Nova | Muscle Car Fan

Chevrolet Chevy II Origins to 1965 – the First Generation

This 1965 Chevy Nova SS wears a body Chevrolet never paired with a 406 cubic-inch V8, a Ford 9-inch rear end, or rack-and-pinion steering — all changes bolted on by a builder chasing quarter-mile performance over factory correctness. Sub-frame connectors, a trunk-mounted battery, and Mickey Thompson drag radials all point toward a car built to launch hard, not just look sharp at a cruise-in. RamblinAround walked through the full build with photos and receipts in hand at Fast Lane Classic Cars. Watch to see how far off the factory blueprint a serious Nova build can go.

There’s No Such Thing as an “SS Nova” — Why That Loophole Made the Chevy Nova One of Detroit’s Smartest Muscle Car Buys

by Jack Harmon

Regular Car Reviews built a whole episode around a technicality: strictly speaking, there’s no such thing as a factory Nova SS, just an option package bolted onto an ordinary Chevy compact. What starts as a joke about badge integrity turns into a real argument for why this particular 1970 Nova, and its unswapped 350 small-block, deserves more credit than its “fake” SS badge suggests. Viewers from as far as Argentina showed up with their own Nova stories. So is the SS badge a lie, or just a loophole?

A white Corvette and a classic car parked outdoors with people around them.

Muscle Cars Old School vs New School

by Wes

High Tech Corvette put a nearly 1,000-horsepower C7 Z06 up against a purpose-built Chevy Nova in a straightforward roll race, and the result was not the foregone conclusion the horsepower gap suggests. Viewers who expected the modern Corvette to walk away were surprised by how close it actually was. Watch to see which car takes it.

Chevrolet Nova 1971 to 1974 (G3 ’68-’74)

by Ross Mills

This 1971 Chevrolet Nova arrived at Vanguard Motor Sales with barely a paragraph of description, but the comments filled in the blanks fast — viewers pegged it as a serious resto-mod running what one commenter called ‘7.4 liters of fun,’ shorthand for a 454 cubic-inch big block Chevrolet never offered in this body style. The amber lighting and paint drew their own praise, with one viewer calling it a flat-out show stopper. Watch to see a compact built as a blank canvas rather than a numbers-matching original.

Chevrolet Chevy II-1964 images

by Ross Mills

1964 handed the humble Chevy II its first-ever V8 option, a 283 cubic inch small-block available in 195 or 220 horsepower tune, right as the brand-new Chevelle arrived to steal its thunder in the same showroom. Over 25,000 buyers chose the small-block Chevy II anyway, proving this overshadowed compact had more going for it than anyone chasing the flashier new mid-size ever gave it credit for.

Camaro RS-SS-Z28 options 1967 to 1969 cont…

by Ross Mills

The Camaro RS-SS-Z28 options from 1967 to 1969 bring the muscle to muscle cars! The ’67 Camaro, sharing its platform with the Nova, flaunts a semi-unibody design and three appearance packages, including the RS with hideaway headlights and the SS with a roaring V8. But wait, there’s more! The undercover Z28, the secret agent of the Camaro world, races in with a high-revving 302 engine. By ’69, buyers could pick from five engines or go big with a dealer-installed 427 cu in beast. Wheel size upgrade included!

Classic blue muscle car parked on a road at sunset.

1966 Chevy II Nova That Busts Out Over 870 Horsepower

by Kiril

Al VerSchave has owned the same 1966 Chevy II Nova for fifteen years, dragging it through multiple moves while slowly turning a lightweight economy coupe into a Pro Street monster pushing past 870 horsepower. Builds like this don’t happen overnight – they take a decade and a half of patient upgrades, serious chassis work, and a refusal to trade in for something newer.

Black vintage muscle car performing a burnout on the street.

The NEW Murder Nova – it’s SICK

by Kiril

Murder Nova is one of no-prep racing’s most recognizable names, and Shawn’s newest version swaps in a smaller 482ci Proline small-block that revs to a claimed 9,500 rpm while keeping the old car’s 88mm turbos. The debut pass split the comment section between chassis critiques and loyal fans rooting for the car to find its footing. Watch to see how the new combination performed — and why viewers immediately started calling it “2.0.”

1972 Chevrolet Vega Kammback in orange at a car show.

Story/Review: 1972 Chevrolet Vega Yenko Stinger in Orange Paint & Engine Sound

by Wes

Mark Hassett already owned a Yenko Camaro, Chevelle, and Nova, all painted the same shade of orange, before a Yenko Stinger Vega came up for sale and completed the set. My Car Story with Lou Costabile catches up with the car at the Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals, where decades of Vega rust jokes in the comments collide with a genuinely rare piece of Yenko performance history. Watch to see the car most people forget Yenko ever built.

AMC Hornet 1970-1977

by Ross Mills

The AMC Hornet, a “junior” marvel from 1970-1977, buzzed onto the scene with a rich history, including a Hudson lineage and Chrysler ownership. AMC invested $40 million and a million man-hours into this compact, priced at a sweet $1,994 in 1970. It outlasted its rivals, featuring mighty engines, a reinforced body, and even a Levi denim interior. With options like the SC/360 and a Gucci trim, this car was as fashionable as it was fierce. Who knew a Hornet could be so stylishly stinging?

Classic white convertible car parked outdoors on a sunny day.

Chevrolet Nova SS Convertible 1963 images

by Ross Mills

The 1963 Chevy II Nova SS convertible carried Chevrolet’s sportiest badge and bucket seats, floor shifter, and unique trim — but not a single extra horsepower, since the only engine offered that year was a 120-hp inline six. Chevrolet dropped the convertible body from the Nova SS lineup the very next year, making 1963 the only season you could get one with the top down. It’s a rare, six-cylinder oddity hiding behind a performance badge.

Bright red classic 4x4 vehicle with lifted suspension and large off-road tires.

1974 ‘Chevy Nova gets a beastly upgrade with Ram 3500 4×4

by Wes

A 1974 Nova SS body sitting on a Dodge Ram 3500 Dually 4×4 chassis shouldn’t work — but at the Pigeon Forge Rod Run, it did. Commenters shared their own diesel-swap build specs, debated the wheel fitment, and one claimed to have spotted the exact truck at Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan. Is it a show car, a work truck, or both?

A muscle car doing a burnout on a drag strip at sunset.

Massive Photo Gallery: Midnight Drags at the Car Craft Summer Nationals

by Kiril

Midnight Drags at the 2017 Car Craft Summer Nationals marked the event’s first year at its new home, Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. A 42-car field battled it out until Michael Goodman’s 1969 Nova came out on top with an 8.01-second pass at 163 mph. The night was successful enough that organizers brought the event back in 2018 with an expanded two-day format.

Classic maroon station wagon with silver roof and custom wheels.

Chevrolet Chevy II Nova wagon 1966 images

by Ross Mills

Chevrolet’s 1966 redesign gave the compact Chevy II squarer, more aggressive styling inspired by the Super Nova concept car, and buyers could order that new shape, wagon body included, with a close-ratio four-speed and the range’s top V8 option. Here’s how a family wagon ended up sharing an order form with one of GM’s most serious small-blocks.

Classic red vintage car parked beside a historic building.

Alf’s 1965 Chevy II Nova SS – A Member’s Muscle Car

by Kiril

Next time you’re cruising around Adelaide, Australia, keep an eye out for Alf’s stunning 1965 Chevy II Nova SS. This red beauty, imported in 2008, flaunts original California plates and a 283 engine paired with a two-speed PowerGlide transmission. Alf’s dedication to authenticity shines, though he’s added some cheeky dual exhaust Flowmaster mufflers for a power boost. Spot the car, say “g’day” to Alf, and maybe get a peek into its feathered-paint-damaged past. Just don’t mention the missing A/C!

Posts Tagged: Nova