Pure Stock Drag Race: 1968 Chevrolet Nova SS 396 Takes on the 1971 Plymouth Cuda 440

The big-block mill in the red-painted Nova is further augmented with L89 aluminum heads that eliminate a few pounds off the front end. Originally rated at 375 horsepower and 415 pound-feet (563 Nm) of torque at 3,600 revolutions per minute, the 6.5-liter V8 is joined by a four-speed manual.

Thanks to 4.56 rear gears and a curb weight of 3,604 pounds (1,635 kilograms) including the driver, it’s easy to understand why the Nova is revered even to this day. Chevrolet produced only 667 units of the Nova SS 396 with the 375-hp engine that year, of which 617 feature the manual.

On the other hand, the 1971 Plymouth Cuda 440 is even more desirable. Also known as a V code after the fifth digit in the vehicle identification number, the fixed-head Cuda with the 440 six-barrel setup and TorqueFlite automatic transmission used to number 129 units. Heaven only knows how many are still out there, but chances are they’ve dipped below 100 examples.

As the name implies, we’re dealing with a 440ci leviathan fitted with three two-barrel carburetors. In this configuration, the 7.2-liter colossus produces 385 horsepower and a 426 HEMI-matching 490 pound-feet (664 Nm) of torque. Despite these figures and the 4.10 gears out back, the Cuda does have a weakness. More to the point, it tips the scales at 3,904 pounds (1,771 kilograms) including the driver, which puts the Nova SS at an advantage.

Given these circumstances, have a wild guess which of these old-school machines is quicker over the quarter mile. Spoiler alert: both of them are!