Dayton Daily News

"Mom would be proud," were the words that Dan Allen used to describe his recently restored 1969 Chevy Nova.

That she would. Rosella Allen bought this Nova in March 1969 for $2,349, and it was the first time in her life that the mother of six could buy a brand-new car. Allen worked at the Precious Blood Convent, and used the car daily to drive the nuns and priests where they needed to go.

"She put 76,000 miles on it in 11 years, with the crucifix right there on the dash," Allen explained. "When she quit driving in 1980, I kept the car, and drove it off and on, but I had to keep it outside, so it suffered," he added. "After Mom passed away in 2003, I decided I would restore the car as a testament to her. She was just a great lady and meant so much to me."

That's where Matt Miller and Carl's Body Shop come into the picture. "I've known Matt for a long time, and he suggested he could restore the car, so I said OK," Allen explained. "Once we got the car apart, the rust was a lot worse than we thought, so Matt found a donor car for some parts. Turns out it had a nice 350 (cubic-inch) V-8 and disc brakes. The only upgrades came from that car — the engine, front disc brakes and power steering."

The Nova now sports a 350 V-8 with a 4-barrel carburetor and a mild cam. It's connected to a turbo automatic transmission with a B&M floor shift installed. The interior is also new, as are all of the wiring, plumbing, seals and floor pans. The body paint is called Cabrera Cream — the factory color — and all of the chassis parts are painted in the correct tones of black satin finish.

After two and a half years, Allen got the Nova on the road this fall.

"I had a couple of setbacks, and Matt and his crew were just great, working with me and being patient. They truly made this project come together," Allen said. "I've taken it to a few cruise-ins, and I intend to take it to some shows next year. It looks just like it did brand-new, right down to the painted rims and dog-dish hubs caps, and that's just what I wanted."

To nominate your special vehicle for Wheels of the Week, contact us at: Wheels, Marketing Publications Department, Dayton Daily News, 1611 S. Main St., Dayton OH 45409 or via e-mail at arollins@coxohio.com. Include your name, daytime telephone number and a photo of your vehicle.