The 1968-1974 Chevrolet Nova rode a 111-inch wheelbase with room for a genuine 396 big-block — and, at the right dealership, a 427, turning an economy car into one of the muscle car era’s best-hidden street fighters. One owner even drove his 396 Nova 3,100 miles from California to Florida in 38 hours. Once dismissed as a cheap compact, the Nova has become one of the most underrated classics you can buy.