Chevrolet built a handful of cool muscle cars in the late 1960s. The Camaro and the Corvette are the most iconic, but the Chevelle SS LS6 454 also stands proud among them. The Nova, on the other hand, is often overlooked due to its slow start in the muscle car wars.
Originally introduced as the top-of-the-line trim of the Chevy II compact lineup, the Nova became a full-fledged nameplate for the 1968 model year. That's when Chevrolet introduced the third-generation model and all the fun began with large-displacement V8 engines.
Previously only available with 283- and 327-cubic inch (4.6- and 5.4-liter) mills, the Nova gained two large V8s for the third generation. The Nova SS, for instance, arrived with a 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) good for 295 horsepower.
But Chevrolet also offered the optional 396-cubic-inch (6.5-liter) big-block rated at 350 and 375 horses. For 1970, this engine was enlarged to 402 cubic inches (6.6-liter). As with most muscle cars, things went down the drain starting in 1971, but the Nova had three good years on the performance vehicle market.
Come 2021 and the high-power Nova SS models of the late 1960s are in high demand. The nameplate is also a favorite among drag racers, mostly thanks to its compact size and lighter curb weight when compared to other Chevys from the era. But while some opt to keep the cars close to stock, some racers go all-in and turn them into four-digit power monsters.
Jason Sack is one of those guys. And he recently joined the 2021 Hot Rod Drag Week with his heavily modified Nova. Finished in a Hugger Orange hue that screams for attention (combined with a black top for a classy look too), this third-gen Nova is not your regular late 1960s muscle car. Not only it features a larger-that-usual, 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) V8, but it also packs a massive, 102-mm Garrett turbocharger.
It also features LS7 heads and a Holley Hi-Ram with a Dominator EFI fuel system, a combination that results in a whopping 2,000 horsepower at 30 pounds of boost. That's enough to smoke every factory-built dragster out there at the strip. This baby runs in the sevens!
The video below gives you a tour of the car, but you'll also see it blast down the quarter-mile in a scant 7.29 seconds, to go with a trap speed of 185.77 mph (298.96 kph). And Jason is running in the 7s regularly. Having averaged 7.33 seconds at 185.71 mph (298.87 kph) over the five-day Hot Rod Drag Week, he scored second place in the Unlimited Class. Could this be the quickest Nova out there this side of a Top Fuel dragster?
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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