![]() I’m guessing that was a while back considering the Cragar wheels and whitewall tires (I am not opening up the whitewall discussion again unless you readers want to!) I will tell you that there are plenty of online discussions on the Sterling owners groups here and at the National Sterling Owners Association site here. While we don’t know much about this particular car, it does seem to have been completed to a high standard at some point. Believe it or not, you could buy a suitably updated Sterling kit as late as 2014 (but not from the same company). The Sterling was a licensed copy of the British Nova (obviously Chevrolet had the rights to that name in the US) that was manufactured by California Components Cars in San Lorenzo, California. Most, including this particular Sterling, were designed to fit on a VW Beetle pan and utilized mechanical components from the same car. I spent some time this morning reading a fascinating book (seriously!) written by Phill Fenton about the design and creation of the kit that began as the Nova in the early 1970s and eventually morphed into all those model names in the first paragraph. Thankfully, it looks almost immaculate under the dust and apparently has been protected from the elements during its time in New Kensington, Pennsylvania. It’s listed for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for an asking price of $3,750. Unfortunately, it’s now off the road and without a title. The interior is original, too, but the Aztec Bronze shade was refreshed in 1998.Can a kit car be a survivor? The Sterling (or Nova, Eureka, Sebring, Cimbria, Sovran, Puma, Totem, Eagle, Scorpion, Ledl, Defi, Gryff, and Tarantula!) may have the distinction of having been produced under the most names of any coupe kit car ever, and this bright yellow version looks like it was complete and roadworthy at some point. The car had it well in its life – the first buyer owned it from July 7, 1966, until 1996.Īlso, this Nova SS is powered by its factory-installed V8, matching its numbers with the M21 four-speed manual and 3.31 12-bolt Positive-Traction rear end. Nearly six decades later, one of the first factory muscle cars to emerge from Detroit’s three-party hot horsepower wars is parting ways with its present owner. The high-output engine, easily identifiable by its diametrically-opposed snorkels on the air cleaner cover, was only offered for one year, and a survivor from that rarified production is not that common. The 1966 Chevy II SS equipped with the performant 350 didn’t have the “Nova” written anywhere on it – but the sales brochures made it clear that the car bore that name. The 350 hp (355 PS) and 360 lb-ft (488 Nm) rating was backed by a close-ratio four-speed manual (the only option for the L79 Nova SS) that scored low 15s in the standing quarter. And it’s no real surprise: with 10.5:1 compression, forged pistons, and an aluminum intake, the SS was barely (if at all) outgunned by big-block muscle. Other than this, it can be easily confused with a 1966 two-door X-body with a straight-six or even a measley inline-four – until the going got tough. The 327-ci L79 was packing one of the highest horsepower-per-cubic-inch ratios (1.07:1) among all the American V8 of its time. Two discrete SS badges on the grille and trunk, a pair of Super Sport scripts on the rear fenders, and corresponding 327 V8 flags behind the front wheels are the only external telltale signs that the Nova SS is special. ![]() ![]() On the contrary, few elements indicated that a V8 Nova SS was something different than Auntie Mildred’s churchgoer Chevy II or even told it apart from the rest of the Super Sport crowd. Distinguished but barely distinguishable: the sporty blue-collared kept to itself, not boasting any flashy decals, oversized script, or blinding trim to set itself apart. 3,547 were assembled – out of a total Nova production volume of over 172,000 for the year, which makes it a distinguished car among its peers.
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