1988 Chevy Nova Is One Seriously Cool, Rare Find (Video)
Most people have never even heard of a Twin-Cam Nova. But for one guy, owning one has been his life long dream!
Anyone with any sort of automotive knowledge knows what a Chevy Nova is. Born as a compact car, the Nova graduated to a larger body style and increasing power through its first 2 1/2-ish generations. During the ’60s and early ’70s, the model was offered in a host of drool-worthy packages that made it a serious contender in the muscle car era. But like every other model of its time, the Chevy Nova suffered from increasingly nagging government safety and emissions regulations as the ’70s wore on.
The Nova carried on through the end of the decade, but it was never the same. And following the 1979 model year, Chevy mercifully killed off its once great nameplate. That is, until 1985, when the Nova made a comeback of sorts. But this time, it did so as a front-wheel drive subcompact developed jointly with Toyota. In fact, this “new” Nova was essentially a rebadged and slightly restyled Toyota Sprinter.
We wouldn’t blame you for not knowing this, nor for hating the fact that the Nova nameplate would be affixed to a Japanese car. But there is one reason to covet an ’80s Nova – the 1988 Twin-Cam. A revised version of the 1.6-liter four-cylinder used in the performance version of the Toyota Corolla, the double-overhead cam engine produced 110 hp and came with a 5-speed manual transmission standard.
By today’s standards, that isn’t much. But this was a nimble and fun little car to drive in a time when most cars simply weren’t. And if you grew up during this era, like YouTuber Hello Road, they left a lasting impression on you. That’s why he decided to make the five hour trip to purchase this incredibly rare beast (only 3,300 built). And he documented the entire thing in this nifty video.
Obviously, the rarity of this ride doesn’t exactly translate to collector status. But that isn’t really the point. The one-year only Nova Twin-Cam is an incredibly interesting little car. One that means the world to at least one person, a guy who’s dreamed of owning one his entire life. And that simple fact makes it well worth saving!
