This 1969 Chevy Nova is unusual as it comes with many of the options you might find on a Super Sport without it being an SS. But the creativity continues as the original 250 hp, 350 cubic inch V8 (2-barrel) has been replaced by a monster 454 that’s said to have been on the dyno on 513 horses! It looks fully restored and ready to go to Riverhead, New York. Available here on craigslist, the magic number to drive it home is $60,500. Wow, and our thanks to Rocco B. for this great tip!
Chevrolet’s Nova had a good year in 1969, with more than a quarter-million copies rolling off the assembly line. That model run would be the last for the Chevy II moniker which had started it all in 1962. The largest engine you could get in a ’69 Nova was an L78 396 cubic inch V8. This example was assembled for someone who wanted to have a Nova just short of a muscle car, with the lesser powered 350 but with bucket seats, a console, and a Turbo-Hydramatic tranny.
This has the feel of a special-order car rather than one that just showed up on the dealer’s lot. I can’t imagine that Burnished Brown paint (akin to UPS colors) was a popular choice, which may add to a rarer Nova. The seller-supplied MSRP shows some nice options, but the Turbo-Fire 350 has disappeared in favor of a 1970 LS6 454 that has been tricked out to produce north-of-stock horsepower. Maybe the transmission was upgraded, too, from a TH-350 to a TH-400, but that’s just an assumption.
If you pulled up next to this Nova at a traffic light, it would look like just an ordinary passenger car, a “sleeper”. We’re told this Chevy runs extremely well and may come with two sets of rims and tires as we see both steel wheels with dog dish hubcaps and aftermarket “mags” with the rear end lifted to accommodate the wider tires. After 55 years, this Chevy still has its original spare and jack, window sticker, owner’s manual, and Protec-o-Plate. The asking price is a lot of money, but this is also a lot of car.
Uuuuf, I’d give my left neighbor for that thing! Nice one, Russ & Rocco!
DANG!! this would have been first choice back in the day on long island ny deer park ave street racing .Also hot rod burger king hempstead turnpike nassau county long island… nice ride!!!!
It’s really Deer Park Road, not ave! I always call it avenue too. Or 231. I spent many nights there in the 80’s.
Many fast cars there, my last trip was in my 78 Grand Prix with a W72 400 from a Transam. I never got pulled over in it, it was an old man car.
Yes I remember the late 60’s at those places. How about rt 109 staples rd to Broadhollow rd east bound Farmingdale long island ny? Back then it was dead, no traffic on the border of Nassau and Suffolk County’s 😂
two towns over from me….
It says upgrade to a Hydramatic400 in the sellers description Russ. A concern is the 10 bolt w 3.73s and all that twist 🌪 💥
It will probably never see a track and is likely using generic street radials rather than a soft compound tire.
I had a couple of friends at the track that used the same 8.2” 10 bolt in their cars, they raced every week for several years, one made hundreds of passes in a 69 Camaro running 12.20’s with soft compound DOT tires without any issues. A12 bolt is what you’d expect to see on a build like this, however, for this cars intended use the 10 bolt will function just fine.
Steve R
Good info Steve. No axle upgrades or anything?
One thing in favour here is the autoloader. Wouldn’t want to be slamming high rpm manual shifts.
Stan, I would assume it had aftermarket axles and carrier. The Camaro was built for his daughter to run, the track had a class specifically for high school students, it was limited to street tires, and had a 12.0 floor. He bought an Edelbrock crate motor, because it had a 2 year warranty, it never missed a beat over 4 seasons, running about 40 events a year until they upgraded the drivetrain to run mid-10’s in a different class.
Stick shifts typically break parts at the starting line upon launch.
Steve R
👍
A 3.70 was available from Chevrolet. I went from a 2.56 to a 3.70 in my 10 bolt 1969 camaro.
That is one great looking Nova! And whatever is left of the 18-year old in me would love to spend a day behind the wheel. Too bad the 71 years on my odometer say the asking $ would go a long way towards a used C8.
Very NICE Nova done right the way it would look with that drivetrain if built that way in 1969 right down to the period correct battery. I like it!
And to think, in base form the Nova was considered an “economy” car. Didn’t take long to make this the choice of street racers around my neck of the woods.
Espec with the 4 cyl that very few ordered, though that would have been great in the snow – with at least 350! less lbs on the the front end than a big block.
Mini consoles always seemed odd to me.
A far cry from my brother’s new ’68 cheapo Nova with the basic V6. It was so basic I don’t even think it came with any carpeting or any other options. But it had a nice gold color. That’s it.
A Chevrolet V6 in 1968? It must have been a straight 6, That was a long time ago though.
I could be wrong about the V6 but it was definitely bare bones car wise. I was only 10 at the time but I still knew the car had the most basic engine since there was practically nothing else in that car except the automatic transmission and the new car smell. And of course, my brother smashed it up in an accident a few months later.
I love Novas, but over $60k? Sorry, regardless of engine, I don’t see that?
60k?
Of course the TH400 was an upgrade. GM didn’t offer it with a 250 HP “base” 350 2 bbl. I wasn’t aware the 2.56 was avaliable in 1969. Nice car, not sure if it’s worth the asking price.
60k is A LOT of money for a non-SS run of the mill Nova with transplanted engine. Nice car, just way too expensive for what it is. There’s a very, very nice 1970 astro blue Nova with 500+ horse big block and M22 for 15k less one state over on MP. Similar condition but a much more attractive exterior color.
Expensive yes, but looking at the underside photos this car looks to be a rotisserie restoration just completed.
Nice car for sure, built well…..but I gotta’ say ……..it ain’t worth 60 grand…..somewhere in the 40’s maybe, but he’s dreamin’………..
I also had a 10 bolt 3:42 posi in my Nova SS with a Stroked SBC with a 4speed. I broke 2 Muncie cases and a drive shaft weld on street tires. But never broke that 10bolt.( it was original) I have lots of fun with it.
My first brand new car was a 1969 Chevy Nova. Dark green, black vinyl top and bench seat. I didn’t keep it long. Got terrible gas mileage. But it did have power brakes and steering. Loved the rally wheels that came on it.
God Bless America
Maybe to go from 2.56:1 ratio posi the rear differential was replaced. Upgrade from 8.2 inch 10 bolt posi to 8.5 inch GM corporate 10 bolt posi with 3.73:1ratio. With correct parts easy, possibly simply a bolt in swap, if correct drive shaft length and universal joint from 1970 or later Nova used.
Otherwise, depending on rear tires, torque converter, and driving habits an LS6 513 hp and over 500 ft-lb is a lot of torque for a Chevy 8.2 posi.
GM Corporate 8.5 inch 10 bolt would be ok. Some would prefer the 12 bolt, period correct for 1969 big block Nova, and the extra strength of 8.875 inch ring gear.
You are right about the 8.5” rear, it’s much stronger and is supported by the aftermarket.
This still has the 8.2 10 bolt, there is a quick way to tell the two apart, the 3rd from the last picture shows the bottom of the rear end housing, notice how the center section has an smooth curve, an 8.5 has small 90 degree tabs casting the bottom part of the center section. It’s a small difference, but once you are aware of the difference it’s obvious.
The seller would have been well served by upgrading the rear end to either an aftermarket 12 bolt or 9”, it’s something that’s going to keep coming up and will make the car more difficult to sell. It’s what’s expected on a high end build with an expensive price tag.
Steve R
Very sharp looking car and I even like the color. But way overpriced for a clone! Been for sale a while.
It’s not a clone, there are no SS emblems, it doesn’t even have SS louvers on the hood. It still retains its original Nova emblems, the interior is still in its original configuration. It’s just a “street machine” with an engine swap and some other associated performance upgrades.
Steve R
Great looking car. Nice color and features. And oh , that engine! It’s going to take some money to buy or to duplicate.
For a short time in my teens I had a 72 with a 454 and a 4 speed. unbeknown to me, my Dad happened to be shopping at the local hardware store on the same street that I decided to catch 2nd gear at a very high RPM after school, and as he explained to me later, he watched in horror as the left front tire was nearly 2 feet off of the road as the body of that Nova seemed to twist in the air!
The chicks loved it, but my Dad was not impressed and made me sell it the next day. Would love to have that old body twister now…
yeehaw!