Help appreciated! 1974 nova

[Bolby]

Hey this is my first post. I am looking into purchasing this 1974 Nova near my house. Tell me if you think this is a good buy. Also I dont know much about the engine he is talking about in the Ad so if you could please give me some HP/TQ numbers that would be greatly appreciated.
here is the link: http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/1108533429.html

Thank you very much. I am thinking about offering this guy 3200 for it in cash. ANY INFORMATION YOU COULD GIVE ME WOULD HELP.

Thanks again,

~Billy

[oldblu65]

I would think that the HP/TRQ numbers would be probably a little above stock , perhaps 200-300 Hp and torque probably around that level too . It's difficult to say since ( other than the clean up bore ) no engine modifications are mentioned ? So I assume the engine is basically stock ? As for the body condition , he says it has the usual rust for that year car ? That doesn't tell you a lot ! " Usual " in your location can differ greatly from a different location such as Arizona ! I'd suggest looking at the car and taking a knowledgeable person with you . Sometimes as the prospective buyer , you tend to get wrapped up in what your vision of the car will be and you may miss or overlook obvious problems with the vehicle because you want it so badly ! That's where the knowledgeable person would step in and advise you ! Good luck and keep us updated !

[spottweld327]

Billy
I hope that this car is in good shape and virtually no rust, but that can be easily masked. Take a cheap refigirator magnet to the quarter panel around the wheek openings front and back as well as the rocker panels, also check the bottoms of the doors. Remember to use a cheap flexible magnet that is weak for a strong magnet will stick to metal that has a layer of bondo over it. Do a test on the door of the car to see how easily the magnet pulls off, this will be your control if the magnet doesnt stick to the above mentioned places or pulls off real easy. You probably have a bondo baby, in that case the seller will tell you that it has a lot of layers of paint on it. In such an event do control tests all over the car. Also look for rust in and below the trunk pan and also the frame. Be careful and buyer beware. as far as your engine unless its an origonal SS car your motot is a 307 which is an absolute dog an 80's z 305 will smoke it. To be shure look at the numbers behind the distrubitor on the drivers side then go to mortec.com to look up the actual displacement. As far as your power your emissions era smog motor will be lucky to have 200 hp. e-mail me at spottweld@frontier.com PS i live in Peach Bottom about 30 min south

[novaboy22]

lol, 200-300 hp right, you know that the 72 350 only came with 175, and it only went down hill, hell the 1990 350 barlely had 200, now if it has a good cam and more compression then yes it might have more. 3200 is a little steep for that year, do yourself a favor and get a 68-72, i willing to bet you can find one for under 3000 if your patient. it got mine for 600 and drove it home. just my 2 cents

[oldblu65]

It depends on what year engine you have !The 1969 Chevy 307 was rated at 200 HP and 300 ft lbs torque . The 1969 350 was rated at 250 HP and 345 torque . By 1972 , the 307 was rated at 130 HP and 230 torque . The 1972 350 was rated at 165 HP and 280 Torque . Yes , a definite downward spiral caused by the gas " shortage " , lowered compression ratios , rising insurance rates , and government regulations . So it all depends ! You can get these numbers at www.novaresource.com . I had a new 1969 Nova with the 307 and it ran pretty well ! If it's a later model engine , yes the Hp and Torque will be lower ! As for getting a decent 68-72 Nova for under $ 3000 , I sincerely doubt that . If you know where I can get a " decent " one for that , please let me know . I'm not trying to be rude , just telling it like it really is . I've been a Nova guy all my adult life and have had 5 fine examples of the car . That doesn't make me an expert by any means !