Museum cars are an interesting feature of the collector car hobby, because they lead a much different life than the average old car leads in private hands.
In most cases, there are no absolutes with museum cars because every operation has different standards.
This mint 1967 Chevy Nova two-door hardtop is a solid example of what happens when a car is donated to a well-established museum.
Jerry Sutherland
The Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta is a great example of a world class automotive museum. This 37,000-mile car was bought new in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and donated to Reynolds after its original owner wanted to secure its future.
Jason Harris is the head of the restoration shop at the Reynolds Museum, and he knows the complete history of this car. Jason explained how the owner didn’t want this factory-original car to be used as a platform for the next owner’s vision of the Nova. In other words, he didn’t want to see a 383 stroker under the hood.
That was a simple request and it’s one the Reynolds Museum was happy to honor. The original 194 cubic inch inline six is still there—and so is the Powerglide 2-speed automatic.
The interior looks like it’s brand new and the paint is good. There are some war wounds from its past, but Jason and his team kept it original with a minimum of detailing to get rid of obvious scratches.
The museum rotates its cars and trucks through the inventory so there are periods of time when the vehicles may sit for a few years, and this Nova was no exception. Jason said there’s a major checklist before any car is started and it involves the numerous volunteers available at Reynolds.
They are assigned tasks that reflect their skill levels, so while one volunteer may simply check fuel levels, another may do a complete tuneup. This assures every car or truck gets the attention it needs and its startup is done to exacting standards.
Jason said the Nova only needed the basic checklist items and it fired up immediately because the previous owner did the proper maintenance. This is always the goal for Reynolds because when they take ownership of a vintage vehicle, they also inherit the same standards the previous owner had for the car or truck.
He was really happy when the museum took over the reins of this car because the Nova was a classic example of how important care and attention is to a car. That’s why the checklist was relatively small for a mass production car nearly 60 years old.
Jason said anyone who donates a car to Reynolds gets a tax receipt based on an outside appraisal on the vehicle. This ensures that the donor is well compensated for his charitable act because Reynolds wants to be completely fair about the transaction.
There were many possible outcomes to this story, but the original owner of this ’67 Nova knows the choice he made will make this car’s future a defined path.
Yes, that means there’s no 383 stroker in its future.
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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