1973 Chevrolet Nova Hatchback

Description

Vivid dark green paint, a fresh V8 heart, and a comfortable custom interior... Oh, and it's a rare, first-year hatchback body style. For those who want to be unique and stay on an affordable budget, this 1973 Chevrolet Nova seems to check all the right boxes.

These late third-generation Novas are often forgotten a bit in the classic car world because insurance regulations had taken the power away from these cool little coupes. It's a shame because this was also one of the most interesting designs in the Nova's history. That's what makes this car so exciting, we just simply don't see a lot of them. The Dark Green Metallic paint on the car now is not it's original shade (incidentally, it was Light Green Metallic), but we appreciate the darker hue on the Nova's swooping body lines. Fit and finish is the very definition of "driver-quality", meaning that it shows well but can be scrutinized upon closer examination once some of the flaws are evident. But this baby wasn't built for the trophy circuit, but rather for the open roads and thoroughfares. Side trim down the flanks of the body breaks up the green just enough, and the remaining brightwork and bumpers are in average condition but can be made to shine with a little elbow grease. A slight cowl hood gives the car a more aggressive look, while the big glass in the back hatch is clear and provides a cool fish-bowl feel for all passengers.

The serviceable feel continues on the inside with modern cloth bucket seats up front. Not only are they far more comfortable than anything that came out of the 70s, but you also have their more modern seatbelt set-ups. All of this matches adequately with the rest of the stock Nova pieces for a well-presented, no-frills custom interior, although the headliner and carpet will need attention soon. There's a modern AM/FM/CD head unit in the dash, an aftermarket tachometer to the left of the tilt steering column, and digital auxiliary gauges attached to the bottom of the dash. Like any good Nova, this is a true driver's car with a comfortable steering wheel, and the padded dash is in great shape too. The backseat matches the front buckets, and the rear hatch has plenty of space and currently houses a subwoofer, speakers and an amplifier that provide plenty of boom coming from the back of the car.

As we mentioned before, federal fuel/emissions regulations robbed power from this generation of American cars. That's why this Nova was given a crate 350 cubic-inch V8 under the hood, along with a few choice upgrades, to bring back memories of the powerful lightweight Novas we all loved in the '60s. Enhancements include an Edelbrock four-barrel carburetor, Edelbrock intake manifold, and long tube headers. Now this Nova has a serious bark out of the dual exhaust thanks to the Glasspack-style mufflers and an enhanced bite to back it all up. You'll love the way this full package goes down the road thanks to additional features like the TH350 three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and modern Toyo whitewall performance tires at all four corners.

This is the kind of custom Nova we all knew the late third-gen car could (and should) be. Not too many people would have taken the time to do a hatchback like this correctly, which makes it an interesting classic wherever it goes. And at this affordable price we know it won't be with us long. Call today!!!