Chevrolet Nova: Encyclopedia II - Chevrolet Nova - Generations

Chevrolet Nova - Generations

Chevrolet Nova - First generation: 1962–1965

Available powerplants included a four-cylinder and an inline six. The six is actually the third-generation powerplant, replacing the second-generation Stovebolt. Rival manufacturer Chrysler introduced the Slant Six in their Plymouth Valiant, a Chevy II competitor.

Although the Nova was not originally available with a V8 option, the engine bay was perfectly proportioned for one. It wasn't long before Chevrolet V8s were offered as dealer-installed options (between 1962 and 1963), up to and including the fuel-injected version available in the Corvette. The combination of readily available V8 power and light weight made the Nova a popular choice of drag racers.

For 1963, the Chevy II Nova Super Sport was released. As mentioned above, Novas could not "officially" have V8 engines at this time -- the standard SS engine was the six-cylinder -- but many ended up with a small-block V8 under the hood.

Chevrolet Nova - Second generation: 1966–1967

1966 Novas saw minor restyling, based in part on the Super Nova concept car. In general, proportions were squared up but dimensions and features changed little. Engine options still included the basic inline four- and six-cylinder engines but now included the 283 and 327 in³ (4.6 and 5.4 L) V8 engines as well.

Chevrolet Nova - Third generation: 1968–1974

An extensive restyle came in 1968, when the station wagon was discontinued. This body style continued (with minor revisions) through 1974. One noted change was the front subframe assembly -- as compared with Ford, Chrysler and AMC, in whose cars the entire front suspension was integrated with the bodyshell, a separate subframe housing the powertrain and front suspension (similar to GM fullsized vehicles) replaced the earlier style. Although the front subframe design was a Chevy II-exclusive design, the Camaro introduced a year earlier was the first to incorporate such a design; the redesigned Chevy II was pushed a year back to 1968 instead of 1967. 1968 was the final year that the Chevy II nameplate was used.

The 153 four-cylinder option was offered between 1968-70, then was dropped due to lack of interest.

The Nova nameplate replaced the Chevy II as the base model; like other 1969 GM vehicles, locking steering columns were incorporated, along with simulated fender vents underneath the Nova script, which was relocated to the front fender instead of the quarter panel.

Basically a carryover from 1969; the side markers and taillight lenses were wider. Final year for the SS396.

Approximately 177 COPO Novas were ordered, with 175 converted by Yenko Chevrolet (the other two were sold in Canada.)

A beater coupe is seen in the movie Beverly Hills Cop.

1971 Novas were similar to the previous year but with the loss of the simulated fender vents and the discontinuation of the 396 motor for the SS with the 350 taking its place.

After 1971, other GM divisions were rebadging the Nova as their new entry-level vehicle, such as the Pontiac Ventura (once a trim option for full-sized Pontiacs to 1970), Oldsmobile Omega and the Buick Apollo. Interestingly, the intials of the four model names spelled out the acronym NOVA (Nova, Omega, Ventura, Apollo.)

The 1973 model year introduced the hatchback bodystyle based on the 2-door coupe. By this time, six-cylinder and V8 engines were de rigeur for American compact cars, with the 307 and 350 in³ (5.0 and 5.7 L) V8s becoming fairly common. Nova SS models offered a higher-performance 350 in³ (5.7 L) V8.

A luxury-themed Nova Custom became part of the model lineup.

Buick and Oldsmobile entered the compact car market; both the Apollo and Omega debuted, using the same bodystyles from the Nova lineup.

Pontiac's final GTO of this era was based on a facelifted 1974 Ventura coupe fitted with a shaker hoodscoop from the Trans Am. This was the final GTO until 2003, when rebadged Holden Monaro coupes were imported from Australia by Pontiac as the 2004 GTO.

Chevrolet Nova - Fourth generation: 1975–1979

A facelifted Nova was introduced in 1975 and continued through 1979. Base coupes including the hatchback had fixed side windows (or the optioned swing-out windows similar to extended-cab pickup trucks) and vertical side vents (Pontiac Ventura side vents were horizontal).

Six-cylinder and V8 engines remained the norm through the end of the decade (and the end of the X-body platform.) Rival Chrysler introduced their Plymouth Volare/Dodge Aspen as a competitor to GM's X-body compacts; the GM X-cars outsold their Chrysler counterparts.

The front suspension and subframe assembly was similar to the one used in the second-generation GM F-body (Camaro, Firebird), whereas the rear axle and suspension were carried over from the 1968-74 generation.

The Nova lineup ranged from the stripped-down "S" model, base, Custom (1975 and 1978/1979, which in later years became the LN and Nova Concours replacement), and the luxury-themed LN (the LN was the first to sport metric displacement badges -- either "4.3 LITRE" or "5.7 LITRE"). The LN was replaced with the Nova Concours (1976 and 1977; 1977s had a 3-taillight lens scheme much similar to the Impala with a Cadillac-esque front clip.)

The Apollo was replaced by the sportier Buick Skylark after 1975 (during the 1975 model year, the Apollo nameplate was used for the 4-door sedan, while the coupe was badged as the Skylark), while Pontiac's Ventura became a more luxurious Phoenix during 1978 (the Phoenix was the first X-body fitted with square headlights). BOP versions of the Nova had either a Chevrolet inline six or Buick V6 as the base powerplant.

During the 1977 model year for the Ventura, the GM Iron Duke was the base motor (in response to the Arab Oil Embargo) coupled to a Borg-Warner T-50 transmission (it has no relationship to the T5 found in third-generation GM F-bodies); this is a rare find these days although the motor differed from the six-cylinder based 153 last offered as an option in 1970.) The Ventura was replaced by the Phoenix in the middle of the 1977 model year.

Base V8 motors included a Chevrolet 262 (and 305) and Oldsmobile 260; Pontiac Venturas were not fitted with a Pontiac V8 from the factory after 1975, when Oldsmobile 260s and Buick 350s were installed as optional equipment. This led to civil action against GM.

The Nova SS continued for 1975 and 1976; when the SS was discontinued, the option code for the SS -- RPO Z26 -- continued as the Nova Rally until 1979.

Even Cadillac got into the act. The Nova's X-body was stretched by several inches and fitted with an Oldsmobile fuel-injected V8 to become the Seville for 1975.

A high-performance police version of the Nova was introduced for the 1975 model year, making it the first compact car certified for police duty in the U.S. Most were initially purchased by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in 1976.

This generation of GM X-bodies is referred to as the "forgotten generation" since this title is common to GM A-bodies produced between 1973 and 1977. In the collector car market, 1975 to 1979 GM X-bodies have been panned by collectors since there is currently no viable market.

The Nova's final model year, 1979, saw few changes. Only the front end was revised with square headlights. Production ended on December 22, 1978.

From 1980 on, the Nova's original niche in the Chevrolet lineup was filled by front-wheel-drive compacts including the Cavalier, Citation, and Corsica. Upon introduction of the downsized GM A-body (later G-body) intermediates in 1978, the X-body and downsized A-platform were similar in dimensions, and the downsized A-bodies outsold their X-body counterparts.

Chevrolet Nova - 1985–1988 Nova

In 1985 the Nova name was applied to a rebadged Toyota Sprinter, an upmarket version of the Toyota Corolla that replaced the Citation and was produced at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California, as an historic first joint venture between General Motors and Toyota. 1988 was the last year for the Nova nameplate on this (or any) platform, which arrived in showrooms as the Geo Prizm the following year.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Generations", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki