If anything differentiates hot rodders from every other type of car enthusiast, it’s their need to change things. The very definition of the term “hot rod” is a car modified for performance and appearance. In some cases, the modifications are permanent. In other cases, the mods are continual, as a hot rod is treated to an ongoing series of tweaks. Jeff Bjustrom’s Nova doesn’t fit either of those descriptions. His is an amazing example of a car built into an award-winning showstopper, then recently rebuilt with enough major changes to transform it into something new.
This 1963 Chevy Nova SS convertible’s wild ride would have been impossible to predict when Jeff walked into Vescio’s Customizing & Restorations back in 2012. Jeff was there that day to talk to builder Bo Vescio about a simple job. He was looking for a shop to restore the Honda trail bike that his wife Kim had owned since she was 12 years old. He walked out of the shop with a bigger agenda. Jeff had always been interested in cars, but hadn’t been immersed into hot rod culture—until then. Seeing Vescio’s shop and the projects being built there ended up modifying his entire life. “I was hooked,” he realized.
The search for the right raw material for his own Vescio-built project car began—and ended—on the internet. Jeff missed out on buying a 1966 Chevelle and a 1965 Olds Cutlass, but was successful in landing a Chevy Nova SS convertible from 1963. That was the last year that Chevy offered the Nova as a convertible and the first year it was available with the Super Sport package—available only on the convertibles and hardtops. The SS option consisted of bucket seats, a floor shifter, gauges, wheels covers, and identifying exterior badging and trim.
For the full story, check out this article from Motor Trend.
