Special Order Color: 1970 Chevrolet Nova SS
There is a chance that this 1970 Chevrolet Nova SS could be a genuine 1-of-1 classic. It is nicely optioned, and it comes finished in a Special Order color. It is a solid and original vehicle with a drivetrain combination guaranteed to provide an entertaining driving experience. However, it is also a vehicle that needs a new home, so the owner has listed it for sale here on Craigslist. The Nova is located in Aurora, Colorado, and the owner has set the sale price at $38,000. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder Gunter K for spotting this Nova for us.
I admit that the paint that this Nova wears has me intrigued. The original Build Sheet and the Trim Tag confirm that it is a Special Order color, but I’ve had no luck identifying the shade in any Chevrolet color charts. I hope that one of our readers can shed some light on this because I’m curious about it. The paint looks consistent across the car, with no evidence of significant flaws or patchiness. The panels are straight, and there is only minimal rust for the buyer to consider. This is at the base of the windshield, although the owner supplies no photos of this area. The trim and chrome are in impressive condition for a classic of this age, while the tinted glass appears to be flawless.
The owner supplies several shots of the Nova’s underside, and it appears to be as clean and structurally sound as you could ever hope to find. There’s no evidence of even the lightest dusting of surface corrosion and absolutely no signs of penetrating rust. That would indicate that the spots I previously mentioned are the only ones that the buyer will need to tackle.
At 3,302lbs, the Nova is a relatively light vehicle for its size. That allows it to extract maximum performance from its drivetrain. In this case, we find a 350ci V8, a 4-speed manual transmission, a Posi rear end, power steering, and power brakes. With 300hp on offer, this SS should romp through the ¼ mile in a brisk 14.7 seconds. The owner says that this Nova runs and drives well, but it has a few minor issues for the buyer to tackle. The power steering loses the occasional drop of fluid, so that will require investigation. The passenger side front tire rubs on the inner fender when turning right, and the clutch shudders occasionally. The latter could be an issue with the flywheel, while the former could be nothing more than some minor adjustment. As always, I would advise an in-person inspection to confirm that all is well with this classic and that there are no significant problems that are contributing to these faults.
When we turn our attention to the interior, the impression is nothing but positive. The original owner ordered the car with black vinyl trim, front bucket seats, a console with the gauge pack, a factory tach, and an AM/FM stereo tape player. All of these items remain intact, and the only fault that the owner identifies is that the stereo produces nothing but static when turned on. That is something that would be worth pursuing further because it would be wonderful if this interior could remain unmolested and original. The upholstered surfaces are in good order, with no evidence of wear or other problems. The same is true of the dash, console, and carpet. Apart from tackling the radio, there will be nothing for the buyer to do but slip behind the wheel and appreciate all that this classic has to offer.
This 1970 Nova SS is a car that presents well, and its Special Order paint virtually guarantees that it will stand out in a crowd. Its issues seem to be pretty minor, and the impression is that addressing these is unlikely to break the bank. Many enthusiasts will focus on the big-block versions of the SS, but the 350-equipped cars offer respectable performance and a more balanced driving experience when the going becomes twisting. Given its rare color and its overall condition, I believe that the asking price looks quite competitive. It has only been on the market for around one day, and I won’t be surprised if someone snaps it up pretty quickly.
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Comments
I have a soft spot for a ’70 Nova SS having had one for quite a few years. This car looks great and is about as clean as you could ask for. I like the color, it suits the car well. Considering the asking price of $38k, the seller should have taken care of the few mechanical issues, but that’s just my opinion. The ask seems pretty high for a small block but it is a beautiful, nicely restored car. Maybe a Barnfinder can answer a question for me regarding the faux front fender vents. The ones on my Nova SS were chrome while the ones on this car are painted body colored. Are both chrome and painted correct for a Nova SS in 1970? Also, I’ve never seen a console like that in a Nova SS; is that correct for this car?
I’ve seen quite a few of these consoles in Nova SS, I believe that it’s the one you get when you order the optional gauges. Same style as in the 1st generation Camaro.
Correct. This console is correct for the Nova. It’s very similar to the 1st Gen Camaro one, and a lot of times you’ll see the Camaro version in Novas. They’re shaped a little different, but the biggest give away is the Camaro one has holders for the seatbelt buckles at the end. Mechanically the gauges are exactly the same, and they’re even the same size between the two consoles. The only difference being the Camaro versions had white faces, where the Nova versions had black faces. Another interesting tidbit on the Nova console is that you could get the console and not have the additional gauges, they were two separate options. In the Nova if you didn’t pick the gauges but you got the console, then the upper part under the dash just had a filler plate with a little Nova emblem on it. The Camaro if you got the console it came with the extra gauges.
Yup, also used in the ‘74 GTO. Pretty cool!
The ‘bright hood louver ornaments’ were an option on the 1970 Nova SS. Otherwise they were painted body-color.
The “vents” on mine are body color with chrome on the vertical edges. Way back when, guys would strip off the body color and have a big blob of chrome for that “custom” look.
Bingo, NovaTom has the correct ones. The side vents where chrome when produced, but Chevy then painted the majority of the part body color. Only the edges of each vent should be chrome. The vents were never functional, and by 1971 the side vents were just dropped completely.
The paint reminds me of 1967 Chevrolet Butternut yellow. I had a neighbor with a 67 Caprice that color. Identical to the 67 Caprice 4 door in the 67 Chevrolet Brochure.
That is not Butternut yellow. I have an original paint Butternut yellow 1979 Nova, it’s more a cream/light tan color, think sun faded newspaper stock.
Steve R
Not butternut yellow my 1970 Malibu was with a 307 and 3 on the tree and a vinyl top brown
The radio issue likely lies with the antenna. Not sure if Novas had the antenna in the windshield or not (I know my Camaro did) but the plug at the base of the windshield tends to rot out. Not a big fix, I did mine.
The color might be a fleet color, my buddy had a 1970 nova that was a fleet nova in a color close to this, if not exact.
I think the green tint in the exterior photos is a result of bad lighting. Based on the underwood photo, it looks like 1970 Corvette Daytona Yellow to me.
“underhood” photo.
It’s interesting that they color matched the wheels even for a special-order color. You’d think they’d have just supplied silver, white or black wheels with them.
I’m not seeing any green tint at all to the yellow on either of my computer screens.
Want!
im old,so add Efi,vintage air,7004r(keep every part removed)
simple bad*** nova love these cars
Custard’s Last Stand.
The paint should be “Daytona Yellow”; DuPont number 926-99568. The “926” denotes that the color is a non-metallic and the “99568” is the mixing formula.
Nice ride, I’m sure, but the cheap fuel filter and battery terminals have to go.
The SS package (Z76) for the 1970 Nova had an msrp $327.55. A Custom Interior option (A51 or ZJ1) could be added at no extra cost. The major difference between the two RPOs was the A51’s Strato buckets versus the ZJ1’s cloth bench. For other Nova submodels the A51 RPO’s msrp was $247.55.
The console was another option (D55) for V8 Novas. The msrp was $59.00 and an automatic or 4 speed transmission was required. The console-mounted gauges were part of the Special Instrumentation package (U17) which listed for $94.80.
The prices and RPOs are from a Chevrolet price schedule dated March 1, 1971.
A $38k Nova that isn’t perfect? Thank you Barret Jackson & Mecum for these crazy high prices. The seller is in for a disappointment. Nice car but this isn’t a factory big block car and it’s hardly worth $20 without the mechanical issues resolved petty as they may.
Without any direct light on the car, hard to pinpoint the color. My 70 Monte Carlo is 1970 Color Code 50, Gobi Beige. This looks a shade or two darker than that.
did everybody miss it. Check mout the speed warning option in the speedometer face. Rare option
In the spring of 1970 Chevy ran a sales promotion on the Nova, you could choose between 4 colors, yellow, hugger orange, ralley green & I believe gold. Got that info from a current one owner hugger orange SS owner. Had my hugger orange code 65 SS since 1974.
In my family I was considered a late automotive bloomer, I didn’t start to notice cars until I was almost 12. My older brother on the other hand was swapping differentials and tuning ignitions since he could hold a wrench. Anyway, the first car I noticed was this one, 1970 Nova. Later on in life I would purchase 2 different Chevy II s. Love this clean example. Wish I could put it in my garage.
Car looks a lot like Daytona yellow