My brother Dan spotted the car on the side of Highway 7, just north of London, Ontario. Without me knowing, he reached out to my then-boyfriend, Todd, and the two of them went to check it out. They bought it, even though it was a complete mess at the time.

I came home from work that day and was thrilled to see the back end of a Nova parked in our laneway. But as I got closer, the reality set in. It had no interior, needed new floor pans, and the 327 engine had a cracked block. The car was in rough shape and clearly needed a major overhaul.

For five years, it just sat in the garage. It became more of a storage shelf than a car, holding everything from drywall to trim. Then in September 2007, I made a passing comment: “Is this car ever going to see the light of day? In seven months, we’ll both be turning 40.” That remark sparked something, and things began to move.

The garage was sealed off. Windows were taped up. I wasn’t allowed anywhere near it. What followed was a full off-the-frame restoration. The entire car was sandblasted and repainted from white to maroon. Reproduction parts were ordered. An instrument panel from a seller in the U.S. was found on eBay. Unfortunately, the outlet on the back was incorrect, but we used it anyway. The 1968 model year was a crossover, and not all parts match up perfectly.

The car was fitted with a 350 engine, a 2800 stall converter, and a B&M Slap Shifter.

In April 2008, on my 40th birthday, Todd told me we were going out for dinner. Instead, we ended up at the Moose Lodge in London, Ontario. I recognized one of the vehicles parked outside, but I still wasn’t sure what was going on. As we walked in, everyone yelled, “Surprise.” My family and friends were all there to celebrate.

A couple of hours into the party, I was asked to step outside. There it was, the Nova, sitting at the door, gleaming, completely restored, and ready to hit the road. We took a quick drive around the corner. It was a bit intimidating at first, but thrilling. When we came back inside, they brought out my birthday cake, complete with a picture of the Nova on top.

Since then, I’ve had to replace the U-joints and the motor mounts three times. In 2017, something unexpected happened. While I was driving in gear, the starter engaged, shearing off the cone and sending metal fragments into the engine. I had to get the car towed home from Grand Bend, Ontario, and I was heartbroken.

A few months later, we found a 327 engine near Ottawa. We made the trip, brought it home, swapped over some parts from the 350, and got it running. It sounded incredible.

Ever since I was 15 and rode in a 1972 Nova, I had dreamed of owning a Nova or a Chevelle. That dream finally came true in April 2008.