69 Nova L78 TH400

[WILMASBOYL78]

I was gonna mention that ad and didn't. It is strange the dealership brochures left out the BB motor but performance magazines talked them up. I just pulled out the 68-70 brochures and checked them, no mention of the "rat". Hard to figure???

wilma

But who needs a brochure? I just go out to the garage...

[Belair62]

I just go to my Photobucket Wilma

[Supercar_Kid]

I think "The Grump" certainly helped make people aware of the Nova SS 396.

I do agree it's odd that Chevrolet was so vague about the availabilty of some of their performance options, like L-78, LS-6, etc. being omitted from some factory brochures. Especially if you ever watch and listen to a Sports Department sales communication kit. I have a September '69 one and it hypes L-78, Z/28, JL-8, SS Chevelle Camaro and Nova. It's strange that Chevrolet insiders would go to the trouble of creating and distributing these kits to educate their sales staff on how to sell hi-perf Chevys, yet they seemed to drop the ball themselves when it came to letting customers know about the availability of some RPOs on their order forms, brochures, handouts, etc. I'm sure that's partially why some RPOs weren't built in bigger numbers, but I'm still at a loss for why the Nova alone would be restricted from carrying a 396/325HP engine, one of Chevrolet's most popular big blocks. Could it have been a way of giving the Nova SS an extra push away from it's former economy car image and an effort to make it more competitive with it's handsome sibling Camaro SS? Just a guess, but 25 free horses and a few extra dollars in your pocket may have been enough to swing some buyers towards the Nova SS.

[Mr70]

I wouldn't call it dropping the Ball.
Not every Chevy Dealership wanted to sell the Special Hi-perf vehicles.It is Us today who are romancing an idea that it was Special Hi-perf all over the place,when in reality it was more likely considerably much less then that.Probably fewer then 10%.
I recently sat down with a local salesman here who told me he wouldn't even entertain the fact they could order the LS6 Chevelle when he was selling cars..They just wanted to sell Trucks,Station Wagons, & four doors.They didn't want the aggravation & warranty work of those Special Hi-perf cars.
They survived throughout the 40's-50's-60's that way,& weren't about to switch to the latest Fad.
I was saddened to hear him tell me this,but I understand it.
Today he owns that dealership,& lives by that creedo.

[camarojoe]

The price factor between the Camaro/Nova sounds like a pretty logical idea...What was the base price of a 350hp 396 Nova SS vs: a 325 hp 396 Camaro SS in 1969?

[WILMASBOYL78]

I guess we all must be eternally grateful to the handful of dealers back then who had the vision and passion to promote performance. We must be equally grateful that there were actually customers who stepped up and bought the cars. Without people these cars have no meaning or real value. Like I always say "haven't seen one yet that drove itself" Thanks to all those who came before!

wilma

[Belair62]

I think I read over at Steves that the Grumps Nova started life as an L79 non SS car.....how cool is that.

[Supercar_Kid]

I can certainly appreciate that not all dealerships were high performance oriented, that's why we talk about the same handful or so on here everyday. It just makes me wonder why Chevrolet engineers would gear up and produce these hi-perf oriented RPOs while the marketing department seemed to make little effort to even let the customer know they were available. Remember, it was GM and the Chevrolet division that was responsible for developing profitable packages, long before a dealer would have to worry about what he/she was going to make their living on.

More intriguing is why no 396/325 in a Nova?

[Belair62]

Probably price points....325 horse Nova may have detracted from a Chevelle or something..no need to cut off their nose to spite their face...who knows

[JoeC]

could have been the cost of emission certification. Say they estimated selling 2000 325hp Novas and 2000 350hp Novas, They would have to do the emission certification twice for only 4000 units. It may have been more cost effictive to just do one emission certification where the cost can be spread over 4000 350hp Novas.