1970 Chevrolet Nova

1970 Chevrolet Nova SS 396 — Big Block 4-Speed with Cowl Induction

The 1970 Chevrolet Nova SS 396 occupies a specific and well-earned place in the muscle car era. While the Chevelle and Camaro got most of the press, Chevrolet engineers understood that dropping a big block into a lighter, smaller body produced a very different kind of performance car — one that was harder to dismiss at the strip and easier to park anywhere else. The Nova's X-body platform weighed significantly less than the Chevelle's A-body, which meant the 396 cubic inch Turbo-Jet V8 had considerably less mass to motivate. The result was a car that ran quicker than its sticker price suggested and competed directly with machinery costing far more.

The VIN on this car decodes to confirm it was built at the Willow Run, Michigan assembly plant in 1970, with the SS package and the 396 engine as factory-installed equipment. The engine code points to the L78 specification — the 375 horsepower version of the 396 — which was the most powerful naturally aspirated big block offered in the Nova SS that year. Chevrolet offered the 396 in the Nova SS in three states of tune for 1970: 350 hp, 375 hp, and a solid-lifter 375 hp version. The 375 hp hydraulic-lifter L78 that lives in this car is the high-output variant most buyers were after, rated at 415 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with the close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission, which was the correct combination for buyers who wanted maximum performance rather than convenience.

The 1970 model year was the final year Chevrolet marketed the engine displacement as "396." The actual displacement had been quietly bored to 402 cubic inches starting in 1970, but Chevrolet continued to badge these cars as 396s for that model year because the 396 name carried weight with buyers. The badging on this car accurately reflects how it left the factory.

Key details
Transmission: 4-Speed Manual
VIN / chassis: 114270W383456

Offered by Skyway Classics, 10420 Portal Crossing, Bradenton, FL 34212. Taxes, title and fees not included.

Photos courtesy of Skyway Classics.