My 1973 Nova Custom...

Here sits my pride & joy, the 1973 Chevy Nova.  

Click here: Pictures of the Nova

Here's the story:

     My mom Nancy bought the Nova new in 1972 in Pomona, CA. for EXACTLY $3,499.20 and was, at that time, officially named "Betsy".  She came with a stock 350, 2-barrel carb, single exhaust, and a 3-speed automatic trans.  Ever since then, the Nova has been a daily driver (except of course for her numerous hours in the shop).  

     Up until 2 or 3 years ago, she really did look like a daily driver until I came to my senses and realized that I should take care of her and get her fixed up.  Ever since then, I have done many things to get her looking and running better.  I began by replacing the 2-barrel carb with a 4-barrel and changing the single exhaust to dual.  What a difference!  As far as appearance, I replaced the original Rally wheels with American Racing rallys, given it a great new paint job, re-chromed just about everywhere, and reupholstered the interior.  It looks very nice everywhere except for the engine and trunk.  Since the car still is a daily driver and I do carry things around, why bother to get the trunk clean?  And, as far as the engine, it's pretty hard to make it look nice with all the emissions and air conditioning junk in there.

     With help from my friends Johnny and Mike, I have really been working on the car at home rather than taking it into the shop.   Recently, I have replaced the fan and fan clutch, put new radiator hoses on (the lower one was a big hassle), replaced the master cylinder, and added a Flame Thrower coil.  I've also added the Pertronix electronic ignition.  This has really boosted the power.  I suggest you buy one, if you don't have electronic ignition already. It'll only set you back around $70, and it's definitely worth it!

     On top of this, I have also recently had my carburetor rebuilt, put in a nice sound system, installed a tachometer, and put in a 700 R4 transmission with overdrive.  This really helps improve the gas mileage on the freeway.  I can almost squeak out 20 mpg on the freeway! However, around town, I only get about 10 mpg.

     If you know of any places where I can find parts for my Nova, please e-mail me and let me know.  (HeyJules2@aol.com)  However, I have found some nice catalogs with good parts...check out these places...

Classic Industries

The Paddock Inc.

Year One

Also check out Gear Box Grannies 1-(800)-344-1956

     Well, that's about it.  Currently, I am on the fourth engine (including the original) and have driven 500,000 miles plus since '72.  Hopefully Betsy will run smoothly for years to come...       

     PS-For those of you who own a Nova, did you know that in Spanish "Nova" means "No go"?  I always thought that was interesting...