The 1966 Nova if Chevrolet with the most Supple marketing alternatives of any classic vehivle in American automotive version. Advertising focused on the '66 Nova as a practical and economical vehicle with a thought of style. The twin mild-mannered vehicle quickly turned into a colossal performance tool with an engine upgrade, creating what the flaming rod resident refers to as a "sleeper."
Chevy II Nova
Birth in 1959, Chevrolet began developing an economy vehicle, hackneyed as the Chevy II, to fill a recess between its compact and full-size cars. The Nova was introduced in 1961 as a Chevy II Nova, with the agnomen remaining on Novas until 1969 when the label Chevy II was dropped.Chevy High Performance Magazine best describes the excitement for muscle car fanatics. "When the new '66 Chevy II hit the showrooms, the performance world took notice. This newly shaped muscle car not only enlisted Chevy's 327 to pull hard acceleration, but it also had a distinct advantage. Underneath the all-new sheet metal, hot-rodders found engine options up to 350 horses being offered in a car that tipped the scales at several hundred pounds less than the bigger Chevelle.
Body Options
The '66 Nova was offered with a character of target styles including the two-door coupe and four-door sedan as a hardtop or with the convertible upgrade. The estate car base was available with two or four doors. The Super Sport (SS) packet featured a criterion six-cylinder engine and cosmetic upgrades were offered on lone the two-door hardtop pattern.
Larry Artz of South Methodist University, tracking the anecdote of the Nova, cites that "Seat belts became principles Accoutrement for the early clock this year (in anticipation of company 1968 mandates)."
Power Options
The In-line six-cylinder (I6) and V-8 engines offered for the 1966 Nova were coincident to the preceding year with a unusual baby differences in the brake horsepower (bhp), impression the turning dynamism that Last of all makes it to the wheels. Muscle Vehivle Club records the engine offerings as:
194 cubic-inch I6 with 120 bhp; 230 cubic-inch I6 with 140 bhp; 230 cubic-inch I6 with155 bhp; 283 cubic-inch V-8 with195 bhp; 283 cubic-inch V-8 with 220 bhp; 327 cubic-inch V-8 with 275 bhp and the 327 cubic-inch V-8 with the L79 engine alternative for 350 bhp.
Antique Coerce explains that the L79 engine choice that dramatically increased horsepower was available for the Nova in only the 1966 year. "The '66 Nova joined the true muscle car ranks with the addition of the one year L79 option, a 327 V-8 with 350 hp that launched the light and mighty Nova SS to a 15.10 second quarter mile." The L79 option was dropped from the Nova in 1967 to reduce loss of sales on Chevy's newly released, and higher-priced, Camaro.
Muscle Car Legend
Nowadays, many automotive enthusiasts Testament cite to Novas as Chevy II, as provided the names were interchangeable.
