1969 Chevrolet Nova

SS Coupe

454

Automatic

114279W313756

Clear

Up for auction is my 1969 Chevy Nova, which I describe as a wolf in sheep's clothing. The car is badged as an SS. I doubt it was born that way (it had drum brakes when I got it), but I knew I wasn't getting a numbers matching car, so it wasn't an issue, and I never tried to decode the body tag or VIN. So, assume it's a tribute, clone or whatever the popular term is. First, if you're looking for flashy, like the resale red cars you see all over eBay, this isn't it. I refer to this car as "subtle", or a sleeper. The paint is 1968 GM Sequoia Green, which I describe as gunmetal green. It has a black vinyl top and stock appearing black bucket seat interior. Even the engine I left it's factory black color, and tell folks it's just a new GM truck motor. Amazing how many folks believe this! When you nail the gas pedal, it's a whole different story, though! The car pulls like a locomotive. Now, on to the good stuff. Body The car is rust free. From what I, and even a good body man can see, the sheet metal appears all original; it's tough to duplicate those factory pinch welds with replacement metal. The quarters, rockers, doors, fenders and on and on, have zero rust. There's also no body damage, and no signs the car ever was repaired. While it's brought me home a few trophies at shows, the Nova was always intended to be a driver, not a trailer queen, so there are a few flaws you really need to look hard for. You can see in the photo, the odometer is reading 6,100 miles. This is from the time the car was restored several years ago, and it was zero'ed out. I bought it in May 2011, and haven't put more than 2,000 mile on it since. So, the bottom line is, it's impossible to say what the miles were before the restoration. Interior It has a stock SS bucket seat interior, with oil/water/volt gauges added, as well as a combination digital tach and shift light. The carpet is about a year or so old. A Hurst Quarter Stick handles the shifting duties. The radio does work, but I'm including a brand new, direct-fit head unit and brand new kick panel speakers. And, yes, the fuzzy dice shown in the pictures do come with it. The headlights, turn signals, flasher and wipers do work. Chassis It has bolt-in frame connectors, new leaf springs, new rear shocks, new Right Stuff disc brakes, new brake lines (hard and soft), and 3/8" braided line running from the fuel tank to the mechanical fuel pump. The rear is a correct 12 bolt, with Superior axles, new Richmond 3.42 gears, factory positraction unit, and all bearings and races are new. The wheels are chrome Rally's, 15X3 up front, 15X7 out back, with 185 tires up front, and 245/60's out back. The car is too nice to trim or roll the quarter panel lips on, so I never tried to put more tire under it. Engine/Transmission Well, the heartbeat of any performance car is it's engine, and this one has one hell of a pulse! It's got a virtually new genuine GM ZZ 454 from Pace Chevrolet in it. This is the engine the GM folks tweaked the timing on, and it dyno'ed at 501 horses and 500 foot pounds of torque. I did use the same GM part number Holley 770 and GM part number HEI as the tech's did, and am running it at 14 degrees, with absolutely no issues. At this point, the engine has roughly 700 (yes, seven hundred) miles on it. The trans, a Turbo 350, turned out to be a B&M when we had it out for the engine swap. This is not set up to bark the tires between gear changes; it's quick and firm, but not ridiculous. The converter, also new, stalls at about 2400, possibly higher. With street tires, if you try to bring the engine up against the brakes, the tires just go up in smoke. For sure a set of Cal Tracs or Lakewood bars and drag radials would take care of this! There's a 3 row, factory style radiator in it with the correct shroud and a manually controlled electric pusher fan. I will give the buyer a Be Cool I have for it, if you're in a warmer climate. I also have a pair of GM Performance parts black and brushed 454 logo valve covers that come with it. Last, but not least: the price. I didn't just reach around and pull a price out of my posterior, and what I spent on the car means nothing - it's all about what it's worth to the new buyer. I used the Hagerty (insurance) site to calculate the value for a #2 Nova 396/350 horse car. I'm nearly $5,000 below that value, to account for the odds and ends the new buyer may or may not want to address, such as the rear window rollers. I did my best to make it a fair deal for both of us this way.The Nova is advertised for sale locally, so I do reserve the right to end this listing in the event of an offline purchase. Questions? I'll do my best to answer you as quickly and honestly as possible; just contact me through eBay. Please note the following: INSPECTION If you're out of state from me, I strongly urge you to get some type of inspector to look the car over for you. It's money well spent, and can ensure we're both happy with the deal. I'm semi-retired, so scheduling time for it is zero problem on my end. I'm such a firm believer in this, if you hire someone to inspect it for you, and end up being the winning bidder and complete the purchase, I'll split the cost of the inspection (up to $150.00 from me) with you. If you have family or an acquaintance that could look it over for you, again, no problem at all making the Nova and myself available to them. PAYMENTS This one is easy: The Nova doesn't leave my possession until full payment has been received. Cash is great, a cashiers/bank check is fine so long as it can be cashed at a large bank such as Bank Of America, or wire transfer is also fine. SHIPPING If the winning bidder is out-of-state (from Virginia), I'll be more than happy to work with whatever carrier you hire to transport the Nova, making the car available virtually any time. I also live on a dead-end street that can easily accommodate an 18 wheeled transport for loading. Please keep in mind that the Nova won't leave my possession until full payment has been received.