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What is a 1970 Nova SS 396/375HP worth?

10K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Bakes1111 
#1 ·
Hello. I am a newbie here and a camaro owner but have not owned a nova. Can anybody tell me what this is worth in today's market? 1970 SS 396/375HP turbo 400 auto rotessorie restored to original condition with 56K miles, fathom blue and bench seat. No documents or paper work but engine trans are numbers matching.

Thanks.

John
 
#4 ·
396 was put into 1970 Nova SS's up to the start of the January 1970 production when they switched over to the 402, but still labeled the car as a 396. Lot of change overs done at that time.
I have seen nicely restored cars go as low as $20K and as high as $50K. I'm sure there have been higher and lower prices paid.
 
#5 ·
All 1970 production BB Novas used the new 402 cid engine block....casting no. 854. There were several mid year changes for the Nova like welded door hinges, throttle cable, F41 sway bar, etc. Cars were still marketed as 396 in all 1970 Novas, Camaros and Chevelles.....the 396 branding and image was too valuable for Chevy to change. There were obviously 2 versions of this block L-34 350 hp with 2 bolt mains and the L-78 375 hp with 4 bolts and other internal upgrades. As for value, the spectrum is wide depending upon the quality of the resto...assuming it is a good job, with nice paint and proper detailing it would be worth at least $60k....high end job by a "name" shop will command a premium above that. You can't buy the car and "hire it done" for less than $75k-80k in todays world. Originality of the rare bolt on parts and trim are also a factor....there are lots of second rate restos out there that still need $10-20k in work to make them correct. if you don't know what to look for I suggest you pay some to look at the car and get a professional opinion. if you need more info or help send me an email and we can talk.

wilma (Tom Williams) tom@lessismore.bz
 
#7 ·
hey ... make sure u take a close look at the numbers and make sure they are not restamped ......and check the casting numbers. and the numbers on the rear(if you can see em) because it seems like theres L78 novas all over the place for sale when ..... in reality there were not a whole lot of them produced .... and they are easily cloned.... just a word of warning ..before you spend a whole bunch of money...
 
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