The Chevy II and its upscale variant, the Nova, were introduced in 1962 and were fitted with the anemic 194 CID inline-6 offering 120 horsepower. With each passing year, subsequent models grew more powerful, with genuine muscle-grade performance arriving in 1968 with the all-new Nova, which shared its platform with the Camaro, including the available drivetrains and most of its mechanicals. The new Chevy Nova had a semi-fastback roofline which drew inspiration from the new Chevelle. It was lower, wider, and longer than in the past with an unassuming presence that was worthy of the name 'sleeper car.' The Chevy II moniker was abandoned, and the Nova SS was given a 350 CID small-block V8 delivering nearly 300 horsepower. The first-generation of the Nova SS was introduced as an appearance package on the inexpensive and somewhat staid entry-level 1964 Chevy II, adding wheel covers and special trim, bucket seats, a deluxe steering wheel, and instrumentation for $161. A year later, performance aspirations with the small economy car resulted in the Nova SS with its 283 CID small-block V8 offering nearly 200 horsepower, attracting buyers who were seeking performance along with the Chevy II/Nova's value. Other manufactures took notice and sales competition became fierce. Chevy responded by expanding the engine and driveline options, adapting the entire Camaro engine lineup including the 396 CI big-block V-8s. By 1970, the 396 CID V8 had been bored out to a displacement size of 402 CID, although it continued to use the SS396 or 'Turbo Jet 400' designation to simplify marketing efforts and to retain the name recognition. A total of 3,765 L78 Nova Super Sports were built in 1970. Many had a 3.55:1 Positraction rear end, power steering, a four-speed manual transmission (approximately 800 L78 Novas had an automatic), and power front brakes. The L78 had 4-bolt mains, forged-steel crank and rods, 11.0:1 compression, dual-snorkel air cleaner, solid-lifter cam and free-breathing heads fed by a Holley 4-barrel carburetor on an aluminum intake.The Nova was offered with a vast array of engine and transmission choices, from thrifty inline 6-cylinders to powerful V-8s. They could also be built with a number of optional extras like air conditioning, power accessories, performance accessories, interior dress-up packages, exterior-trim packages and so much more. They catered to a wide audience, for those seeking a 'grocery-getter' or a ferocious muscle car. Bodystyles on the 1970 Nova included a 4-door sedan and 2-door coupe. The base engine was a 153.3 CID overhead-valve four-cylinder unit delivering 90 horsepower. The 250 CID inline six had 155 horsepower. Exterior visual changes were minimal, with the Chevrolet badge located at the center of the upper grille molding growing slightly in size. The grille insert had squarer openings than in previous years. Options included variable-ratio power steering, console with bucket seats, power door locks, tinted glass, AM/FM radio, and in-the-windshield radio antennas. The base four-cylinder coupe had a price of $2,175 while the sedan sold for just over $2,200. A total of 315,122 examples of the 1970 Nova were built including 2,247 with four-cylinder engines. The most popular engine in the Nova was the six-cylinder with 173,632 receiving this powerplant.
by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019
by Daniel Vaughan | May 2019
Related Reading : Chevrolet Nova History
. The design was to fall between Chevrolets compact and full-size vehicles. Also known as the Chevy II, the vehicle was to be an economical vehicle with power coming from either a four or six-cylinder engine. When the Nova was introduced on the 29th of September in 1961, the vehicle could be purchased with a 153 cubic-inch four-cylinder or 194 cubic-inch six-cylinder engines. Production had begun....
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Related Reading : Chevrolet Nova History
Advertised as not to small, not too big, not too expensive, the Chevy Nova was produced for over two decades and earned its way proudly into the American drivers heart and was a personal favorite for law enforcement officers in 48 states at one time. Debuting in 1961 as a 1962 model, the popular Nova was launched as the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. A compact car, the Nova gave....
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Chevrolet
Similarly Sized Vehicles
from 1970
Similarly Priced Vehicles
- Ford Bronco ($2,194-$2,194)
- Plymouth Valiant ($2,170-$2,550)
Average Auction Sale: $39,832
Chevrolet Monthly Sales Volume
March 2023
398,141
1970 Chevrolet Nova Vehicle Profiles
Recent Vehicle Additions
Performance and Specification Comparison
Price Comparison
$2,540 - $3,700
$2,725 - $3,888
$3,000 - $3,590
$3,470 - $3,865
$5,130 - $5,470
$5,130 - $17,000
Nova Third generation Specification Comparison by Year
Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
201,005
108.00 in.
4 cyl., 153.00 CID., 90.00hp
6 cyl., 230.00 CID., 140.00hp
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 275.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 295.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 395.31 CID., 375.00hp
6 cyl., 230.00 CID., 140.00hp
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 275.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 295.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 325.00hp
8 cyl., 395.31 CID., 375.00hp
$2,200 - $2,400
251,900
111.00 in.
4 cyl., 153.30 CID., 90.00hp
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 255.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 350.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 375.00hp
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 255.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 350.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 375.00hp
$2,240 - $2,435
315,122
111.00 in.
4 cyl., 153.00 CID., 90.00hp
6 cyl., 230.00 CID., 140.00hp
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 350.00hp
8 cyl., 402.00 CID., 375.00hp
6 cyl., 230.00 CID., 140.00hp
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 155.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 350.00hp
8 cyl., 402.00 CID., 375.00hp
$2,175 - $2,200
194,878
111.00 in.
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 145.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 270.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 270.00hp
$2,175 - $2,285
349,733
111.00 in.
6 cyl., 250.00 CID., 110.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 130.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 165.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 175.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 402.00 CID., 210.00hp
8 cyl., 307.00 CID., 130.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 165.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 175.00hp
8 cyl., 350.00 CID., 200.00hp
8 cyl., 402.00 CID., 210.00hp
$2,375 - $2,400
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