VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1961-1964 63 Nova SS

A friend has 1963 Nova SS 194 w auto. The vin plate is missing but the trim plate is there. Trying to get this car registered has been a nightmare without the vin. Does anyone know of another place to find thr vin. We don't have the protector plate either. Help
Also does anyone know where I can get info on the car from the trim plate?

The trim tag will lead you nowhere. I'm sure you know the vin plate was originally on the driver's door post. If you don't get a response about a hidden vin here, you might check here...Joe

http://nnnova.com/catalog/

Page 3 of GM Heritage shows the locations of the Chevy II VIN.

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/do...mation-kits/Nova/1963-Chevrolet-Nova.pdf

For me, when I make a used car purchase, the FIRST thing I do is to verify that the VIN on the car matches the VIN on the title.

If there is a mismatch or a missing VIN tag, I'm finished with that vehicle.

There are too many vehicles out there for sale, looking for buyers.

No sense, in my thinking, trying to go through EXTREME headaches, with the DMV, because of a missing or mismatched VIN.

In the case of the mismatched or missing VIN tag, how does one know the car is not stolen?

Then the BIGGER headaches begin.

I am restoring a '63 Nova SS Convertible and the VIN location shown on page 3 of the packet is correct. This tag is located in the front door jam on the drivers door between the hinges.

I believe there was a partial VIN number stamped on the pass side quarter panel under the trunk lid but I never took the time to confirm. There was also a VIN number stamped on the lip of the firewall but it would be covered by the fender.

I can confirm these locations later this week if needed.

Send me a PM or e-mail if you need more information. Our car was an original un-touched car prior to restoration. I took tons of pictures before taking it apart.

Good Luck,
Chris

Hello Chris:

Which engine does your convertible have in it? The 153 or the 194 ? Will we see it in South Lake Tahoe?

dtm

The 153 4 cylinder was not available in a Nova series.

Its my understanding that the 4 cylinder IRON DUKE 153 cubes 4 banger was used in the chevy 2 1962 thru to 1970.

Is not a NOVA the same as the chevy 2 ???

my wifes 1965 nova was an ss with 194 six, I always called it a chevy 2

mike lynch

The Chevy II top line car was called Nova. In 1969 the Chevy II name was dropped and the line became Nova. The Nova was the 400 series. The 100 series was the cheapie and the 300 the mid level. The Nova 400 was the top of the line.

The Chevy II 4 cylinder engines was the 194/230 6 cylinder cut down to 4 cylinders. An Iron Duke was a Pontiac design engine used in GM front wheel drive cars and small trucks from 1980 and up. It was similar to the Chevy II engine but not the same.

Mike, Pontiac 4's may have been another Canadian thing in a Chevy up here. Remember we were building them on the same line as Acadians. My Grandpa owned a 1963 Acadian with a straight 6 in it.

The iron duke was also used the the rear wheel drive Sunbird in 78 up. The intake and exhaust manifolds were on the same side inthe rear drive ones. Front wheel drive exhaust was on the front intake on the rear.

The Acadian had the Invader, Canso, and Beaumont.
In 1964 The Beaumont was sudivided into the Regular, Custom and S.D. series.... S.D. was Sport Deluxe.

My father had a black on black 63 Pontiac Acadian with six in it. Other than trim it was just like a nova. Think he traded it in on 1980 olds cutlass with 305 ?

Back in 96=97 I went looking for a 65 nova SS with a 327 in it , same as wife had new in 65 for xmas from her dad. When I came home told her about my find.........her answer "why do I want that ?" . Shaking my head in disbelief I ended up buying her a 96 Pontiac Bonnevile SSE-I supercharged which she proceeded to run up to 305,000 km or about 180,000 miles. Its ready to go to wreckers .

Bought her a 2014 Chrysler 300 SRT 6.4 last Saturday with toffee leather interior and 5000 miles on it.

mike lynch

The 153 was available in the Nova SS convertible in 63. I had the pleasure of seeing an unmolested one several times in Atanta. My favorite photo of the car is the the front fender and wheel. It shows the SS hubcap and no engine medalion on the fender(becuase it is a four cylinder). The car belongs to the Area 9 director who lives in Atlanta. At my request, he brought the car to the Area 9 meet last year in Titusville, FL. I own a 63 Nova SS Hardtop. By the way, the SS package is a trim option and not an engine option.
The 100 to 300 series was medalioned as a Chevy II, the 400 was medalioned as a Nova.

Some one pulled a fast one on that car. All 2 door hard tops,convertibles and Nova 4 door series came with a 6 cyl. engine.
In 1963 there were 24,823 6 cylinder convertibles, 75,322 Nova 4 doors made and 87,415 2 door hard tops and no 4 Cyl. of those styles.

The GM Heritage states 1963 Nova 400 models, came equipped with 6 cylinder engines and no 4 cylinder engines.

Option lists and order guides were "guides" for suggested options. The 4 153 4 cylinder engine and all its related unique components are original to my '63 Nova SS convertible and have never been removed. If you knew the right people and right order process you could order just about any drive train combination from Chevrolet, especially if it was offered elsewhere within the product line as the 153 was on the 1962-1970 2 and 4 door sedans. This same Chevrolet 4 cylinder engine was used by Mercury and Evinrude as marine engines for many years, and in AM General mail trucks for even longer (a great source for Chevy 4 cylinder engine parts) Central Office Production Orders (COPO) were certainly not limited to '69 Camaro 427 applications, although they are the ones most often talked and written about. A number of diehard Nova/Chevy II VCCA members including all 18 of the 2010 VCCA BOD and 50 VCCA members at the 2014 Area 9 Nationally judged meet closely examined my Nova and were confident that it has the original, unaltered 153 4 cylinder engine. The fenders have no emblems, have never had holes and are the original fenders. It runs strong and unless you raise the hood you would never know it is not a six. Ever see a '62, '63, or '64 Impala SS with a 6 cylinder engine? That was also an odd drive train combination but one that could be ordered....even though some Chevrolet option lists and order guides did not include it. Any other members know of other oddball special orders?

Just curious, what is the model designation on your cowl tag and VIN? If it's 467, that translates to a 6cyl convertible. In the Chevy compiled production totals I have, it only shows 2 door models with a 4 cyl as 111 & 311, nothing in the 400 series with a 4cyl.

Is there anything on your cowl tag to indicate a COPO or F&SO order?

Verne

"A number of diehard Nova/Chevy II VCCA members including all 18 of the 2010 VCCA BOD and 50 VCCA members at the 2014 Area 9 Nationally judged meet closely examined my Nova and were confident that it has the original, unaltered 153 4 cylinder engine"

An interesting vehicle.

Certainly, your vehicle has drawn the attention of many VCCA directors. 2010 is not that long ago. Perhaps one of those 2010 BOD members will see this post and chime in, with their recollections.

How did the convert do, meaning the "point judging", back in 2010? How about the 2014 meet ?

Any write ups, on your convert., that you may be aware of, after either meet ?

As suggested by Verne, please provide a pic of your cowl tag, to decipher.

Regarding the Z03 option, it is listed as being available on the 1800 series, as well as the 1700 series.

Thanks

Impalas and with the Super Sport option or not came standard equipment with a 6 Cyl. engine. Not exactly a rare car.

Agreed.

Not exactly. Impalas could be ordered as a 6cyl model or a V8 model, in which case, the "standard" engine was the 283. The 283 was not an option over the 6cyl. It was a different model. If you ordered a 6cyl model, there were no engine options.

Verne

I believe Gene was speaking of the 6 cylinder, as being the "base model", in the Impala series. Not a "rare" situation.

If one ordered a 6 cylinder Impala, it would be a model 17**, depending on body style.

If one ordered a v8 Impala, model number would be 18**, depending on body style.

As a footnote, the 18** would be the model number for a V8 Impala, regardless of 283, 327, or 409.

Correct.

I think the confusion was in the wording "Impalas....came with a base 6cyl". I was pointing out the fact that there was a "base" V8 (283) Impala as well. As you pointed out, 1700 series (6cyl) and 1800 series (V8) were both available. And of course I agree that the SS option could be ordered on either a 1700 series or an 1800 series.
I was just trying to clarify that buyers had the choice at first of ordering a 6cyl series car or a V8 series car, and then options were available for each series. I wanted to make it clear that Impalas didn't all start out as 6cyl cars with V8 options. If you wanted a V8, then you started with a "base" 283 car and went up from there if desired. The RPO lists are completely different for those two series.

Verne

Your comments are understood and well taken.

Thanks, Verne.

Bob.