Chevrolet Nova Totally Explained

Everything about Chevrolet Nova totally explained

The Chevrolet Nova or Chevy II was an American compact car introduced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in 1962. The original Chevy II was of unibody construction, powered by an OHV inline-four or 6-cylinder engine, and available in two-door and four-door sedan configurations as well as convertible and station wagon versions. After the rear-engine Chevrolet Corvair was handily outsold by the conventional Ford Falcon in 1960, Chevrolet began work on a more conventional compact car that would eventually become the Chevy II. These cars were also sold in Canada from 1962 as the Pontiac Acadian (GM Canada nameplate), with minimal trim and equipment modifications, until the early 1970s when they were renamed in keeping with their US cousins as the Pontiac Ventura II.

Generations

First generation (1962–1967)

Available engines for the Chevy II included a 153 in³ four-cylinder and a 194 in³ inline six. The six-cylinder was actually the third generation engine, replacing the second generation Stovebolt. Rival manufacturer Chrysler had earlier developed the Slant Six in their Plymouth Valiant, a Chevy II competitor, when the cars were introduced to the public in late 1959 as 1960 models.
   Although the Nova wasn't 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.
   In 1962 and 1963 the Nova was available in a convertible body style, and a two-door hardtop was available from 1962 to 1965, although the hardtop was dropped when the '64 models were first introduced, and subsequently brought back to the line later in the model year. Like all Chevy two door hardtops, the body style was marketed as the Sport Coupe.
   For 1963, the Chevy II Nova Super Sport was released. As mentioned above, Novas couldn't "officially" have V8 engines at this time — the standard SS engine was the six-cylinder — but small-block V8 engine swaps were commonplace among enthusiasts. For 1964, the Chevy II's first factory V8 option was introduced, which was a 283 in³ V8. In 1965, a 327 in³ V8 was also available with up to .

Fourth generation

The Chevrolet Nova nameplate returned in 1985 as a front wheel drive subcompact vehicle produced from 1985 to 1988. It was manufactured in Fremont, California by NUMMI, a joint venture between General Motors and Toyota of Japan. The new Nova was a rebadged and mildly restyled japanese market Toyota Sprinter, a model sold in Japan as an upmarket version of the Toyota Corolla. Nova shared the Corolla's AE82 platform, 1.6 liter 4-cylinder engines and was available with 5-speed manual, 3-speed or 4-speed automatic transmissions.

Novas abroad

Argentina

The early third-generation (1968 model) Nova was marketed in Argentina as the Chevrolet Chevy from late 1969 through 1978. An upscale model was produced from about 1973 with different trim, front turn indicators and taillights, a much better appointed interior with plastic "wood" trim, and called the Malibu. This Malibu was 100% a Chevy Nova, no relation to the American Chevelle. All engines provided to the public were inline-sixes. The first and second generations were available, depending on year and model, with the 194 cid and 230 cid engines. The third generation ("Chevys") were produced with the 230 cid and 250 cid engines. The "Chevy" metal decal for the third generation had the same font as the "Nova" decal of 1968-1974 American Novas, and was, for the first few years, in the rearmost section of both rear fenders. Later, it was moved to the rearmost section of both front fenders, as it was in the American cars from 1969. Sidemarker lights were not mandatory and changed much during the production run, from being deleted, to leaving a small chrome plate, to the same light as in the American cars. Rear deck decals just said "CHEVROLET" in chrome letters, obviating the typical "Model by Chevrolet" used in the American cars at the time. The hood decal was similar to the 1969 American Novas, the bow tie, in blue or just chrome. The first- and second-generation Novas were sold as the Chevrolet 400; the second-generation Nova was produced until 1974. Internally, the Argentinian Chevy used very similar trim to the American counterpart, usually being more luxurious, as the car fitted in a much higher market niche, being a "big" car for the local standards. Even then there were standard, plain models, without accesories. Many were used for cab service. Interesting to note is that the interior layout, especially visible in the instrument panel, remained the American 1968 version for the whole run. The ignition switch was never moved to the steering column, for instance, so no steering lock was installed in the factory. Power steering began to be available from the factory at the end of the production run, V8s were never produced for the car, and automatic transmissions were only available with steering column selectors, and not for all models, only for luxury versions. Power windows were not available, tinted windows were darker than American versions, and the darker band on the upper edge of the windshield wasn't present. Very popular accesories were vinyl roofs, rally wheels, sport steering wheels, bucket seats with high backs, and tufted leatherette upholstery (many sedans were produced this way). Interiors were mostly black. Steering wheels and instrument panels were for many years only black, as were seatbelts. American style interior color coordination was absent. Their SS counterparts were both coupes and 4-door sedans, the latter of which was unheard of in the US prior to the introduction of the 1994 Impala SS. In fact, a majority were fitted with inline-sixes coupled to a ZF manual transmission with 4 speeds and a floor lever.

The urban legend

A popular urban legend asserts that the Nova sold poorly in Latin America because the phrase no va means "it doesn't go" in Spanish. In reality, if a Spanish-speaking person were to say that his car wasn't working, he'd more likely use the terms no marcha or no funciona, ("does not run" or "does not work/function," respectively) instead, just as an English-speaking person would be more likely to say "this car doesn't work," than say "this car doesn't go." The word nova, as opposed to no va, exists in Spanish with the same meaning as in English. In addition, the Nova actually sold well, exceeding Chevrolet's expectations.

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