1969 Chevy Nova SS

1969 CHEVY NOVA BACKGROUND
The ’69 Nova was largely carried-over from the ’68-model, with the usual mid-cycle refresh of new front and rear facia and minor trim differences. The Super Sport package with a 350 cost just $280, and included heavy duty suspension and power front disk brakes, along with all that cool SS trim.

1969 Chevy Nova INTERIOR

1969 CHEVY NOVA SS ENGINE CHOICES
We’re not concerned with plebeian 6-cylinder cars here. V8s, and ideally SS V8s only. The SS package included a 250-horse 350 with 2-barrel carb. From there you could option up to a 300-horse 350 with 4-barrel carb, or one of two 396 big blocks, one with 350 horses and the other with 375. 5,262 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS’s were built with this engine. 1,947 were built with the 350-horse 396.

1969 Yenko Nova 427

1969 YENKO NOVA 427
The big news for 1969 was the ultra-limited Yenko Nova 427. Differing from COPO (Corporate Office Purchase Order) cars, which had factor-installed 427s. Yenko’s big engines were dealer-installed. Don Yenko himself called the ’69 Yenko Nova as “a beast, almost lethal.” Maybe that’s why only 37 were built in this 1969-only car. Chevy was unwilling to stuff the 427 into a Nova under through COPO for the very reasons that Yenko himself cited. The Nova was actually lighter than a Corvette, and the 425-horse big block made it almost unmanageable. Yenko Novas were good for 11-second quarter mile ETs, which was stellar in 1969. Yenko ordered brand new 1969 Chevy Novas from the factory with thue 375-horse 396, Muncie 4-speed, 4.11 posi-traction in a heavy duty 12-bolt rear end, and power front disk brakes. They’d swap out the 396 for the brand new L72 427 in Yenko’s dealership. I wonder what happened to all those 375-horse 396s?