1963 Chevrolet Nova SS Convertible

1963 Chevrolet Nova SS Description:

1963 Chevrolet Nova SS Convertible

THE GOOD (What makes this a great car!)

This is a solid 1963 Chevy Nova SS Convertible. Chevy only made the Nova convertible in 1962 and 1963, and started the Super Sport trim package in 1963, making the 1963 Nova SS Convertible a pretty rare car. This is a true SS with all of the trim details of the SS package. It is really fun to drive with the top down, and the white and black paint, interior combination is classic and racy.

The car has 65,855 original miles on it. I have a clear title, and the specs from the original firewall plate read:

STYLE – 63-0467

BODY WR – 10884

TRIM – 2-714

PAINT- 936-7

ACC- F2C3Z

I purchased the car in 2007 on eBay, and did quite a bit of work to it. Alas…with a story common to many classic car enthusiasts, I now don’t have space for it in my garage or the time to make it a priority to restore to the level I wanted. So, I’m ready to let it go to the next guy. I want the next owner to be happy with the car and with the transaction, so I’ll try to describe everything I know about the car honestly.

It has the straight six, 197 cubic inch engine which runs smoothly with no smoking or excessive lifter noise. It has a new carburetor, all new stainless fuel lines, and a new gas tank. I also replaced all of the hoses and belts. It has the original SS hubcaps and trim badges on the exterior and interior of the car. The manual top works great, and is easy to retract and close. Overall, the car is a true survivor. A classic with a great look, and really fun to drive with the top down.

I have several parts that I’ve pulled together to fix or replace things as I worked toward restoring the car. Here is a list of the parts that will be included with the sale (see photos)

New monoleaf springs, bushings, and complete parts set for the rear of the car

Manual transmission pedal assembly

Nova/Impala 4 speed shifter with linkage

Center SS console

Floor pan metal boot for floor shifter

Nova steering column

5 of the 6 pieces of Nova SS side molding

Two convertible top boots, one in white the other in black

1963 Chevy Nova Assembly Manual

1963 Chevy Nova Shop Manual and Supplement

1962 Chevy Nova Assembly Manual (for cross reference)

Original Owners Manual

Chevy II for 1963 Sales brochure

1/24 scale model that matches the car

2 sets of 1963 Ohio License plates (if you are from Ohio and want them)

I spent a few thousand dollars on eBay pulling together these parts for an eventual restoration.

THE BAD (Real problems that need to be fixed)

There are some areas that need attention. First, the car has been sitting in my garage and the brake fluid has leaked out. So there are no brakes. The brakes were stiff but functional before the leak, but the car now has no brakes and will have to be transported somewhere to get the brakes fixed. I would recommend a front to back brake replacement with new lines and pads for the drum brakes.

There are some small rust spots in the floorpan behind the drivers seat, and at the mounting point for the right rear monospring and the spring is cracked on the circular point at the bushing. Included are two new monosprings and all new bushings and mounting hardware (from Classic Industries). I was planning to get the spring perch worked on and install the new springs, but didn’t get to it. I drove the car as it is, but I think some repair of the spring mounting point would be wise. Otherwise, the floorpan is sound.

THE UGLY (Bad ideas, poor quality fixes, and age related realities that could be fixed to make the car even more awesome!)

The car was once a three speed on the column, and the shifter lever has been removed and replaced with a Hurst floor shifter. Also, the clutch pedal has been torched off under the dash, proving that it was once a manual transmission car. The pedals work, but I was hoping to convert it back to a floor shift model which is why I have a pedal assembly with a clutch included in the parts lot for the car.

It appears that the car was lightly damaged in the right rear at some point. The right rear quarter panel has been worked on and has some average body filler work that’s been done. Also, the car seems to have been painted red at some point before being returned to the original Ermine White. There are signs of red overspray in a few places. It looks fine, like a classic car survivor, as it is, but it would look great with a new, original Ermine White paint job. There are a few places with surface rust that could be sanded, primed, and painted. The trunk lid has a few tiny places where the surface rust has gotten through. It could be repaired by a talented guy or I would look for a replacement if I was doing a big restoration.

The Hurst shifter is a piece of junk. It works fine to shift the car into drive, but is a big hassle with the pull up and push down maneuver that is required to work it. I think someone thought it was a good idea to add that hot rod touch, but it would be nicer to take it back to stock. Also, when they replaced the shifter and transmission, they had to bypass the neutral safety switch, so starting the car requires that you turn the key then push a start button on the dash. It works fine, but again, a restoration would put things back in stock order. A transmission cooler was also installed at some point in the front of the radiator.

The carpet is serviceable with some stains and stiff pile in some areas. New carpet is available from classic car parts places, and would look nice at some point. Otherwise, the interior is solid and shines up nicely with some Armor All. The top is a replacement top from some time ago, and the rear window is somewhat cloudy.

The body overall is good, and the chrome bumper, trim, and glass are nice. Some maintenance is needed on the driver and passenger windows to get them to run smoothly. They crank up and down, but not perfectly. The original radio antenna is broken off. I’m not sure if the radio would work with some tinkering.

The title is clear, and the car has current Ohio tags and registration. However, you will see on the title that the line that says “Previous Owner” has the words “Court Ordered”. This means that I had to provide documentation and get a replacement title after the guy I bought it from failed to send it along when he shipped it (its a long story). There will be no problems with the title as it is clear and in my name, but I don’t want you to be surprised or concerned when you see how the previous owner is listed. Also, I also don’t have the original manufacturers spec firewall plate. I had it in my hand with the title when I saw the car the first time, but the guy I bought the car from didn’t send it along when he shipped the car to me. I found a needle in a haystack firewall plate on eBay some time ago that has almost the same numbers as the original. I paid over $200 to get this small but rare piece of metal with plans to use it in a restoration just to complete the engine compartment. The VIN plate on the door pillar is still there and is original.

The Conclusion

This is a solid survivor, and with a little bit of brake work, would make a fun weekend driver. With a basic restoration it is a great candidate to be a car show head turner. My first car was a 1963 Nova, so I’m sorry to be selling it, but hope it can go to someone with the time and enthusiasm to really enjoy it. Please ask any questions about the car you might have, I will answer them to the best of my knowledge.