The following year, Chevy catered to public demand, and made a V8 available in the Chevy II/Nova for the first time, fitting the venerable 283 cubic-inch, 195 horsepower lump in the car. A 220-horsepower version of the 283 would be available mid-year.
Such was the success of the V8-powered Chevy II/Novas, that Chevrolet upped the ante in the ’65 model year, adding 250 and 300 horsepower versions of Chevy’s 327 cubic-inch V8 to the engine option roster, and in ’66 went even further, dumping the 350 horsepower, L79 327 V8 straight from the Corvette Stingray into the car.
It wasn’t until the 1968 model year though that Chevrolet got truly serious about the Chevy II/Nova and unleashed a totally redesigned car that most think of when the model is discussed.
Built on the new, X-body platform with a bolt-in subframe that incorporated the engine, front suspension, and transmission crossmember, this generation Chevy II/Nova had a longer wheelbase than its forebear.
The car featured sporty, long hood/short deck proportions and a semi-fastback shape that led one automotive writer to dub it a “Camaro sedan.” This was appropriate, since the wagon, convertible, and hardtop coupe were gone, leaving only two- and four-door sedan configurations to choose from.
A lightweight at 2,995 pounds, the new car was purposely designed to be large enough up front to swallow any sized Chevy V8/transmission combo without fuss.
While lesser trims were offered with a slew of inline-four, inline-six, and V8 options, the Nova Super Sport, now a full-blown performance package instead of a trim option, brought the muscle.
Standard was a 295-horsepower four-barrel version of the 350 cubic-inch V8. Buyers needing more grunt had two big-block V8s to choose from: the 350 horsepower L34 396, or the fire-breathing, L78 396 good for more than 375 ponies and a stump-pulling 415 lb-ft of twist.
396 cubic-inch V8 buyers could choose from the Muncie M-13 three-speed manual transmission, or the M-20, M-21, or M-22 “Rock Crusher” four-speed manuals. L34 cars could also be ordered with an M40 Turbo-Hydramatic slushbox.
GM’s 8.875-inch, 12-bolt rear was standard on 396ci cars and could be fitted with 3.07, 3.31, 3.55, 3.73, 4.10, 4.56, or 4.88 gears. Positraction limited-slip was an option.
Standard F40 Heavy-Duty suspension on the big-block SS cars consisted of unequal-length upper and lower A-arms, coil springs, tubular shock absorbers, and an anti-roll bar up front, with parallel multi-leaf springs and tubular shocks out back. An enhanced F41 package was available as an option and included revised front and rear springs and shocks.
For shedding speed, the Super Sports cars came with 9.5-inch finned brake drums with a dual-circuit master cylinder. 11.0-inch front discs, with or without power assist, were optionally available. Wheels consisted of 14×6-inch steelies with a variety of covers, and were wrapped in E70-14 red-stripe rubber.
Exterior enhancements of SS cars over standard Chevy II/Novas were refreshingly minimal, and consisted of SS badging in the black-accented grille and tail panel, and simulated air intakes on the hood. Only the engine call-outs in the form of front fender badges would tip off street and strip competitors of what they were up against.
As on the outside, Super Sport models featured few upgrades over standard cars on the inside. SS badging on the deluxe steering wheel was the main indicator that this wasn’t your grandmother’s Chevy II/Nova.
Performance from the Super Sport Chevy II/Novas was, as one would expect, strong. A road test of an L78 396/M-22/4.10 Positraction SS performed by a major automotive publication in August of 1968 yielded a 5.9-second zero-to-sixty burst and a 14.5-second quarter-mile at 101.1 mph. Serious numbers for 1968.
But even that kind of performance wasn’t enough for some, including a particular Chevy dealer from Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania.
While most Chevy fans were lauding the new SS big-block Novas, Don Yenko was focused on the fact that an ever bigger, more potent powerplant wasn’t in the cards from the factory for 1968.
Meeting with the Chevrolet executives that had aided him in his Camaro and Chevelle projects, Yenko pitched the idea of putting the same 425 horsepower L72 427 cubic-inch V8 that powered those cars into the forthcoming, largely unchanged 1969 Nova SS.