From
http://billthomasnovelnova.com/ over on page two,
<span style="font-style: italic">This Nova started life as a 1962 base model. Bill bought it at a used car dealership with one purpose, to promote Chevy’s newly released “Semi-Hemi” 396/427 engine. GM had the crate motors stacked against the wall in Bill’s Anaheim shop before “Porcupine Heads” was even a household term. He had a new idea in mind for these beasts. He had recently designed an ultra light sub frame kit that would replace the stock front clip of a Nova, saving 375 pounds. Besides the weight savings, the straight axle with dual leaf springs raised the center of gravity and moved the front axle forward to further help with weight transfer during acceleration.
<span style="font-weight: bold">In order for this car to compete in any of the Super Stock or F/X classes, it had to be a current model year. The ’62 was transformed into the then current year with the addition of an early Nova one piece fiberglass front end and a 1965 Nova grille, hood bar and headlight bezels. Now it was a ’65!</span> (By the way, this is the very front end that’s still on the car today.)</span>