Faults:

Replaced starter during 2nd year of owning.

General Comments:

This was my first new car. I researched extensively prior to buying the Nova. The other cars I considered were the Rambler American, Ford Falcon, and Dodge Dart. I selected the Nova because it had the largest 6 cyl. available (250 cu. in. - 4.1 L). The reason behind wanting a 6 was insurance costs for a male under 25 with a V8 was astronomical compared to those for a 6 cyl.

I special ordered this car with an AM/FM radio, Rear Window defogger (blower that put trunk air on the rear window), Torque Drive (Clutchless manual transmission, i.e. Powerglide without the power assist) and black vinyl interior.

Except for the starter, I had no problems with the car. I was able to do tune-ups myself - once a friend helped set the timing - he put a glass of water on the air cleaner and turned the distributor until minimal vibration as reflected by the water was obtained.

I would easily attain 25 mpg on the highway, cruising at 70+ mph. More than once I buried the speedometer at over 115 mph.

Now, as to why it was a HOT car. I did not have tinted windows or air conditioning. I drove the car for two summers in San Antonio, TX, Austin, TX and Biloxi, MS. With a black vinyl interior and no air conditioning, this was one very HOT car.

Now, for the big question - Would I buy another as a collector car? The answer is a big YES. The Nova is a very dependable and affordable car to own and drive, even with $4 gas.

Faults:

Distributor Cap

Battery

Alternator

Headlight

Nothing really major or expensive. It was a gas guzzler so I ran out of gas a couple times, this was also partly due to the gas gauge being unreliable.

Often times when we stopped at a traffic light it would die, but fortunately it would start right back up again. It was a "cold starter" meaning you couldn't just turn it on and go, you had to wait for it to warm up.

General Comments:

It wasn't bad considering it's an American car. Of course it had been completely rebuilt and restored when we obtained it. For someone who likes "classics" it's probably a great car, but I'm a modern gal, I like air conditioning, getting 35mpg and not having to worry so much about whether my car is going to break down. We have a newer toyota and honda now that we're very happy with.

Faults:

The rear trunk lock tumbler went bad.

My distributor wire got burnt on a header.

General Comments:

This car is an amazing car to own. It has extremely good acceleration, both off the line and all the way through 100+ miles an hour.

The interior is very roomy with space to spare, and the leather bucket seats are among the most comfortable I've ever sat in.

A Nova is not someone looking for an economy car, as the gas mileage is around 9 or 10 miles per gallon. It's a very showy car and very much a head turner, and to top it off it can back up the great looks with incredible speed.