Cars with a documented history are gold in the car hobby.
If you’re the second or third owner, there’s a good chance the biography of the old car or truck travelled with it.
That’s the case with this 1975 Nova two-door coupe.
Jerry Sutherland
David Deoliveira is the proud owner of this 70s disco-era classic—one of only 2000 to come to Canada. He bought it from the original family and learned the car was a Christmas present for Rita, the original owner. David bought the car from Rita’s daughter. He has another piece of the Nova’s history—a prized picture of Rita the original owner.
The Nova had 40,000 original miles on it when David bought it. The car led a good life because she used the car for short runs and stored it inside, plus it came from a reasonably mild climate.
The car was built in California and sent north to a now-extinct British Columbia, Canada GM dealership. The Nova came with the rarely seen 262-cubic-inch V-8 under the hood. This was also, according to David, the first year for the catalytic exhaust—a feature still seen on the Nova.
David’s Nova came with other options like power steering, rear window blower, exterior package, disc brakes, side mirrors and Rallye wheels. This was a car that ticked off most of the available options, and the AM radio still works.
The Nova was repainted in 2016 but most of the car is exactly like it was when Rita was surprised at Christmas 50 years ago.
David said the original windshield is still there—so is the original catalytic exhaust system and interior. He has had to address other maintenance items like new shocks, radiator—plus he replaced the factory carpet. He also replaced the factory alternator and carburetor—now it’s a four-barrel because a two-barrel was impossible to find.
The Nova still has one of its (now rare) original headlights, but David has one in his inventory. David also has the paperwork for the car, including the warranty card and invoice.
David treats the car like the original owner did because it never sees winter. He calls it a summer driver because it’s in hibernation from October to March. He’s added 8000 more miles to the odometer, but they are all easy miles—mostly on summer days. David said the little V-8 gets him about 13 miles per gallon in total.
He said the car has a few little rust spots, so David doesn’t want to push Rita into winter survival mode. He respects what he has, so David preserves its well-protected history.
Low-mileage heritage cars like this ’75 Nova put responsibility on the next owner, but it doesn’t always end well. Some guys would cut this car up and plunk a big-block under the hood. Others would drive it into the ground with no regard for its history.
Fortunately, David isn’t that guy. He respects this car so much he named it after the original owner.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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