speed. The wheels and tires are mighty modest as is the stance. But then maybe this is what makes it such a time capsule: plenty of young guys couldn’t afford a set of mags after they plunked down their savings from the after-school job at the Dairy Queen or gas station.
This is a hatchback, no less. Hmm; does that increase the odds of it having a six? I’d say so. In my recollection, hatchbacks were more likely to be bought new by a female driver; easier to load the shopping or baby stroller. Or am I being sexist?
There’s something about this pairing that speaks louder than words. While a Nova V8 coupe might have been the hot thing in the 60s, by the 70s things were changing fast, at least in some parts of the country. Of course the BMW was more expensive and not as fast as a 350 powered Nova, the lure of the spinning propeller was big and getting bigger by the day.
It was not a coincidence that the ’75 Nova sported a decidedly BMW-esqe flavor, most so in the roof line and the “Hoffmeister kink”, which of course had been around long before Herr Hoffmeister ever thought of it, and which was already present on the ’73-’74 Nova. But it was all just a well-done re-skin of the ’68-’74 Nova from the cowl back, with a new front end courtesy of the ’71-up Camaro, with its much improved suspension and steering. The Nova was finally worthy of being called a four door Camaro.
In 1974, no one would even dream of accusing the Nova of having BMW aspirations. But then a 350/THM 350 Nova was a whole different animal from the BMW: a world-class power train in a third-world body. But a six cylinder, three speed manual Nova? Dream on, kid…
I think the wheels are rally wheels with the trim rings and center caps missing. Basing this opinion on the elongated slots. I can almost feel the sticky deteroriating plastic the steering wheel is made of…a feature of GM in those days. This would be a fun ride and I hope someone interested in continued preservation gets ahold of it.
I’m wondering if the seat belt interlock system is still present and accounted for on this car. That steering wheel cover appears to be some kind of aftermarket add-on to me as the original wheel had a very thin hard plastic rim which usually cracked and split exposing the metal core . The center section of the wheel looks original as it had Chevrolet in script on the right side of the horn pad.
Also looks as if somebody added on a door pull as it is not centered above the armrest, and it has the ubiquitous cracked dash pad.
Hey, it’s been “customized,” in the tradition of so many other High School Novas. I hope someone purchases and maintains it. I was critical of this restyle when it first came out, but it has grown on me. The hatch was heavy and the interior space shallow in the back, but it was certainly more useful than the standard trunk. Even without the ’75 suspension update, these cars felt more substantial than their competition. Will need to fix those door hinges, got a little sag going there.
I didn’t own a 73-74 Nova but a 77 with the 6 and automatic transmission. Not a bad car, but not a great car, either. After about a year in Northern California I decided something smaller was needed and traded the Nova for a Fiesta.
Funny thing, though, when I went looking for a new to me car I wanted one of these GM “compacts” but wasn’t looking for a particular brand…just one that had the same brand of engine as the rest of the car, or a Chevy V8. I found a Pontiac with an Olds engine, a Olds with a Chevy or Buick engine (I forget which) a Buick with a V6 and the Nova with a straight 6. The Chevy being a Chevy was cheaper and at a dealer much closer to home.
My ride in high school had a 6 cylinder engine but was a Plymouth with Powerflyte automatic transmission. Not just because of that car, but I can’t say that high school was the best years of my life.
The ’73-’74 Nova is my least favorite, with one exception: Jules drove a yellow one with a white interior in the iconic movie Pulp Fiction.
Quentin Tarantino aside, for a GM compact from those years, my choice would be the downsized, Pontiac Ventura-based ’74 GTO. Still, the feature car doesn’t seem bad, at all. It’s a shame a price isn’t listed. For a nice CC beater, it would be a great choice.
I’m so glad you mentioned the “Pulp Fiction” reference! I recently rewatched it and paid close attention to the Nova. For some reason, I had misremembered that it was in great condition, but a closer inspection revealed it to be just slightly better than a beater, albeit with a nicer interior (that is, before).
This made me think of think that a now-22 year old car (was there a ’97 Beretta?) wouldn’t have had the same effect if this movie had been made this year.
I had lunch with an old high school friend a few weeks ago, reminiscing about how high school was NOT the best years of our lives. Of course, we both drove AMC products with 6 cyl/auto in high school.
I didn’t fit in, and didn’t care that I didn’t fit in. Aside from a few friends and the annual school canoe trips to Algonquin Park high school was dreadful 🙁
And yes, one of my friends had a V8 4speed Nova that he built from parts with his gas station money. It was both nice looking and fast.
My sympathy on the AMC.
Mom’s car was a ’59 Rambler American, flathead six, 3 speed manual, no radio and a radiator with a pinhole no one could permanently fix. It sprayed a thin stream of hot antifreeze through the grill if you beat the car hard enough to get the engine really hot. With 3 teenagers sharing her car, it was a feat at which we all excelled.
I sometimes wonder why the car ran at all after we used and abused it every weekend.
The car could get even though. Walking by the grill without remembering the leak could lead to a wet stain located at exactly the right height to embarrass you until you could change pants.
Any AMC was a high school faux pas. Having to drive your Mom’s was social seppuku.
I wouldn’t call high school my best years, but I did enjoy it. Wasn’t because of our car though.
The 73-74 version of this car intrigues me. The 68-72 is much sleeker and the 75+ is more modern. I have decided that I like it (at least as a 2 door). The blockier styling worked with the huge bumpers. And looking at the side profile, I will add the last thing I ever expected to see: Does anyone else see just a little bit of the 68 Ford Galaxie fastback in the area aft of the doors on this car? Weird.
That car is what I imagine when I listen to this song.
This story certainly rings true for me. Oh how I wanted a El Camino Royal Knight or Monza Spider as my first car (1979). Way too expensive for a 16 year old. With my Parents help, I got a slightly used 1979 Nova Hatchback. 305, rallye wheels, AM radio (that went away quickly). It was a very nice metallic dark blue.
It had the cheapest vinyl seats I have ever seen. It was okay, I don’t have overly fond memories..
Ha, this restyle was brand new when I was a senior in high school. But I always preferred it to the ‘68-72 version, except for the bumpers. Since pretty much all cars then suffered from bumper-itis, we just accepted it. Now the ‘75 restyle was really nice. I’d take one today; make it a hatch or a 4 door police car lookalike.
That has to be a repaint job on that car. All the nameplates and badges appear to be missing, but in its original configuration at birth, I would believe it to have been a 250 cu. in. model. With the added gauges and the performance floor shifter, someone has quite possibly upgraded the engine however. A 350 somehow seemed a bit too much engine for these to me at the time, but I can completely see the fit now. I somehow felt that 350s were for bigger cars like Malibus and Impalas.
Those huge bumpers did these cars no favours. They were much too bulky looking, not only for these, but most cars in ’74.
The last photo was a surprise to me. Surprise in that I saw the angles in profile of the rear deck that strongly resembled the Malibu. I never noticed that resemblance before, having only studied these directly from the rear, or the front. Nice find! Its condition indicates this 45 year old car is going to quite easily make it to 50 and possibly beyond.
It’s also quite possible that the column shift linkage failed and it was easier and cheaper to cut a hole in the floor. That’s what happened in my ’79 C10.
And you’re right about the bumpers. They really are one of the uglier attempts at forcing 5MPH bumpers onto a car that wasn’t designed for them.
That’s my thought as well, the hatchbacks even had a little hatchback emblem on the quarter panel that’s missing on this
Having had 4 Novas-all 6s-I must say that it was a typical GM car of the time. The best thing, IMhO, about the 68-72s were it’s Harry Bradley styled chunky looks. The handling, ride, brakes etc all left much to be desired altho they were on a par with my modified ’56 Chevy!!!!
The restyled ’75-’79 was quite handsome whether 2 or 4 doors. As noted, under the skin it was pretty much a ’68 Nova. GM certainly made a very $trong ROI on these! DFO
The comment about the pairing of the BMW and the Nova in the same picture… yeah, that covers a certain time in the ’80’s. At the end of the ’80’s my sister had a BMW 320i and I had a primered ’70 Nova that I daily drove as well as using for street race duty.
That mint-green ’75-79 sedan looks great but that generation did have a missed opportunity to do a more thorough revision that would’ve taken it out of the “long hood/short deck all the things!!!” era. Less wasted hood length, more interior space. It could’ve been done without a whole new platform, maybe by reverting to the ’62-66 hard points, especially since they were swapping in a new front suspension anyway.
Many years ago I had a ’73 Nova SS with the 350/four speed combination; it was certainly an entertaining car to drive. The pairing of a 3.73 final drive with narrow tires (ER78-14’s I believe) made it easy to light up the back tires, whether one wanted to or not. This was when I was in the Air Force, stationed in California, so never had to try and drive the beast on snowy or icy roads. My brother’s first car was a late sixties Nova with the 250 CID six and Powerglide; as you might imagine it was not as quick as the one that I had. Actually a six cylinder Nova was an excellent vehicle for a beginning driver; benign handling and you had to really work hard to get it going fast enough to be challenging. At least here in Rustopia where I live Novas of any vintage are thin on the ground. The only ones remaining are the ones that have become “pets”, only taken out in good weather and certainly not being used as a daily driver.
In 1981, my then-future wife had a ’74 Spirit of America Nova. Body was good, but it started to dogwalk like they all seemed to do.
The following year, we traded it on a ’75 Monza 2+2 with the 4.3 (262) V8 and a 4-speed. That one was fun, I got three speeding tickets the first month we owned it. But we kept it for nearly four years – a seeming eternity when you’re 25.
Back in the fall of 1969 I was a young college student looking for his first car. I had about $1,500 saved from summer jobs and years of little gifts from grandparents and such. I lusted after a new GTO, as my spoiled cousin and a rich friend had, but knew the parents were not going to let this happen. I figured a VW Beetle would be just fine, as they were incredibly popular at the time, reliable and easy on gas. At the time a new Beetle cost about $2,000, so I was a bit short of cash. So, I approached my father in hope for a loaned of sorts to bridge the difference. He wasn’t to keen on the idea on me buying a Beetle, as he felt them dangerous (a friends son died in one.) So, he offered to give me $500 if I bought something American. I found a ‘69 Nova coupe, 250 six, Powerglide, AM radio, whitewalls and wheelcovers on a local dealer lot. The coupe was pleasant looking and would do just fine. This being the end of the model year the dealer was willing to deal. Got the car for $2,050. Had it for 5 trouble free years. Made three spring break trips from Maryland to Florida. Didn’t mind the bench seat at all!
I am liking all the cars in these shots and the school buses sure are neat.
I had a blue ‘73 with the 250 c.i. 6 banger bought in 1978. It was a stripper, with rubber floor pads instead of carpet. The hatchback had fold down rear seats which allowed two high school aged people to lay down in back. The full sized spare took up some of that space, but in retrospect I’m glad space-saver spare tires were invented a few years later…less leg room probably assisted my backseat goals.
The hatchback itself did suffer from rust due to poorly implemented weatherstripping around the window and a lack of drain/weep holes. IMO hatchback was aesthetically the best feature of the car, it had an almost a fastback look to my 17 year old eyes.
Due to smog gear foisted onto a not very healthy breathing engine, turning the key was a game of chance, I think I had to try turning the key several times before it would start, especially in wintery Massachusetts. I later learned the head bolts on these engines (194s, 230s and 250s) ran straight thru the intake ports, severely restricting air flow. The Chevy 6 family of engines came out in the early 60s, and that poor design comprise surprised me a little, since it came out 7 years after the great Chevy small block, one of the best engines of all time. While the Chevy 6 did have its fans, it’s hardly an engineering masterpiece. A well designed inline 6 would have been a great seller in the fuel conscious 70s.
They sold a kind of tent that attached to the open hatchback on these for the adventurous camper buyers.
I owned a ‘68 Nova with a 307 V8, 4 speed and a bench seat from late ‘72 to mid-‘74.
The Nova 250 was definitely a huge part of my high school upbringing.
Looks like I’m late to the party.
Oh well.
In the summer 1984 I was in “Nowhere Kansas” from my home in Denver to cut wheat.(I grew up in Ks. and all my extended family was there)
Long story short, my biological dad bought me a car so I didn’t borrow his, an olive green inside and out, 2 door, 250, 3 on the tree 74′ Nova with 23,000 on the clock! It still smelled new!
He got it from his buddy’s mom that was a farm gal and only had the car for going to the store and church.
Bench seat, radio delete, no a/c, no power steering, no power brakes, no carpet but it did have hub caps!
The car ran incredibly well, very strong!
I even learned to shift it fast and bark the tires in 2nd !
I absolutely LOVED that car!
Took my now wife’s virginity in the back seat.
Drove all over the country in that car.
But like most stupid kids, I sold it because I wanted a pickup.
STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!!!!!!!!
I recently bought another 74′ and it will be everything my first one wasn’t.
I have a 327 with a rumpity rump cam, a 4 speed and a kick ass stereo!
It’s currently at “Ryan’s Rod Shop” in Florence Colorado getting the paint job that I always wanted.
The end.
I had one in 1983 right after I graduated high-school
Gun metal Grey I called it with orange pinstripes the previous owner painted it over the original color white found out it was a spirit of America edition he bored out the 350 to a 400 added a roll cage and a turbo on it only paid 900 for the car it was fast I had it jacked up with airshocks and micky Thompson low profile 50s