In 1970, I bought my first Nova SS, a black-on-black beauty with a 350 ci 300hp small block and a 4-speed transmission. It was my dream car, but we had to sell it in 1974 to pay bills, relying on my wife’s 1970 Camaro instead. Letting go of that Nova was hard, and I missed it for years.

Fast forward to 2005, while watching Boyd Coddington’s American Hot Rod show, I stumbled upon a Nova SS on his website that reignited my passion. My wife, remembering the sadness of parting with the original, encouraged me to buy it.

This Nova, a true numbers-matching car, was in great condition despite lacking some original documents. Since then, I’ve upgraded it with Wilwood power disc brakes, power steering, a Flowmaster exhaust system, and Dynamat soundproofing, among other enhancements. The car still looks stock but performs even better!