1977 Chevrolet Nova

1977 Chevrolet Nova Concours 2 Door Sedan What was this, some obscure export version? It looked like a Nova. Same sheet metal, same glass, same size, same everything, perhaps rather more ornate and well equipped than an average Nova, but really ... what the heck? It wasn't until years later I found out it was just Chevrolet Motor Division trying to separate their fanciest compact with a different name. At some point I finally got a '77 Concours brochure and immediately remembered the much more elaborate grille with a chrome header, the wider tail lights, and, of course, that Chevrolet Concours script on the trunk lid. Hagerty.com, May 2023  For consignment, a 1977 Chevrolet Nova Concours 2 door sedan showing 24,310 miles, but the true miles are unknown due to a title exemption. While the exterior is replete with patina, the engine under the hood is a new Blueprint crate 383ci stroker V8. Talk about a sleeper! Exterior There are remnants of the original Dark Aqua paint, but not much. We have heavy patina throughout, especially on horizontal surfaces with and with blue painted design and some clear coat, it feels intentional rather than a car in actual decline. Chipped, cracked, faded, bondo'd, scratched, scraped, patched, and rusted, it's more of a statement rather than a sign of neglect. The B-pillar includes some artful red, white and blue paint additions and 14-inch Buick Rally wheels fill the openings with white wall tires and red lug nuts. Up front, the squareness of the fascia has been tempered by LED halo headlights that give the car a slightly menacing glare while out back, the Concours only triple unit tail lamps are in place.  Interior White plastic and vinyl door panels are remnants of this mid sized luxury version and show their age with some soiling and discoloration and other than the driver's armrest, both are intact. Suddenly, you enter the modern century with racing bucket seats in black and blue vinyl and not just in the front, but two in the back as well! That's not something you see every day. Up front, a later model Chevrolet steering wheel fronts the standard instrument cluster behind a cloudy plexiglass shield while plastic burl wood provides the dress up faceplate which also frames the AM/FM/Cassette player. To the right, an aluminum plate houses three added gauges under a heavily cracked dash pad with carpeted cover. A B&M shifter resides on the transmission tunnel and black carpet covers the floor and up above, we have headliner delete. The trunk holds a bright blue fuel cell and keeping with the Monster theme on the outside, loose cans of Monster might add some extra sound to the drive. Drivetrain Speaking of sound, most of it will come from the Blueprint crate 383ci stroker V8 under the hood with headers and a 4-barrel carburetor. It's mated to a rebuilt 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission with an HD shift kit and Vette 2-3 servo. Power is routed to the spooled 10 bolt rear axle. The engine has numerous polished parts for a slightly showy presentation. Undercarriage Generally clean underneath with the dual exhaust flowing through a pair of race mufflers and terminating under the car. Power disc brakes up front and power drums in back and suspension remains basic as coil springs aft, and leaf springs in the stern. There's very little surface rust on the underside, but we do note some rust on the door bottoms.  Drive-Ability The V8 starts with no problem and releases a symphony of exhaust. We're on 20 year old tires so there will be no flogging today, but the car has obvious power underfoot and shifts are crisp. We note the heater blower, rear defogger, speedometer, odometer and reverse lights are not functioning. The radio turns on but no sound is produced. Beyond that, all remaining functions operate as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at th