The Chevrolet Chevy II/Nova, introduced in 1962 to supplement (and eventually replace) the Corvair, stayed true to its roots during its production run in the 1960s and 1970s. The second generation was also the basis for the new for ’67 Camaro. While the ’66-’67 327 V8-powered Nova SS is clearly a muscle car and very collectible today, the 1975-79 models, with the right options, can make for an agreeable Camaro in disguise.
The Chevrolet Chevy II came out in 1962. Ralph Nader had not yet emerged, but Corvair sales were less than expected and it was thought that a conventional compact could pick up the slack. The top-level model was the Nova and included a convertible and two-door hardtop. Initial sales were strong, and the Nova would remain in the Chevy lineup for years to come.
Initially offered only in 153 CID four cylinder and 194 CID straight six versions, a V8 was finally made available for the 1964 model year. The 283 CID engine made 195 horsepower.
Updated Chevy IIs and Novas were introduced for 1966. While it appeared to be all new, it was the same platform underneath the revised sheetmetal. Chevy IIs continued to be offered in coupe, sedan and station wagon versions.
The redesigned ’68 Chevy II would be the basis for the 1967 Camaro. The Camaro actually debuted one year earlier than the new Chevy II. Most likely, GM wanted to get its Mustang-fighter out as soon as possible, and the new Chevy II’s wider engine compartment and body meant that big-block V8s could be installed.
The 1968s featured a much smoother semi-fastback design and like the Camaro, could now accommodate larger V8s. Only two-door and four-door sedans were available, as the station wagon and two-door hardtop were discontinued after 1967. This was the last year for the Chevy II name; starting in 1969 all the cars in the lineup became Novas. Novas now looked very much like the also new for ’68 Chevelles. This generation set the stage for our featured car.
1973 Novas received a facelift that was largely due to the new federal bumper standards. Other than the bumpers and some slight sheetmetal changes, they were very much like the 1968-72s. I remember the 1973 Novas well from the James Bond film Live And Let Die, when nearly every car in the movie was a 1973 Chevrolet. It was pretty memorable when the top level of the double-decker bus Roger Moore is driving lands on the Nova police car after going under the low bridge.
The 1975 Nova looked like a clean sheet design, but it was actually an improved and cleverly restyled version of the 1968-vintage platform. The new design featured squared-off sheetmetal and increased glass area. This year, the Novas got the very same front suspension as the F-body Camaro and Firebird. Front disc brakes were now standard, as well as steel-belted radial tires. All of these upgrades resulted in much-improved ride and handling. Compared to earlier Novas, it was very much more European in the way it drove.
As had been the case since 1973, a coupe, sedan and hatchback were available. A new Nova LN was the luxury model, with added sound insulation, plush interior and bucket seats. The ‘regular’ Nova continued in base and Custom versions.
Not much changed for 1976. The Custom was now an interior option package for the base Nova instead of a separate model. The Nova LN was renamed Concours, perhaps in an effort to distance the Nova name from the luxury version. For 1977, the instrument panel was changed from the strip speedometer to round gauges. The Nova and Concours continued. Engine choices were a 250 CID 110 hp six, 145 hp 305 CID 2 BBL V8 and a 170 hp 350 4 BBL V8.
With the F41 suspension and 350, you could have a car that was pretty close to a Camaro performance-wise. In fact, a properly-equipped Nova was good enough for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, who used Novas in the late ’70s. Other police departments would follow suit. Sure, just about any modern car will toast one of these Novas, but in their time, these were decent handling and performing cars. Just don’t mistake them for a similar-vintage Mercedes 280 or BMW 530i.
As good as the Nova was, it was quickly becoming outdated. Modern, front wheel drive compacts like the VW Rabbit and Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon were paving the way to the future, and the Nova and its Ventura, Omega and Skylark brethren were going to have to change with the times.
The Concours was dropped for ’78. Nobody seemed much interested in a luxury Nova, and those who were interested may have been put off by prices running about $500 over a regular Nova. Many Concours features were added to the newly-reinstated Nova Custom, however.
For the short 1979 model year, Novas received rectangular headlights but not much else was new as production only ran through November of 1978. Its replacement, the front wheel drive Citation, was introduced early in 1979 as an ’80 model and would be a disaster. Paul’s extensive article on the Citation can be found here.
I ran across this Nova a few days ago. While somewhat rusty, it is in pretty decent shape for a 1970s Nova here in the Rust Belt. Other than an original-owner ’75 Nova LN coupe I see at the local car cruises, I rarely see these cars anymore. While these were compacts at the time, they don’t seem very small compared to modern cars. It looks to be about the same size as a current Camry or Fusion. The 1975-79 Novas were Detroit’s first attempt to bring European driving dynamics to their bread-and-butter lineups. These Novas might not be the first choice for a collectible Chevrolet, but they have their merits.
I never drove one, but from sitting in a late 70s showroom, it felt designed for people under 6 feet, in the same way as my dad’s 2000 LeSabre did. The windshield was too low for my head.
At the time, the coupe seemed much more popular than the rare four door until the ’75 models. Likewise with the Maverick and its Granada successor.
I thought the new-for-’75 Nova was the first time since 1967 that the sedan version didn’t look like an afterthought created after the designers drew the coupe. If you squint just right, it looks somewhat like a 5-series BMW of the era.
Aside from the F41 handling package, if you were in the know you could order your Nova with the 9C1 police package that gave you all the suspension bits of the F41 plus heavy-duty everything.
Fun fact: the 1979 Nova was the last passenger car sold in the US with a 3-on-the-tree stickshift.
Here in the great white north, the RCMP used 9C1 Novas for a couple of years. When my boss at Rent-A-Wreck decided to upgrade the fleet he bought a number of ex police cars at auction. One of which was a 9C1 Nova with a 350 4 barrel. There wasnt much on the road that could keep up with that car, but anyone cuffed and stuffed in the back seat might have had a case for cruel and unusual punishment. There wasnt much room back there.
In ’77 Chevy re-introduced the Rally Nova at the same time they brought the Z-28 back. The Chev-Olds dealer my Dad worked at ordered one each, both with 350 4 speeds. I have it on good authority that the Nova was at least as fast as the Z, but while the Z-28 sold right away followed by many others in ’78 the Nova languished on the lot for many months. Someone eventually got a good deal!
These were a nice driving car even in basic trim, but the dealership Dad worked at just wasn’t interested in selling them so we didn’t see many. Sporty buyers wanted a Camaro and family buyers wanted more room I guess. I haven’t seen one in a long time!
My idea would be find a clean one and install all the Police bits I could find along with some kind of hot Chevy 350.
Seville seats? 😆
I still remember when these were everywhere–but the photo of the ’79 with the rectangular headlights was a surprise; I have zero memory of those.
I knew about Falcon/Mustang kinship, but hadn’t thought much about Chevy II/Nova/Camaro. Interesting!
Most amusing of all is how the pre 1973 Nova’s are the most desirable, but the 1975 up version is so much better of a car entirely. All in the looks
My then new 1979 base Nova 6, 3 on the tree, no power anything was a reliable car. Well, AFTER a new short block was installed after “eating” 3 camshafts due to misaligned bore holes apparently. The handling and ride were ok, but certainly not worth writing home about. The same for the brakes. The car did get mid 20s on the highway. After I installed a used AM radio I had music-sort of-to listen to on my long drives. I did several between northern Indiana and Dallas, Texas due to business.
My dark brown 2 door did get a wee bit TOASTY during Dallas summer times with only the 2 door windows opening. However, the heater/defroster worked well in Indiana Winters!! I got well over 80,000 mostly trouble free miles from my last Nova. Then I traded it for a used ’80 Citation
X-11……..uhhh….ummm. 🙁
The car was acceptable basic transportation for the time, and I always thought GM Styling did a nice job with the 1975 facelift that retained much of the 1968 design’s sheet metal. The ’79s rectangular headlights did nothing good for the design, visually. DFO
I had a bare bones one in the ‘90s just like the subject car, I just bought it as a temporary car but it was great, man did it move when you put your foot into it, I can’t remember what V8 was in it, just the 305 I guess but maybe it was the 350. Handled great as well, just a tight peppy car, kinda wish I still had it.
Mom bought a ’77 Concours in the fall of ’76. 305 2bbl, TH200 transmission. Four-door, red, much like the feature car except with it’s Concours wheel covers and grille. Engines were still painted orange, although I guess that changed soon after–perhaps at the beginning of the calendar year ’77.
The Concours is supposedly “not” a Nova. Concours was a “separate line” at least in ’77. But I can’t tell anyone it’s a Concours or they don’t know what I’m talking about.
NOVAs (Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo–“X-bodies”) with 6-cylinders have wiped-out front springs. It was a challenge to get them over the built-in floor hoists at the shop. The front crossmembers would drag on the lifting arms. The V8 cars seemed to be unaffected. ALL NOVAs and Camaro/Firebirds have broken rear leaf springs–it was an epidemic problem thirty-plus years ago, and the pictured red Nova in the article clearly sags in the back.
At a then-legal 55 mph, you could tell when the A/C compressor (the Big Black Cylinder A6, not the newer, smaller R4 which maybe was used starting in ’78 or ’79) would engage because the car slowed-down until the cruise control could react to yank the throttle open to regain the speed lost. Those 305s had NO power. The 3-speed Turbo Hydramatic 200 model auto transmission seemed to have a timer built-in; they failed like clockwork at about 50K miles. Hers popped at 48K, and like most of ’em, got replaced with a TH350. That 350 transmission is pretty much bulletproof in a compact car with no power; but the deeper first gear of the 200 helped get the car moving compared to the 350 transmission. (2.75 vs. 2.52 gear ratios in first gear.)
As these were in the third model year of Catalytic Converters, hers had the usual problem with the old GM pellet-style cats–the retaining shield that kept the catalyst pellets in place within the cat housing broke, so it would spit the pellets out the tailpipe after filling the muffler with ’em. The pellet-style catalysts were “rebuildable” in theory. They had a big “drain plug” on the underside. You could–supposedly–remove the drain plug, the “old and contaminated” pellets were removed. Then you’d connect a shop-vac to the tailpipe, create a vacuum within the exhaust system, and draw new pellets you’d buy from the Parts Department into the catalyst housing. But once the catalyst housing was damaged, you’d have to buy an entire catalytic converter. No matter–the newer monolithic “honeycomb” catalysts are better for performance anyway.
The subframe carrying the X-body suspension is not identical to a similar-year Camaro/Firebird “F-body” subframe, but very close. Same with the rear suspension. Most any upgrade parts that fit the Camaro/Firebird suspensions will also fit and work on the X-body; except for the subframe itself, and the rear axle housings. The second-generation Camaro/Firebird steering and suspension design from the ’70 model year was subsequently used on the ’73–77 Intermediate A-body, the ’75–79 X-body and K-body (Caddy Seville), and the ’77–’96 B-body. Various individual parts were upgraded/redesigned over time, but the basics were the same. Parts-binning at it’s finest.
I still have the car. Getting a 350-4bbl engine, rear sway bar, and Camaro wheels along with a certain amount of “resto-mod” work. Rear springs already replaced, and it’s in generally good condition. Currently has about 55K miles on it.
When my family got into the taxi business, the previous shareholders were all using Novas of this era. They were not good as taxicabs as the back seat was too small for regular sized humans.
We bought one Nova for taxi use. It had the 350 4BBL engine and it felt plenty fast for the day. It didn’t even last one shift. The driver gunned it in the rain, causing the car to spin out and crash into a pole. From that day on we avoided fast cars for cabs.
Pre-dating the Fairmont by a few years this generation of X Body seemed like the first true attempt by Detroit at a European style mainstream car. In my hometown they quickly became the ubiquitous police car, replacing many years of Dodge/Plymouth, which slight diminished their appeal. A few years later the downsized A/G body Malibu took on the same mantle of Euro-style cop car. I think a hatchback Nova or Apollo would make a nice practical daily driver.
“64, 69, 74, 78” (My four fav “Chevy II/Nova”, versions) The “64” would be the “convertible”