Re: 9-C-1 Nova
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: 9C1Beater</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Man, I sure hate to hear that! If you could give us the color scheme of it (exterior and interior) I will post the info on Stevesnovasite. Did anyone think to save that 200 Kph speedo?!!!
The 9C1 Nova is considered by many cop car afficianados to be the best cop car Chevy ever built, and it consistently appears on "10 best cop car" lists. Due to its light weight it had an outstanding power-to-weight ratio, had incredible handling, and could stop on a dime (1.2g's of force in braking, around .9g's in handling). Motor Trend magazine did an extensive test of one in the Sept. '76 issue and gave the ordering codes so that civilian car enthusiasts could order their own. To order one you had to specify the 350 LM1 engine, TH350 trans, variable ratio power steering, high performance radial tires, posi rear-end, and power brakes...then the 9C1 option could be ordered for around $300. They were ordered under the Central Office Production Order (COPO) system, which included large fleet orders as well as special muscle cars like the Yenkos and 427 Camaros. Not all dealers would accept a COPO order, as such an order took more time and effort than a standard order (as well as specific knowledge of the ordering procedure). If a COPO order wasn't submitted properly, the factory would kick it back to the dealer and delay the manufacture of the car.
My 9C1 was ordered by a car enthusiast in his 20s, Chad Larson, a computer programmer for American Airlines in Tulsa during the '70s. He read the Motor Trend article and persuaded 2 of his co-workers to also order 9C1 Novas from the same dealer (Ramsey Chevrolet in Bixby, OK...a suburb of Tulsa) on the same day (bet that was a happy salesman!). It took about 3 months for the order to be processed, and the tach and gauges Chad ordered were not installed on his Nova. He ordered it in dark brown metallic with a tan interior for the maximum sleeper effect, and successfully raced it in SCCA Solo 2 Autocross events for the next few years...Chad said nothing pis*ed the Corvette and Porsche guys more than to be beaten by a "little-old-lady" Nova! When I bought the car in Nov. of 2014 it was sitting on the west side of Phoenix in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, and the ad on Craigslist said "1977 Nova 4 Door, Needs Bodywork Make Offer". The young guy (Omar) selling it had no idea it was a rare cop car (I could tell from the fat wheels with dog-dish hubcaps, the 350, and the cop car interior what it was). Omar was about to sell the 9C1 to the junk guy for $100, as it had been on CL for 2 months with no buyer! I asked him what he would take for it and he said "$400" ...I immediately sent him a down payment on Paypal and flew out to Phx from Columbus 3 days later to pay it off. Omar had been given the car by the 2nd owner, Les Biffle, whose son had wrecked it 10 years earlier (2004). It had sat behind Les' garage all that time until the wife wanted it gone (we all know that story, right?). Chad sold the car in '87 to Les, who was one of the 3 guys that ordered 9C1s from Ramsey Chevy. Les had sold his 9C1 in the early '80s after moving to Phx, and always regretted selling it. When Chad decided to sell his 9C1 in '87 he gave Les the first chance at it and he took it. I flew out to Phx in March and had dinner with them both (I tracked Les down from his name and address that were still on the AZ title, and he put me in touch with Chad...they are still friends). I heard some great stories about the "Brown Bomber" (the 9C1's nickname) during dinner with them...they're both great guys. Les gave me some of the car's original paperwork, and I'm waiting for photos from both of them. Chad is in his 60s now, but still has the '87 Mustang LX V8 he replaced the Nova with. It has a 347 Ford Motorsports crate motor and several other mods to make it a screamer at stoplight duels. He graciously let me drive it after our dinner. BTW, I plan to restore the Brown Bomber to its day 1 appearance. </div></div>
Was it possible to order a 9C1 as a two door coupe, or was it four door only?
Unfortunately, the junkyard car the OP referenced was probably done the minute it hit the yard's driveway. Not sure how it works in Canada, but in the US the era of the little mom n' pop yard is about over. I recently had to watch an 84 Mustang GT Turbo4 car in Desert Tan go to the crusher. Very solid, complete and rare car (not sure how many Desert Tan Turbo GT's were built, but pick a number around 25 and you're probably in the ballpark). The guy up front was sympathetic to my cause, but there was nothing he could do. Once it hits the yard, it's dead.
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