RIDE OF THE WEEK: 1973 Chevrolet Nova SS

by Michael Golubiewski
Production Editor

A classic goal

For 20-year-old Joe Stempien of Sweet Valley, the purchase of this week’s ride, a 1973 Chevrolet Nova SS, was the completion of a long time goal.

“I always said that I was going to buy myself a Nova,” Stempien says. “I’ve finally got it, and I couldn’t be happier.”

The Chevrolet Nova was actually produced twice by General Motors, from 1962-1979 as the top model in the compact Chevrolet range, and again from 1985-88 as a subcompact. The Nova was designed to compete with all the other compacts being introduced in the early 1960s: the Ford Falcon, the Dodge Dart/Plymouth Valiant, the Rambler American and the Studebaker Lark. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, Chevy was putting powerful engines in the Nova, producing a compact with a lot of muscle.

The 1973 Nova features a slight redesign from those of previous years, as new regulations from the United States government mandated that front and rear bumpers be made larger and stronger. (The bumpers had to be capable of absorbing a low-speed impact of five miles per hour).

Stempien says his SS is a real Nova Super Sport, not a clone. (Sometimes upgrades are done on regular Novas to make them look like an SS). The Super Sport on the Nova includes high performance tires, heavy-duty suspension and increased power. Stempien’s Nova features the 400 small block engine, which was introduced in 1970 and was produced for 10 years. Stempien says the engine has a mild cam (to let more fuel air mix into the cylinder to give more power). The transmission is a T5 5-speed. The engine was originally a 350 cubic inch small block with a 4-speed transmission and Stempien has upgraded both.

He also put on an intake that features the Tunnel Ram System by Weiand. The exhaust features Hooker headers connected to a Cherry Bomb exhaust to a single pipe out each side in front of the back wheels. The Cherry Bomb is a high-performance exhaust system that is unique, loud, and has been “disturbing the peace,” as the company’s trademark states, since 1968. The rear of the Nova features an 83/4 Positraction. It also has traction bars and rear air shocks and a redone interior.

In the future, Stempien plans to get the chrome trim on his Nova redone. Stempien says he “plans to take my Nova to as many car shows as I can get this year.”

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