"Lil Old Lady" '71 Nova

[Supercar_Kid]

Check this out...a legit "lil old lady who drives it only on Sundays to get groceries" car. I went down to the shopping plaza down the street to get some subway. Saw a citrus green 2 door 70-72 Nova sitting in the lot. I grabbed my camera out of the glovebox and went over to check it out. While I was standing there this little old lady came out with her grocery cart. I asked if it was her car. She said she "bought it new in '71. It's a 6 cylinder. I got it off Bill Book's up on West Liberty Ave." Sure enough, the Book decal still on the back bumper. It's a 'glide with green cloth guts. It did have carpet. She opened the trunk and I helped her load her groceries. The floors were mint, and I was in awe of the perfect original trunk paint. The original F-78 whitewall spare and wheel was in there and accounted for. I noticed that the jack mounts back on the tail pan of a '71, not under the tire like '70 cars. And the jack sleeve and everything was intact. 35,000 miles on the odometer. Original bowtie moon caps on 6" green wheels. She said "everyone asks about my old car. I don't drive it much...there's only like 35,000 miles on it." I asked her if she'd sell it and she said no. She said "everyone wants to buy it. It's a 6 cylinder." I should have given her my # or something if she ever changes her mind. Incredible old one owner car. No repaints or modifications ever, still inspected and driven weekly on the Pittsburgh streets. Some minor rust in the bottoms of the quarters, dings, etc, but the fenders were rock solid as was trunk. Maybe I'll see it again and can get some more photos. This pic shows the lady getting into it. Way cool.

http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Supercar_Kid]

another

[Supercar_Kid]

I love this stuff! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[Belair62]

Neat pics...she must love that car !!

[hvychev]

Vety freakin cool!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/flag.gif

[All American Racer]

I checked to see if you were from Pasadena! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burnout.gif

[Mr70]

Don't be Stingy...show her license plate number. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif
I Like it!

[Zman]

Looking at the front bumper, the car is a 70. (clear park lamps)
She did say she bought it new in 71, maybe it sat on the lot for a while http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
Cool car...just what I'm looking for to use as my "work Car" http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

[GOAT72]

Makes one kinda jealous of the simpler way the WWII generation lived.

Great lil' Novie!

[Supercar_Kid]

[ QUOTE ]
Looking at the front bumper, the car is a 70. (clear park lamps)
She did say she bought it new in 71, maybe it sat on the lot for a while

[/ QUOTE ] I thought that at first too, but the car was definitely a '71. It had the '71 style steering wheel, door panels, etc. It also had the vent do-hickey inside the trunk that wasn't introduced until '71. I was thinking perhaps it had something to do with the relocation of the jack assembly. I guess it's entirely possible that some early '71 models simply got the last of the left over '70 park lamp lenses. She did say it had never been wrecked or had any major work done, which was obvious when looking at the car. I think it's safe to say the park lamp lenses are the originals too.

[Mr70]

"It also had the vent do-hickey inside the trunk that wasn't introduced until '71."
That's called a Fuel Tank Seperator.They actually used those earlier on the NA9 equipped Vehicles,but they were smaller & hugged the fuek tank.
In 1971 they redesigned the seperator to pull away from the Fuel tank.

[Schonyenko2]

Did you check under the hood? Maybe she's the original owner of the draggin deuce, and she took the stripes off to make it a street sleeper. http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Pantera]

turn around what you said about somebody changing the '71 lenses onto thier '70 Nova to make it look like a newer car. We often changed newer ones to make a car look newer than it was back in '71. Especially '70 Vettes.

somebody may have swaped them on her with out her realizing it.

[Allen]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I guess it's entirely possible that some early '71 models simply got the last of the left over '70 park lamp lenses. She did say it had never been wrecked or had any major work done, which was obvious when looking at the car. I think it's safe to say the park lamp lenses are the originals too.

[/ QUOTE ]

If it's an early build, I'd believe it. The early '71 models also used up the 70 style tail light lens (small back-up lens) before switching to the one with the larger clear lens. Anything is possible, and chances are GM wouldn't want to throw away good parts that could be used up.

[hvychev]

[ QUOTE ]
Did you check under the hood? Maybe she's the original owner of the draggin deuce, and she took the stripes off to make it a street sleeper.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thats where she has been all these years!!! http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Zman]

Good point Allen...I'd forgotten about the tail lts... http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

[ QUOTE ]
turn around what you said about somebody changing the '71 lenses onto thier '70 Nova to make it look like a newer car. We often changed newer ones to make a car look newer than it was back in '71. Especially '70 Vettes.

somebody may have swaped them on her with out her realizing it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pantera, swapping to the clear lenses would make the car look older - not newer, since they are '70's and the car is a '71 http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/naughty.gif

The thingy in the trunk was part of the EEC equipment which was new for '71, also included the charcoal cannister under the hood and a non-vented gas tank. The jack indeed got relocated to the tailight panel, with a special bracket welded to the trunk floor to accomodate it.

Neat car, love to have one http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Mr70]

EEC is really RPO NA9.
Also known as California Emissions,before 1971.

[Pantera]

Think the other way. The guy with the 70 wound up with a 71 or newer looking car while the little ole lady wouldn't have noticed anything different and her car looked older.