John Gross of Lima has owned this 1970 Nova for nearly a half century.
Submitted photos
LIMA – John Gross has to think a bit when asked to name the cars he has owned. There’s been quite a few.
The list includes both Fords and Chevrolets — everything from a 1963 Lincoln convertible and a 1968 Mach 3 Mustang to a 1970 Camaro and a 1972 Chevelle.
And there was the very first car he ever owned – a 1967 Chevelle. The 67-year-old Lima man bought it for $250.
“It was an old beater that I drove in high school,” Gross said.
Of all the cars he’s owned over the years, there is one car he said he never considered selling or trading.
It’s the 1970 Nova he purchased 49 years ago.
“I was still in high school and could barely afford it when I bought it,” he said. His brother-in-law, who was a mechanic at a Volkswagen dealership in Lima, tipped off Gross about the Nova that just arrived as a trade-in. It carried a $1,500 price tag, which was anything but pocket change in 1974.
But the Nova not only caught Gross’s eye, it stole his heart.
“It was beautiful,” Gross said.
Gross had some money saved from an after-school job at a linen store that paid $1.25 an hour. Any grumbling he may have done about cleaning hospital gowns or restaurant table cloths was now replaced with a set of car keys.
“My dad wasn’t too keen on me buying it at the time, but since I’ve owned it all these years, I think he would now approve,” Gross said.
Gross has kept the car in tip-top shape. He’s had to do very little to it during the nearly half century he’s owned it. The vehicle only has around 40,000 miles on it.
What Gross likes most about the car is that it is “triple black” – black interior, black exterior and a black roof. It has a 427 big block engine with a four-speed Muncie transmission. He says Debra, his wife of 28 years, puts up with it being loud.
Gross again plans on putting together the cruise-ins this year as a member of the Lima Buckeye Cruisers. They will include a 50-50 raffle with the money raised going to the Lima Veterans Food Bank.
“I’m not a veteran myself, but want to do this for those who are. They’ve done so much for us,” he said.
“Also, it’s just fun sitting around with a bunch of car people and talking.”
GET YOUR CAR FEATURED
The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News, 3515 Elida Road, Lima, OH 45807.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
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