Barn Find Alert! CAR WIZARD inspects a '79 Nova for the first time in 15 years! Will he restore it?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 เม.ย. 2021
- Restoring a barn find can be very complex and expensive. Let the CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ show you around this 1979 Chevy Nova and discover if it is worth restoring.
🔮🔧 AMAZON AFFILIATE STORE: www.amazon.com/shop/omegaauto... 🔧🔮
🇬🇧🇬🇧 UK AMAZON STORE: www.amazon.co.uk/shop/omegaau... 🇬🇧🇬🇧
🧰 BENDPAK LIFTS: www.bendpak.com 🧰
👕 CAR WIZARD MERCH: teespring.com/stores/carwizard 👕
📷 INSTAGRAM @therealcarwizard 📷 - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
![รวมเพลงลูกทุ่ง 6 หนุ่มไทบ้าน ฮิตติดกระแส ชุดที่ 1 l มนต์แคน ไมค์ ไผ่ เสถียร ไหมไทย พี [Longplay]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GD2v1OjMw5I/mqdefault.jpg)
Car Wizard likes his customers quiet with unlimited funds
No kidding, I feel like I’m being disciplined
Yeah that horse was thoroughly flogged.
Doesn't everyone?
We all do
Wouldn’t anybody? Lol. He was listing all the reasons he likes the customers... basically just “money”
Most accurate thing I’ve heard working in the car business for 25 years about old cars:
“They’re all $500 cars to me”
Also ☝🏻☝🏻when you can’t make your wife younger I guess why not 🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️🤷🏻♂️
You should make every customer who wants this done to their car watch this video. Out of the hundreds of restoration videos I've seen this was the most honest and accurate representation of what is involved in barn find projects.
He was only "honest and accurate" to a point though...... There's literally NOTHING that he pointed out that didn't use to be "Owner level maintenance", and nothing that a half way smart person can't do i his own garage with a good service manual, a buddy and a 12 pack of refreshing adult beverages, because it's basically just replacing bearings, bushings and gaskets and making everything look pretty. Everything he pointed out is going to cost MAYBE $2000 in parts, so why does it cost 10-12k. on the average 85% of the cost involved in putting a car like this back on the road is labor costs, there's a reason why you can run down to O'Reilly's and get a alternator for a 1979 Nova for $50-$75 but a mechanic is going to charge you $200 to put a new in.
My first car was an anemic 73 nova that my parents bought in 74. My grandma had this style. I like these labors of love. He will get that running at a cost that is more than it’s worth, but that’s ok! As long as the customer is happy. Looking forward to this one
And a 79 was probably slower than that...
My family has fixed up almost as many old cars as Hoovie. It's no joke, it takes serious commitment, time, and resources to fix these golden oldies.
This is the type of car that any shade tree mechanic could fix in the 1990's. NAPA, Autozone, etc had 100 times more parts than you needed for it on their shelf. So did your local GM dealership!
My Bros has a couple in the mid 80's
Fun cars!
It helps to have some knowhow but to also know where it ends. I can change my oil, I can change my brakes, I can even do a general plug, wire, coil tune up. I could probably change a valve cover gasket, maybe even a head gasket, but only if I'm sure I won't disable the car in the process.
Man, the sound when he opened the hood took me right back to a full service gas station circa 1980. "Check the oil please."
Watching this, I felt like I was being scolded by an angry Wizard.
yeah i do think he's been venting a lot lately - i'm just a viewer on the other side of the world... and i dont piss off my mechanic
So you're one of those people who had to meddle with a classic.
I'm guessing he gets A LOT of phone calls. He is a working shop, and I bet it's annoying af.
@@herranton a highly intelligent person like him would go crackers at some of the toolbags he has to interact with.
Yes, scolded like at the end of Hoovies destroyed 427 corvette video
The customer was wearing high heals when she made that tear in the headliner. Her husband must never learn this.
Yep, I've got a high heel mark on the glove box on one of my old Mercedes Benz sedans, my nephew did it when he took his girlfriend out in it, not a good thing, Rj in Oz
Ha
Wizard: No crazy or wonky engine swaps in here, I won't deal with that
Also Wizard: puts Jag V12 into a Malibu
wasnt it the same thing on some level ?
Nope. This car is complete. Plus its not what the customer wants. I agree with the customer.
@@mikejohns3104 i meant i thought the jag bloc was to improve reliability in some weird irony but thats going off memory (i'm old)
I don’t like his 5 minute money rant, any business owner prefers rich customers but there is reason they don’t write it on the wall.
@@hanse81 yes it's tiresome and unnecessary.
Wizard, I had a sign in my office that read; "We offer three kinds of work, good, fast and cheap. You may chose two. If it's good and cheap it won't be fast. If it's good and fast it won't be cheap. If it's fast and cheap it won't be good."
Always good for a laugh, but true non the less.
I've never had a mechanic offer me a discount for being willing to wait lol
@@kuebby there are definitely mechanics like that, but I don’t imagine you need their services unless you are into exotics, old cars and other mechanics with really seasonal work loads, but yeah when a newish car breaks you are at the mercy of now
I have seen this in machine and fabricating shops. It's a universal truth.
@@sunnohh Totally, that makes sense. I've seen the sign, I just feel like the slow and good but cheap is the least realistic of the 3.
I would bet all those bushings are shot
Definitely a nostalgia project for the owner. These vehicles never inspired a second glance when they were on the road, unless they were full of cute girls on their way to the same concert as you ;)
As someone who graduated high school in 1985, there were more 70's "hand me down" Novas then you could shake a stick it. While this isn't as cool as the early 70's ones, it was a lot more common for us to see these. My elderly neighbor had a 76 Nova this exact color combo (but 4 door) that had only 14k miles on it in 1987 when she passed away - she had me drive it once to get insurance on it when she no longer could. Thanks for the memories.
Wizard is basically giving a PSA for *barn finds.
They’re in a barn for a reason
I appreciate his honesty and willingness to put forth what it really takes to make a "barn find" a reliable, everyday driver again. You can tell that this man really cares about his work, reputation, and also, his customer. When The Car Wizard gets done with this restoration, you can bet that it will be as good as new, or rather, as good as it can be made again. Fred
Hahahaa when he said. Yes come back were going to put another 2 thousand in it! I lost it.
Yeah, it doesn't make any finical sense to pay someone to fix it. But this would be a great project car for someone who knows how to work on them. Easy to work on, parts are reasonable.
First car I did had sat for 10 years, relatively short time but doing all the work myself there was still $1500 in soft parts not including tires before it could really be driven with some degree of reliability. Labor wise there was about 40 hours of work and that didn't even address all the leaks or failures that pop up after the initial drive. I love and still drive the car 15 years later but if it was done at a shop it would be $10k worth of work for a car that was realistically only worth about 5 grand.
Exactly, barn finds were usually taken off the road for a reason, extensive rust or mechanical issues.
These cars are what I call 'heritage vehicles.' They aren't necessarily collectible, but have sentimental value. I like to see these old Malaise-era cars on the road again after not seeing them for almost 20-30 years. Maybe Wizard will start restoring K-cars next! 🤣
Man, so many hated on those old K cars (myself included) but they were everywhere, lol.
How bout seeing a 79 Cougar back on the road.
I'd love an old K-Car wagon. My grandfather had two of them he used as mail delivery cars in the 80s.
That's funny, I call them "heirloom cars". Same exact concept.
I bought a 1978 Dodge Aspen Custom Sedan in May of 2021 and it took me a year to get the Malaise Era car running again.
The Wizard makes several good points about what to expect when restoring a barn find.
Unfortunately he returns and makes those good points again and again and again. It starts to come across as a lecture by an angry man rather than a helpful video about a great car to restore.
Having said that I look forward to seeing further videos about restoring this Nova, hopefully without more lecturing.
I had a 1978 nova with a straight six cylinder. I didn’t keep it very long but I gave it to my brother-in-law and he must’ve drove that car for another 10 years with no problems at all.
These cars ended when the trunk rusted out the motors lasted forever
@@ironmonkey1512 True unfortunately....the trunk was notorious for rusting, along with the rear quarters, and floor pans. Today the survivors really need to be stored out of the rain and elements
Wizard is a lowkey badass.. "yep, and you're gonna put another 2 grand into it"
Parts and Labor aren't cheap
🤢
There are a good number of "bullet-proof" parts, like Isuzu diesel injection pumps, that are almost exclusively killed by being left unused for too long.
The customer is his friend as long as they have a big pile of money and don't offer their opinion about what he is doing to their car.
I think car trek should do a series on old cars. Set a budget and let’s see who gets the best classic hooptie. Plus it would get some classics back on the road and tuned up ready to be loved by another owner.
Would be great for a Vice Grip Garage crossover.
Ed would cheat as usual and buy a full restomodded car that ends up being less reliable than the clunker Hoovie brings along :)
Kind of like Roadkill lol
@@AdamIsUrqed yea
@@jwenting exactly, Ed would have a restomod, I think hoovie would have a cheapest running example of some car and Tavarish would probably buy a barn find that hasn’t ran in years. I’d love to see a bunch more and we could have car trek 70s 80s 90s, truck competition etc.
It's great to see an old soldier like this in restorable condition that someone wants to preserve & bring back to life.
When a guy finds a 70s Chevy that's all factree, that's a good day.
Enjoying the video with a couple of cold snacks.
Hey. You're on the wrong channel
@@JohnReall a guy was about to say that! I'd be hooking my peepers more on Derek's videos but our good friend hasn't put anything out yet
We all know Derek would have this roadworthy for less then $500
Yeah, but it's Monday when this showed up. Puddins Fab Shop is a hooptie version of VGG
"I've never seen a supernova blow up, but if it's anything like my old Chevy Nova, it'll light up the night sky."
a man of culture
I remember you drove a crappy old blue chevy nova. What are you driving now?
The same crappy old blue chevy nova.
Ahh , Futurama, lol
Light up the toilet it’s slow junk. 74 after the years of emission those engines slow as shit and sucked
Futurama 🤣👍🏾
This and the Chevelle with the Jaguar V12 are the most interesting projects to date! Looking forward to more of this content!
From the looks of those pedals there is a good chance it actually has 32k mile on it
I said the same when I saw them and was surprised he didn't look himself.
I'd bet my life on it.
I would bet $$$$ you are right I highly doubt the peddle rubber was ever changed. This old girl is all original it will need a lot of seal, hose, and belt changes. Along with some lubrication and love but nothing major.
The driver's seat fabric says otherwise. I doubt the seat fabric wore out like that in only 32k miles. More like 132k.
Love watching your videos, Wizard, and have zero doubt you're one of the more honest and trustworthy mechanics out there. However we all know, unfortunately, that auto mechanics in general are not a highly regarded bunch, and for good reason. As an experienced car guy the best advice I can give to car owners is to educate yourself about how your car works as best as you can; experienced mechanics aren't just good at fixing cars, they're also good at sniffing out marks and seeing what they can get away with. I've experienced this myself first-hand. So as nice as I am sure it is for a mechanic to have customers who are just bottomless wells of money and give their mechanic a blank check unfortunately not all mechanics can be trusted in such a scenario. So there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a savvy consumer, asking questions, and keeping an eye on what your mechanic is doing. You wouldn't have your house remodeled and just give the contractor free reign, would you?
next Hoovie video: "I bought the cheapest Chevy Nova in the USA and here's everything wrong it" :)
Ha ha he might buy it if the customer dose it want it or his wife dose it want anymore ..... 😂
This actually had me looking to see if I missed a Hoovie video for why the purple Porsche is back there..
@@Misterfairweather i think its a pre sale inspection. im pretty sure he did a fleet update and sold the porche to stay out of the poor house
Figure the radiator is shot and transmission probably has moisture in it. I wouldn’t bother with revitalizing a 305. You change the engine and transmission. Guys going to sink 10 k into this relic to watch it fall apart in his driveway. Lol
That's why you pull the motor and rebuild it from the beginning. I'm doing that now with my 79 Ford LTD Landau 2 door coupe. Timing chain jumped, bent the valves and had leaking rear main seal. Figured it was easier than trying to fix the engine in the car. Since I was there, I decided to put a cam in it. Why not? Had to check the cam anyway. Then I put an Edelbrock intake on it. Sure, the original had to come off. Then I put a new 4bbl carb on it. I figured, if it has to come off why not upgrade it.
Why do I feel like I am being told off 😂.
The worst part is that after all that work and money all he will have is a 79 Nova
Ha, exactly. I don't understand it. I mean if it came with his wife from 30 years ago, sure.
If I gave my parents a car from 30 years ago they used to own and it cost half as much as a new one, they would call me a moron.
Even if it was something desirable, maybe, but you already owned it once. Move forward or get something different that you wished you had owned.
That may be, but some cars have more sentimental value than real cash value. Is it a plain, hum drum 79 Nova? Yes. But the memories tied up inside that car are priceless to the owner obviously.
@@Jelsick nostalgia is idiotic.
I'd rather have a 79 Nova than any new car made today.
@@kevinbarry71 If everyone thought that way, there wouldn;t be a lot of oldtimers on the road.
In the end, the value of classic cars is always determined by emotion.
4:35 those slots in the bumper for the old bumper jacks of death….
Those terrified me!
Bumper rippers
never had a problem with them , handy if you got stuck ,just jack as high as it will go and push it off the jack :)
@@scooterdogg7580 I never really did either, though I had a Cadillac slide off one because I tried to jack in up on bare ground. But there were so many cars of that era driving around with the bumpers rusted out and ready to fall off; I was just lucky.
Wanted to see the trunk & spare, bumper jack, herringbone vinyl mat. Maybe spare parts,oil, tells a tale of what's been happening with the car.
I’m dying to wash it and see what it looks like
Washing it is going to be the biggest expense.
These cars are part of the GM "X" body platform. These "4th Generation" Novas were made from 1975 through 1979. Similar X body "equivalents" to the Nova were the Buick Skylark, Buick Apollo, Pontiac Phoenix, Pontiac Ventura, Oldsmobile Omega, Many people don't know that GM also made these 4th Generation Novas as police cars. The same is true for the Pontiac Phoenix and Pontiac Venturas. Not many survived. A great video here on TH-cam to check out is the Jay Leno's Garage "1978 Nova 9C1 Police Car" episode. Thanks Car Wizard for showcasing this great car, can't wait to see the next episode of this project.
I'm a 1968-1972 guy myself. That was GM's golden era of styling in my book! 🥰
I had a ‘67 Impala. If you look at 67, 68, and 69 SS427s, I think the 67 looks best. So I’m just saying I think your year range is off by one :D
@@danielboyd4079 I must say that I agree where the Impala/Caprice is concerned. Beautiful fastback lines and gorgeous front-end treatment on those. But it appears that it took the rest of the lineup a model year to catch up. Makes sense, with the full-size being the flagship.
CHEERS!
Wizard: "They haven't tried to put a 2JZ in it or something stupid".
Me: "No of course not. You don't put a 2JZ in it...without a turbo!".
Put that Rolls into it!😅
That's a lot of work on that Nova. Can't wait to see this Nova back on the road running new.
Youre supposed to do the work yourself on barn finds so it doesnt cost you so much
Love it. Thanks for the nostalgia! Reminds me so much of the '75 Nova I learned to drive with. I changed so many tires on that thing (legacy of a parent working near a steel recycling plant) as a teenager. If I could afford it, I'd find one and restore it but I doubt that'll ever be in my budget and I'd never try it on the cheap.
Had a 77 Nova. Performance mod was to turn the air cleaner cover over...and then the rust over the wheel wells... good times! Had my prom date in front seat...a BENCH seat. Weeer chick weeer weeer.
I remember trying to tune the carburetors on those in the day....the door panels disintegrating, headliners drooping, riding behind them as they " drive crabwise" because of the rear shackles being weak, while they were only a couple of years old....should I go on? But it is nice to see someone didn't hack it up.
Nah that Gen 2 Camaro front sub frame was wider than the 68 Nova rear structure so they all looked like they crab walked
Some 4X4 pickups have a similar imaginary issue
My first car was a 77 nova loved that car. The owner of this one might want to move the spare key from underneath the hood now that everyone knows it’s there lol
What a beautiful car, totally agree with what you say about costs. But with enthusiastic owners and real car passion, money and returns don’t matter with people who really want to save them. Great video Wizard
A elderly neighbor of mine when I was a teenager had one almost identical to this.
She had to learn to drive when her husband passed away and this is the vehicle the driving school used so she was familiar with it.
She maintained it meticulously .
It was ALWAYS garaged and never driven in the rain or snow.
She stopped driving in 2002 and the car only had 44k miles.
She passed in 2004 and her grandson got the car.
He wrapped it around a telephone pole within a couple of weeks...
My brother and I bought one of these years ago for $500. It had the straight 6 and ran forever.
The straight six was a lot cheaper. I had a 79 Malibu with the 305 and the "plastic" transmission, bought new for about $8500. The dealer had a Malibu with the six and three on the column for $5600. 1979 was the year before the price leaps kicked in. I think the 1980 Malibu was $13,000. I might be thinking of the Olds Cutlass. That was a nicer car ....
They but that hood release in a good spot. Every Chevrolet I have owned has brought me to my knees.
I currently own a 79 Cougar XR-7. Parents bought as a demo, dad had it for years & neglected it & now trying to do what's best for the car. Also, found an 89 Mustang LX 5.0 vert that hasn't been butchered to death & still all stock & will be leaving it all stock. Will be getting that back on the road.
I agree keeping a car original is the way to go! Like for instance putting a Jaguar engine in a classic American car is craziness,lol... honestly there are very few if any post 1973 American cars that I would consider being desirable
From 1973-85 is considered the "Malaise Era". When cars in general had lost all power due to emission and fuel economy regulation, but there hadn't yet been the technology to bring that power back without losing fuel economy and emission control. It's also when car design focused less on performance in general and more on comfort and features. Even the Corvette had gone soft. 1969 gave us the L88 Corvette with under 13 seconds in the quarter mile. 6 years later your best Corvette was a smog choked 350 that gave you a 16 second 1/4 mile time. But you could get almost all the creature comforts lol.
I would, however, pull the engine out of a Jag (they are nothing but trouble) and put a General Motors small block V-8 in the engine bay. Its a popular switch, and brings you reliability, and ease of maintenance.
Here's my credit card Wizard, call me when it's done. But seriously, I remeber walking by these when I was 20 years old and wanting to buy one so bad. They were cheap, like $3500 new.
They still worthless. They’re not hot. A 69 with a 454 is hot. That thing is a total pos. Not worth restoring. Maybe for a millenial clown who thinks bubbles are hot.
@@jecrpalier Its almost like some people have enough money to spend on cars they like as opposed to cars that financially make sense. Who would've thought.
In 79 this 2 BBL was a POS. During the awful 70's with gas crises. Yet it gets glorified today because someone stored it for ages. It was a good car for a teenager since it was a dog.
@@jecrpalier It's a run-of-the-mill ordinary car from 1979 that's in remarkably good cosmetic condition for its age and mostly stock. Those two things alone make it interesting; "hot" cars are mostly boring because they're a dime a dozen as restorations.
And of course, the only person whose opinion matters over whether it's "worth restoring" is the owner.
@@dunebasher1971 of course waste a ton so I habe something to laugh at. Restore a 4 banger bobcat. Still junk and not barn find. Don’t use terminology used for collectors. Just say yeah it sat in a barn or warehouse for years and it ain’t rotted out. Grats u found something nobody wants but yourself but don’t pass it off as anything else. Or even title it that. Bad clickbait cause it’s not a collectible
I agree. This video is a must for all those "I'm going to fix it up" folks out there. I've had this exact conversation with customers and it's amazing how they always forget everything you told them before getting started. This looks like a pretty straight car and should clean up easily. Looking forward to seeing it after a wax and polish.
a lot of people need to watch this video customers of ours need to watch this video anybody that owns a car should watch this video thank you so much wizard for your wizard wisdom 👍👍👍👍
I plowed through 6 Novas as a teenager. One Olds Omega. Great memories.
Ah yes, the Malaise era Nova! The cars of my youth! These were all over the place in the early 80s. My parents had a '74 with the factory 350 and black houndstooth interior. The Nova had fallen back into "Grandma's Car" mode by '79 but it was still solid and reliable. These are easy to work on too. This is why people get into being a mechanic back in the day - you could make a good living without a PhD in computer science engineering.
There's an possible solution for people who don't understand what you're saying Wizard: you give them the estimate of what they need now. And in that estimate in writing, you tell them it will very likely need pretty much everything else you can imagine, which will cost you "THIS amount". Then, before you even sink one hour of labor into it, or take one bolt out, you get your customer to sign that they understand while the estimate now is say $4500 for what it needs now, it's possible they will need up to sink another $8000-10,000 to fix issues that arise after driving a 40 year old car for more than a few miles. If they do not accept that possibility, then you don't touch their car at all.
I had a black '78 that had the 305 4bl engine, 4spd, and F41 suspension, not exactly grandma's car lol. It was a blast to drive back in the early '80s. This "barn find" is in crazy good shape.
Car Wizard: Points out rubber bushings that need replacing
Me: Those are in better shape than the ones on my daily
Thanks, car wizard I learned a lot in this one. I'm the owner of Elk Mountain Motors in Asheville NC and we're a small business like yours. There was some good advice in here, while I love to work on cars like this I too have to be careful, and mindful of customers budget and expectations.
My grandmother had a 1976 Chevy Nova with 44,000 miles on it and it was in stock condition and everything was there. The car carried the inline six-cylinder 250 cu in (4.1 L), 105 hp. I loved that car even though at times it wouldn't start due to the carburetor.
had the same car. 14 mpg and 60K miles.. Couldnt get out of its own way
I had a '74 Buick Apollo (1st gen Nova clone) with the Chevy 6. Slow, but comfortable & good driving car & reliable.
Wizard rolls out the special tool box for fixing vintage Chevy's...a screwdriver, crescent wrench, pliers and hammer.
Very useful video for me. I have an old 42 yo lady that's been sitting since 2008. Just finished replacing all the brake pads/shoes/cylinders/hoses and a full exhaust system. Then I'll drive her a bit, give my old wrists a rest, then look for the next bit. Ball joints & tie rod ends probably - they are dry, the rubbers cracked, but tight for now...
"42 yo lady that's been sitting since 2008" ... That reminds me of a story in the Daly Mail a while back about a somewhat slow woman who got permanently stuck to a toilet seat; the EMTs had to spray grease on it to get her off.
The Wizard's honesty and integrity is unquestionable. If I had a classic that needed to be brought back to life, he would be my choice. Thanks for your videos Wizard, they are a "must watch"....:)
Very few customers would give a blank check to a mechanic
It's simply a matter of trust.
My grandpa (back home in Lithuania) has an old Russian Volga GAZ 24 in his garage, it started no problems after 15 years! :) Something about old family cars that makes them special!
My grandfather (from Estonia) had a more modest car, the Moskvitch 402, or one of it's variants, not sure. He died of cancer. But before he died, when he was no longer able to get out from bed, he was still concerned about how the car was running.
Got Koni Yellows! Someone cared back in the day...
Been here: when you have reconditioned or replaced EVERY rubber seal, ALL the brake parts that contact brake fluid, every electrical component that has moving internal parts, contact cleaned EVERY electrical plug, fuse, globe, junction, joint or ground, reconditioned or replaced EVERY part that contacts fuel, every rubber bush in the suspension along with the shock absorbers, cleaned EVERY inch/cm of the car inside and out (like inside the heater fan...) then you can look at the motor, trans and diff (all rubber is now slime, the valves are likely rusted to the guides, as are the rings, the water pump seals are long dried out, the coolant hoses are trash, the radiator is likely clogged and corroded etc).
In addition to that you need to remember that modern oils and fuels may melt any rubber seal, dry out a bearing or have an additive that messes with the old car.
A full restoration is 2,000 hours.
An honest, straightforward, respectful, trustworthy and no-nonsense mechanic is the one you want folks. Good work isn't always cheap, but cheap work isn't always good..
i've never seen a Nova look so good
wow i havent seen an OK plate like that for a long while
This is like the opposite of Vice Grip Garaje
Love to see the diferent ways to approach something like this!
No we're not going to put a battery in and see if it cranks.
"Bring the thunder"
Wizard: Even if it starts it won't be ready for a roadtrip...
Derek:Hold my beer
Don't forget what Cold War motors did to make two different straight eights run and be able to drive around the field.
@Vincent James Voice Zip ties and bias plies: "You don't need brakes"
@@EMObeamer liked it when his kid said that when he cranked up the Lesabre (?) in the junk yard.
My mom traded in an old Dodge Dart for a new 1978 Nova. She had so many problems with that Dodge Dart she had a hatred of Dodge until she passed away. The Nova was a good car she never had any problems with it. She traded it in on a 1982 Mercury Grand Marquis that she drove until about 1998 and then sold it to my brother who drove it for years. Her last car was a 1997 Buick La Sabre. Her favorite car was the 82' Mercury or the Nova she loved them both.
Looking forward to updates. It's good to see the old girls kept on the road.
Pops had a metallic green one, thought it was the baddest thing rolling in '80.
my pops had a blue 76. I toy with the idea of getting one for fun.
@@supermonkeycollider I had a blue 76 also, 250 I6, no exhaust, no floors, would still prefer that to todays offerings.
@@supermonkeycollider Do it!
My mom had a blue one that year, I hated it. To be a kid getting dropped off at school in a car that was decades older than everyone else, I felt poor but really we were just average with an odd ball mom.
Great project! I've been a part of these kinds of projects with friends in their back yards. It's A LOT of work...but FUN. But just like Wizard says, there will be more...a lot more. You have to be willing to spend the money on it. On the bright side, if you like the car, and can get it roadworthy for the same price of a new one, go for it! You can make a real nice ride out of it for less than 35k and love it.
Wizard, I'm excited about seeing this rebuild. Growing up my great aunt had a grey Chevy Nova. I have such great memories of riding with her. Great car. I recently thought about buying and refurbishing one & this walk-thru has given me more food for thought. Thanks for posting this one!!!
WOW! Brings back memories. My parents bought a brand new 1976 top of the line Nova "Concours" bright red with a white vinyl roof and tan interior. I think it had a 350 in it.
I bought a new one just like your parents bought. It had a 4 barrel carb on top of the 350 and it would smoke the tires right down to the rims, if you had the money to pay for 'em. I was actually able to drive it for several years.
My first car was 1975 Malibu Classic Chevell two door and I was born 1971. I don't have any pics just memories!
Keep us updated!
My first was a 1974 Malibu Classic 2 door Colonnade medium dark green metallic with a white landau top
I bet Derek could make that a going to town rig with some shine juice. Also, I'm surprised you didn't mention how great the shape of the bumper fillers are. That's a sign of a well taken and stored car.
What a sweet old Nova. These are none other than a labor of love. You'll spend lots to bring them back but this is a good solid original core. Barn find restorations seldom make fiscal sense but most of them are long junked so to see one today in this condition is great!
'74 Nova was the first car I ever drove over 100 mph.
Awesome car to do it in 👍
79
The '73-74s were still warmed over remnants of the coveted '68-73 design. It was in 1975 that they redesigned them to the one in this video and kinda made them Grandma cars. Still good cars though, just boring.
@@snoopy5736 why?
@@danielscott6787 yes, it is. The Wiz said so.
So many beautiful vehicles appear in this show I’m convinced there’s a time machine behind the shop.
My first car was a 1977 4 door Chevy Nova. Then I moved over seas and never saw her again. Red, white top, looked just like this. Great video!
Awesome! This car feels like my childhood 😂
I had a ‘79 Impala 2 door, a ‘73 Buick Century, and My sister had a ‘77 Nova 2 door (maroon color) and a ‘77 Impala, my parents also owned a ‘77 Impala wagon.
These cars, when you find them in solid condition are just awesome to drive and ride in. Easy to work on, parts are easy to come by and they’re just a great example of 70s Americana.
Step 1: Push back into barn.
Step 2: Set barn on fire.
Step 3: Laugh.
Says the Kia owner
@@TakuroSpirit77 KIA stands for Killed In Accident
...and the world would lose a priceless classic. This one has a lot going for it!
My friends mom had the exact same one same color combo when we were young teens in the early 80s. Brings back memories.
Nova mom's unite
This one appears to be a deluxe edition with the chrome wheel arches.
This video brings back memories. When I turned 16 back in 1992, my first car was a 1978 Nova that I bought for $500. I miss that car.
Hey there Wizard. Love and very much approve of your t-shirt, mate. You're right about barn finds - not many people sit down and think about what they might need to do (or what might have failed) on the car, but get caught up in the emotional high of the dream of bringing the car back to the road. The thing I keep in mind is the fact that if a car has been sitting, what you are replacing is X number of years of maintenance all at the same time, instead of the cost having been spread out over the number of years the car has been sitting. Mounts, bushes, hoses, tyres, seals, belts - basically anything with a rubber component - will need doing, along with the likes of shocks, bearings, engine ignition electrics and exhaust. As you say, you can do the basics to get her roadworthy and then the rest over time, but the expectation must be there that there are still things to do once its there and that other things are going to fail.....but at least you're in the car and driving it for a while first. It's cheaper to buy a restored car that someone has already spent the money on and is quitting, but then you also have the roulette wheel spinning as to whether the work was done well. Either way, it will still cost money to fix....and what you can see is just the start of it. Good video - and I love that Nova too.
Wizard says I don't work on cars like this except for every time
Keep us in the loop. I look forward to this project!
I'm a sucker for Novas
What a blast from the past. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Wizard that has to be a nice thing about working with Hoovie. He knows getting and keeping his cars running is going to cost money and he understands that. He knows his Lambos and his Bentley's are going to cost him big bucks but he knows what he is getting into.
The rear leaf springs are shot. Not only the bushings are done but Novas didn't come with coilovers. They were installed to even out the ride height.
Or so you can tow without being squatted
@Vincent James Voice LMAO
74 nova was my 1st baby when I started driving, I loved the car’s hips.. so sexy for a first car and was so easy to work on
79
@@danielscott6787 thanks buddy I was just reminiscing
I think this is the first original 79 Nova that I have ever seen. To me, it looks great just as it sits. Pretty good story behind this car as well.
The one thing that makes that Nova cool is the painted top. There were tons that had vinyl tops, but not many that were painted. If it were mine, the 305 would have to go...but other than maybe adding Chevy Rallye wheels, I'd leave it looking stock
Open budget for a 79 Nova w/ a 305? "The customer is always right". LOL
I have a 79 Pontiac Phoenix. Restored in 85. Daily driver since.
I drove a 2-door 1979 Nova Custom from '82-'85. LOVED that car. Great memories. Houndstooth interior, split bench, rally wheels. I paid $3300 for it and it was only 3 years old.
Looking forward to seeing this all done and polished up!
So, when I come back in one hour it should be all done... schweeeeet...
Last year for this generation of Nova.Replaced by the 1980 Citation in the spring of 1979.We all know how that turned out!
and only year with the square headlights...
My dad had this vintage of GM back in the day that had that type of material in the headliner. I remember staring at it for hours on road-trips... your video brought back a few memories.
Wizard your chastisement is well placed. Your challenge is to find true "originality". I'm hearing your OCD being engaged, This will be a wonderful series. In 1979, driving this car to California then would have been iffy to begin with. Your challenge is finding the issues before it can happen. If I could find my old dark blue 65 Galaxy 500 4-door I'd be tempted to do this for the sentimentality I have for the car.
Looks like Wizard was in a bad mood for this video.
He’s just sick of LS swaps, it’s so disgusting too see LS swaps in every car stick with the originals.
@@joemichael3656 and yet, the apollo 911 is in his shop waiting to complete the 2nd LS swap 😂
@@joemichael3656 exactly. this nova is absolutely begging for a gen 3 coyote swap. he should do it even if the customer doesn’t ask. the customer will thank him later
I think you made your point fairly quickly and by the time I was 11 mins in I started to lose interest in the repetition.
Some people never get it.
Droning on about what he thinks of his clients. Needs to remember who puts food on his family’s table.
The Nova. Absolute classic. It’s amazing that it stayed so true to itself for so long. Love it.
My first car was a 1978 Monte Carlo with that same engine in it. They had extremely soft cams which would round out about 35,000 miles and the fiber timing gears would fail before 50,000. Just FYI