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Welcome to the Nova Research Project

The Nova Research Project was begun to determine how Chevrolet actually assembled Novas and is an attempt to document what was normally done on the assembly line.  We all know that the assembly manual and parts books are not always correct, and most of Chevrolet’s methods are lost due to the passage of time.  With the number of original condition cars quickly dwindling, some of the many questions that need to be answered are:

What finishes are on the parts?

What part numbers and codes were used on different models?

When did a mid-year production change actually hit the assembly line?

What do the extra codes on the trim tag mean?

So far, I have collected some good statistical information that helps to preserve the Nova and Chevy II heritage.  This information comes from original cars, original Chevrolet literature, parts books, magazine reviews, and more.

This project cannot be a success without your help. If you have an original condition Nova, send in your information for one or all of the research projects. The more cars that participate, the more accurate the finished results.

1968 Chevy II L79 National Registry

This Registry was formed in 2003 to foster a better understanding of an often overlooked Chevrolet model. The 1968 Chevy II is a unique animal that in many ways is a one-year-only model. The L79 engine (327 cubic inch rated at 325hp) was offered in the car for this one year only. It was truly the last of the high performance 327 engines and deserves a special place in Chevrolet history. The L79 models were not available with the Super Sport (SS) package and are often overlooked as being a "plain-Jane" 327 model. In fact, they were available with heavy-duty Muncie 4-speeds and a 12-bolt rear axle just like the Super Sports and offered outstanding performance. The L79 was only available with a manual transmission. If you have one of these very rare and desirable L79s, please contact me so you may be included on the L79 National Registry.

Big Block Chevy II and Nova National Registry

Coming soon will be information on the Big Block National Registry for L34 and L78 owners. Check the projects page for Big Block identification tips.

Projects

The project page includes the active and complete research topics. Most of the topics being researched are discussed on Steve's Q&A Site. If you have questions post it there or email me

Pictures

Here you can see pictures of original Novas and Novas under restoration. Pictures are submitted by people like you. Having a problem scanning your pictures or posting them for others to see? Contact me for free scanning and posting on this site. You can contribute your own articles too!

Contact the Nova Research Project!

You can use the Contact section to get in touch with us here at the site. The about page also lists the sites that provide research information for the project. 

Latest News

09/16/2006 - Been kind of tied up at work. Email is kind of backed up. I apologize for the delays.

Join National Nostalgic Nova !

NNN has been around for over 25 years. Visit them for great parts and information for you car. NNN Hosts the Nova Nationals yearly! Check out the all new National Nostalgic Nova on line parts catalog. Click here for more information...

Most of the projects are discussed on these sites.

Plenty of Chevy II and Nova enthusiasts at Steve's Q&A Site and Supercar & Musclecar Bulletin Board 

The Nova body style was exported to Argentina. Contact Asociación Chevrolet Argentina for more information.

Click here to go to a link that talks about Chevy II' s being made in Chille.

Click here to read about the History of Chevrolet in Argentina

Support these great Nova information sites. 

NovaResource and  NovaShop  and  ClassicNovas. Visit the Camaro Research Group to see the level of detail this site hopes to achieve!

Equipment Decoders

The 1969 and 1970 Spring Codes, Instrument Panel Part numbers, and other decoders are on the Projects page.