Doesn't Go

I've had a couple back and fourths lately on other blogs about Chevy Novas. I've owned four of them. They are pretty rad and a heap of fun to drive. I always wish I had another one but between all the other projects and already existing lack of money and time...well that's why I sold the most recent one last year.

taken from http://vwvortex.com

My first car and first Nova: a '74 Spirit of America. A mechanic at the local Express Oil Change has this as his daily driver. He wasn't really looking to sell it but I needed a cheap car and my dad talked him out of it. We paid $1000.00. I don't think you could come close to a car like that now for that money. Dad and I drove this car all the time, including to Church on Sunday. There was a snotty over-privileged kid who lived in our neighborhood. He needed a ride home one day and talked the whole time about how much nicer his parents cars were. It made me love mine even more.

My second, a partially restored '73. This one came from a dealership owner who tinkered with it just for kicks. It was built, loud and fast and probably too much car for a crazy, speed loving teenager. This thing saw its share of action. I flew everywhere I went in it and on the interstate...forget it. One summer I drove it to camp. We did 120 or better most of the way only stopping for gas and the occasional overheating.
I let the power get the better of me. Doing 75 past a police station on a major suburban road with a 40 limit clearly posted is never smart. That being said, if a late-model Camaro challenges you while you have 3 hot-to-trot females riding with you...well you don't back down no matter how stupid it gets.

The most recent, my second '74. The owner was going blind and unable to work on his collection anymore. He was quite the builder and restorer in his day. He had a shiny rootbeer brown chromed out street rod in his garage that he was also selling. Cool guy, shame about his condition. This car ran pretty good when it ran but there had been too many folks under the hood and it had major issues and needed more work than I had time for. Add another kid into the mix and well...it just sat until I finally unloaded it. The kid who bought it was bright eyed and proud when he paid me the cash to own it. His dad was there with him. I think I put it in good hands.

The fourth Nova was a '79. This was after they switched to the boxier style and I was never a fan of that look. I got it because it was cheap and I never cared for it. It was a copper brown with ripped tan interior and nothing special.