Looking for my first Muscle Car and needing to know what to look out for when buying a Nova
Wed, 06/03/2009 - 12:22pm
I am new to the muscle car world and have fallen in love with the Nova my preference is the 70-72 model.
What is a resonable price for a Nova of this age with good condition body work? I am not bothered about it being a SS as i am looking to put a 454 or 502 engine in to it.
Are there any problem areas anyone can make me aware of so i dont buy a heap of crap.
Also is there any associated problem with putting in such a larger engine?
One more thing before i go and i feel stupid for asking but i am british which might explain why i am asking the question. What is the difference between Big Block and Small Block, is it as simple as large engine - small engine
Try Steve's Nova Site to get all the input you can stand for Novas. Main thing to look for on the Novas is rust. The cars don't have full frames so rusting can be a major issue unless you are think about tubbing it and rebuilding everything underneath anyway. 70-72's are easy to get parts for and there are several good suppliers. The big block will fit easy enough mounting-wise; but requires some specific pieces to do it. Large tube headers will be a bit of an issue if you want a manual trans. Also if you want a heater and AC, it requires a special box to allow the big block. Getting a big enough radiator will not be a problem.