The Chevy Nova was available in a wide variety of configurations, from practical sedans and wagons to exhilarating convertibles and powerful Super Sport coupes. It's estimated that General Motors produced more than 5,000,000 Chevy II / Nova models between 1962 and 1979, making them an excellent choice to buy and restore today. However, it's not always easy to identify the original specifications of a classic Nova by looks alone. Our Chevy Nova VIN decoder will help you use the vehicle identification number to determine the year, series, model / body style, engine, assembly plant, and other key details about your 1962-64, 1965-71, and 1972-79 Chevy Nova.

The history of the Chevy Nova is a story of gradual evolution from a sporty commuter car in the early 1960s to a legendary muscle car by the early '70s. The lineage continued into the late '70s as the Nova shifted focus yet again, this time in a more luxurious direction. The continuous transformation provided a series of cars that could appeal to almost any buyer, whether they needed a sprightly convertible, a tire-shredding track machine, or a plush cruiser. Today, we'll take a look back at some Classic Industries customer cars that showcase Chevy Nova parts from our restoration parts catalog.

Each week, we write about a customer's classic car restoration project here on our blog. Normally, we speak to the owner, jot down notes, and write about the restoration parts and accessories that we know were used during the build. However, occasionally we meet a customer who does an even better job describing his or her car than we could, so we simply share the story in their own words. That was the case with this 1972 Nova, which belongs to Graham Reimer, of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Read on for his detailed description of the project.

Back in the days before SUVs and crossovers became the family-haulers of choice, the station wagon was the ultimate vehicle for carrying kids, four-legged friends, and all your belongings safely from point A to point B. Many of us have good memories of long road trips in the family wagon, and this nostalgia has led some classic car fans to seek out long-roof vehicles to restore. Michelle Garcia chose this '66 Nova wagon, and spent nearly two decades restoring it.

What do you do when you have a classic muscle car, but you want it to perform like a modern muscle car on the street, race track, and drag strip? The answer is simple: blend the two categories together. Pro-touring is a style of resto-mod that some consider the ultimate fusion of old and new elements. This heavily-modified 1966 Nova from Full Throttle Restoration is a prime example of this type of build.

Ever since its first use on modified vehicles in the 1960s, the name Yenko has represented pushing the limits of speed. Yenko took performance-oriented cars like the Camaro and Nova and added even more horsepower to the mix, resulting in vehicles that remain legendary to this day. However, original Yenko cars are extremely rare, and survivors carry six-figure price tags. This has prompted some enthusiasts to modify their cars with Yenko graphics and other affordable nods to this iconic heritage.

Take one look at this 1966 Chevy Nova, and it's clear that it falls into the restomod category. Some elements have been restored using original-style parts, while others have been modified or replaced with modern components. The lowered stance, large billet wheels, blacked-out bumpers and trim, and carbon fiber chin spoiler are all characteristic cues for this style of build. However, the changes to this Nova are much more than skin deep.

It's every car enthusiast's worst nightmare to find out their prized vehicle has been stolen. We shudder to think about a classic car sitting safely at home one day, only to disappear the next day without a trace, never to be seen again. This awful scenario is exactly what befell Ivan Ramirez's 1970 Chevy Nova... or so he thought. In reality, the Nova was actually being dismantled and restored by none other than the crew of the hit TV show Overhaulin'.

These days, many of us think of the Chevy Nova as a muscle car. While it has certainly been a popular platform for hot-rodders and drag-racers, the Nova was more than just a muscle car. It was born from the Chevy II, a simple and practical commuter car, with four-door variants that could carry the whole family. And in its later years, it turned towards luxury and refinement with models such as this 1978 Nova Custom Cabriolet.

Although the Nova was originally based on the Chevy II, a thrifty and practical commuter vehicle, this memorable name quickly grew to represent a true high-performance muscle car. There's no doubt that the Nova SS could hold its own on the street or the drag strip, but even base-model Novas have often been modified to produce tire-melting power from a small block V8 engine.