Chevrolet’s compact Chevy II Nova reached dealers on September 29, 1961, as a 1962 model. Over the next 18 model years, its engines ran from a 90-horsepower four to a 375-horsepower big-block. These seven show how far that range stretched.
Ratings before 1972 are gross horsepower, while later ratings are net, so a 1979 figure looks small next to a 1968 one. For that reason, each number below names the model year it belongs to.
1. 1962 Chevrolet Chevy II 153 four-cylinder
The smallest launch engine was a 153-cubic-inch inline four. For 1962 it made 90 horsepower on 8.5:1 compression, with a one-barrel carburetor and a manual choke. It was also Chevrolet’s first four-cylinder since 1928.
However, few buyers wanted it. According to The Shop Magazine, about 24,000 of 326,607 early Chevy II and Nova sales used the four. That works out to roughly 7 percent of the cars sold.
2. 1962 Chevrolet Chevy II 194 six-cylinder
Most launch-year buyers chose the six instead. At launch, the 194-cubic-inch inline six made 120 horsepower for 1962. It ran on seven main bearings and a one-barrel carburetor with an automatic choke. A three-speed manual was standard, while the two-speed Powerglide cost extra.
The six also powered the sportiest early car. For 1963, the convertible SS came only with the 194, according to the Nova Resource club history. In fact, the club notes that the 153 and the 194 were both all-new engines when the car debuted.
3. 1964 Chevrolet Chevy II 230 six-cylinder
For 1964, Chevrolet added a larger 230-cubic-inch straight six. The Shop Magazine lists it at 155 horsepower that year, compared to 120 for the 194. As a result, six-cylinder buyers gained 35 horsepower over the 194 without stepping up to a V8.
The bigger six arrived in a busy year, because 1964 also brought the first V8 option. So the 230 now sat in the middle of a much wider range. For context, a six-cylinder 1966 Nova Super Sport listed at $2,535 and weighed 2,740 pounds, the same retrospective says.
4. 1964 Chevrolet Chevy II 283 V8
A V8 finally joined the option list in 1964, the car’s third model year. The Nova Resource history lists factory-installed 283 small-blocks rated at 195 and 220 horsepower, coded L32 and L77. Similarly, The Shop Magazine places the 195-horsepower 283 in the 1964 lineup.
Its 220-horsepower L77 got the extra power from a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. However, The Shop Magazine dates that bump to the middle of the 1965 model year. Meanwhile, 1965 also added the first 327s, the 250-horsepower L30 and the 300-horsepower L74.
5. 1966 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova SS 327 L79
The L79 turned the compact into a street racer for 1966. This 327 ran 11.0:1 compression, a 600-cfm Holley four-barrel and a high-lift hydraulic cam. As a result, Chevrolet rated it at 350 horsepower that year. With headers and tuning, a 12-second quarter mile was possible, according to The Shop Magazine.
Nova Resource counts 5,481 Novas built with the L79 for 1966. Then the option all but vanished. For 1967 the dealer guides topped out at a 275-horsepower L30. Still, the club’s production data shows six 1967 L79 Novas, listed at 325 horsepower.
6. 1968 Chevrolet Nova SS 396 L78
The redesigned 1968 Nova could finally take a big-block. At the top sat the L78 396, rated at 375 horsepower for 1968. It used rectangular-port heads, a solid-lifter camshaft and a Holley four-barrel, according to The Shop Magazine.
Even so, few buyers checked that box at first. Nova Resource lists 667 L78 cars for 1968, against 234 with the 350-horsepower L34. Later, in July 1968, Chevrolet built 50 L78 Novas with Turbo 400 automatics under COPO 9738 for NHRA racing. By 1970 the yearly L78 count reached 3,765, and then the big-block left the Nova for 1971.
7. 1979 Chevrolet Nova 350 V8
The 350 small-block joined the Chevy II Nova for 1968 at 295 horsepower, with 1,274 built that year, the club history says. It also outlasted the big-block. For 1972, the L48 350 carried a net rating of 200 horsepower.
Finally, by the car’s last year, the 350 was the top engine. The Shop Magazine lists the 1979 350 V8 at 170 net horsepower. That year, a base Nova coupe started at $3,955 and weighed 3,135 pounds.
More from Fast Lane Only
