1978 Chevrolet Nova review from North America

Replaced alternator upon purchase - diode trio was making GEN light glow dimly - was still charging battery, but why take chances - looked like cheap rebuilt unit. Replaced with equally cheap "True Blue" unit to fix.

The valves sounded like a joke shop full of chattering teeth - replaced lifters to fix (cam looked fine). the engine was only mildly sludgy, despite the owner boasting of using Mobil 1 (he worked for Mobil, and got it cheap).

The valve noise was helping mask the bottom end's outspokenness when starting up after sitting after a few hours (or after an oil change) - per the mechanic I was using at the time, it was loose rod bearings. This never got to the point of having the OIL light come on at idle, or spinning a rod bearing, but it didn't engender confidence. Found out later from an engine rebuilder, that this was not uncommon on the Integral Head Chevrolet Inline 6. Also developed a piston slap when cold. To its

credit, the cylinder head didn't crack (also purportedly an Integral Head specialty).

The EGR valve went (started pinging at part-throttle) at 83,000 miles.

The valve that blocked vacuum to the EGR valve (when cold to help drivability) went at 86,000 miles.

Power steering box went when it was sold at 90,000 miles - couldn't keep the return hose on the pump.

The centrifugal advance weights/springs in the distributor needed to be WD-40'd to cure low speed ping (they were sticking).

The distributor bushings probably needed replacement as they were starting to squeak when cold - didn't affect drivability.

Front end held up well - needed an idler arm replacement.

Carburetor held up well.

Springs (more rear than front) were sagging.

Interior was of low quality - the hard, shiny plastic that was the dash was warped from years of sun exposure, and the cloth seats were rotting away quickly. FYI - the window sticker indicated that this was the upgraded interior.

The elimination of vent windows in the front windows has to be one of the best inventions to sell air conditioning - this car (which had no air) was a hothouse in the summer - minimalist insulation and having the catalytic converter under the right front floorboard didn't help any.

The body was very flexible - at interstate speeds on patched roadways, it acted like there was a hinge at the windshield - the fender and hood visibly vibrated independently from the body and each other.

The paint was still in good condition, but the body was starting to rust around the rear wheelwells and the floorpan rusted

through.

The 250 cubic inch straight 6 cylinder was a good performer - decent low-speed acceleration, and averaged 18 MPG (in mainly city driving). It was very smooth and emitted a fairly quiet, pleasant sound at low RPM, but at wide open throttle, it would become rough and noisy as it approached the upshift point in each gear - the older (non-Integral Head) Inline 6 Chevrolets

were smoother/quieter. Moreover, it wasn't as tough as the older ones - they had better bottom ends.

The 3-speed TurboHydraMatic 350 shifted great - quick and firm, but not too firm - perfect. It never had any problems.

Great handling - once the "tires" were replaced with radials. The original owners were quick to boast of the set of new E78-14 bias-ply "tires" that they had purchased for $80.00. These were OK in dry weather, but were dangerous in the wet.

Imagine entering an interstate at 30 MPH with a light rain falling, and punching it, only to have the right rear tire cut loose with wheelspin - mind you, this is a 110 HP engine pushing a 3,300 lb. car. You could powerslide this thing (on a wet

road) any time you wanted. Even in the dry, if a sign approaching a curve warned that you should take it at 25 MPH - do that - not 26, 27 - 25!!! These were replaced by new P205/70-R14 Bridgestone R471s mounted on 14x6 sport wheels from a junked 1981 Monte Carlo). Despite the fact that it had the stock suspension (no F40, F41), the car was transformed. Rear wheel drive has its advantages.

The steering was reasonably quick, accurate, and had some feel - good for a 1970's car.

The power Disk/Drum brakes were reliable, and stopped well - perhaps with a bigger engine/more accessories, that might not have been the case.

Had my family not had an excellent 1970 Nova (a well-built, well-designed, tireless, cheap-to-keep servant), I would have thought that that this was normal behavior for a Nova. The vehicle was bought on the based on the strengths of the 1970. Compared to the 1970, the 1978 was a more modern, but lower quality vehicle.