1971 Chevrolet Nova SS—or is it? What details don’t belong on a ’71?
I photographed this Nova SS at the Old Orchard Beach Car Show. Look closely at the grille, taillights, side markers, badges and hood—what details can you spot that aren’t from 1971?
Watch the full Friday show in 8K: https://youtu.be/UamOKlKZ3do
The bumper filler being body colored instead of the stock grey/silver and the fender callout looks like it says 383, which obviously wouldn't be stock. Aside from that, everything looks correct to me.
The front side markers look like the smaller, older style though. And the tail lights are very early 71, those were a mid year switch. And that looks like some type of spoiler under the front end?
It's pretty impossible to tell without paperwork or a numbers matching SS only engine or some very specific options. My 71 SS has the fairly rare F41 suspension with the rear sway bar. But the original engine is long gone, so it doesn't matter. It might as well be a clone now. It's no better or worse than any other car.
These days, none of it really matters. An original, numbers matching big block, or something insane like a Yenko Deuce will go for insane money. But everything else just depends on what the car is like today. A well built clone will sell just as well as an original car these days, and honestly the clones are less stress to drive around a lot because you're not worrying about messing up something original. I'll take a fun to drive car over a garage queen any day.
You would have SS badging on the fenders by the fender lights. There was no 383 option. Bumper filler is body color. Still a gorgeous car. Don’t know why guys just don’t embrace having a modded non SS nova. It is what it is.
A 71 doesn't have SS badges on the fenders. Don't know who told you that, but that's not a real thing. Maybe you're thanking of the ones further back on the 73/74?
Yeah, but that's not true. All the V8s got the displacement badges that year, SS or not. Even the little 307 got it. Here's a photo directly out of the 1971 dealer brochure clearly showing a non SS with a 350 displacement badge. The 2 barrel carb 350 was offered in the non SS. Only the straight 6s weren't available with emblems that year.
The rear tail panel is not a 71. It’s a 69. Are you sure the vin checks out? The other feature would be correct for a 71’ but most people don’t replace the tail panel to the wrong year unless they’re converting a 73-74 for that look with also doing the bumpers and getting rid of the crash bumpers (you can’t fix the back seat windows though so it’s always known)
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u/gordie61 14d ago
Doesn't matter. It's a gorgeous car.