I have been having trouble finding out the answer to this question..... I am going to go look at a 1970 chevy Nova it doesnt have an engine in it but the owner said it is a 396 car 4 speed but it wasnt an SS. Is it possible to be a bigblock car and not a SS?

I bought a new 69 Nova SS ... 396/375 4 speed ... and
I have never seen a Big Block Nova from the factory that was not a real Super Sport. Look closely at the firewall and see where the heater hoses go.





See how the Big Block car has the heater outlets almost over under the hood hinge ... where the small block car has them at the rear of the passenger side head.

If it was a real Big Block car ... you know it would have disc brakes on the front, a 12 bolt rear end and multi-leaf rear springs.

There are a LOT of fakes ( called CLONES by the fakers ... )
who will lie, cheat and steal your money with lies of " special order " ... family friends at the dealership and all kinds of lies ... just be careful ..



The photos are of 69 Camaros ... but the Nova heater outlets are positioned the same

I owned a 70 Nova big block car. I ordered the car in October 1969, thru the central zone office in Michigan. In Grand Blanc.

At that time ALL big block Novas were SS cars. The SS option was required to get the big engine and suspension required for the big block.
Mine was ordered with a radio as the only non performance option. It had bench seat, rubber mats, dog dish hubcaps and E-70 General tires on 14x7" rims. Heavy duty four speed, 3:73 twelve bolt posi rear. Front sway bar. It sat about 1 1/2 inches taller than all the rest of the Novas in the storage line.

It had a solid mounted seven blade cooling fan and solid lifters. Two resonator mufflers under the rear seat, a cross flow muffler across the rear end and two small resonator type mufflers behind.
All you could hear when first fired up was the whine of that fan and the solid lifters clattering. On the road the Muncie 4spd whined LOUD.

As mentioned there are a lot of fakes out there. Even a few featured in national mags as originals. But as mentioned. The heater hoses are a dead give away. Also the radiator mounts from the sides thru the support, with a piece of rubber/tar paper type cover on top,from the radiator support to the shroud, not with the small block top brackets. The frame mounts are different and the power brake booster has a different mount.

I was told that a 4 speed ss did not have power steering is that true?

To the O.P. -
Generally you have people tell you that Fakes/clones are reall SS cars. You have someone telling you it was not. Maybe the 396/4 spd . was someones attempt at cloning it and you just happen to have an honest seller. A buddy of mine bought a 72 Chevelle "SS" .... I took one look at the orange turn signals and rectangle speedo and told him he got hosed. It was a nice car , but some chrome badges don't make it an SS . I'd look at the heater hose locations , as Duece pointed out. That'll be a dead giveaway.
Best of luck with your new toy !!

I have 2 front fenders for that there nova if you want them

Have you checked the numbers on the body tag? Rather, is there a way to find out from there?

I think this will help too.
http://www.stevesnovasite.com/forum...ead.php?t=58064

I took a brief look at it the other day I was getting dark so Ill look at it again this weekend. I didnt open the hood because no one was around and I wasnt sure if it was bolted on. I seriously doubt it was a 396 car the guy said he got it off a guy who bought it off ebay from down south(I question the down south thing given the rust I saw) the front brakes were drum and the rear end was a 10 bolt(advertised as a 12). The car looked rough even in the evening light I pretty sure this one is probably one to pass up. Thanks for all the pointers on what to look for it was a great help.

Unfortunately ...
A lot of folks try to pass off their junk as something it is NOT. Some do it out of ignorance ... ( I once bought a 32 Ford coupe that the man called a Model A ( 1928 to 1931 ) ... and bought it at a Model A price instead of the generally higher 32 price. But most know they are misrepresenting what they have.


Lots of 69 Camaros are now Z-28 fakes, plenty of LeMans now trying to pass as GTO's and the list goes on and on.

Education is your BEST defense ... against these unscrupulous sellers

For Gassman: The Big block cars required the SS package. This included the F-41 hd suspension. Hd disc brakes. Higher rate springs front and 5 leaf rear, front sway bar, Power steering and brakes. 12-bolt rear.

My nova is a big block car but does not have power steering or sway bars.