This ClassicCars.com Marketplace featured listing is a 1963 Chevy ll Nova SS for sale in Portage, Michigan. The Chevy ll is a story of can-do spirit in its original development and updates.
The birth of the Chevy ll came as a result of Ford’s latest offering a few years before. The Falcon hit the streets on September 2, 1959, and GM was left flat-footed. The compact Falcon had the lower end of the market all to itself. This would not stand at Chevrolet.
“There was no time for experimentation or doodling around with new ideas from either the engineers or from us in design; And it had to be a basic-type car,” states Chevrolet designer Clare MacKichan. So, the team at Chevy put the foot to the floor and stuck it in high-gear. “I think that was the quickest program we ever did at any time,” MacKichan continued. “We worked night and day on that car, and it didn’t take very long to run it through our shop because we had a deadline.” Working feverishly, from the time designers started sketching to the time the Chevy ll arrived for its introduction on September 29, 1962 took a scant 18 months. Putting that in perspective, four years or more is normal, and three years would be extremely fast.
The 1963 Chevy ll was a car for the budget conscious. Engine choices ranged from a lowly 153 cubic-inch (2.5-liter) inline 4-cylinder to a 194 cubic-inch (3.2-liter) inline 6. The top of the line Chevy ll Nova SS, which was only available in the 400 Series sport coupes and convertibles, could be optioned for $161.40. The package offered primarily appearance items with little substance, aside from the floor mounted shifter and bucket seats. No V8 was available. In ’65 the small Chevy could be ordered with a 327, but that’s another story for another time.
The 350 cubic-inch offered in this 1963 Chevy ll wasn’t even available from factory until 1968, which was the third generation Chevy ll.
You’ve probably heard this tale before, passionate owner spends thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours on his or her baby. Sadly, the owner never really gets the dollars and time back when it comes time to sell the gleaming machine. This story doesn’t need to have a sad ending. Some lucky S.O.B. will get this for far less than what the seller put into it. So, somebody wins big-time!
This is the case with this 1963 Chevy ll Nova SS. This features a complete body restoration (on rotisserie) by professional restoration body shop. The eye-popping effect is provided by the PPG Poison Ivy paint shows a different color from every angle. This radiates green that flops to blue to purple and black. The Chevy ll also has a Heidt’s Mustang II front suspension with 2″ drop spindles and disk brakes. 3.73 rear-end with 5 lug wheels. A 350 cubic-inch, small block with a 600 Holley carb, powder coated headers, new aluminum radiator and TH 350 transmission getting the power to the wheels.
For $20,600 this is still a darn good value, easily able to earn smiles when moving or parked.
To view the listing on ClassicCars.com, click here.
