Car Wizard likes his customers quiet with unlimited funds

Most accurate thing I’ve heard working in the car business for 25 years about old cars: “They’re all $500 cars to me”

You should make every customer who wants this done to their car watch this video. Out of the hundreds of restoration videos I've seen this was the most honest and accurate representation of what is involved in barn find projects.

Watching this, I felt like I was being scolded by an angry Wizard.

Man, the sound when he opened the hood took me right back to a full service gas station circa 1980. "Check the oil please."

My family has fixed up almost as many old cars as Hoovie. It's no joke, it takes serious commitment, time, and resources to fix these golden oldies.

As someone who graduated high school in 1985, there were more 70's "hand me down" Novas then you could shake a stick it. While this isn't as cool as the early 70's ones, it was a lot more common for us to see these. My elderly neighbor had a 76 Nova this exact color combo (but 4 door) that had only 14k miles on it in 1987 when she passed away - she had me drive it once to get insurance on it when she no longer could. Thanks for the memories.

The Wizard makes several good points about what to expect when restoring a barn find. Unfortunately he returns and makes those good points again and again and again. It starts to come across as a lecture by an angry man rather than a helpful video about a great car to restore. Having said that I look forward to seeing further videos about restoring this Nova, hopefully without more lecturing.

Wizard: No crazy or wonky engine swaps in here, I won't deal with that Also Wizard: puts Jag V12 into a Malibu

Wizard is basically giving a PSA for *barn finds. They’re in a barn for a reason

My first car was an anemic 73 nova that my parents bought in 74. My grandma had this style. I like these labors of love. He will get that running at a cost that is more than it’s worth, but that’s ok! As long as the customer is happy. Looking forward to this one

The customer was wearing high heals when she made that tear in the headliner. Her husband must never learn this.

That's why you pull the motor and rebuild it from the beginning. I'm doing that now with my 79 Ford LTD Landau 2 door coupe. Timing chain jumped, bent the valves and had leaking rear main seal. Figured it was easier than trying to fix the engine in the car. Since I was there, I decided to put a cam in it. Why not? Had to check the cam anyway. Then I put an Edelbrock intake on it. Sure, the original had to come off. Then I put a new 4bbl carb on it. I figured, if it has to come off why not upgrade it.

Wizard is a lowkey badass.. "yep, and you're gonna put another 2 grand into it"

Definitely a nostalgia project for the owner. These vehicles never inspired a second glance when they were on the road, unless they were full of cute girls on their way to the same concert as you ;)

I had a 1978 nova with a straight six cylinder. I didn’t keep it very long but I gave it to my brother-in-law and he must’ve drove that car for another 10 years with no problems at all.

These cars are what I call 'heritage vehicles.' They aren't necessarily collectible, but have sentimental value. I like to see these old Malaise-era cars on the road again after not seeing them for almost 20-30 years. Maybe Wizard will start restoring K-cars next! 🤣

Wizard, I had a sign in my office that read; "We offer three kinds of work, good, fast and cheap. You may chose two. If it's good and cheap it won't be fast. If it's good and fast it won't be cheap. If it's fast and cheap it won't be good." Always good for a laugh, but true non the less.

These cars are part of the GM "X" body platform. These "4th Generation" Novas were made from 1975 through 1979. Similar X body "equivalents" to the Nova were the Buick Skylark, Buick Apollo, Pontiac Phoenix, Pontiac Ventura, Oldsmobile Omega, Many people don't know that GM also made these 4th Generation Novas as police cars. The same is true for the Pontiac Phoenix and Pontiac Venturas. Not many survived. A great video here on KZfaq to check out is the Jay Leno's Garage "1978 Nova 9C1 Police Car" episode. Thanks Car Wizard for showcasing this great car, can't wait to see the next episode of this project.

It's great to see an old soldier like this in restorable condition that someone wants to preserve & bring back to life.

"I've never seen a supernova blow up, but if it's anything like my old Chevy Nova, it'll light up the night sky."

I think car trek should do a series on old cars. Set a budget and let’s see who gets the best classic hooptie. Plus it would get some classics back on the road and tuned up ready to be loved by another owner.

When a guy finds a 70s Chevy that's all factree, that's a good day. Enjoying the video with a couple of cold snacks.

Why do I feel like I am being told off 😂.

next Hoovie video: "I bought the cheapest Chevy Nova in the USA and here's everything wrong it" :)

This and the Chevelle with the Jaguar V12 are the most interesting projects to date! Looking forward to more of this content!

Love watching your videos, Wizard, and have zero doubt you're one of the more honest and trustworthy mechanics out there. However we all know, unfortunately, that auto mechanics in general are not a highly regarded bunch, and for good reason. As an experienced car guy the best advice I can give to car owners is to educate yourself about how your car works as best as you can; experienced mechanics aren't just good at fixing cars, they're also good at sniffing out marks and seeing what they can get away with. I've experienced this myself first-hand. So as nice as I am sure it is for a mechanic to have customers who are just bottomless wells of money and give their mechanic a blank check unfortunately not all mechanics can be trusted in such a scenario. So there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a savvy consumer, asking questions, and keeping an eye on what your mechanic is doing. You wouldn't have your house remodeled and just give the contractor free reign, would you?

I'm a 1968-1972 guy myself. That was GM's golden era of styling in my book! 🥰

4:35 those slots in the bumper for the old bumper jacks of death….

I’m dying to wash it and see what it looks like

The worst part is that after all that work and money all he will have is a 79 Nova

I agree. This video is a must for all those "I'm going to fix it up" folks out there. I've had this exact conversation with customers and it's amazing how they always forget everything you told them before getting started. This looks like a pretty straight car and should clean up easily. Looking forward to seeing it after a wax and polish.

Had a 77 Nova. Performance mod was to turn the air cleaner cover over...and then the rust over the wheel wells... good times! Had my prom date in front seat...a BENCH seat. Weeer chick weeer weeer.

Wizard: "They haven't tried to put a 2JZ in it or something stupid". Me: "No of course not. You don't put a 2JZ in it...without a turbo!".

Love it. Thanks for the nostalgia! Reminds me so much of the '75 Nova I learned to drive with. I changed so many tires on that thing (legacy of a parent working near a steel recycling plant) as a teenager. If I could afford it, I'd find one and restore it but I doubt that'll ever be in my budget and I'd never try it on the cheap.

The Wizard's honesty and integrity is unquestionable. If I had a classic that needed to be brought back to life, he would be my choice. Thanks for your videos Wizard, they are a "must watch"....:)

My brother and I bought one of these years ago for $500. It had the straight 6 and ran forever.

That's a lot of work on that Nova. Can't wait to see this Nova back on the road running new.

Hey there Wizard. Love and very much approve of your t-shirt, mate. You're right about barn finds - not many people sit down and think about what they might need to do (or what might have failed) on the car, but get caught up in the emotional high of the dream of bringing the car back to the road. The thing I keep in mind is the fact that if a car has been sitting, what you are replacing is X number of years of maintenance all at the same time, instead of the cost having been spread out over the number of years the car has been sitting. Mounts, bushes, hoses, tyres, seals, belts - basically anything with a rubber component - will need doing, along with the likes of shocks, bearings, engine ignition electrics and exhaust. As you say, you can do the basics to get her roadworthy and then the rest over time, but the expectation must be there that there are still things to do once its there and that other things are going to fail.....but at least you're in the car and driving it for a while first. It's cheaper to buy a restored car that someone has already spent the money on and is quitting, but then you also have the roulette wheel spinning as to whether the work was done well. Either way, it will still cost money to fix....and what you can see is just the start of it. Good video - and I love that Nova too.

Youre supposed to do the work yourself on barn finds so it doesnt cost you so much

A elderly neighbor of mine when I was a teenager had one almost identical to this. She had to learn to drive when her husband passed away and this is the vehicle the driving school used so she was familiar with it. She maintained it meticulously . It was ALWAYS garaged and never driven in the rain or snow. She stopped driving in 2002 and the car only had 44k miles. She passed in 2004 and her grandson got the car. He wrapped it around a telephone pole within a couple of weeks...

Very few customers would give a blank check to a mechanic

From the looks of those pedals there is a good chance it actually has 32k mile on it

My first car was a 1977 4 door Chevy Nova. Then I moved over seas and never saw her again. Red, white top, looked just like this. Great video!

I plowed through 6 Novas as a teenager. One Olds Omega. Great memories.

I remember trying to tune the carburetors on those in the day....the door panels disintegrating, headliners drooping, riding behind them as they " drive crabwise" because of the rear shackles being weak, while they were only a couple of years old....should I go on? But it is nice to see someone didn't hack it up.

What a sweet old Nova. These are none other than a labor of love. You'll spend lots to bring them back but this is a good solid original core. Barn find restorations seldom make fiscal sense but most of them are long junked so to see one today in this condition is great!

My mom traded in an old Dodge Dart for a new 1978 Nova. She had so many problems with that Dodge Dart she had a hatred of Dodge until she passed away. The Nova was a good car she never had any problems with it. She traded it in on a 1982 Mercury Grand Marquis that she drove until about 1998 and then sold it to my brother who drove it for years. Her last car was a 1997 Buick La Sabre. Her favorite car was the 82' Mercury or the Nova she loved them both.

Ah yes, the Malaise era Nova! The cars of my youth! These were all over the place in the early 80s. My parents had a '74 with the factory 350 and black houndstooth interior. The Nova had fallen back into "Grandma's Car" mode by '79 but it was still solid and reliable. These are easy to work on too. This is why people get into being a mechanic back in the day - you could make a good living without a PhD in computer science engineering. There's an possible solution for people who don't understand what you're saying Wizard: you give them the estimate of what they need now. And in that estimate in writing, you tell them it will very likely need pretty much everything else you can imagine, which will cost you "THIS amount". Then, before you even sink one hour of labor into it, or take one bolt out, you get your customer to sign that they understand while the estimate now is say $4500 for what it needs now, it's possible they will need up to sink another $8000-10,000 to fix issues that arise after driving a 40 year old car for more than a few miles. If they do not accept that possibility, then you don't touch their car at all.

I agree keeping a car original is the way to go! Like for instance putting a Jaguar engine in a classic American car is craziness,lol... honestly there are very few if any post 1973 American cars that I would consider being desirable

This video brings back memories. When I turned 16 back in 1992, my first car was a 1978 Nova that I bought for $500. I miss that car.

Thanks, car wizard I learned a lot in this one. I'm the owner of Elk Mountain Motors in Asheville NC and we're a small business like yours. There was some good advice in here, while I love to work on cars like this I too have to be careful, and mindful of customers budget and expectations.

My grandpa (back home in Lithuania) has an old Russian Volga GAZ 24 in his garage, it started no problems after 15 years! :) Something about old family cars that makes them special!

My grandmother had a 1976 Chevy Nova with 44,000 miles on it and it was in stock condition and everything was there. The car carried the inline six-cylinder 250 cu in (4.1 L), 105 hp. I loved that car even though at times it wouldn't start due to the carburetor.

My dad had this vintage of GM back in the day that had that type of material in the headliner. I remember staring at it for hours on road-trips... your video brought back a few memories.

Great project! I've been a part of these kinds of projects with friends in their back yards. It's A LOT of work...but FUN. But just like Wizard says, there will be more...a lot more. You have to be willing to spend the money on it. On the bright side, if you like the car, and can get it roadworthy for the same price of a new one, go for it! You can make a real nice ride out of it for less than 35k and love it.

This is like the opposite of Vice Grip Garaje Love to see the diferent ways to approach something like this!

Wizard rolls out the special tool box for fixing vintage Chevy's...a screwdriver, crescent wrench, pliers and hammer.

I think you made your point fairly quickly and by the time I was 11 mins in I started to lose interest in the repetition.

They but that hood release in a good spot. Every Chevrolet I have owned has brought me to my knees.

Here's my credit card Wizard, call me when it's done. But seriously, I remeber walking by these when I was 20 years old and wanting to buy one so bad. They were cheap, like $3500 new.

WOW! Brings back memories. My parents bought a brand new 1976 top of the line Nova "Concours" bright red with a white vinyl roof and tan interior. I think it had a 350 in it.

Very useful video for me. I have an old 42 yo lady that's been sitting since 2008. Just finished replacing all the brake pads/shoes/cylinders/hoses and a full exhaust system. Then I'll drive her a bit, give my old wrists a rest, then look for the next bit. Ball joints & tie rod ends probably - they are dry, the rubbers cracked, but tight for now...

Wizard, I'm excited about seeing this rebuild. Growing up my great aunt had a grey Chevy Nova. I have such great memories of riding with her. Great car. I recently thought about buying and refurbishing one & this walk-thru has given me more food for thought. Thanks for posting this one!!!

i've never seen a Nova look so good wow i havent seen an OK plate like that for a long while

The rear leaf springs are shot. Not only the bushings are done but Novas didn't come with coilovers. They were installed to even out the ride height.

Hey wizard! Greetings from Iran, my dad also had a 78 Nova when I was a kid, now I daily a 79 Buick Skylark... These cars were assembled here before the revolution of 1979 and for a few years afterwards!

An honest, straightforward, respectful, trustworthy and no-nonsense mechanic is the one you want folks. Good work isn't always cheap, but cheap work isn't always good..

So many beautiful vehicles appear in this show I’m convinced there’s a time machine behind the shop.

Step 1: Push back into barn. Step 2: Set barn on fire. Step 3: Laugh.

I currently own a 79 Cougar XR-7. Parents bought as a demo, dad had it for years & neglected it & now trying to do what's best for the car. Also, found an 89 Mustang LX 5.0 vert that hasn't been butchered to death & still all stock & will be leaving it all stock. Will be getting that back on the road.

The Nova. Absolute classic. It’s amazing that it stayed so true to itself for so long. Love it.

My first car was 1975 Malibu Classic Chevell two door and I was born 1971. I don't have any pics just memories! Keep us updated!

My mom had a blue one that year, I hated it. To be a kid getting dropped off at school in a car that was decades older than everyone else, I felt poor but really we were just average with an odd ball mom.

I think this is the first original 79 Nova that I have ever seen. To me, it looks great just as it sits. Pretty good story behind this car as well.

I drove a 2-door 1979 Nova Custom from '82-'85. LOVED that car. Great memories. Houndstooth interior, split bench, rally wheels. I paid $3300 for it and it was only 3 years old.

Keep us in the loop. I look forward to this project! I'm a sucker for Novas

My friends mom had the exact same one same color combo when we were young teens in the early 80s. Brings back memories.

I switched "barn find" badly repaired in 2000s oldtimer for running and examinated to public roads youngtimer. Your channel influenced that decision Car Wizard! Never been happier :)

Awesome! This car feels like my childhood 😂 I had a ‘79 Impala 2 door, a ‘73 Buick Century, and My sister had a ‘77 Nova 2 door (maroon color) and a ‘77 Impala, my parents also owned a ‘77 Impala wagon. These cars, when you find them in solid condition are just awesome to drive and ride in. Easy to work on, parts are easy to come by and they’re just a great example of 70s Americana.

Pops had a metallic green one, thought it was the baddest thing rolling in '80.

74 nova was my 1st baby when I started driving, I loved the car’s hips.. so sexy for a first car and was so easy to work on

Looking forward to updates. It's good to see the old girls kept on the road.

What a beautiful car, totally agree with what you say about costs. But with enthusiastic owners and real car passion, money and returns don’t matter with people who really want to save them. Great video Wizard

My first car was a 77 nova loved that car. The owner of this one might want to move the spare key from underneath the hood now that everyone knows it’s there lol

Wizard says I don't work on cars like this except for every time

the car brought back fond memories when i worked in a chevy dealership parts department. worked in parts from 1979 to 1987. that car is well optioned for a nova, and the build sheet will be on top of the gas tank and underneath the rear seat cushion. i became a walking chevy parts book and i have a parts book at home still from that era. i owned a 1976 9C1 police model 2 door nova, former FBI car and still have the build sheet from that car.

i remember when my dad got one of these brand new from his company as the company car to drive.. first week up a hill and he hits a pot hole and the whole wiring harness under the dash fell out onto our feet as we where going down the road.. and how you had to turn the AC off to get up the hill to our house because it didnt have the power to go up it with the AC on.. and we finally found the rattle in the rear since new 6 months later when dad took the spare out.. someone at the factory had taken a coat hanger put a bunch of washers and nuts on it and tack welded it to the inside rear quarter panel.. awesome memories! hehe 8)

'74 Nova was the first car I ever drove over 100 mph.

I have a 79 Pontiac Phoenix. Restored in 85. Daily driver since.

What a blast from the past. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Looking forward to seeing this all done and polished up!

Car Wizard: Points out rubber bushings that need replacing Me: Those are in better shape than the ones on my daily

Open budget for a 79 Nova w/ a 305? "The customer is always right". LOL

I bet Derek could make that a going to town rig with some shine juice. Also, I'm surprised you didn't mention how great the shape of the bumper fillers are. That's a sign of a well taken and stored car.

Got Koni Yellows! Someone cared back in the day... Been here: when you have reconditioned or replaced EVERY rubber seal, ALL the brake parts that contact brake fluid, every electrical component that has moving internal parts, contact cleaned EVERY electrical plug, fuse, globe, junction, joint or ground, reconditioned or replaced EVERY part that contacts fuel, every rubber bush in the suspension along with the shock absorbers, cleaned EVERY inch/cm of the car inside and out (like inside the heater fan...) then you can look at the motor, trans and diff (all rubber is now slime, the valves are likely rusted to the guides, as are the rings, the water pump seals are long dried out, the coolant hoses are trash, the radiator is likely clogged and corroded etc). In addition to that you need to remember that modern oils and fuels may melt any rubber seal, dry out a bearing or have an additive that messes with the old car. A full restoration is 2,000 hours.

Last year for this generation of Nova.Replaced by the 1980 Citation in the spring of 1979.We all know how that turned out!

Cool tshirt Mr Wizard! you went all out for the 70s for this vid 👌

a lot of people need to watch this video customers of ours need to watch this video anybody that owns a car should watch this video thank you so much wizard for your wizard wisdom 👍👍👍👍

I hope we get updates as you bring back this beauty.