Affordable-muscle 1964 Nova updated for performance

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Nova
The Nova has been nicely repainted in Aztec Bronze

If you get most of your classic car market information from watching Barrett-Jackson on TV, you probably think all muscle cars are extremely expensive and well beyond the average car collector. This is simply not the case.

The muscle cars at Barrett-Jackson, Mecum and other collector car auctions tend to represent either the top tier of the breed, or are merely bought for scads of money just so the winning bidder can be seen on TV spending scads of money on a muscle car.

But get outside the auction ring, and you’ll find the best place for more-affordable muscle cars are on the open market.

Nova
All chrome body parts have been replaced, the seller says

A great example is the Pick of the Day, a 1964 Chevrolet Nova located in Kingston, Indiana, that has been customized for high performance, and would make a perfect first-time muscle car.

According to the dealer advertising this Nova on ClassicCars.com, the two-door hardtop is a solid car fitted with a GM 350 cid V8 bored out to 355 cid with a 4-barrel Edelbrock carburetor and aluminum intake, a mild aftermarket camshaft and 2.5-inch dual exhaust with performance mufflers.

Nova
A 350 cid V8 replaced the car’s original inline-6

The car also has 3.23 differential gearing, which makes this little Nova perfect for cruising on the highway, and the wheels have been converted to the more desirable five-lug style, with new tires.

The solid body has had only a few minor rust spots repaired, the seller says, and the Nova has been painted in Aztec Bronze, which was completed last summer. The photos with the ad show a well-restored car with nice paintwork and no signs of the bodywork.

The bumpers, trunk trim, fender emblems, Rallye hubcaps, wheel-well and rocker trim, and door handles have all been replaced. The interior was redone at the same time, making this an excellent car for date nights and cruise ins.

Nova
The interior has been extensively redone

The best part is that you can buy this nice Nova for only $19,900. When you compare that to the Novas that sold at Barrett-Jackson this year, including one for more than $200,000, this looks like a great deal.

Maybe it’s not as perfect as the ones shown at Barrett-Jackson during prime-time bidding. but it is a nice muscle car for a very fair price.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

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Andy Reid
Andy Reid's first car, purchased at age 15, was a 1968 Fiat 124 coupe. His second, obtained by spending his college savings fund, was a 1966 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2. Since then, he has owned more than 150 cars—none of them normal or reasonable—as well as numerous classic motorcycles and scooters. A veteran of film, television, advertising and helping to launch a few Internet-based companies, Reid was a columnist for Classic Motorsports magazine for 12 years and has written for several other publications. He is considered an expert in European sports and luxury cars and is a respected concours judge. He lives in Canton, Connecticut.

3 COMMENTS

  1. If anything this is a good driver maybe a $10,000 car at best pictures tell a different story than write up

    But overall a nice car

    • Very true, a little over-priced but looks like a nice car. The only thing I really wondered about is why he says he converted the wheels to 5-lug. Starting in 64 ALL Chevy II models had factory 5-lug wheels. It’s a nice 10-Grand driver for sure.

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