1. How did you come to the decision of buying this car?
I’ve long been interested in vehicles that have no good reason to be loved—econoboxes, boring utilitarian cars, cars that suffered from bad marketing, vehicles that for whatever reason just didn’t sell well and are now long forgotten.
Just as I was finishing high school back in the 90s, I drove past a small car dealer in my hometown and a late 80s Chevrolet Nova caught my eye. It wasn’t the plain gray bumper base model version that I was so used to seeing—it was all black with a red stripe, with the words “Twin Cam” adorning its flanks. The dealership was closed for the night, but I proceeded to stare confusingly at this strange car for a good twenty minutes. I had to have it. Later that week, I dug up an old 1988 issue of Motor Trend that featured a glowing review of the ’88 Chevrolet Nova Twin Cam.
“Just the sound of shifting at 7000rpm is worth the price of admission” and “Noted for its high-rpm performance, the engine alone beams the Nova into another world” were two thoughts that stuck with me. What was under the hood of this thing? Turns out Toyota’s iconic 4AGE propelled this little beast, with sport suspension and disc brakes rounding out the package. Now I really had to have it.
The next week I went back to the dealership, and it was gone. I was gutted.
Fast forward to 2018. I had since learned that the 1988 Nova Twin Cam was a 1-year-only special edition of the Nova, built in the Fremont, California GM/Toyota NUMMI factory. It was also quite clear that these vehicles were incredibly hard to come by. Since the 90s, I had been on a near constant search for one of these, and had never seen another example. Only about 3,300 of these were ever built. Most were likely treated as the inexpensive econoboxes that they were, culminating in a junkyard fate when they reached the end of their serviceable life.
After decades of searching for this impossible to find car, I finally came across one for sale about 350 miles from my home. I immediately drove out to pick it up and plunked down the $2,200 he was asking. Would the Twin Cam live up to the hype and anticipation of a decades long search? No car is perfect, but since that day it has become my daily driver and one of my favorite vehicles.
2. What has your ownership experience been like?
Every time I jump into the Twin Cam, it really does feel like jumping back in time. The angular dashboard and simple analog gauges are quite in line with the feeling of driving this car. It’s not exceptionally comfortable—you feel every bump and imperfection in the road. The diminutive stature and paper thin pillars make you feel quite vulnerable alongside modern cars, but that feeling of vulnerability is one of the aspects that stirs up my adrenaline. No modern conveniences, no traction control, no sport mode, no variable ratio steering, no adjustable dampers—just a great motor, decently tuned suspension, and a manual transmission. It’s this raw and purely analog nature that is quite refreshing, especially compared to newer cars.
The sound of the endlessly revving 4AGE is addictive, and it seems I can’t help traveling all the way up to 7500rpm with every shift. The Nova Twin Cam is certainly not a quick car by today's standards, though it was decently fast for 1988, hitting 60 in about 8 seconds. The Twin Cam’s 110 horsepower seems infinitesimally small now, but for a car that weighs in at only 2300 pounds, it’s sufficient.
How would it fare against the hot hatches and cheap sport sedans of the era? Probably mid pack. This vehicle is not going to win any handling contests, but it is surely leaps and bounds better than most base model econoboxes of the era. Push it a bit hard on a back road and the Twin Cam will respond with a liberal dose of understeer, leaving trails of rubber in the wake of its 13 inch tires. Even so it is still a blast to drive down on a curvy road, though I’m not really going all that fast. But it feels fast, which is all that matters to me.
One of my favorite parts about driving a rare, 32-year old sporty econobox is that just about nobody knows what it is. It doesn’t scream out for attention. In fact, apart from me revving out the 4AGE at every green light, it doesn’t attract any attention at all. But I know that this unassuming vehicle has a unique history and a unique story that lives within the sheetmetal.
Economy cars from the 80s and 90s were often seen as disposable appliances, and it's only until recently that vehicles from this era have been deemed worthy of saving and collecting. Even so, many oddities like the Twin Cam are still relatively unknown outside of Radwood car shows. I can only assume that most of the 3,300 Twin Cams built have ended up in the jaws of the crusher.
I daily drive a 1988 Chevrolet Nova Twin Cam not only because it’s fun, but because I'm happy to serve as an ambassador for a car that was long forgotten, but in fact is truly a special vehicle.
3. What is your fondest memory with this car?
Some of my most memorable time with my Nova Twin Cam is when I was creating my first Hello Road feature video with the car. Two days of hustling up and down Angeles Crest Highway while filming the story of this vehicle cemented my appreciation for the Twin Cam.
4. Why do you love cars?
Like many car enthusiasts, playing with cars as an adult is simply an extension of playing with cars as a kid. Except now I have slightly more money and make dumb decisions like buying too many of them.
On a deeper level, I appreciate the stories behind cars, and the adventures they take us on, more than the actual cars themselves. I’m not that interested in specs, stats, or figures, nor am I a decent mechanic. I’d prefer to spend my time using cars literally as a vehicle to create great memories.
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If you would like to participate, just answer the above four questions and submit one to three photos of your daily driver to milhousevanh at geemail. Thanks and have fun!
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