Paul Pitts says the interior and exterior of the Nova were nothing special when he got it, but it’s been through a lot of changes since then.
By Susan Thompson | Lake Panorama Times
Paul and Julie Pitts have lived in their home on Deer Lane on the west side of Lake Panorama since 2021. Their daughter, Valerie, her husband, Dr. Josh Strehle, and their children have had a home at the lake for several years. Valerie encouraged her parents to move from their long-time home in Oskaloosa.
This photo, taken in 2020, shows Paul Pitts in the driver’s seat of his 1972 Chevy Nova as he leaves the starting line for a drag race at the Eddyville Raceway.
One important possession that moved with the couple to Lake Panorama was Paul’s first car.
It was March 18, 1972. Sixteen-year-old Paul Pitts had been mowing lawns and loading trucks, trying to make enough money to buy a car. He had $1,800 in a savings account at a bank in Oskaloosa, which was enough to purchase the used 1968 Plymouth Fury he was considering.
But his father had another plan. He went to the bank, withdrew Paul’s savings and took it to the local Chevy dealer, where he put the money down on the purchase of a new 1972 Chevy Nova. Then he took Paul to the dealership to show him his first car.
“It was sitting on the showroom floor and had 6.5 miles on the odometer,” Pitts says. “I never thought I could afford a brand new car. It cost $2,850. Dad cosigned a bank loan for the rest of the money needed, and I worked to pay off the loan. I was the first and only kid in the Oskaloosa High School that year with a new car.”
Pitts says the interior and exterior of the 1972 Chevy Nova were nothing special when he got it, but it’s been through a lot of changes since then.
“In the spring of 1973, I decided to try drag racing at the Eddyville Raceway,” he says. “That was the beginning of 48 years of racing. We won a lot of championships in Eddyville, and, for many years, this was the car to beat.”
Turning a no-frills 1972 Chevy Nova into a winning race car means there isn’t much of the original car left. The steel hood was replaced with fiberglass. The engine and all related components have been changed many times over the years.
Pitts describes the current engine, for those who understand such things.
“It’s a 711 horsepower 427 small block Chevy motor with after-market block heads,” he says. “At one time, it would go from zero to 124 miles per hour in one-eighth of a mile, which is about two blocks.”
The green car has been repainted twice. The first time was in 1978 when signs of rust appeared. The second paint job was in 2001. Both times Pitts stuck with a similar green as the original color, but the 2001 paint job provided a shinier, more metallic look that has lasted for 23 years. The white vinyl top is the same but has been refurbished.
The original car had cheap cloth on the seats and vinyl flooring.
“Early on, I took it to an upholstery shop and had the seats covered in a nice green fabric and carpet added to the floors,” Pitts says. “At that time, the front seat was a bench seat. As safety regulations increased, I had to have a roll bar installed over the back seat, which still was covered with that green upholstery. I decided to switch to bucket seats in the front and was able to have some of that green upholstery from the bench seat transferred to the bucket seats.”
The car came with an AM radio, which Pitts said didn’t take him long to switch out for something better. The car originally was an automatic transmission and still is.
“I think the dash probably is the only original thing that hasn’t been changed in the last 52 years,” Pitts says.
Tires and tire rims have been changed more times than Pitts can count. Since he’s no longer racing on a regular basis, he recently switched the rear tires to 16-inch tires that offer a better ride for street use yet still work for racing.
Paul and Julie’s two sons have their own cars they race at the Eddyville track. Their oldest son, Luke, lives in Urbandale and races a 1967 Corvair. Their other son, Jesse, lives in Oskaloosa and races a 1997 Z28 Camaro. Sometimes they want to race the 1972 Chevy Nova, and Pitts takes it to Eddyville and leaves it for a weekend.
Paul and Julie have been married 42 years. They both had lengthy careers working at Pella Corporation. Paul retired in 2011 after more than 36 years. Julie retired in August 2023 after 40 years.
The couple had been in their Lake Panorama home for two years when the racing bug bit Paul again. He asked Julie if she would mind if he took the Nova to Eddyville for a day of racing. She agreed, and he and the Nova won seven rounds — and $700.
“We used to travel lots of places to race,” Pitts says. “Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas and Cedar Falls/Waterloo here in Iowa. For many years, we would bring home $6,000 to $8,000 each season.”
Julie says she enjoyed all those days at race tracks.
“I grew up in a car family,” she says. “My father collected Corvairs. Paul introduced my two brothers and my brother-in-law to racing. Our kids grew up at the rack track and made friends there. It’s been a good experience for our family. You learn how to lose, and you learn how to win.”
Sometimes Pitts drives the Nova to a car show but not often. Mostly he likes to take it out for a spin, perhaps pick up a friend to take to lunch.
Not surprisingly, the Chevy Nova has vanity license plates — 72 Much.
“I chose the 72 because of the year of the car. And when you say it out loud, you might think maybe the car is too much,” he says. n
But it’s not too much, it’s just right. n