Nova Wagon Discovery

[@jimbartalone2766]

I love your almost daily jab at Motor Trend, "...cancelling Junkyard Gold." I agree, I miss that show!

[@rightlanehog3151]

Steve, This is becoming wagon week and I approve! Congratulations to the original owner who ordered the 4 speed 😁

[@ddellwo]

Yes - when you see the odd option combinations that were available to car guys back in the day it makes you realize what a farce today’s “packages” are when it comes to placing a vehicle order! It’s basically deciding which over-priced and annoying “infotainment” system you want that will turn into a maintenance nightmare about two months after the factory warranty expires…..😕

[@rightlanehog3151]

@@ddellwo I have made this point before but in an era with an abundance of rapid communication and automation, we ought to have more choices in ordering cars not fewer. Besides the vintage cars themselves, the original catalogues are startling in the multitude of options they illustrate. The fact that each option was ordered on a hand written paper form puts the modern industry further to shame.

[@burthenry7740]

Another exciting episode of 'Junkyard Crawls'. The Chevrolet motor mount fiasco was because they never designed a safety latch into the motor mounts if/when they failed. (This would be similar to a car hood safety latch which would catch the hood before it flew all the way open. ) And a lot of them failed, with sometimes fatal results!! In Dec. of 1971 the NHTSA made Chevrolet recall nearly 6.7 million cars. The engines would rotate to the right and jam the throttle open. If equipped with power brakes it could rip the vacuum hose AND the check valve out of the booster, leaving you with no power brakes. The March 1972 issue of Motor Trend ( who, I am told, have only ever made one mistake 😁) has a good article on this.

[@throckmorton8477]

Chevy used the same small block V8 mounts from '58-'72. Just for fun I looked up a motor mount for a 1970 Impala 350. You can clearly see the "T" shaped interlock that everyone went to for safety. Probably cost 5 cents extra back then and the bean counters said "NO WAY!"

[@SteveMagnante]

Hi Burt Henry, good call. I have that issue of Trend Motor Backwards and indeed, a writer with the ironic last name of PACKARD lifts the sheets on the GM "separating sandwich" motor mount fiasco. I did spot one of the recall mounts (with the small wire retainer loop added) on a 1970-ish El Camino that we featured last spring in a Junkyard Crawl video. That issue is full of cool stories too. Like how the first DeTomaso Panteras had to be "blue printed" by Bill Stroppes shop because of shoddy workmanship at Vignale, a nifty 4-way road test of the new breed of pickup trucks, a wild - but SLOW 1972 Torino 4-door 429 and a neat photo of a 1972 Chevy Vega wagon with FOUR WHEEL DRIVE built by Chevrolet Engineering as a possible "Snow Bird" option. I do LOVE vintage Motor Trend magazines as a window into the auto industry. I'm not thrilled with the Trend Motor Backwards TV network, but the magazine is still OK by me today. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante

[@Drspeiser]

My first car was a '66 Chevy II wagon with the 283 and 3 on the tree. That little thing would get it off the line! Fun car. How I miss it! I bet that 4 speed version would be sick!

[@CrazyPetez]

“Motor Trend never made any mistakes.” Snicker snicker. They made some BIG ones with some of their COTY selections.

[@Slowgroovin]

Never underestimate the little 283. With a four barrel, hotter cam and a set of headers, they are surprisingly quick.

[@willhorting5317]

The 283 has always been my 2nd favorite engine, with the 327 taking the top spot. I grew with those 2 engines. And yes, I suppose I am a bit biased because of that.😁 The 1st vehicle that my parents let me drive to high school (Freshman & Sophomore years), was a longbed '66 C10 with a 283 backed by a manual 4spd. No power steering. No power brakes. Just a boatload of fun!😁

[@radiodeletedude]

Yep! Cousin Strawberry. That's what we got. Slow by modern standards, but NOTHING sounds better.🙂

[@Dayandcounting]

Has the same problem as any small bore engine has, limited valve size. That is why it's stroked brother the 307 is never going to make the power of it's big bore cousin the 302 even with the same cam heads and compression. Then there is the fact you don't really save anything by going with a small vs big with a SBC. In fact the cheapest option will nearly always be a 350 with a Chevy. A Ford guy can wake up 289 way easier than you can a 283. To get the air into a 283 you need use a bigger cam because of the smaller bore and flow limitations.

[@willhorting5317]

@@Dayandcounting some of us are/were happy with the stock engine. The only "modifications" that I made when I rebuilt the '66 283 that I put in my '54 Chevy pickup, was that I bored it 20 thousands (sp). I wasn't looking to go fast. Simply be a dependable daily driver, if I wanted it to be. Same reason I stayed with a 4spd, instead of using an automatic. You are correct though...if I wanted to go fast, I would have chosen a 350.

[@mikeholland1031]

They also made them into the 302

[@BlueBox-2002]

I learned to drive in a 66 Chevy II Nova wagon almost identical to this one. I remember when my mom bought it new. It was light blue with a white roof and had the 283 V8 with the 3 speed column shift manual. No power anything and no a/c. I love these.

[@sporty196071]

I had a 63 nova wagon. I paid $50. .it was in front of the junkyard. I guess I saved it. I drove it home, I tuned it up, put 65 gto red buckets, readjusted the K-mart 3spd shifter. Put a Ford am/fm 8track player, painted the rear windows black, put air shocks on it. The gas shortage was on, so my GTO was stored..I put a mattress in the back, and drove it to Florida, I had lots of fun in 1979, I sure wish I had that car now !!!

[@googleusergp]

Hopefully you kept the GTO.

[@Eero_V]

Been waiting for Steve to do some Chevy II -content, and what a gem! V8+4spd wagon, that is (or was) one really cool car!

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

👍😎Hats off to the owner who ordered the 4 speed on the floor.

[@gregkellow4723]

I'll still watch JG reruns on Motortrend. But if you were still doing that gig, we wouldn't have the Junkyard crawl and hubcap game. Keep the videos coming! I look forward to them every day.

[@SteveMagnante]

Hello Greg Kellow. Thanks for watching and writing. It is true that MT runs Junkyard Gold at times but those are all 3 years old or more. There will never be any new episodes. I wanted that but the Decision Makers (new arrivals after the Velocity Channel merger) decided Junkyards are not interesting to MT viewers. One guy actually told me "I don't understand why its exciting to find a Boss 302 Mustang in a junkyard. And WHAT'S a Boss 302?" Holy smoke. I am SO thankful for KZbin or I'd be punching the air on my couch every time MT re-runs those ancient episodes. I am thankful for the opportunity I had to produce 31 episodes, but there will be No More. Anyhoo, Thanks for watching my KZbin stuff! -Steve Magnante

[@jfu5222]

I wonder how some of us raised in the 60s and 70s love wagons so much while others see them only as grocery-getters.

[@javierdenardo2607]

Look on the road today and see that the wagon evolved into the minivan and now into the SUV. People need a vehicle with space at some time of their lives. What's rare are coupes and sedans now.

[@resetsetmefree478]

​@@javierdenardo2607 Sedans still include the Chevy Lumina, Toyota Camry, Cadillac CT 4 and CT 5, Honda Civic and Honda Accord just to name a few. Coupes have usually been more of a "personal luxury" type model so I see the point there, and the remaining ones I can think of are dodge Challenger and mainly sports cars such as Corvette Ferrari and Lamborghinis You know what's pretty much non existent now? Subcompacts and economy cars

[@nathanjoseph4284]

@@resetsetmefree478 The Chevy Lumina is not in production anymore

[@jfu5222]

@@javierdenardo2607 I drive a sedan and I have a very low opinion of the SUV/pickup crowd. They will say how safe they feel and how they like to see over the traffic, unfortunately it is at my expense! I'm blinded by their horrible LED headlights and roadspray from oversized tires while worrying about the physics of a collision. Sorry for ranting! I'm sure many hotrod lovers get trucks for the lack of rear drive V-8 powered cars. I find solace in the fact that I can smoke em in the corners with my 2013 Dart with a 6 speed manual and Alpha Romeo derived suspension!

[@Drmcclung]

I still think (because I've owned a few of both) wagons have the edge in practicality over the SUV, especially compact wagons like the old escort that held sheets of plywood and still got 32mpg with the AC on full blast. SUV's can't do that, not easily anyway

[@radiodeletedude]

My 67 283 had factory or dealer torque straps added to manifolds (both sides) to prevent torque rocking. Enjoyed this episode as much as the manual Monte Carlo!🙂

[@TomTom-qm4mq]

Correct me if I'm wrong in the comments but I think that was a recall back then. It was breaking engine mounts. Not everyone took there car back for the recall. I had many 283 s some had them some didnt

[@Slowgroovin]

My late father's 67 Impala 283 had the torque straps also.

[@burthenry7740]

@@TomTom-qm4mq Yep! You are right. They are actually engine restraints. In Dec. of 1971 the NHTSA made GM recall 6.7 million V8s from 1965-1970 because of motor mount breakage.

[@frankjones4094]

@@TomTom-qm4mq yes I remember that well. I worked in a Texaco station in 69.I remember seeing that temporary fix till GM could start installing the interlocking style mounts.

[@melvinharvey8279]

@@TomTom-qm4mq 8:42 Yup I had that happen when I changed my sis. Exhaust on her Malibu for her and took it up the street and stepped on it .The engine kicked up and jammed the throttle…… real excitement for a 17 year old

[@stevethomas760]

Big fan of Novas. Had a couple buddies who had '66 Novas with the L79 and also three buds with '70 L78 Novas. I personally owned two Chevy IIs, '63 HT 3sp & '64 SS 4sp that someone had dropped a 327/300hp engine in. Also knew one guy who bought a '67 327/275 hp Nova. I always thought he got short changed in the HP department. Single exhaust says a lot, crying shame. Steve, always impressed at the details you are able to dig up.

[@lawrencepfeiffer1960]

I had a Chevy 2 with the L79. No where on the car was the word 'Nova'.

[@tony-ps4qw]

Cool car Steve I had a 65 Chevelle 2 door station wagon as a kid didn't know what I had!

[@64Pete]

Nice find Steve! Enjoyed the lesson and trivia as always. ✌🇦🇺

[@SteveMagnante]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@RoadNoise29100]

Hemi Hound knows his wagons! Factory 4-speed!!!! Goooood boy!!! (Really great video, Mags)!!

[@SteveMagnante]

Thanks again!

[@RoadNoise29100]

@@SteveMagnante For sure! Keep up the fantastic work!!!

[@BigRigTrav]

Big fan of Wagons like this! I’m located in New Hampshire, I’ve got a 1963 Ford Fairlane Squire wagon that I rescued from potential death about three years ago.

[@edgarmardueno3391]

I currently have a 66 nova wagon like this. I almost sold it once, but I quickly regretted that decision. My pops gave it to me for my high school graduation and that’s why it meant much more to me. Glad to see how much more these are appreciated now!

[@Barry101er]

I think this has been my fave episode. That would be my “lottery car”. What a looker ❤❤❤

[@debbiebermudez5890]

Mr. B. Here ! Morning Mags ! Wagons were SUV of there day, agree seeing this one in bone yard . Also some of you guy think back wagons were not cool . I think we have learned thanks to Steve show casting . Thanks Steve !

[@artjones2498]

Back in the early 70 my dad had a chevy2 wagon that he put a hot 327 in with a 4spd...he ran it around buckeye lake ohio...we lived 3mi..from national trails race way....he workd at a giant junk yard at the time.called river side auto parts.....he had a lot of crazey cars during those days

[@bozodog428]

The GM Chevy II wagon brochure shows a 275 hp 327 was available and with a four speed for 1966-67 and a 327/350 for 1966.

[@chrisjeffries2322]

Thank you, Steve, for this year in the Junk Yard.

[@jeremyabshire4875]

Excellent channel, I took delivery of my 1967 wagon a few months ago from New Mexico non restored eBay find.

[@madmike2624]

Sure, hope your healing completely Steve, we sure miss you and pray your coming back soon!

[@tomc7631]

Steve. Keep these wonderful videos coming! Love this rare Chevy Nova! I went to an all Nova car show in Gettysburg PA about 5 or 6 years ago and saw so many rare ones, including a Nova with a factory cloth sun roof, a 1976 bicentennial hatchback, and a stock 6 cylinder Nova SS with powerglide. Many blessings to you for a Happy New Year!

[@davidszakacs6888]

These wagon features are way more interesting than the van videos. This car reminds me of the '84 Celebrity wagon I ordered with a four-speed which came only with the 4-cylinder engine.

[@garyspaun5237]

No better channel on KZbin - thanks!

[@tumblelake63]

I love the little shot at Motor Trend. 🤣

[@rickwhite3181]

Good Morning Steve and everyone. Watched your Barrett-Jackson auction . You were great . I especially loved the first day with the less expensive cars and trucks.

[@kfm908]

I had a 195 hp 283 powerglide in my 64 Impala .It had good power

[@chrispaulson2934]

Awesome video! Watching this while building a nova model kit. What better way to start the morning lol! 👍 👍

[@SteveMagnante]

Right on!

[@scottvincent3062]

Back when I was in elementary school in the early 70's we used to take a short cut behind this one house they had a ss nova 66 or 7, red w black buckets and console shifter. It had a 327 and the spinner hubcaps, they traded it for a citation when they first came out after they had their first kid. We all lusted after that car.

[@1Barista1]

At 5:18 the 350hp 327 mentioned is actually designated L-79. Would love to see you do a segment on that mighty mouse motor. The L-78 is a big block, (a beast of a big block). I guess we can't all be Chevy guys. Love your videos Steve.

[@willhorting5317]

My dad had one of those 350hp 327 engines. I don't recall what car it came out of. But, after having it rebuilt, he dropped it into a '62 C10 shortbed, that he & I lovingly referred to as the "Green Sex Machine".😁 (Man, do I miss that pickup! It hasn't been in our family since my early 20s, circa about 1984.)

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025]

@@willhorting5317 possibly the engine came out of something like a 65 Impala. I pulled one out of the wagon along with the transmission and the books out of glove box. That's been a number of years ago.

[@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025]

Sure wish my three on the floor was a four on the floor in my 67 firebird.

[@Dayandcounting]

@@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025 L79 was only used in Corvette, Nova and Chevelle. It was basically the Fuelie 327 without the injection and solid lifter cam. Valve float prevented them from matching the peak power.

[@Dayandcounting]

@@CAROLDDISCOVER-2025 I wonder how much one of those new 10 speeds would wake up old school muscle, I bet it would shave over second off some.

[@lilorbielilorbie2496]

Some people who lived down the street from me when I was a kid had one of these. It was white from the factory then they had it painted blue by Earl Scheib for $29.95 no up's no extras . Which I guess means that they did not tape off or remove any door handles or trim. They just sprayed down the side door handles and all were blue. But since paint really does not stick to chrome very well it finally wore/rubbed off.

[@hardlife8122]

. In 1977, I purchased a regular two door hardtop, with a 250, 6 banger, with 3 speed, automatic . It was an excellent vehicle . Did not care for the front end, allot of trouble to keep it right . Never the less, I would Love to have it back . ~ hard life (MULDEW)

[@ChaChiVooDoo]

I had a 65 Chevy II in the mid 80's. Was a light metallic green 4dr with a green interior. 194ci 6 cyl with a Power Glide. The only option was power assisted steering. Not even reverse lights! I bought a $9.00 Jiffy kit and rebuilt the flooding carb. Bought it from a college kid for $250.00. Was a great beater and was pretty clean. Sold it to a kid that messed with only 1st gen Chevy II cars. He was going to use the whole front clip for a 2dr HT. I saw that lots of times in the 80's-90's. People would buy nice survivor 4drs and wagons and use the front clips or V8 for a 2dr or convertible. Now even a clapped out wagon for parts is going for insane cash

[@Niterider73]

That's pretty doggone cool! Imagine having a four-speed wagon!

[@madmike2624]

Great unicorn right there Steve!! What a great stash of old cars and trucks there. Great work as usual Steve and Shane! Looking forward to tomorrow's episode!!

[@SteveMagnante]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@johntabarrini4515]

Junkyard Gold....to this day is still one of my favorites!!! Shame on them for not continuing that show!!!

[@Chevl67]

Great video, my Favorite years for Chevy II and Chevelle. Had a 67 Chevy II Nova coupe in high school and one in the early 80’s. If only I had a place to store them back then.

[@SteveMagnante]

Thanks for sharing!

[@hughmarloweverest1684]

Your elderly Motor Trend Mag mentions Carlsbad Raceway. Been there!

[@SteveMagnante]

Hi Bill Williams, me too! I used to trailer stuff down to Carlsbad from L.A. in the 1998 - 2005 period. I remember the starter guy was kind of grumpy, smoked a pipe and always parked his Volvo wagon near the starting line. Do you remember this guy? At various times I ran a '67 Dart with a 520 Stage V Hemi there (broke into the 10.999's there for the first time in the car), a Hyper-Pak Slant Six powered '62 Valiant 4-door and a '70 Duster with another Hyper-Pak Slant Six and 4-speed. Carlsbad always had better air that Irwindale or (especially) Palmdale / LACR where the altitude forced a correction factor to sea level. Carlsbad was AT sea level. No correction factor needed. I liked that. Anyhoo, Thanks for watching and writing.

[@131313x]

Steve Magnante, I'm glad you have this show on KZbin! I just wish I found it sooner, after motor trend screwed up and canceled Junkyard Gold ! I don't think they realize what you do adds so much to the rest of the whole old car hobby , that makes us love these cars more by understanding what went into them!

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

Back in the 1990s, a friend (and fellow drag racer) of mine had a Deuce wagon with a hot small block and 4 speed. That thing was wicked quick but, it met an unfortunate end at the strip one Saturday night due to a broken ball joint. It happened at the big end and the wagon rode up the guard rail at speed. It then rolled twice before coming to rest back on its wheels. My friend was shaken but, otherwise fine thanks to the homemade roll cage that his dad helped him build. The car was junk but, he pulled the engine and transmission and, with help from friends and family, was back, racing a later Nova 4 door sedan within a few weeks.

[@needsaride15126]

The dog cracks me up. Thanks again for such a great video. Hoping you have a great new year ahead.

[@vettekid3326]

Back in high school a friend of mine and his father built a 63 Chevy II with a built 396 with straight axle M22 close ratio four speed and twelve bolt as a street/strip car. I don't remember what the rear end gear ratio was but it would pull the front end in the first three gears but it was setup for the 1000 feet so I imagine it was pretty low. That was back in the early 1970's when you could still find a nice Chevy II for $500 - 600, mostly 4 & 6 cylinder cars that had been little old lady cars.

[@Worth.p71]

Lots of interesting corvair’s at that location ;)

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

yes he can do many like the greenbrier sports wagon

[@lilmike2710]

Back in the day, the old station wagons were overlooked. But ya don't know what ya got, till it's gone.

[@jeffclark2725]

That one would be a great one to try and save today, thumbs up, great video

[@SteveMagnante]

Thanks 👍

[@davidcollver6155]

Was around 1963 or 64 when Mom and Dad were shopping for a new car had all four of us kids with them. Must have been because we were from the Rust Belt that's why they kept having to buy new cars. Dryden New York dealership loaded us up in a station wagon, two bench seats, Chevy 2. I remember riding in the far back during the test drive. That's all it ended up being. I believe we ended up at Ithaca dealership getting a full size Dodge station wagon baby blue color. Yeah I was about five or six years old little guy. Good days of car shopping I loved the smell of the cars.

[@bruceprentice6441]

Our next door neighbor had a 65 impala with a 283, and I remember him getting a factory recall to add a extra hold down because the torque of the 283 engines were prin to breaking motor mounts. While watching this episode I wondered if GM built these Nova wagons to fill a gap in the market after they stopped bringing in the Vaxall wagons from Great Britain,GM manufacting plants?

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid!!! 👍👍

[@marioncobaretti2280]

They had a modification for motor mounts by installing cable kits from exhuast manifold to control arm. When the motor mount would fail it pulled the throttle wide open and people died in accidents.

[@xfactorautomotive1496]

Unfortunately the control arm is not accessible in the first and second gen Nova's from the engine compartment due to the shock towers...

[@jimc3688]

Wonder why they just didn’t make stronger mounts ?

[@cam3002]

When a little kid, family had the Chevy II wagon, straight 6 with 3 on the tree. Was not nearly as cool as the one shown in this video. Thanks for the memories.

[@robbchastain3036]

Beam me back, Scotty. I want to return to a world where dealerships sell Instant Funny Car Kits. 😀

[@Barry101er]

OMG, I was going to say the exact same thing. Take me back. Some people (with good credit) never had it so good.

[@robbchastain3036]

@@Barry101er And it is crazy fun to hear, all these decades later, about all the ways guys were modifying their cars back then. And this is an all-timer, the Instant Funny Car Kit from a dealership. But the whole scene was epic, like in '71 in Fresno where my Dad was working construction after living his full-time race car engine-building dream in '69 and "70, I was in the backseat as he and a friend were driving and talking racing. Next thing I know, the gent opens a big door in an industrial park, pulls a tarp off a car, and whoa, it was THE Hawaiian funny car. 😀

[@Barry101er]

@@robbchastain3036 I just looked that car up-wow. Sounds like your dad was living the live-California, into cars and 1970. The trifecta for me! :)

[@twidapate]

Hi Steve, Nice video and cool find, but I need to correct you on a couple of things. The 327 became available in the Novas in 1965 and was still available in 1967 (think L-79), even in the wagon. Disc brakes were also available on Novas beginning in 1967. For 20 years,I owned a factory 327 2bbl Nova wagon with factory dual piston disc brakes. While not a 4-speed car, it was still very rare.

[@chrisscearce]

Hi Steve, great video on this ultra rare 4spd Nova wagon. Being a wagon and factory V8 4spd, it checks all the boxes for me except for it not being white, being my 1st choice blue 2nd. Ol' boy and his son named Jeff & Marty Smith drag race a white 67 Nova wagon. I've seen it several times pull the front wheels. They also have a 60s Corvette that they drag but who wants to see an everyday, everyone has one deal. 😴 Man, that yard you're in, Steve, has some real gems in the background. Can't wait, there's a lot of history waiting in the future of Junkyard Crawl...Don't forget to like👍🏼share🫶 and subscribe. Don't forget that notification bell. Namaste 🙏🏼

[@leegraves101]

A friend had one in white with black SS stripes and rally wheels. A 6 cylinder with a 4 barrel and some other goodies . Sweet car.

[@chrisscearce]

@leegraves101 It does sound sweet! I have a soft spot for that colour on a vehicle. Some like red, black etc as their 1st choice. 95% of the vehicles I've owned in the past 40yrs have been white or pearl in colour. 2nd to a wide range of blues. No Grey or sliver cars for me. LoL. Thanks for commenting on my comment 🙂 Namaste 🙏🏼

[@Opticaldelusion1008]

The Big Dog sure does make the rounds

[@rupe53]

locally we had an older lady who was the original owner of a mid 60s wagon like this, except hers was 3 on the tree. Every time it came into the dealer there'd be offers on the car.... and this was in the late 90s. She kept it nice / garaged and was always dealer serviced. It had under 50k on the clock at this point. She also requested the same mechanic all those years. When she died there was a line of people waiting to buy the car....and her house.

[@JustMe-pc2ii]

Cool car, good find. Great video

[@steveib724]

This would make a great sleeper love that blue 💙 too thanks stevei happy new year 🎉

[@Cstoreri]

Morning Mr Magnante!

[@Nick-rn7uh]

Steve thank you for talking cars with us

[@joshhutch4432]

Still watching, Steve!

[@u121921]

A friends mom drove one of these . I remember rolling around the back of it when she drove a load of kids home from school .it was a 3 speed probably a 194 because it was a real jerky ride . Later on my mom had a 69 nova coupe with the 153 and torque drive (powerglide minus valve body) which was even jerkier . You started in Low and reved it until the rearview mirror stopped shaking meaning it was time to shift to high . Typical GM quality shift gate meant sometimes you got N R or P on the upshift which made some interesting noises and motions .

[@RedGarnett-n2p]

Our family used to have two of them one of them had a 194 and then one of them had a 283

[@stevevice9863]

I can't recall too many Nova wagons from that era. That is a rare one.

[@benpluta6187]

Haven't seen that many corvairs since I was at Steven's junkyard in Charlton MA back in the 80s.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

should do corvairs early model s 60-64 , turbo sypder , late models 65-69/ FC -green brier that s next to this nova I like them over vw. ford / chevy Cans of the 1961-65 area with its 80 hp ,95hp -110hp ,145ci or 164 ci boxer 6 and that the middle windows roll all the way down

[@corvairjim1]

I ran the math: 5% of 6,000+ isn't anything near your number. I came out with 121! Now THAT'S a rare puppy! Being a guy who takes a manual transmission over an automatic whenever possible, and a longroof fan too, I wish I had found this car before it had degraded so much that it landed in the junkyard. One personal request: See that light green Corvair Greenbrier Sport Wagon directly in front of today's Nova? Could you please do an episode about it and the Corvair 95 series in general? If you don't mind traveling a bit, down to Gettysburg, PA, you'll be able to find all the used up Corvairs you'll ever want to see at the Corvair Ranch. There are well over 500 cars out behind the shop. Well worth the trip just for that reason, but a tour of Gettysburg Battlefield National Park is an excellent way to spend a day while you're there. If you want a "local" tour guide, I'm only about a hundred miles away. We can talk cars, models, and American history until the wee hours.

[@edwardpate6128]

Love that Greenbriar van in the background!

[@skyking643]

Hi Steve...great videos..love'm all. Is this Nova wagon at the Burniston Auto Wrecking in Burniston, Massachusetts or at the "secret yard", you never said in the video I think. One of my first cars was a brand new 1968 Chevy Nova (the year I got my driver license at 16) and have always loved Chevy II/Novas especially the 62 thru 69's. This wagon is in very rough shape but extremely rare...I'm surprised it is not being restored . Thanks for making all these great car/truck videos...keep'em coming.

[@googleusergp]

Yup, with the tag, you can brag: 05A for the first week of May 1967 production, 67 for 1967 model year, 11635 for Chevrolet (1) Nova II V8 (16) two seat wagon (35), WRN for Willow Run, MI assembly, 736 for Blue interior trim, F-F for Marina Blue upper and lower exterior paint (proving it was blue originally), and accessory group code 2L for four speed manual transmission, so yes, it was born a four speed. This generation was also built at the Norwood, OH plant which closed in August 1987 and is famous for assembling the Camaro and Firebird. The Willow Run plant as stated operated from 1959 to 1993 as a GM assembly plant, and subsequent to 1993, it was a parts distribution facility for GM Service Parts until about 2010. International Turbine Industries occupies that property today. The plant was located at 2625 Tyler Road, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. No VIN, can't win, but easy to figure out, no doubt: 1 for Chevrolet, 16 for Nova II V8, 35 for two seat wagon, 7 for 1967 model year, W for Willow Run, MI assembly and the rest is the production sequence. Lockjaw the dog seems to enjoy the "commodious" rear wagon load area. So, unlike the 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo trim tag that didn't have a designation for Fisher Body letting them know it was a manual floor shift going into that car, in 1967, they did denote that on the cowl tag by Fisher Body because back then it mattered for what they did (floor stamping).

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

@4:05 fisher body tags tell us all .was born with a v8 good info to know as a lot of novas are Made into ss or muscle cars that started life as 4cy.or 6 cy , top line 05A may week 1letter int metal color blue , one still has to see a broad cast sheet to see which engine was ordered 283 or 327,look at engine code on the block here is where matching #s are important ,corvair's where all so built at willow run / Ypsilanti mich saw a 63 corvair window sticker it showed Ypsilanti mich

[@googleusergp]

Yup, that's why we need the tag to brag.

[@SteveMagnante]

Hello Google User GP, I need your trim tag decoder. I have a TON of reference books but unfortunately none has a full accounting of all that can be found on a trim tag. When I do my research on these cars before visiting the junkyards to shoot, GM trim tags are usually a guessing game due to my lack of a complete resource. I sometimes go down time consuming online rabbit holes where - on occasion - more arcane code info can be found. What is your source for the 2L 4-speed tunnel code? Thanks again for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante

[@googleusergp]

@@SteveMagnante You will have to download it out of my head. Lol. There are many places to find the codes. Some were used across all divisions. Some were division or plant specific. As long as you show the tag I can usually figure it out. I had a friend call out random VIN numbers from a time he was at BJ and I got many right without looking them up. GM RPO codes (later on) follow "functional groups". For instance, L codes are usually engine related, A codes are accessory related, G codes deal with axles and the like, Y and Z codes are trim and packages, M are transmission related, P for wheels, etc. This varies, but it's a general rule. Chrysler did something similar, such as "E codes" being for engine (e.g. E58), R for radio, S for HVAC, etc. Ford didn't really do many codes like this. Each make did their own thing. On older GM codes, there are five groups. That's why you'll see "2L". Two is the group number (1,2,3,4,5) and the "L" is the specific code. Again, it takes some years of doing it to know what's what and add up the clues. I just have done it for a long time and really studied it in the past so it comes pretty easy for me now. Remember, a magician never reveals all his secrets. Perhaps if I meet you in person one day and shake your hand, I will reveal some methods to the madness. It's easier than typing it here. LOL.

[@peterkovacs8654]

Showing the long roof some love!

[@schmidt28117]

Not a Nova, but I think a special order. About 1971 or so my dad bought a used 68 Caprice wagon. As I remember, it was special ordered by the owner of a Chevy dealership with a 396 / 375hp engine. That heavy car would fly! So there were some fun wagons out there. Wish I had it back.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

We're all pulling for you Steve. Hope to see you soon

[@joemoore8054]

Great find !!

[@randyauer7303]

Another great video Steve Long live the Nova get well soon

[@garycogswell5499]

I wonder why there was no Nova wagons after '67 ?? I'm pining for one after seeing that 4speed. Great show !!

[@TrashcanGarage]

My first road worthy car, late 70s was a wagon; 63 Savoy. Slant six pushbutton auto with rear seat delete as ordered by the gov't. The previous owner was a Mopar drag racer up in NW PA and had put deep dish wheels and poverty caps all around and topped it off with a custom (all metal) panel painted 66 hemi hood scoop (that today would be worth more than the car). A wildly cool wagon before cool wagons were a thing.

[@SteveMagnante]

Very nice!

[@randyauer7303]

Another great video Steve get well soon brother

[@melodigrand]

I wonder if that wagon had a trailer hitch. Often when a 4 speed was fitted to a non-performance car it was for towing or heavy load purposes. The extra gear provided more opportunities for compression braking and pulling long hills on the interstate.

[@DanEBoyd]

My theory here as well.

[@Funsho97]

Wagons are just cool. That would've been a really cool wagon with the V8 and four speed and would've been a hit at the "cruise in". I've owned one wagon, a 1990 Mercury Sable GS wagon, champagne/goldish color with black trim. It had those really nice basket weave aluminum rims and ground effects and was a really cool wagon. It also had the rear facing third seat. That car was great and had lots of room for my growing family.

[@dougarnold1243]

Steve- in the video you did on the Nova II, you mentioned that it was built at the Willow Run plant, along with the Corvairs. However; Dave Newell did a video about the Corvairs and he said the bombers plant was a different facility than the car plant. The two facilities are just a short drive from each other. You can see this video under the “Lone Tree Channel” and the video is titled “Car Chat-Corvair expert Talks the last of the great 69’s”.

[@russchiappa4870]

Friend of mine from my Eglin airforce base days in the early 1980s had a blue nova wagon. ‘67 I believe. 283 automatic. Had a crunched rear 1/4 panel, little did he know how rare of a car he had. I have never seen another.Lost touch with him sadly.

[@buckster2575]

I ran into two dodges at the junkyard.the van was a 360 shorty with the 8 3/4.it was gone.the truck had a decent set of dog dish hubcaps.

[@rawbsworld6604]

😲🤦‍♂️ 😎 nova wagon who knew? 😂 if matchbox didn’t make it I didn’t know about em 🤷‍♂️ recall a nomad 🤔 or was that a hotwheel? Lol dunno where that memory emerged from 😳 ,, 🤗 Happy NewYear ✌️🤙

[@frankfurther3828]

Very cool car, I dig the shoebox Nova's. The 62 and 63 had a 4 cylinder base engine. Nobody got it. Most had the 194 6 Cyl. I once read that in '62 there was a 2-door wagon available.

[@DanEBoyd]

The four cylinder was available up till '69 or '70, too.

[@frankfurther3828]

@@DanEBoyd Wow, didn't know that. BTW, the early chevy vans had a standard 4cyl also. And almost nobody got it.

[@DanEBoyd]

@@frankfurther3828 The non-Corvair vans? Now I didn't know that! Figured they were all I6 until '67 or '68, or whenever the SBC became available in them.

[@SteveMagnante]

I don't think the 153 Super-Thrift 4-banger was available in wagons. Would have been dangerously slow with a full load. Pretty sure the 4-popper was sedan only (2 or 4 doors). I've never seen one in the junkyard...YET. Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante

[@frankfurther3828]

@@SteveMagnante I would have to agree

[@PcItalian]

I was waiting for the dig at MotorTrend cancelling the Junkyard Gold. It was the main reason signed up for it. That, Roadkill and Roadkill Garage were the only shows I really cared for. I ended up not renewing my sub when I found out Junkyard Gold was canceled

[@noelwarner1235]

That's really cool it's sad to see that rotting up in the woods I'm surprised at how well the seat upholstery looks. I have never seen a factory 4-speed Nova wagon I did not think that was available. I grew up riding around in a 63 wagon and learned to drive in one. I still have one of the ones that my family owned in the '80s it has the 194 with a three speed on the column. I have an almost complete 283 out of a 65 Nova to put in it the only thing missing is you guessed it ,hey I need that air cleaner!

[@edwardbianchi192]

I used to not like shoeboxes. I’m starting to like them. But in wagon form, I really like. Love the wagoons especially stick!

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

me to liked 62-65 wagons most v8 was opt from 1964 -67 4speed wagon s are very Rare

[@haljohnson5729]

Neat little car.I love wagons.

[@jimjungle1397]

A friend's mother had a Buick from the same time period and it had a floor shifted three speed manual transmission. Wasn't that available in the 1967 Chevy II Nova wagon? I did have a 1967 Chevelle wagon with a 4 barrel 327 and a steering column shifter three speed manual though.

[@xfactorautomotive1496]

How cool!! I have never seen a factory 4 speed nova wagon. Bill Thomas, who was a big player in high performance Chevrolet's... including Corvair's, put a factory fuel injected 327 in a Chevy II in very early 1962 shortly after the deuce debuted. It was a white 2 door hard top with red guts...(same color combo and body style as the nova I own!) Performance was said to be spectacular. Wonder what happened to that car...🤔 I also have a '62 wagon that has been my on again/off again restomod project for the last couple years. Inspired by Bill Thomas's fuelie nova, I wanted to inject my wagon. Since a factory Rochester set up is beyond my disposable funds, I opted for a Corvette TPI set up. It runs amazing and performance is pretty exciting for a basically stock engine with only a roller cam and alloy heads. In fact, I like it so much I have been thinking about TPI for the 383 in my white coupe. I fear is tuning issues with the larger displacement, more radical engine. Not sure how "tuneable" the factory TPI setup is...

[@SteveMagnante]

Hello xfactor automotive. Thanks for watching and writing. You got it right, in '62 the Chevy II appeared in many car magazines with the V8 swap kit - which was a real Chevrolet item with dozens of part numbers. Hot Rod, Motor Trend and Car Life all tested 327 powered '62 Novas / Chevy II's that were the result of this dealer service "kit". The REAL reason was to legitimize the V8 stuff for NHRA Factory Experimental competition. Dyno Don Nicholson ran a wicked Rochester 327 wagon in B/FX and photos of the 1962 NHRA Winternats also show images of a FOUR DOOR Rochester 327 Chevy II in FX! That one was campaigned by a Detroit racer who was a Chevrolet-connected engineer. Lots of spycraft in the early days of NHRA FX racing where a "win on Sunday meant a sale on Monday"...even if the showroom version was a hollow version of the racer. There were also a few 409 swaps into Chevy II's. Magazines of 1962 make reference to Dyno Don Nicholson having one but I've never seen a photo of the engine bay. Anyhoo, Thanks for watching and writing. -Steve Magnante

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

Man that’s one rare nova! I tell you the truth I’ve never seen one in person! And a v8 with manual from the factory! It can’t get any rarer than that! That is a sad site to see, rotting away! Wow!

[@redneck5356]

Wagons have there own following. Definitely cool and rare with a 4speed

[@zzzoo2]

Thanks Steve! Man, that could be a fun car if it was in better shape. If I was doing it, I’d just drop a 383 SB stroker in it, maybe upgrade the brakes and suspension a little, and do so light touches to the interior. But that’s just me...

[@t.s.racing]

Speedway Motors still offers a Gasser front clip for the 62-67 Nova. 🇺🇸🇺🇸😎😎🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@Fore-Four-Dee-Too]

Get well soon Steve!

[@johngranato2673]

IMHO, the 66 & 67 Novas are the best looking of all the Novas. Then the pre-1966s. And, finally, the post 67s.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

62 -65s drive like a Brick, liked the 66-67 2 dr hardtops but the 68-72 drive so much better

[@ClaremontClassicGarage]

What a great car for tooling around that must have been.

[@GreyRockOne]

Thanks Steve! Sweet ride! I wonder if a "factory employee" ever had one with the 327.. hmm I know I'd push for one..

[@googleusergp]

I knew someone that worked at the Flint, MI plant for a number of years and then went "inside" to GM's Service Parts Operations end. His 1979 Camaro Z28 was either code 40 Light Green or code 44 Medium Green and was built at Norwood. The plant manager and employees let him watch it go down the line and I believe even help with its' construction. The rumor was it got some parts it shouldn't have, but I'm not so sure about that. It did, however, get special attention as the build sheet/line paperwork was marked "Brass Hat" which is internal speak for a dealer zone demo or a management car. He stated that it got extra attention and checks down the line because they knew he was a former Flint, MI employee. Another SPO corporate old timer told me that the rules for parking at GM plants were strict. Front lot was all GM, including any captive imports sold under the GM divisional names. 2nd lot was anything domestic from a competitor. 3rd lot was anything foreign make. This particular employee was a dyed in the wool Chevrolet owner and had a Caprice wagon, so they always knew he went in the front lot of the facility. Both of them have to be long retired and I hope both are enjoying their retirement. They weren't just people that answered your parts comment inquiries. I actually got to know them and talk to them for a time on the phone. They were two nice guys and you can tell were GM loyalists. When we got talking about what type of cars I had, they both said with their mid-western accents, "Oh ya. Those were hot cars back then. Saw them at the Norwood plant many times."

[@papawoody9597]

Would be really interesting to know the story of this one. Also, looks like Junkyard Dog found another winner, and is ready for a ride in the way-back.