RIDE OF THE WEEK: A family Nova

by Michael Golubiewski
Production Editor

Steve Pavia has owned this week’s Ride of the Week, a 1970 Chevrolet Nova SS, for the past 11 years.

“The car was actually owned since new by an elderly uncle of mine,” Pavia said. “It started its life as a commuter and daily driver and probably had about 40,000 miles on it when I took it over.”

One of the first things Pavia did was replace the 350-cubic inch factory-installed engine that had been in the car.

“The one thing I wanted to do was to power up this car,” Pavia said. “Literally for 30 years it was probably only driven to church, work and the grocery store.”

To make it more powerful under the hood, Pavia replaced the engine with the 468-cubic inch Chevy big block engine, as well as added a 9-ince Ford rear end on the car.

“The horsepower it gets now is sick,” Pavia said.

The Nova was known as the Chevrolet Chevy II Nova from 1962-1968 and just as the Chevrolet Nova from 1969-1979. (The Nova name was resurrected for a brief run as a four-cylinder subcompact from 1986-88). Pavia’s Nova SS (Super Sport) belongs to the third generation of the car, which was introduced for the 1968 model year.

The Nova SS, produced between 1968-1972, remains one of the smallest muscle cars ever produced by any of the Detroit automakers. It features a three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 350 automatic transmission. At the time the car was new, the SS option cost an additional $312.

“I’m always surprised that my uncle paid the extra money for the SS,” Pavia said. “I’m glad he did, but it just doesn’t seem like it was his character to pay extra money for something like this.”

The Nova features a locking steering column, as well as simulated vents placed on the hood of the car. Of the more than 254,000 Novas sold for the 1970 model year, only a little under 20,000 were SS models.

“I had the car repainted basically the same blue color it was,” Pavia said. “I also had the vinyl roof restored. Other than that I have mostly focused on the engine and the power of the car.”

Pavia likes to show his Nova off at car shows and cruises, especially in Lackawanna County, so stop by and check it out.

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