The CHEAPEST Classic Car that you can DRIVE everyday ('70s Nova Beater)

[@Camlification]

Hey, as a Western New Yorker, this thing is far from "junky". This is practically a dream restoration project by NYS standards as far as how solid it is. It may not be a '67 Camaro but it's still a great old car.

[@jeremiahwhite5904]

For sure I'm in Buffalo and my 04 silverado is a rust bucket compared to this.

[@Camlification]

@@jeremiahwhite5904 We had an '03. I miss that truck. What was left of it anyways LOL

[@andrethomas7096]

Right!!!!! Northeastern Ohio dream. That late 70s early 80s start up sound.

[@dankline9162]

Also living here, got an 04 to drive in the winter thats all rusted out bottoms of doors and panels, more so than my 1990 car!

[@lovetocrank]

I am in Buffalo and I loved that start up sound too!

[@Punnikin1969]

My first car was a '78 Nova. Bought it for $400, it had over 240k miles on it, though the odometer had given up long before I bought it, so I can't be sure how much more it had. It was hand-painted robin's egg blue (with a brush) and the dimmer switch literally fell through the floor the first time I used it. It was hideous, cancerous, and I loved it. Since the speedometer and odometer didn't work, I put oversized tires on the back and enjoyed every minute of driving it. I even got rear-ended by a Lincoln once. Couldn't see where the car hit me, but her bumper was folded back into her front tire. I had to get rid of it once the rear oil seal gave out and I couldn't afford to repair it, and I still miss it to this day. Hard to believe that over 30 years later I can still smell that car sometimes.

[@BabyBlue.23]

Love the story but may I ask What’s the motivation to put on larger rear tires?

[@Punnikin1969]

@@BabyBlue.23 I didn't have a speedometer so I didn't have to worry about what larger tires would have done, and it just looked cooler to me. Besides, I live in Michigan so any extra traction is a good thing. There is a small side benefit to it as well, since you're always driving a bit downhill it saves on gas.

[@feoyjodido1372]

wow! And still you don't forget the good times...

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

The ones I bought many years ago averaged seventy something thousand miles on them for four or five hundred dollars.

[@soldatolacrimosa1868]

I love inline 6 engines. They seem to be more durable than other engines. I think it's a good looking car.

[@tractorguy1994]

The barra is a great example of that

[@jasonvogue4487]

Thank you for calling it what it really is it’s an engine !!! A “Motor “ is electric.

[@minidreschi2]

inline6 are the best

[@frankdenardo8684]

A friend I know who works at a Chevrolet dealership as a mechanic owns a 1975 Chevy Nova LN sedan. It has the 5.7 litre V8 engine which packs power but has an appetite for gasoline.

[@frankdenardo8684]

@@minidreschi2 The 5.7 litre V8 has power but has an appetite for gasoline. It is a reliable engine.

[@billd66]

Drive it as-is and enjoy it. Those Chevy Straight-6 engines are pretty well bullet proof. Don't mess with it if it ain't broke. With the quantity of those engines that are out there--GM used them in darn near everything--I'm surprised to see a NOS distributor cap and rotor that old. Can't imagine those are low volume parts.

[@mrjohnnyk]

Reliable but boring and slow

[@hankrobb6639]

I've shared this with my son. While he was in college, I found a '78 Chevy Nova in '88 for him to drive for $400. Ten years of Indiana winters had taken its toll on it but it was transportation. Same blue color as yours without the white roof. The Carter monojet carb had an ill-fitting fuel-air screw which caused the car to run rough...common problem on those. I found a screw from my bin of carb parts that fitted perfectly and no more problem. Outside of the rusted out front floor boards which I had to replace, it serve well for my son and his younger brother for a number of years...thanks for the memories..

[@andreypolidor1986]

Man the fact your little girl loves that car made my day! And drive and enjoy

[@matthewsmith6486]

I think it's cooler than cool! You have it set up perfectly. If I were you I'd just keep it nice and keep it going. Personally I'd rather have the stock 6 cylinder than a LS in that car. Bravo!

[@matthewsmith6486]

@MadCar2 Productions Yeah, Ice, Ice, Baby!

[@peenusweenus3169]

A manual swap would be cool though. That and yank off all the emissions bs. You could get a little bit more power to the wheels out of that 6.

[@glenryan6569]

5.3 LS get your 400 hp and 20+ mpg what's not to love.

[@peenusweenus3169]

@@glenryan6569 yeah but the staight 6 has its charm

[@MrCozin-kd9mb]

I'm from Brazil. We had this 250 engine for years in several GM models back there. You have to see what those engines are capable for. The only main issue is the fuel consumption, other than that, this engine can last forever and for performance, it has lots of potential.

[@TheRealDSword]

My grandmother had a 76 Nova from new and it was the first car I remember riding in, and the first car I fell in love with. So many happy memories in that car!

[@yamatodamashii1179]

I’d keep the six. Uncle Tony, UTG, mentioned once how modern cars are in the same realm now as appliances in your house. There’s really nit much to encourage you to tinker with them and no real reason to pop the hood, whereas with older cars there is maintenance that you can do-valve adjustment etc-so you have a relationship with your car. You say junker, we all know better.

[@user-go1qs4nr4w]

hji

[@user-go1qs4nr4w]

nj

[@user-go1qs4nr4w]

vb

[@dandiddledum3003]

Facts

[@roberttaylor3157]

Keep the 6, keep changing the oil ( sub. a qt. of Lucas oil treatment) and you will still be driving for another 40 years.

[@paulsheehan8185]

until 1971, in canada, the nova was also called the pontiac acadian, a rebadged chevy.

[@Aforementioned]

Keep the 6...please! Great car and story, thank you.

[@charlieglover7653]

I bought a 1980 Chevette for $725 running and driving, 74,000 original miles and it’s great!!!

[@mitchgriffin1780]

Very cool. It's always amazed me how much difference the wheel and tire combo and an altitude adjustment makes.

[@HotRodHoarder]

Yep, that's my favorite...a cheap fix that makes me enjoy the car even more.

[@munched55]

@@HotRodHoarder seriously, what's not to like?

[@munched55]

Some dog dish hubcaps and people will think you're a time warp cop.

[@CanadaBud23]

@CarEnjoyer They are far better but some want nostalgia instead. They do make replica steel wheels that are larger to put better tires on with. They look just like the ones he swapped to but are 17's.

[@geraldscott4302]

@@CanadaBud23 17s are 100% GHETTO PIMPMOBILE TRASH. That crap all started in the ghetto, when pimps, drug dealers, gang members, and criminals of all types put those huge ugly REEHUUMS on their cars as status symbols. They are called donks. And tires are supposed to have sidewalls. There is a reason why tires have sidewalls. I can't believe some of the trash that DOT allows to be sold for street use. HUGE GHETTO REEHUUMS with maybe an inch of rubber wrapped around them.

[@jrod.c5]

This is honestly my favorite body style of Nova. Always wanted one and it's a bucket list car for me

[@jrod.c5]

@@georgecastanza4798 yeah, I love the 4 doors

[@joshuameldru4004]

Your video touched on exactly how I’ve been feeling / thinking. I’ve wanted to get back to an older reasonable turd and slowly bring it back to life. Love the car and yes it brings back great memories seeing yours God bless brother

[@brendanburke6138]

Great vlog. Rebuilt the 6 cylinder engine ( you will get more mpg doing than alone, fit electric ignition under the distributor and get even more mpg with an overdrive transmission), put a clear coat on the bodywork to keep the patina. Underseal it underneath with truck bed liner spray. All this work would make great KZbin vlogs also! Not many many standard Nova's left on the road these days.

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

I believe 1975 is when GM started using HEI ignition on it's cars.

[@sa78247]

Boy seeing that Nova brought back memories so here is a quick story for you. In my much younger days, I was a police officer in a small suburb of San Antonio, TX, and we had 5 or 6 of those little Novas (police package models) with the 350 V8. They had front bucket seats and a 4 spoke Camero steering wheel from the factory. The handling was outstanding, NO body roll in corners! As I remember they were little rocket ships compared to the Ford LTD boats we had been driving.

[@MrEyad1990]

Sweeeeeet.

[@ericanderson8642]

Hot rod hoarder ? Hey I resemble that remark. I daily drive a ‘73 Vega, yes Vega. Despite the horrible reputation mine still runs great with the original engine

[@bryancampbell3306]

Great car. My daily driver is a 1976 Pontiac Ventura 4dr (same car) with the same 250 L6, A/C, Power brakes, and TH350 trans. Great running cars. BTW you lucked out on the COPC hub caps. The 250 is one of the most dependable engines GM developed. Rebuild the six or find another 250 six to put in it while you rebuild the six.

[@EXCELSIOR_INC]

I drive a 1963 Pontiac Strato Chief all year round, I am the original owner and bought it brand new I am 82 years old and the car will out live me It has over 700,000 miles on it and of course I have had to have body work and paint done and the 250 straight 6 motor rebuilt 3 times as well as the clutch and pressure plate and throw out bearing replaced more times than I can count as it is a manual with 3 on the tree, but it has the original 3 speed manual transmission and original rear end, just had to replace the seals I also never use snow tires as they are just a scam I just put a bag of sand mixed with salt over each rear wheel in the trunk for the winter

[@HotRodHoarder]

Wow that's really cool! 700,000 miles is impressive!

[@mikenb3461]

I'm probably one of the few people on the planet who dream about owning this vintage of Nova four door with the inline six. I never owned one, but always admired them. This is an amazing car and I'm sure you'll get a lot of enjoyment out of it.

[@kellismith4329]

You aren’t alone I would also prefer the inline6

[@DugB0915]

In 1991. I was poor and 21 years old. My mom's friend found me a 1977 Oldsmobile Omega, which is the Olds version of the NOVA, and it looked kinda like that, except primer green with white vinyl interior. I hit a deer at 55Mph. That car saved my life. If I had the opportunity to buy one again I would. It would be awesome to drive that around again. ;)

[@davidsantos8206]

This car definitely brings back fond memories. My Dad had a 78 4dr Nova, same blue color but no white roof. And my Mom had a 77 2dr red Nova. Made lots of memories in both of those cars. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@andresmelgarguzman8787]

My brother used to have a 1976 Chevy nova 2 door and 6 cylinder, he passed away last year, we both had many adventures in that car. I love that car now it’s mine and your video make me remember all that memories. You have a nice Nova.

[@ryand.8176]

Be different, build the 6 back to stock-ish and do the od trans and throw a fuel injection unit on it. I bet you could get better milage, more power and be unique at the same time!✊😁

[@paulhare662]

The "overdrive" on my '64 Chevy 2 was airshocks and a pair of rediculously tall 15 inch tires, used on long distance interstate trips. It covered 1.4 miles for each odometer mile that clicked over.

[@288gto7]

Carbs make more peak power with ohv engines due to their garbage ports

[@cliffweinan3907]

Very cool and often overlooked dependable iron block 6. Fix it up, don't crash, and in few years your daughter will learn to drive in it. So many young women had Chevy, Ford's with 6 cyl engines. Think back in the 60's, a 6cyl American compact could be bought new for roughly $2500 including some basic accessories. Biggest problem for longevity is body / frame rust. Thanks for sharing !

[@geoffreyclark2805]

You can't beat an inline six for dependability, my first car was a 1965 Chevy II with a 194 cid inline six and 3 on the tree, many years later I needed a beater and I got a 1974 Nova 250 cid with Turbo 350 Transmission, also a very dependable car...so keep the six cylinder.

[@jvin248]

Keep it mostly stock with the inline 6. Try the 'shine juice' recipe from Vice Grip Garage channel (two thirds boiled linseed oil plus one third mineral spirits hand wiped on in a thin coat) to keep the vintage relic but brings up the gloss and protects from rust degradation - super inexpensive. Rather than high racing performance 'like everyone else', push the envelope on fuel economy hacks: go through emissions and fix leaks (all old rubber vacuum hose replacements are important), emissions/economy parts replacements, etc; other carburetors or perhaps modern single injector carb (I'm sure one must have been made for this engine) with modern computer control, low rolling resistance tires, low viscous oils, overdrive trans like you mentioned (or is there a modern 6-speed out there that fits?), etc --- 13city to 20highway mpg was the original, see what you can do. I bet far more viewers, given $12 gasoline ahead, will find it more interesting than just another V8 wedged in there. Have the fun cars for the weekends.

[@SuperHamsterGaming]

I love it. I had a 1976 Nova. 4 door, blue with an inline 6. I loved that car and drove it every day. I loved the inline 6. It was a 3 on the tree. I wish I had another just like it. With that 3 speed it actually did get good gas mileage. If it were mine I would never get rid of that 6 cylinder .

[@MountainMan.]

Your kid was the best part of this video. She makes anyone smile :)

[@edstenson7764]

Keep it original as long as you can. That car is in great shape!

[@travisstroodle2170]

I doordash nearly 150 miles a day in a early 90's honda civic. with 300,000 miles on the dash

[@1Also]

Awesome! Big League Chew for the WIN! Straight 6’s are wicked Cool. If you’re gonna put a new transmission, just do a top end rebuild and add an EFI system, probably double your mileage at least, and make it more fun and bullet proof.

[@HotRodHoarder]

Carlee loves Big League Chew. We ran all over town to find some, so we could chew it during the World Series. It seemed to bring us some good luck haha.

[@1953beetle]

In Australia,the older straight 6's (Holden and Ford),are much loved by enthusiasts. Goes well with a little attention and reliable.

[@optimaprime8970]

Thanks for keeping it alive. She looks great. I'm nostalgic about these cars but they didn't survive out here. The dog dishes are perfect. Keep it up

[@claytonbouldin9381]

This is an amazingly restorable car. It's all original and all there and looks great. My friend had a '74 Nova we did a lot of cruising in back in high school.

[@verdele]

No restore, the patina looks way too nice to mess.

[@claytonbouldin9381]

@@verdele I would leave it as is too. If the guy is bent on restoring it. I would paint if factory original.

[@DanielYahuahYahushaTorah]

My Dad had a '79 Nova 2 door, blue inside and out, 250 straight six, manual 3 on the tree, no power steering or power brakes, no AC. His work car for years. Too bad he sold it years later. Wouldn't mind finding it or one like it.

[@theedge150]

First off Sir, I'm so glad to see someone else out there driving a later model X body. My daily driver is a 1975 Buick Apollo 4 door, I purchased her for $600 in Kyle,TX 2 years ago and drove her home with a bad head gasket. Since then I've taken out the Gasser and put in a 6.2 GM Diesel from an 82 suburban. She ain't fast, however gets me STELLAR fuel economy, (31mpg average between fillups) and was darn near plug and play. I can't wait to see how having this ol girl unfolds for you!

[@herbiehusker1889]

31 mpg is impressive.

[@valeriesumpter2808]

This was my first car, in that same paint colour (it was a bad batch colour, never held a finish), but i had the 350-cubic-inch V8 engine with a four-barrel carburetor. It *moved* and it was so much fun, this is such a great auto. Your daughter absolutely has great taste.

[@ZoomyZoom77]

Amazing car, I wish cars of this age were in that good of shape in my area. keep it as is and enjoy it stock.

[@Mr-Clark]

The car screams "I'm a serial killer. Don't mess with me."

[@CodyShell]

I think a cool idea would be a 3800 V6 swap. keep that mid-size car 6-cylinder flair but modernize the valvetrain and get better mpg. plus if youre lucky you can find superchargers pretty easily too! Mabye a 4.3 vortec v6? i think keeping it 6 cylinders would definitely be cool

[@andrethomas7096]

Hell yeah! Thats a good idea. A stealthy hoopty.

[@SethDaMeth]

I love that idea

[@Gazdatronik]

The 4.3 vortec with 190 hp and a 700R4 would be a plenty of fun

[@herbiehusker1889]

The 3.8 is better in my opinion than the 4.3. The 4.3 is kind of a gas guzzler and a truck engine and the 3.8 is more refined and more suited for a car.

[@Gazdatronik]

@@herbiehusker1889 Both engines have endless options of modifications. Only advantage I can think of for the 4.3 is cheaper gofast parts. But then again the 3800 series 2 weighs 50 lbs less. So many decisions!

[@huskyflylangley6053]

Good on you! I bought a $200 '58 Ford pickup, no rust 6 pot 3 speed stick, runs like a watch, daily it as well. these things are still out there folks. Save them and learn a skill at he same time. And out here, a rigid middle finger to the EPA as well. Keep 'em tuned right and they'll run clean and run forever for very little dough. Be as independent as you can! You're doing the lord's work man, keep it up and pass it on. Respect from CA.

[@DomoArigatoMr.Roboto]

Having grown up on those cars, this video brought a smile to my face. Just look at the lack of features we were able to do with out.

[@bobbond9730]

I would keep the six cylinder in it. 😎

[@777weety]

I loved every bit of this video. Enjoy driving the Nova, bud.

[@michellehoefer5922]

Thank you for the video. Uncle Tony knows all about add-ons that help your fuel mileage. I like the idea of keeping the six cylinder.Mebbe a series about a low budget rebuild?

[@nozzy_the_sec16]

Love it! I drive a ‘77 Nova Concours. Bought it off the side of the road 4 years ago-it’s been my daily ever since. 👍

[@brianscott9861]

I have to say, the 250 inline 6 was one of the best motors made. I had one the same year. It was a great car

[@lordraiden5398]

I have a 1967 4 door Pontiac Catalina. I have been slowly putting new parts on it. Currently upgrading brakes from drum to disc in front. Parts for it are cheap. Insurance is cheap. I love driving it. It's like sitting on your couch while driving down the road. I plan to get it repainted the stock champagne color and just drive it during the spring and summer and enjoy it.

[@joekrim6557]

Actually it's a good engine. Very reliable 6 cyl. I drove a new one as a runner for an engineering firm in the 70s and back then it was more than capable...

[@member57]

I have had 2 1975 Novas. One with a 250 straight 6 and the other a 350. I regret selling the 6 cylinder one. It got good gas mileage.

[@e.f.clarke2041]

So happy to see a fellow classic 70s car driver who takes theirs out daily! It’s such fun! I’d never give it up for a brand new car, not in a million years. Good for you man, it’ll last you, as I’m sure you know. 😄

[@GttiqwT]

7:35 I hope you keep the nova until shes old enough to drive, then give her the keys. that'd be sweet.

[@LivingWithAClassic]

Love this! I also started daily driving a 70's a while back. A 1975 Jaguar XJ6, 4.2 inline six. It was a $1,000 car with a bad engine. Swapped in another one and it runs well. Not worth restoring but it's solid. Since I have a few nicely restored ones i decided to start driving this one. Best decisions i've made. My daughter also loves it, it's her favorite car of them all. Keep it a six cylinder and just fix small things to keep it on the road and enjoy it.

[@williamf9023]

Yep. My grandmother had one just like this, gold in color. She drove it from new until she passed in early 90's. I think it only had about 50,000 miles on it.

[@konstantin_3056]

The car of my childhood. My father bought it, painted it, and I fixed the wiring at the age of 14. Spacious car, smooth ride. Wonderful memories.

[@JEEPSTR78]

YES! I have a 1990 Caprice and I drive it as much as I can. My father owned an office supply business and he bought two 1977 Chevy Nova's after a flood took out the other vehicles in Johnstown PA. I remember riding around in them after my mom took one and my aunt bought the other after they were retired fleet.

[@scmorton8]

I had this exact model as my first car. It was my grandmother's then my sister's before I bought it from her for $100 in the late 80's. The rear end sagged, the bench seat was work out, the engine was tired, but I still loved it. Your first car is special.

[@hectorsilva5376]

Being a 77 model myself, you tweaked it just enough to make it look sharp. Straight 6s are cool full stop. Just look at BMW or Cummins.

[@22hibbing]

Cool car, those GTA wheels looked good on there, but I'm a firebird guy so I might be biased. Good job on keeping an old car on the road and outta the crusher.

[@fj40landcruiser10]

when i was working in the late seventies in a chevy dealer those novas really were so beauty i remember one with a v8 three speed manual was sold as only one with such a transmission great video dude❤

[@jasonscales2522]

I love the old cars! I just wish that I can find a rust free example.

[@markd7685]

I grew up riding in my dad's '76 two door Nova. He also had a '71. The '76 was rusty and falling apart, but still running, when we got rid of it in the late 90's.

[@mathuetax]

At work one of the guys daily drives a 67 Cougar, I drive a 70 Volvo 142. There are pros and cons for daily driving cars this age but I certainly like doing so. Certainly, a GM product like this Nova benefits from lots of still available new, NOS and used parts availability.

[@nickelnoserestos2598]

Retiring end of year and will be looking for a 70's-80's type 4 door to use as a daily. Grew up driving this stuff and I love it. My approach would be to make it all look stock as it was on day 1. People get nostalgic when they see this stuff and love them. Doesn't matter how ugly.. lots of stories from people and many memories.

[@SAJBRP]

I have a 1976 Chevrolet Nova Gold Medalist. Chevrolet only made about 5,000 of them for the 1976 Winter Olympics. It's 4 door with an inline 6. I'm interested in selling it. It runs and drives great but the body is in very poor condition and someone poorly spray painted over the original gold color. I'm in Ohio if anyone is interested in taking it off my hands.

[@briansawdo6245]

I have a 1976 Buick Skylark four-door sedan in silver with the 231 V6 that I hope to fix up and use kind of like a cruiser and daily car fun car. The biggest issue I have on it is the rear axle has moved, which was a problem on these cars so if you have any ideas on figuring that out, I would appreciate. One of the interesting things on this car is that it has power steering and manual disc brakes, not drums.

[@senhorspock]

That's a great car! My take on it: treat the rusted paint with some "oil mix" and keep the 250. Rebuild it, if needed... but keep it.

[@georgepoole3654]

I’m in Scotland, where American cars are as rare as an honest politician, and I love your car. I recently bought a 1987 F150 truck. Someone has ripped out the efi system and stuck a big Holley double pumper on, backwards. The cruise and air con are gone and it gets about 8mpg but I love it. Keep up the good work man 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇺🇸

[@shane42037660]

I'm in love with the patina and stance. I have a 78 4 door that I've had since I was 14. 22 years. It's light green with the white roof. This makes me want to get it on the road again!

[@jjtt7408]

YOU CAN NOT BEAT THE NOVA'S FROM THE 70S ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE CARS EVER MADE

[@HotRodDad]

Love it!!! All I have is beaters, though. I vote to keep it a six, but hop it up. Hard to tell, but looks like it has an integrated head. They’re prone to cracking. It would be cool to put an older head on it with a Clifford intake, small four barrel, dual exhaust, and lose the smog junk.

[@albertomorales7322]

Great story. My wife and I had a 78 that I bought for like 200$ the driver door had no glass, no door had locks, the engine started with no key, it was burning oil and the brakes were bad. It wasnt the ugliest thought. And I totally loved it. I even used super cheap burned oil (it was burnt it so fast that it was not cheap to keep buying brand new oil) at the end and that 250 straight 6 wasn't ready to go. Since then I love the Nova. I really enjoyed my time with it. It wasn’t fast, but it was strong and reliable. I would definitely consider getting another one.

[@joshuagibson2520]

I been dying to find me something similar to daily. 20 years ago you could find these in nice shape for $1500 all day. Now even the 4 doors are getting pricey for a decent example.

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

So true Joshua!

[@HotRodHoarder]

I got a good deal on this one, and have enjoyed it so far!

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

@@HotRodHoarder 👍

[@erickricharson5196]

I just bought a 71 4 door nova. I love it. My wife and kids like it. Mine is a 250 6cyl with the powerglide. I am thinking of a v8 with a manual Trans. I also have a 2 door 78 Fairmont been in my family since new. These 70's cars I remember and people like seeing them again.

[@74nova36]

Tell me about it. My nova has probably doubled since I bought it. And it’s a 4 door with a six hole

[@frankdenardo8684]

A friend I know who is a Chevrolet mechanic has a 1975 Chevy Nova LN (Luxury Nova). It is a pastel blue with medium blue interior. Has bucket seats, center console, 5.7 litre V8, air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, rear defogger, sport mirrors. Came equipped with color keyed wheel covers which he swapped for a set of 5-spoke Pontiac rally wheels. That car is powerful with a V8 engine. 0 to 60 in about 5.6 seconds. The car when it came out was doing battle with the BMW 5 series, Mercedes-Benz E Klasse, Peugeot 504, Alfa Romeo Alfetta.

[@gtasomogyi]

Nice to see another old car saved from being scrapped, and I like tha laid back style you have! In my humble opinion the alloy wheelset was better, and I'd keep the Straight 6 (Im a fan of I6 engines) and would give it some love and upgrade, and definately get a transmission with overdrive! :)

[@chrisj4922]

My wife's grandfather bought a brand new maroon '76 Nova 4 door with the straight six. He handed it down to my wife, and then she handed it down to her brother. Remember that car well. Great video.

[@alanwood5857]

It is getting to a point where you gotta give a nod to the surviving 4 dr. classics, just considered parts cars a few decades back. Sub-frame car that should ride pretty well. Turns heads I bet.

[@paulsheehan8185]

good choice! you read my mind.

[@VcArena]

Love those GTA style wheels on them. I also hate how they say you can't daily a classic car. Why not, it was safe enough to daily back then? If it goes and stops, engine works, transmission works, brakes are good then it's mostly good to go. A/c is optional. Both my 01 Camaro's do just fine one a 6.0 the others still a 5.7 and my 84 S10 with it's 6.0 till I blew the transmission ran pretty up and down the highway as well.

[@jefferysmith3930]

Man, I loved those mesh wheels it came with. Mainly because in high school I really wanted a 4 dr. Nova painted black with black mesh wheels just like those. To each his own. I personally like the styling of the later Nova’s the best. Child of the 70’s thing.

[@GeorgesMiniatureCars]

I think it's a great car to have, sure not the best looking Nova, yet lots you can do with it that won't cost much to enjoy!

[@HotRodHoarder]

Cheap stuff makes me happy!

[@jerrysingleton4956]

@@HotRodHoarder keep the 6 put O.D. tranny in. AND especially these years(did with 78 Phoenix I had)put new leaf springs on get alignment, they are notorious for weak backs. Oh find you a decent stereo & cheap speakers, AM jam probably boring in them hills lol.

[@mromatic17]

i gave ya a like just cuz Carly is adorable! I love seeing kids happy and smiling!

[@jamiemelius5787]

Classic runners are fun and dependable

[@HotRodHoarder]

That's the best part about it...I haven't really had to do much work to it. Just get in and go!

[@jayson657]

Buffalo, NY here too…My parents had a ‘75 Nova when I was a kid. I have a picture of my sister and I playing in the yard in 1986 with the Nova visible in the driveway, you can clearly see the rockers and wheel wells were totally rotted out by then. LOL

[@Slowgroovin]

Personally, I would keep the Nova original. Put some fresh rings and bearings in the 6cyl if needed, maybe add a little better cam.

[@bobhill3941]

I agree, I love the patina too, I heard those straight 6s are very smooth

[@23ofSeptember]

These cars rock! My first car was a 1962 Nova Sedan. My dream car is another Nova!

[@fyodorshestakov6462]

I see no problem with calling these cars "classics". After all, they are almost half of a century old! And yeah, this car is very far from junky. I wish my Ford was in this condition when i bought it! Very nice car overall, and seems like a very good daily! In my opinion, stock inline six would be better for it than a LS. Don't take that unique vibe from that car, and please, don't turn it into another soulless LS-swapped mess.)

[@jeffrittenour8202]

man, you're my hero. a had a 97 honda accord that i drove the wheels off of for 16 years. finally got rid of it and bought a brand new truck in 2020. yes it is great to have a nice new reliable vehicle, but i miss having a beater car i didn't have to worry about if it got bumped and scratched or crap on the seat or dirt on the floor. EMBRACE THE BEATER

[@jeffrittenour8202]

also- don't do anything to the engine unless it completely dies. just enjoy the drive on those beautiful mountain roads.

[@manuelcardenas6837]

I'm so glad classic cars are making a comeback let's bring back all the 80s rust buckets from the grave y'all!

[@jamesshugart8015]

I like the car very much. My self I would do the 305 nonmolested ,with a overdrive tinny cheap paint job and call it my run about LOL. Happy for your luck, made me smile when you little girl loved so much. I bought a1972 new really loved it.God bless you and your family.

[@theadvocate4698]

I had a 1982 chev celebrity and the same thing happened to me! The tank said 1/4 left and then the engine stopped! Luckily, i put it in neutral and was able to glide to a gas station! This was 30 years ago and i still never drive with less than a quarter of a tank...lesson learned! :)

[@seattleday9690]

I have a 76 Nova 305 V8 4 Door in Lime Green. I'm restoring it as of now. I bought it back in 1999 when I was 20 years old. It's in good shape. Just needs some tlc. I love my Nova.

[@technicalitems731]

I’m 46. In high school, I wasn’t even 15 yet. I trade a drumset for this exact same car. Color, motor. Etc…same. Even bad that red primer bleed through look. I ended up playing on dirt roads with it. Slides. Doughnuts. Then we had a spring fling at school. We all spray painted it. Beating it up. Still ran. Then I sold it to a dirt track racer. He put a roll cage in it, built motor…won the championship for several years. I love the look of these cars!! Wish I had it back in mint condition.

[@clay282]

Absolutely love this! Been driving for 34 years and upgrading vehicles as I went. Before I knew it I was driving a 60k truck. Sold it, made money, picked up an old Frontier to flip and LOVED IT! Still have it and will keep it. Sometimes the old solid, reliable beater is the most enjoyable car to drive. Feels good to own a vehicle and it NOT own me.

[@jamessouthworth1699]

I love watching this video because I had a 77 Nova that I drove daily back in the 90s. I bought the car with no engine and dropped in a 350 from a wrecked 1970 Monte Carlo. My Nova would smoke the tires effortlessly and did pretty good at the street races at the time. These days I would absolutely love to have a straight six Nova and leave it stock.

[@peterchoquette4860]

My grandmother had a 77. Same engine , same color exterior and interior but no AC. When she could no longer drive it became mine for $500. Solid dependable car. I drove it for 2 years and sold it for $500. How I wish that I had given it garage space and kept it. If this were my car I would buy some basic auto body tools and economy sprayer from Harbor Freight along with the required prep material and primer. Sand the rust down and spot prime , take off all other the exterior trim. Then I would wet sand , fill and block any small dents and take it to the nearest Maaco for a respray to the original color. I have worked on a half dozen body work and refinish projects and it was a lot of fun. Despite the negative stuff that I had heard about Maaco I always had good results when I did my own prep and removed as much trim as possible before bringing the car to the shop. I like the dog dish hub caps and black walls. My 85 Crown Victoria cop car came with them and I put them on my 79 Impala and base model 89 Caprice. As far as the interior goes it may take some shopping around to find replacements for the deteriorated trim parts. A new replacement carpet should be easy to find. I was able to find one for around $100 for my Caprice. The 3 best options for the mechanics are I believe are: Keep it stock. Take a close look at how the engine is running. It may be sound enough to go a long way as is. If so clean up and detail the engine compartment. Since there is enough room to work around a 6 it is easy to make this look good. Or get a 70s vintage 350 with a quadrajet on top and build a 9c1 Nova cop car clone. Or resto mod with a 305 with TBI fuel injection and 2004R overdrive like my 90 Caprice had or 350 TBI and 700R4 OD. I think that the last of the Novas are still underrated and under appreciated. You have a nice sound car that should be a lot of fun to work on no matter if you decide to just preserve it or restore go through restore or modify route. Here in western Mass cars rust out due to road salt. It is nice to such a sound car with nearly 50 years of use. My 7 year old grandson loves to go to cruise nights and keeps asking my when I am going to get an old car and what it will be. I will show him your video. I may end up look for a Nova. This is a great video. Thank you for sharing.

[@markrobertson9015]

I took drivers training in highschool andthat was our training car.77 nova I bought a 79 nova with the 305 in it and drove it home from Virginia to California after getting out of the Army in 1983. I had that car for about 10 years and well bought a truck after that but now I'm 62 and have been looking for a Nova like yours I think a 305 with the Turbo 350 Automatic in would suit your car just fine. I like that your daughter likes that car and it makes her happy maybe you should keep it around until she starts driving she might enjoy it as a first car. Take care.

[@42luke93]

Back when most cars had carburetor engines and inside front split bench seating and column shifter.

[@exquisitearangement]

305. That is what moves my elco, sounds good, enough power to pull a hill, decent mileage. I would rock that nova, childhood flashbacks.