Buying a car from a family that kept it for decades always comes with a story. A collector named Parker, who posts as @backyardbarnfinds, drove to rural Arkansas to buy a black 1970 Nova SS from a drag racer’s widow. Then he spent the visit working out what the car really started out as.
The seller, Christine, tells the story at the garage door. According to her, her husband bought the car new at 18. He worked as a bagger at a grocery store in Chicago to pay for it.
“He saved every penny and he bought it for $3,000,” she says at 1:25.
A Nova SS That Went Racing
Stickers on the side still read “US30 Dragstrip.” She says he raced the car there on weekends and won two trophies.
In addition, she says the car has about 50,000 miles, has never been repainted and was never in an accident. He also ran it only on racing fuel, she says.
However, the engine is not original. A friend had blown up its 396, so her husband bought the car without an engine. “It’s now a 454,” she says at 5:52.
Parker then checks the block. He finds no VIN stamp and reads a casting number that he ties to an early-1970s 454, so he calls it a service replacement. The car also carries a tunnel ram, and someone started to cut the hood for it but never finished.
Reading The 1970 Nova SS Paperwork
Next, Parker checks the cowl tag. He reads paint code 19, which he says is Tuxedo Black, plus a black interior and a build date around mid-December 1969.
Christine had also pulled broadcast sheets from under the seats. Parker matches the body number to the car. Then he points to an M20 four-speed code and a ZL3 code, which he says usually signals a Super Sport. Because of those details, he says he is about 99% sure it began as a real SS.
Under the car, he also finds the doubler plate for dual exhaust and a rear axle code that fits the story.
Clues It Began As A Small-Block
However, other parts point the other way. The car has a big-block radiator support and crossmember. Yet it also has a small-block heater box with no big-block hose holes.
“If I was to be a betting man, Christine, I would say that this did start out as a 350 car,” Parker says at 20:42.
Even so, he notes that the broadcast sheets don’t list the engine, so the original setup can’t be proven either way.
What To Check Before Buying A Muscle Car From The Original Family
His visit shows how much a careful look can tell you:
- Ask the family for every scrap of paperwork, including anything tucked under the seats.
- Read the cowl tag and compare it with the paperwork before you talk price.
- Look at small parts like the heater box, because swaps often miss them.
- Accept that some questions can’t be settled, and decide what the car is worth to you anyway.
Where The Car Goes Next
Despite his small-block verdict, Parker pays the asking price, calling a Tuxedo Black four-speed SS with paperwork rare. Next, the car heads to his garage in Pennsylvania.
“I think my husband would be proud that you’re the one who is going to purchase the vehicle,” Christine tells him at 23:50.
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