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| 1967 Chevy Nova II SS |
The Chevrolet Nova had been known as an economical and compact car. With that being said, put the right engine in this vehicle and you had yourself a true muscle car. The rise to muscle car fame by the Nova II was not something deliberately planned but the car nevertheless did achieve that status.
The 67 Chevy Nova II SS was a relatively light car with a lot of power. For 1967 the top of the line engine for the Nova Super Sport was a 327 cubic inch V-8 delivering 275 HP. There were a total of five generations of the Chevy Nova running from 1963 through 1979 and then from 1985 through the 1988 model year.
Engine options were plenty, five in all. You also had the choice of three transmissions. Engines included a 194 cu inch inline six, 230 cu inch inline six, 250 cubic inch inline six, 283 cu inch V-8 and a 327 cubic inch V8.
The original Chevy II's were of unibody construction. The first Nova offered either a four or six cylinder inline engine. Birth of the Chevy Nova II
A bit of Chevy Nova history to start with. The Chevy Nova II was designed to compete directly with Ford's compact Falcon model and with Chrysler's Valiant. It just so happened that back in 1962 the compact car wars were heating up in Detroit. It's true that Chevrolet already had the compact Corvair in place but the rear mounted engine technology was not enough to compete against rear wheel drive compacts. Therefore, the Chevy Nova, not a spinoff design from any other GM model, was born. The first Chevy Nova came off the assembly line in 1961 at GM's Willow Run, Michigan plant located just west of Detroit. The first Chevy Nova was a 1962 model. Later in Nova's production run the car would be built at three other plants outside of Michigan.
These first Nova's had engines specifically built for these models.
Chevy Nova II 1967 Styling
The 67 Nova received a new grille but other than that there were relatively little changes from the 66 model. Interior changes from year to year were pretty much just pattern differences. The 67 Chevy Nova II possessed crisp clean lines as did the 66. It should be noted that the 1966 Nova did receive a complete redesign from 1965 including a new dashboard.
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| 67 Nova SS dashboard |
Some safety changes/additions were seen for 1967. The Nova II was given an energy absorbing steering column along with a safety steering wheel. Also padded armrests and sunvisors along with knobs on the instrument panel being recessed.
The 454 Small Block V-8
The 1967 Chevy Nova II SS featured in this article has a 454 cubic inch small block V-8. Horsepower for this engine runs between 575 and 600. The bore is 4.250 inch and that's extremely large for a small block. This bore and stroke (4.000) combination is the same as the first 454 Chevy big-block.
1967 Chevy Nova II Super Sport Specifications
As mentioned above there was a total of five engines available for the Nova with the 327 cubic inch being the top of the line for the Super Sport. This was also true for the 66 model. In 1967 the powerful L-79 engine option was dropped from the Nova SS so as not to take away sales from the new Camaro. Our featured Nova SS in this article has a 454 cubic inch V-8.
The three transmissions available included a three and four speed manual and a two speed Powerglide automatic.
Brakes were four wheel drum with disc brakes becoming an option in 67.
The 67 Chevy Nova had dimensions including a 110.0 inch wheelbase, a 183.0 inch overall length, a 71.3 inch width and a 55.1 inch height. The car's curb weight came in at 2,690 lbs.
For the 1967 model year there was a total Chevy Nova production of 106,400 vehicles. Out of that number 10,065 were Super Sport models. Most of these, about 80 percent, were fitted with small block engines.
See more of our articles on the links below...
The 1969 Ford Torino GT Muscle Car
The First Supercar / The Lamborghini Countach
The Turbo T-Bucket with a Blown 355
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| This 67 Nova SS's 454 |
Both the 1966 and 1967 Chevy Nova II's are very popular collector cars.
As of this writing, you may find the restored 1967 Chevy Nova SS valued in the $30,000 to $50,000 price range. Originality of course will skew the price tag to the high side. Some good looking modified models have been seen in the $20,000 plus range.
(Article and photos copyright 2015 Muscle Car Journal)
