Billy Joe Armstrong's 1962 Chevy II Nova - Stolen

Update! Car was found and is fine. The guitars inside it are still missing. 

Well, this really sucks. Bill Joe Armstrong's 1962 Chevy II Nova has been stolen and he's put an APB out on his socials asking us for help in retrieving it. There were also guitars and an amplifier in the car at the time it was stolen. He's asking that anyone who's seen it, has info on its whereabouts or tips contact Costa Mesa police, incident number 22-002015, 22-002016. Or call 714-754-5280. That's Costa Mesa police not Billy Joe's cell number, I googled it so you won't have to. Billy Joe says the little Chevy's been in the GD (Green Day) family for over thirty years. 

You would think this would be an unusual car for a rock star to be driving all these years, but California Car Culture is a horse of a different feather. The smattering of Hollywood types that I know strive to make statements with what they drive - although I'm not sure what statement a '62 Chevy II makes. Billy Joe is known as a collector car collector so that makes it more sense. It also makes him as cool in my eyes as he is cool to those that really appreciate his music. I mean, I like the one or two mainstream Green Day hits but the harder edge stuff I can do without. Like I could do without a '62 Chevy II in my classic car collection but hey, that's just my "II cents". 

 

The compact Chevy II was developed in record time after the disappointing launch of the rear engine Chevrolet Corvair for model year 1960. All but conventional compared to the Corvair, it was frontal assault on Ford's Falcon, also introduced for 1960, that significantly outsold the Corvair. In the early 1960's Detroit was finally getting around to trying to thwart off the imports. 

Billy Joe's "II" was, or being optimistic, is a "Nova" which means it was the top-of-the-line "II" with as many niceties as possible in a Chevrolet including power steering, brakes, maybe even air conditioning and the new-for-'62, 194 cubic-inch, "Hi-Thrift" inline six making one-hundred and twenty brake horsepower. Ads for Chevy II's with the six claim the new engine had the "spirit to take the measure of many V-8's". 

Chevy II's came standard with a four-cylinder engine based on the new six. At 153 cubic inches, it was Chevrolet's first four-cylinder engine since 1928 and made ninety horsepower. I knew a kid in high school who drove his grandmother's Chevy II sedan with that engine, and it was a dog even making my pathetic '74 Comet seem rocket-powered. Contemporary road test reviews peg it going from zero to sixty in twenty-seconds. I can't believe it was even that fast. Biggest problem aside from it being buzzy and shaky was the "Super-Thrift" four-cylinder got maybe one mile per gallon more than the six did. II's came with either column mounted three-speed manuals, the proverbial three-on-a-tree or two-speed "Powerglide" automatics. 

Details on Billy Joe's II are scant. I can tell you the hubcaps and trim rings, as handsome as they are on his car, aren't period correct although they certainly look like they are. Suspension looks somewhat lowered as well. Tires appear a bit larger than the thirteen-inch donuts it came from the factory with. No word on what's under the hood. Chevrolet's 283 cubic inch V-8 wasn't available until 1964 but next to anything within reason could be stuffed under the hood of a '62. 

Hope you get this back, Billy Joe! I think you will. Can't say the same about the guitars and amp.