1977 Chevrolet Nova Concours

Searching for a new rolling project with a good foundation? Why not begin with this Chevrolet Nova Concours? This was a father/son project that was near completion before his father passed. Family and space has coursed him to sell the car.

By the mid-1970s, the Nova had been Chevy's standard bearer in the compact car arena for more than decade. The entire X-body lineup was revamped in 1975 with new styling and more glass area.

This example was made in General Motors' Van Nuys, California factory (VIN code L). The seller's father passed away, leaving it to him. He had plans to revamp the car somehow two years ago but now it is a viable running and driving project car that needs some finishing.

The car's gold paint and trim, including the Light Buckskin vinyl half-roof are in overall satisfactory order while the bodywork appears solid and satisfactory. The chrome bumpers show a lot of surface blemishes but they fit tightly to the body. Note that the headlight bezels are missing but there are Rally or bullet sideview mirrors. A/C compressor is missing and drivers door will not open while we tried to remove the door panel and release it.

This Nova rolls on Hankook Kinergy PT radials, size 215/60R14 at all four corners. Each one is mounted to an Ultra aftermarket alloy wheel. The wheels are in overall satisfactory order while the tires are in very good order. The car come with numerous parts and trim to finish the car.

Under the hood is a 350 CID V-8 engine bored .030” over with a four-barrel carburetor. Backing this motor is a Turbo Hydramatic 350 three-speed automatic transmission and an 8.5-inch, 10-bolt rear axle. Driver convenience features include power steering and power disc/drum brakes. Driver door will not open.

Inside, is an aftermarket brown cloth interior. The front and rear bench seats are in satisfactory while the carpet and headliner are in mediocre condition. The car has a two-spoke Concours steering wheel that looks good while the dashboard and inner door panels are in similar shape. A column-mounted shift lever and an aftermarket AM/FM stereo rounds out the interior.

For 1976, the Nova Luxury Nova was rebranded Concours to rival the Ford Granada and the Mercury Monarch, as well as upscale versions of the Dodge Dart and Plymouth Valiant. Like regular versions of the 1976 Nova, the Concours came in three body styles: coupe, hatchback coupe and four-door sedan. Concours was the most luxurious Chevrolet compact to date. Rosewood vinyl decorated the upper door panels, instrument panel, and steering wheel. Concours models had an upright hood ornament, bumper guards, bright trim moldings, black bumper impact strips, and full wheel covers; more-basic Novas came with hubcaps. The Concours coupe also was the first Chevrolet coupe with a fold-down front center armrest. A V-8 Concours coupe sold for $547 more than the comparable base Nova.

Promoted as “Concours by Chevrolet,” the 1977 Concours featured a new vertical bar grille and a revised stand-up hood ornament. The rear of the Concours also got new triple unit taillamps reminiscent of the Caprice. It also boasted newly designed wheel covers and wider bright wheel-opening moldings. “International in style, it is American in function,” the sales brochure insisted of the Concours. The brochure went on to note that Concours offered a “very special blending of classic style and good sense.” That last comment referenced Nova's sensible size. Novas themselves, the marketing materials said, were “not too small, not too big, not too expensive.”

Minor changes for the 1977 model year included a more modern round gauge cluster to replace the long sweeping speedometer, and a revised dash panel which changed to a flatter design. Some new colors were offered (as with the rest of the divisions) and some small trim added.

Competition to this Chevrolet in 1977 included Buick's Skylark, Dodge's Aspen, Ford's Granada, Mercury's Monarch, Oldsmobile's Omega, Plymouth's Volaré and Pontiac's Ventura.

If you're looking for a good rolling foundation, either to bring back to showroom new or head in an entirely different direction, this Chevy Nova deserves a closer look. Stop by MotoeXotica Classic Cars today to take a peek for yourself!

VIN: 1Y27U7L156739

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 43,473 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

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