NO LONGER AVAILABLE Listing ended Oct 5, 2026

1978 Chevrolet Nova

$23,495

Vehicle Details

Make

Chevrolet

Model

Nova

Year

1978

Mileage

36,000 miles

VIN

AMS35747

Body Type

Other

Transmission

Automatic

Fuel Type

Gasoline

Engine

305

Description

1978 Nova - 305 Engine, Summit Racing Carb and Intake Manifold, chrome valve covers, new shocks, door panels, headliner, radio. A/C works - Runs great.

Classic Chevrolet Nova Buyer's Guide

Full guide

Mike Sullivan

Muscle Cars

1962–1979

~3 min read

Updated Apr 2026

Expert buyer's guide to the classic Chevrolet Nova 1962–1979. SS396 verification, COPO documentation, cowl tag decoding, floor pan inspection, and current market pricing tiers.

This guide covers

✓ 10-point inspection checklist

✓ Common issues & what to avoid

✓ In-person inspection guide

✓ Market pricing by year & condition

✓ 6 FAQs answered

✓ History & fun facts

Read the Full Nova Buyer's Guide

Chevrolet Nova Market Overview

Based on 68 Chevrolet Nova listings currently on ClassicCarsArena.com

Listed Now

$47,650

Avg. Asking Price

1962–1978

Year Range

Price Position on Our Site - Below Average

This car: $23,495

Low: $7,500 High: $246,900

Transmission Distribution

Automatic 56% ◄

Manual 32%

Condition Distribution

Excellent 12%

Good 9%

Data from ClassicCarsArena.com listings Browse all 68 listings →

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Classic Chevrolet Nova Buyer's Guide

The Chevrolet Nova ran from 1962 through 1979 and spent most of that run being underestimated. General Motors built it on a compact platform originally designed for the economy-minded Chevy II, then spent the late 1960s cramming engines as big as the 396 cubic-inch big-block into every corner they could find. The result is one of the most rewarding sleepers in the classic car market, if you know how to verify what you're actually buying. A documented SS396 is worth real money. A car wearing repro SS badges without a cowl tag to back them up is worth considerably less.

What to Check Before Buying

✓

VIN Engine Decode , On 1968 to 1971 cars the VIN does not encode the engine; decode the block casting number and stamped suffix code. Any mismatch means the SS package is not factory.

✓

Cowl Tag Check , Locate and photograph the firewall cowl tag. Verify body code, trim code, and option codes match the advertised configuration.

✓

Block Casting Number , Read the engine block casting number on the rear driver's side. Cross-reference against published casting number guides for the claimed engine.

✓

Floor Pan Probe , From underneath, probe floor pans with a screwdriver at seat mount areas and around the transmission tunnel. Soft metal means rot.

✓

Rocker Panel Magnet Test , Run a magnet along the full length of each rocker. Filler is non-magnetic. Check for rippling or waviness indicating patch panels.

✓

Cowl Seam Inspection , With the hood open, inspect the cowl seam at the windshield base. Bubbling paint or soft metal indicates serious rust.

✓

Rear Quarter Rust , Check lower rear quarters and the area behind the rear wheel opening. These rust from the inside out, look for bubbling paint.

✓

Trunk Floor Check , Pull up the trunk mat and inspect the floor and spare tire well for rust-through. Check seams where the floor meets the quarters.

✓

Subframe Mount Condition , Inspect front subframe mounting points on the unibody for corrosion. Cracked or rotted mounts require serious structural repair.

✓

Cooling System Check , On 396 cars, check for overheating history: rusty coolant, white residue on valve covers, or milky oil on the dipstick.

Common Issues

Floor pan rust is the Nova's most universal problem, water trapped under carpet rots the pans from above while road spray attacks from below. Budget $1,500–$4,000 for full floor replacement on a rough car. Cowl rust at the windshield base is serious structural rot affecting the firewall, repair costs run $2,500–$5,000. Rocker panel rust is cosmetic on the surface but structural underneath; full rocker replacement runs $800–$2,000 per side. Lower rear quarter rust is common and repairable but can extend into the trunk floor. On 396 cars, check for overheating damage, cracked heads and warped intake manifolds result from cooling system neglect. SS badge fraud is widespread: verify every claim with cowl tag data.

What to Look For

Start with the cowl tag, riveted to the firewall, lists original body, trim, and option codes. On 1968 to 1971 Novas the engine is not encoded in the VIN; verify the engine by its block casting number and stamped suffix code. On 396/SS cars, confirm block casting numbers and casting dates. Inspect floor pans from underneath with a screwdriver, they rot from trapped moisture under carpeting. Check rocker panels and lower rear quarters for filler with a magnet. Inspect the cowl seam at the base of the windshield for rust perforation. Look at the rear frame rails where they meet the floor. On manual transmission cars, check the bellhousing area for cracked metal. Verify front subframe mounting points for corrosion. Check trunk floor and spare tire well.

Price Guide

Third-gen 1975–1979 drivers: $8,000–$18,000. Chevy II 1962–1967 with V8: $18,000–$32,000. Second-gen 1968–1974 non-SS 350: $22,000–$38,000. SS350 driver: $28,000–$42,000. Documented SS396 L34: $55,000–$75,000. Numbers-matching SS396 L78: $70,000–$90,000. COPO 9562 documented: $90,000–$130,000+. Deduct 30–40% for a non-original engine. Regional premiums apply in the Southwest where rust-free originals surface more frequently.

Did You Know?

The Nova nameplate generated an urban legend in Spanish-speaking markets, "no va" loosely means "it doesn't go", though GM sold Novas successfully throughout Latin America. The 1975 Nova hatchback shared its platform with the Pontiac Ventura and Oldsmobile Omega. Yenko Chevrolet of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania was responsible for most documented COPO Nova orders: Don Yenko personally lobbied GM engineers to enable the 427 installation in the compact platform.