![]() I think Jim’s assessment of 175 net is correct. The 300 HP claim is very high for a stock 73. Given the size and weight it was a very good handling car. 73 was supposed to be the first year with multi leaf rear spring Camaro suspension. But it paled in comparison to my buddies’ 396 Chevelle’s and Z28s and GTOs. For a two bbl car with single exhaust it was (in the words Dad’s mechanic) “a right peppy little Nova”. It was a nice car and it became mine a few years later. My Dad bought a new ’73 Custom with 350 two bbl and Turbo-Hydromatic 350. But then again, when was the last time that you saw a ’73 Nova SS, optioned like this, that showed so well? It’s a safe bet that this Nova SS needs nothing! That said, I took a double-take on the price, it seems a bit rich for this era SS anything, in spite of this car’s very noteworthy condition. The carpet, upholstery, instrument panel, with original Delco radio, and headliner look considerably better than I would expect a 48-year-old interior to look. Those items really help to pull this Nova’s performance aspirations together. The interior is listed as original but what really makes it special are the console-mounted rally gauges and the speedometer incorporated tachometer – both optional equipment. Actually, the cohesiveness of the entire exterior package, to my eyes, lessens the impact of the front bumper and makes it seem reasonable. It’s unknown if it was this Nova’s born-with shade but it’s a perfect choice IMO. Nary a ding, much less a dent, fade, or rust, is visible anywhere on this Chevy’s exterior, and the ” GM Corporate Blue” finish, not one necessarily associated with a muscle car, is in spectacular shape. The wheels of a Nova, in particular, have usually been changed several times over with this passage of time. The seller got it right on the exterior! The side stripe, if so ordered, as well as the “small” center wheel caps are correct for this vintage Nova. It’s unfortunate that the seller doesn’t clue us in on how it runs. The four-speed was only available with the 175 HP engine, so assuming that the transmission is original, and there is no reason to think otherwise, it’s easy to believe that this Nova was optioned, originally as a proper SS should have been. I’m not sure how the seller got to 300 HP, the engine looks stock and he doesn’t elaborate, but it could have internal modifications or be another engine entirely. And it appears that’s how this Nova SS was optioned. The performance was fair, I drove plenty at the Chevy dealership where I worked but it was nothing to write home about. In ’73, a 175 net HP, 350 CI V8 with a four-speed manual transmission was available in the Nova, any Nova, not just a two-door SS. This is a very sharp example and it was optioned properly right from the start! This ’73 Nova SS is located in Exeter, New Hampshire and is available, here on craigslist for $26,500. Why then, write a review of a ’73 Nova SS today? Because of the condition this featured Nova SS has an excellent presentation, a significant feat for a 48-year-old car that was considered, when new, to be a “use it and throw it away” appliance. And, I felt compared to the ’72, the ’73 was pretty well uglied up thanks to the 5 MPH bulkhead appended to the front end. Why? Because in ’73 the top available engine was no longer mandated, the SS became mostly an appearance package and could be had with a lowly six, if so desired, under its hood. I didn’t give a Chevy Nova SS a second glance back in ’73 because I felt that there was no more real Nova SS after 1972.
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