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[Squarebody Guy]

This post is no longer available deleted

 

[idahovette]

I'd need some money..... it doesn't run, yours does. It would depend on how bad you want a Nova as opposed to keeping your square body?

 

[Strick]

Is your truck painted? Primer hides alot of damage/imperfections that shiny & reflective paint won't dismiss. Interior stuff isn't cheap & neither is body & paint.
I can't believe that a car would be in a non-running condition due to a $25 ignition coil & 20 minute fix.
If I made the trade then I'd definitely need some US Currency to fill the gap between a vehicle running/driving & one that was very questionable.
Maybe my 2 cents will be worth something to you. Good luck.

Have Suspicions

 

[Sad Sack]

To start with, Run the VIN, I'd make sure it was a SS 396 car first then think about it.
Badging can be bought.
So many things to look for....
Fuel system cleanout? Hmmm...possible new tank and lines needed, maybe pump.
Run around the body with a magnet to look for bondo abuse.
If it turns over, I'd do a compression test, also an opportunity to look at plugs.
Radiator pressure test.
Unknown condition of rear end, trans and motor may send you down a rabbit hole.

 

[Grit dog]

Where to start?
Since you’re admittedly not at all versed in wheeling and dealing this might be a bit wordy.
First and foremost: Value. Is that Nova in its present condition worth more, less or the same as your truck? If you have questions about that, there’s a whole lot more info needed. We can’t tell from very little to no description or pics of both vehicles.
Second, want vs need. Both have many possible reasons and the lines are blurred sometimes. But answer that first. It affects your approach (in your brain, not out loud to the seller). To the other guy, you could take it or leave it. Even if you’ve been dreaming about a Nova since you were 13 years old!
This only changes IF you know lots a deal and legitimately you have immediate competition also trying to purchase it.
3rd. EVERY seller IS a scheming pos who’s trying to hide something, until proven otherwise.
This car in particular, only fck wads sell or trade “doesn’t run but only needs this little part to run like new”. Only the dumbest person in the world does not know that a running car sells for waaaaaay more than a non running car. So the “needs an ign coil and she’ll run” either means he IS the dumbest person in the world and it could be a great deal or he is hoping to sell or trade to the dumbest person in the world. Don’t be that guy.
Can play it either way.
Either tell him you assume engine is blown since you are NOT the dumbest person in the world and offer accordingly. If you also don’t reallllly want the car anyways.
Or bring a battery, fuel jug, some hose and a coil and and get an agreed deal based on it running and vice grip garage that motherfcker to life.
This will also answer your question about how big a pos the owner is or not.

Also “not running” is a huge turnoff for many people just like body damage or rust. Except mechanical work is arguably far easier than the other 2 big things. Could be a bonus for you if you’re not the guy who can’t change out an engine. Still gotta offer accordingly because many can’t change an engine.
That’s my version of how and why but it boils down to value and want/need.
rust in cars is imo worse than trucks. Harder to fix the spots that rust first or worst. That would be the biggest thing I’d look for before going any further.
3rd Gen Novas are super cool in my book though! Love the look and little car big motor makes faster for cheaper and it looks like a real muscle car. Thankfully it escaped the ugly stick in 1973!
I’d resto a 72 or older. I’d run a 73 in a demo derby just because I have a hard time driving on the road with a paper bag over my head and I wouldn’t be seen in a 73….lol.
But subjectively I’d say clean 70s squares outnumber clean 3rd gen Novas by a large margin so if the deal is right, remember your square is dime a dozen comparatively.

 

[Grit dog]

To start with, Run the VIN, I'd make sure it was a SS 396 car first then think about it.
Badging can be bought.
So many things to look for....
Fuel system cleanout? Hmmm...possible new tank and lines needed, maybe pump.
Run around the body with a magnet to look for bondo abuse.
If it turns over, I'd do a compression test, also an opportunity to look at plugs.
Radiator pressure test.
Unknown condition of rear end, trans and motor may send you down a rabbit hole.

Run the VIN and then don’t tell the seller. They don’t know or there’d be marketing it as such.
Small chance it’s actually a factory 396 especially since he said 70s and 70 was last year of the 396 (402).
Personally I wouldn’t add much if any value to a SS vin. The car ain’t original. It’s never gonna be original and even getting it close is an effort in financial futility.
But what it is good for is what it should be used for. Shiny-paint, big motor, some 396 badges and SS stripes and drive the piss out of it!!

 

[goldpack]

another opinion in person is definitely valuable.

even if that opinion is to tell the seller how to make it start and run cheaply with a baby bottle of gas under the hood, enough to drive it down the block and up on a Uhaul trailer,....and if the seller can't do that
....its a pile of broken drag racer.

 

[Ricko1966]

Why are people talking about this being an SS?

 

[xm20k]

First climb under the rear with a magnet and a pocket screwdriver and poke and prod around, a ton of these cars are junk in the back half unibody section. Get in there and look for filler especially if its painted or under coated under there.

I ran into a ton of these with gallons of filler license plates and riveted in ducting holding the back end together.

 

[goldpack]

Why are people talking about this being an SS?

when I first looked a this thread, there was a picture of the passenger front corner, badge I think said 396 SS between the headlight and the front passenger side tire.

that pic got deleted, and the driver side pic inserted...without a 396 SS badge
(so I guess the original poster swapped pics)

 

[TotalyHucked]

Just from the 2 pictures of the Nova and the 1 pic of the truck, that's a hard pass for me. Unless you just absolutely salivate over Novas, I'd walk. I'm a truck guy though, so they don't appeal to me.

That said, primer hides a multitude of sins so that's turn off #1. No interior? Even getting stock replacement stuff is gonna be $5k+. Non-running just for a coil and fuel system cleanout? Could be it got parked cuz money and time was tight but I'd be very leery of that. With that monster tach and cheetah shifter, it's def been a bracket/drag car of some kind, so it's been beat on most of it's life. The driver's rocker and bottom of the door look a little funky to me to.

Hard, HARD pass from me. But, if you want a bracket car and just love Novas, at least get a decent bit of cash on top to make it worth losing your running/driving truck

 

[Turbo4whl]

Why are people talking about this being an SS?

I was also wondering why people think it's an SS?

A 1970 Chevy 396 (actually a 402) is indeed a great engine. Large oval ports, forged crank, pink rods and all.

Not my choice for a ride, I'd keep the Rosedale red square.

that pic got deleted, and the driver side pic inserted...without a 396 SS badge

Oh, okay.

 

[Ricko1966]

Okay I got it now,if it was an SS car that would make a big difference to me. But as @Grit dog said it's easier to find a decent square than a decent Nova. Many years you can't tell an SS by VIN,you can tell if it was a V8 though. Look for a 12 bolt rearend,multi leaf springs,disc brakes,Louvers on the hood and a factory tach. I wouldn't even speculate it being an SS though if the owner did not say it was and it only had 1 badge on it.

 

[goldpack]

here is that missing shot,...is shows up sometimes on my screen but not others, right now it is in the photo attachments in the first post....so a 396 badge and SS grill. (possibly off a donor, or out of a catalog)

maybe its a big pic,...or the group of them is big and slow to open in the forum

 

[Bennyt]

I'd go to stevesnovasite.com and see if anyone knows the car. As well as ask the owner of the car if they are/ were a forum member anywhere. You might be able to see some old posts and get some info.