Comments: 1-15, 16-17
It burns a little oil, 1 quart per thousand miles using 20/50 weight.
I replaced the driver's seat with one from a Nova CL, it has more adjustments and was in better shape.
All maintinance was past due when I got it. Brakes, shocks, belts and hoses.
This car is a very close cousin to a Corolla FX-16, a 3-door hatchback; both share the MR2 engine and manual Transmission. I haven't seen one with an auto transmission. The engine red lines at 7300 rpm and the high gear on the 5 speed puts me at 3900 rpm at 70 MPH, usually 4th will be 3500 rpm @ 70 mph and 5th would be overdrive. Oh well it's a little motor to be making 112 Horsepower.
I've only seen one other Twin Cam (Chevy's name on the fender), also black with a red pin stripe.
I've replaced the struts (4 KYB's), the originals at 120k were a little loose, but not bad yet. They were marked with Toyota and KYB part numbers.
I upgraded to performance (carbon/metallic, for street) brake pads, surfaced or replaced all rotors, upgraded to 14" MR2 wheels with 185/60X14 Michelins and reworked all the rubber on the sway bars front and rear. Yes, this jewel comes with factory sway bars, front shock tower bracing and four-wheel disk brakes just like the FX-16 and the MR2. Toyota also made a rear wheel drive corolla with this engine etc, the GTS.
I got mine around 120 k, it now has 178k miles, I've done the clutch, radiator, timing belt and all belts and hoses. Two O2 sensors, I couldn't order for a Nova, every listing gave one-wire O2 sensors, and even the 87 FX-16 is one wire. But the 88 FX-16 O2 sensor is moved back to the first exhaust pipe from the exhaust manifold, and has four wires like my Nova. The cheap aftermarket O2 sensor died in 2 years and 20k miles, and ruined a new Catalytic converter. California's biannual inspections keep us honest! So that's two cats and two O2 sensors, the last from the Toyota dealer, the Chevy dealer was $ 50 bucks more! That's why I always lie at the Toyota dealer and get FX-16 parts. I wouldn't try it for a body part and the keys are chevy import keys, but a lot of it is the same and bolts right on. For the O2 sensor it was the only working option except for Chevy, and since I didn't order one from them I'm not sure if they would have gotten the right one. Everyone else got it wrong.
I love the handling, it's roughly a 16 second car (1/4 mile time) that burns regular gas and gets around 28 miles per gallon, mixed city/freeway driving. It now has a white paint job, so it's even more of a sleeper (rarely given a second look).
This was an excellent review. I still have my black with red stripe 1988 Chevy Nova Twin Cam which I purchased new. The Chevy dealer told me that Chevy only made 300 of these cars - all black with red stripe. The car was assembled in California - Fremont, I believe - as a Toyota/Chevrolet collaboration. 1988 was the last year of the Chevy Nova. I, too, prefer going to the Toyota dealer rather than the Chevy dealer.
The Chevy Nova Twin Cam has been an excellent car for me. My car has 152k on the odometer. The 110 horsepower motor is reliable and powerful enough, especially when the tranny button is pressed into 'power' mode.
Parts are easier to get from a Toyota dealer or junkyard. I did get a muffler for only $25 - off the shelf - from a parts store because I said it was for an FX16. The Nova muffler was $94 and had to be ordered.
Total production numbers are around 3300 and not 300 as previously mentioned. Not many exist, but if you find one they come highly recommended.
I bought my 88 chevy nova twin cam in July for only $600. I love it! I had to replace my alternator, but that was it. I am proud to be one of three hundred owners of this car.
I am also the proud owner of one the few 4-speed automatic overdrive twincam's. We need to ban together and put up a webpage! These will be collectors items in the VERY near future. If YOU have a novatwincam email me at manipad@mail.com.
I also have a 88 nova twin cam. I was told by the parts guy that I had to have the intermediary exhaust pipe custom made. Does the pipe for the fx16 work?
I bought a 1988 Chevy Nova for 750$, I thought it was a good car with plenty of speed and get up and go. When I got it home I took my little brother with me to show him my 'new' car, and he liked it a lot and tried to buy it from me. Long story short my 88 Nova broke down due to timing issues two days after I bought it. I've replaced the belt, but it still jumps time, and is one of the worst cars I've ever owned.
Hey my parents owned a Nova From 1988 and In 1995 we got in a accident with it and I have never seen 1 again then my older brother bought 1 not long ago and with gas prices now a days it's a great car and I was wondering if anyone would own 1 that would like to sell it if so email me at davidnitro@gmail.com thanks guys.
Actually the story about the Nova Twin cam is they made 3300 and they were assembled in Fremont, California it was a partnership of Toyota and Chevy for 1 year "so they can steal each others ideas and concepts" the Chevy nova twin cam cam with 4 options "Black ;with red pinstripe; Grey interior;4 Speed ECT automatic; 5 Speed manual" I know so much about them because I have 2 of them and I love them to death.
I have a 1988 Nova Twin-Cam that I purchased new on New Year's Day 1988. It has been the best car I have ever owned. I am now looking for a passenger side front axle, new or rebuilt. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look? My email address is jrmoore@onecliq.net.
Am the original owner of a 1988 Chevy Nova Twin Cam and need a new gas tank - interestingly, the Canadian steel gas tank that is advertised as fitting the twin cam, T01B, does not even come close to fitting. The neck on the twin cam gas tank is detached from the tank and curved. It looks very much like the gas tank that is advertised for the carburetor Nova although the Twin Cam is fuel injected. Any suggestions?
As for the intermediate pipe referenced above, I've replaced that several times over the years, and the last time I had to have it fabricated. Try to find someone who will guarantee his work for the life of the car.
1988 nova twin cam,you can get most of parts from 88 corolla fx16. One minor proble is front exhaust engine mount is cricial or the pipe will break an leak so ya need to fabricate it because it unavailbe thre w toyota or chevy.
As for Comment !19th Feb 2007, 15:36.
1) You are purchased a economy car capable of achieving 30mpg around town and 44mpg on the freeway "My statistics 89 octain"
2) You bought it for $750 and it ran. All 88 Nova Twin-Cams are coming on 22 years old. "I say 22 because they used 1986 Toyota Technology"
3) Come on 22 years old, it's not a rock that last forever!
OK enough with proving a point all about these cars, and soon a website will be at www.novatwincam.com should be up soon where you can register and share stories and pictures!
I found the right front axle for my Nova Twin Cam at a Toyota dealership. It is the axle for a 1988 Toyota Corolla FX-16 GTS. AND, it only cost $655.00. I am now looking for the correct front struts, I need the entire units. Can anyone help me? Thanks, jrmoore@onecliq.net.
NOVA twin cam uses the TO2 gas tank and they are available.
Just want to add a few things. You can find all of the parts for the Novas at Toyota. This was not a joint venture between Toyota and GM. GM purchased Corollas from Toyota and had them re-badged, well I guess you can call that a joint venture but GM was not involved in any of the engineering or building. Depending on the Nova model it can be transferred to one of the Toyota Chassis names AE-82, 84, or 86. Most of the parts are cheaper if you tell them it is for a Toyota Corolla, as Toyota sold more of them. Also this same car has been sold as Holden Nova, Geo Prism, and Sprinter Trueno, so you can also find parts from the junk yard off of these cars.
Does anyone know if the 130hp engine was used in the Novas?