Nova lover

Q: Greg, while living in Pensacola, Fla., in the mid-1960s, there was a local drag strip where many Novas used to compete. What were the actual engine offerings in the Nova during these years? I only remember the 327, and it was fast. — Wayne F., Holiday, Fla.

A: Wayne, the Chevy II Nova first appeared in 1962, but there wasn’t much horsepower under the hood until a 283 V-8 appeared in 1964 when the first Nova SS was produced. In 1965, things got better as a bump up to the 327 found 250 and 300 horsepower engines available.

The Nova was a great drag car, and things got better. In 1966, Chevy upped the Chevy II Nova’s horsepower to 350, still with 327 cubic inches. In 1967, Chevy II and Nova were still linked together, but by 1968 an all-new Nova came on board, and by 1969 it offered the 396-375 horse big block under the hood.

In summary, the original Chevy II-based design from 1962 through 1967, and the 1968 and up Nova SS models are great collector muscle cars.