determinig a true 72 ss?

16158 Views 18 Replies 7 Participants Last post by driver, Dec 6, 2005

Jesses

Discussion Starter · Oct 31, 2005

is there a way of telling a true ss from the cowl tag? i went to nova resource, but the tag identifier dosen't show much info of it being an ss. there is a supposedly a 72 ss sitting at a local dealership so i decided to check it out yesterday. when they told me it was for sale for $18K i asked if it was a numbers matching original. they had no clue, but when i popped the hood, i saw edelbrock heads, valve covers, intake, carb, and aircleaner. also there was MSD ingition box, coil and billet distributor. the car has buckets in it, and floor shift. also has ss grill and hood with chrome top trim pieces, but i know all those pieces
aren't hard to get and put on. is tere a definate way to make ure it is a true ss? also should the motor serial match the cowl? is so which digits?

thanks, JD

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69NovaSS

· #2 · Oct 31, 2005

Well the information on the Nova Resource page is fairly clear on the '72 SS. If K is not the 5th character in the VIN then it is NOT an SS.

NovaResource.com said:
optional package: because 1972 is the first year the original engine is coded in the VIN, you can tell a real SS by the engine code. All 1972 Novas came with the L48 350 4-bbl engine. The L48 was only available in the SS so if the 5th digit of the VIN is a K, the original engine is a L48 and it must be a real SS. BTW, like 1969-71 Novas, all 1972 Super Sports had power front disc brakes.

here is the link
http://www.novaresource.org/rpo_Z26.htm

I suspect since you didnt find the K in the 5th position of the Vin that it is not an SS.

EDIT: In '72 the SS Nova only came with the L48 350 motor. The engine code for the L48 350 is K. Since the only Nova that got an L48 350 is the SS if the engine code in the VIN (the 5th character) is a K then the car was originally an SS. If it is anything other then K the car was not an SS originally. The '72's are nice as it is fairly easy to determine if a car is an SS. On some of other years it is not that easy to tell.

Jesses

Discussion Starter · #3 · Nov 1, 2005

Ahh... thanks for the info. i missed that page. just got the normal 72 cowl tag page..

ok so if i am looking at the cowl tag, i should be looking in the first line? the "k" should be in the fifth position. should the Block have the same numbers as the sequence numbers? i will see if i can go get the tag numbers, maybe the block number too. but i don't think it is a numbers matching car. it didn't look like it someone warmed it over. and i really think this is a clone car.

thanks again, JD

69NovaSS

· #4 · Nov 1, 2005 (Edited)

Jesses said:
Ahh... thanks for the info. i missed that page. just got the normal 72 cowl tag page..

ok so if i am looking at the cowl tag, i should be looking in the first line? the "k" should be in the fifth position. should the Block have the same numbers as the sequence numbers? i will see if i can go get the tag numbers, maybe the block number too. but i don't think it is a numbers matching car. it didn't look like it someone warmed it over. and i really think this is a clone car.

thanks again, JD

NOT the cowl tag the VIN tag. The VIN tag which is located on the top of the dash on the drivers side. Look through the windshild on the drivers side and you should see the VIN tag. count over 5 characters in the VIN number and that character WILL be a K if the car was an SS from the factory.

Well the block will have part of the VIN number on it IF the motor is the original motor (sometimes non original motors will have it too but that is cause somebody stamped it there)

The page below will show you what you need to know about engine stampings..

http://novaresource.org/codes.htm

There is lots of info on that page along with some links to pictures that show where to look for the number

Good luck

Jesses

Discussion Starter · #5 · Nov 4, 2005

69novass,

thanks for the info... it is a true ss... but i found it weird that it only has a 10 bolt.

here is the vin:
1x27K2L168012

cowl tag goes as follows:
ST 72-11427L3074
TR 766A51 6363 PNT
6C 9 456161 220528

block :
V1216TAX

so from novaresource.org the cowl breaks down as a
72 chevy nova v8 2 door, but i am unsure of the assembly plant, and the ssequence seems off.

trim is supposed to be medium tan buckets, buckets, mohave gold top and bottom.

built in 3rd week of june.

now the block i am a little side tracked. i get flint, Mi, december 16, but the TAX i don't get.

so is there any way to tell if it was supposed to come with a 12 bolt posi? the car is now sporting an orange paint job with black pinstripping, black interrior(buckets), floor shift auto, cragar SS wheels(oldschool), edelbrock valvetrain including heads, performer airgap, MSD bos, coil and distributor.

think it is worth the $18.9K they are asking? highest offer they have had so far is $7900(or so they say)

but thanks for the help.

JD

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Motorhead62

· #6 · Nov 4, 2005

That price sounds steep to me as it is not mostly original. Bump the offer a grand and see what happens. $8900 wouldn't be bad.

Is the car rust free and solid? What is the suspenssion like? Have you driven the car? Keep us posted, sounds interesting.

69NovaSS

· #7 · Nov 4, 2005

Jesses said:
69novass,

thanks for the info... it is a true ss... but i found it weird that it only has a 10 bolt.

so is there any way to tell if it was supposed to come with a 12 bolt posi?

Congrats on the find.

My understanding is that every 1972 SS Novas has the 8.5" 10-bolt. Below is a link to a thread at Steve's nova site talking about a fake SS Nova and on the second page of the thread Scott (from the Nova Resource Site) talks about the various diffs available in the SS cars. Its good reading.

http://stevesnovasite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27254&page=1&pp=15

Jesses

Discussion Starter · #8 · Nov 4, 2005

69novass,

once again.. thanks for the wonderful information... it does have the rearsway bar,(i remeber looking at it when i peeked under the car to see the rearend). so my assumption would be that it is a true ss, non matching number motor, and not original paint and interroir. the motor in there is pretty healthy, but i think iall those people that are test driving it are lighting up the ties. yesterday when i went by to verify the numbers i saw fresh spin marks on the tires. told the sales lady, hmmm... someone was having some fun spinning the tires. kind of looks like that bigblock ss clone, but minus the nice bigblock. think it is worth the $18.9k they are asking for? what about the $7900 they said their highest offer was? it is a nice car, but i really don't know.

thanks again, JD

69NovaSS

· #9 · Nov 4, 2005

Motorhead62 said:
That price sounds steep to me as it is not mostly original. Bump the offer a grand and see what happens. $8900 wouldn't be bad.

Is the car rust free and solid? What is the suspenssion like? Have you driven the car? Keep us posted, sounds interesting.

I agree that the almost 19K they are asking is a lot for a mostly non original car. Like was said offer 8900 and see if they bite.

go to the link below and put in the info for the car it will give ya a fairly close estimate as to the value of the car.

http://www.manheimgold.com/car_lo.html

Buzzbomb

· #10 · Nov 8, 2005

I personally think Manheim Gold is a good resource...EXCEPT for Novas. They are off their rocker on some of their prices for Novas and Chevelles. They are selling for FAR more on Ebay and elsewhere than listed on MHG. Like Ebay or not, its a real player in the marketplace. Thats IMHO. I THINK 1971 was the last year for 12 bolt Nova SS's.

69NovaSS

· #11 · Nov 8, 2005

Buzzbomb said:
I personally think Manheim Gold is a good resource...EXCEPT for Novas. They are off their rocker on some of their prices for Novas and Chevelles. They are selling for FAR more on Ebay and elsewhere than listed on MHG. Like Ebay or not, its a real player in the marketplace. Thats IMHO. I THINK 1971 was the last year for 12 bolt Nova SS's.

You may be right all I did was a search for classic car values and that is what came up. I have to agree that the price they list for BB Novas is way low from what I have seen them go for.

Buzzbomb

· #12 · Nov 9, 2005

I wasn't knocking your suggestion of checking out Manheim Gold, FWIW. Its a neat resource, but I have noticed that its values need to be updated. This is true for SS cars, and NON SS cars as well. I used to like the old Hemmings price guide, but it just disappeared a few years ago. Ebay is the new price gauge IMHO, with stuff like BarJ a close second....Check out the prices for Nova's in the back of Hemmings Muscle and you'll see what I mean- they are sometimes TWICE as much as price guides estimates.

71SS

· #13 · Nov 11, 2005

Buzzbomb said:
I wasn't knocking your suggestion of checking out Manheim Gold, FWIW. Its a neat resource, but I have noticed that its values need to be updated. This is true for SS cars, and NON SS cars as well. I used to like the old Hemmings price guide, but it just disappeared a few years ago. Ebay is the new price gauge IMHO, with stuff like BarJ a close second....Check out the prices for Nova's in the back of Hemmings Muscle and you'll see what I mean- they are sometimes TWICE as much as price guides estimates.

I am very careful using ebay as a price guide. There are so many different variables on ebay such as...
1. Who is looking for that car at that time.
2. Although it is an auction, same as BJ, Kruse, etc., there is no advertising for the car going on ebay versus the advertising the big auction houses do.
3. Dare I say this... shill bidding.
4. Pictures... There are two ways to make a object look better, get drunk or take a picture.

I think one needs to do a lot of homework and look at all the different guides and come up with a value.

Just my 2 cents worth.

69Nova355

· #14 · Dec 2, 2005

Yes 1971 was indeed the last year for the 12 bolt in Chevy passenger cars. Starting in 1972 the 8.5 10 bolt was used up until 1976, which then the 7.5 10 bolt was introduced. After that some cars used the 7.5 rear while others used the 8.5 rear.

driver

· #15 · Dec 5, 2005

Good info on the true ss which i checked mine and it is a true ss.I paid $18,500 for mine but mine is a pro street with a zz502,9in ford,caged and was on the front cover of hotrod magazine many years ago.BILL

69NovaSS

· #16 · Dec 5, 2005

driver said:
Good info on the true ss which i checked mine and it is a true ss.I paid $18,500 for mine but mine is a pro street with a zz502,9in ford,caged and was on the front cover of hotrod magazine many years ago.BILL

Sounds like a cool car...do you have any pics? Mine is like yours it is a true SS BUT a previous owner made a few changes to it that are largely unchangable sooo I have a Real non-original SS...whatever thats worth

driver

· #17 · Dec 5, 2005 (Edited)

The best pic's of my car can be seen at hotrod magazine's web sit.Get on their web site and in the search box type in the name/speedy petey and my blue 72ss will come up which it looks the same today as it did back then.BILL

http://www.hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/46018/index.html

Click on the pic's for bigger pic's.BILL

69NovaSS

· #18 · Dec 6, 2005

Holly crap

those back skins are W I D E.....Very cool looking car

:thumbsup:

driver

· #19 · Dec 6, 2005

I do have pic's posted on team chevelle.thanks bill

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