I watched this car drive by my shop every week and envied it so much. I kept asking the gentleman if he would sell it, and the answer was always the same.

“Not right now.”

This went on for a few years.

I, unfortunately, was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the age of 49 and had to go for surgery. When I got out and was resting at home, my wife told me that she heard the Nova I’d had my eye on for years was possibly for sale!

I immediately contacted the owner, and the rumors were true!

He said, “Yes. It was time to let her go.”

I had my wife drive me to his shop with the catheter and bag still attached to my leg. I looked the car over and bought it immediately.

If it wasn’t for my wife, I would have missed out on one of my dream cars.

Three years later, I restored “Nightmare.” I gave her the life she deserved by doing a complete rotisserie restoration, installing a crate Motown 427, all-aluminum small block with Holley fuel injection matted to a Tremek 5-speed pumping out 600 hp.

I threw everything at this car I could imagine (along with a few extras) to make it stand out from the crowd. I was able to do this so cost-effectively because I own an autobody repair facility. I did all the work myself and turned it into a piece of jewelry.

I love to look at this Nova daily.

I took it to my first car show in Spokane, WA in June of 2022, and the car showed amazingly. I came home with a Top-10 Builders award.

It was a huge honor for me and a top-shelf award. I had so many compliments about the car and the quality of the workmanship that it made all the hard work for two-plus years worthwhile.

I nicknamed the car “Nightmare” because there were so many issues and problems that caused me lack of sleep and headaches. That said, I love my ’67 Nova!

This Nova was a Canadian-built car, sold in Alberta, and remains here to this day.