On my way home from my cabin in Pike County, my mom brought up how one day today’s cars will one day be classic cars. I wonder if they will ever be appreciated as the non-muscle car automobiles from the 1960s and 1970s. I’ve always dug Chevrolet’s Nova and its X-body brethren; their appearance screams sporty and grown-up, especially in coupe form. This Nova is a 1973 model, and is a two-owner 59,000-mile survivor. Find it here on eBay in Denver, Colorado with reserve not met.

Introduced in 1962 to better compete against Ford’s compact Falcon, the Nova (initially known as the Chevy II; the Nova was originally a trim package) was conceived to complement the compact Corvair (which had been on sale since mid-1959 as a 1960 model) and provide a one-two punch against the Falcon. Featuring a slightly longer wheelbase, the Nova was meant to give buyers a simple, back-to-the-basics compact car that was more similar to its competition (many had thought that the Corvair was too advanced and a bit of a handful to drive). Over time, the Nova became Chevrolet’s bread and butter compact car, with sporty and high performance models joining the fray over the years. After a full redesign in 1968, the Nova was given a facelift and some body-line modifications to keep up with the changing times. This 1973 model is painted in a minty green (hence the title), which seems to have been a fairly common shade of color on mid-1970s cars. There is some minor rust behind the rear wheels and on the lip above the rear wheels, but otherwise this car appears to be in nice condition. I dig the black side stripes that run from the front to the back of the car, and the chrome and stainless trim looks to have held up well. I’ve grown to like the wheels on the car (my brother’s 1979 El Camino had the same style wheels) and look sharp wrapped in white-line tires. The lack of a vinyl top is a huge plus as well (I had a 1974 Buick Regal coupe with a white vinyl top, and there was rust underneath the vinyl top below the rear window).

It seems like three-quarters of Chevrolet’s cars and trucks in the mid-1970s had a small-block 350 V8. This Nova is optioned with a 350 V8 with two-barrel carburetor. Rated at 145 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque, the 350 two-barrel is no screamer, but keep in mind that horsepower was on a downward trend for 1970s American cars. The transmission is an automatic (either a two-speed Powerglide or a three-speed TH350), and either one should be fairly reliable. Having traveled only 59,700 miles in its 44-year life, this car’s drivetrain should be in good working order, but could use a bit of detailing and an inspection top-to-bottom. The motor head in me would swap the two-barrel for a four-barrel carburetor and add some performance parts, but it’s probably better to leave it as-is mechanically.

At first glance, the interior appears to be in good condition, though I am worried that those seat covers on the front seats are hiding something bad. The dash pad is the only blemish, with cracks above the speedometer and air conditioning controls. I love that this car has bucket seats, and the console with floor shift is an unusual and sporty touch on this base-model Nova. The manual windows are a huge plus for me, as is the factory air conditioning that still blows “ice-cold”. I also dig the contrasting Parchment interior with the black dash, floor, steering wheel and console. I would replace the dash pad, ditch the seat covers and make sure the front seats are in good condition, and give the rest of the interior a good detailing, including putting protectant on the seats, dash, and other vinyl surfaces. Overall, this car is not perfect, but once the necessary areas are addressed, this would be a great car to take to local car shows and cruise nights. What are your thoughts on this 1973 Nova?