[robbysapien]

does anyone know a car i can get a rear end off of with posi-track that will fit into a 76 nova without modification of the leaf spring ext..and what gears should i use? its for a daily driver and racing on the weekends i have 15 inch tires on it (if it helps the motor is a 383 stroker with a th-350 transmission) thanks

[jimfulco]

67-69 Camaro/Firebird, 68-79 Nova (& clones) will bolt to your springs. Watch out for the weak 7.5" rear ends used behind 75-79 6-cylinders & a few 305's. The 8.5's are best, but if the one you have now is not an 8.5, your driveshaft may be an inch or so too long. Here's some ID info:

www.novaresource.org/axle.htm

[Pianoman]

The 8.5" matching the Nova should be hard to find. Wasn´t most of them 8.2"?

[gt2betubbed]

When I had my 69 camaro, someone told me that a 68 cougar 9" would be a bolt in deal since the spring seats were close to the same (only had to pull em over 1/8" to get the bolt, so I was told)and the were the same length. Since the 69 camaro will bolt in, then I'm guessing that the cougar would be the same. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I was told by someone who had the set up in their camaro.

[robbysapien]

my car has a 6 cylnder but the bolts on my rear end look diffrent than the 7.5 rear ends? would the others you mentioned have posi? because i have seen many nova's my year without it but thanks for everyones help i wil be on the lookout

[jimfulco]

Posi was not a real popular option in Novas, but Camaro & Firebird performance models were commonly ordered with it. Problem is, the '70 & newer Camaro/Firebird rear ends won't fit in a Nova (too wide). The guts (posi carrier, etc.) will fit as long as the gear/housing size is the same. A '70-'81 Camaro/Firebird will have an 8.5" rear end, and if you have an 8.5" Nova rear end, the posi unit (if it has one) and gears from the Camaro rear will fit into the Nova housing. The new parts must be installed by someone who has the specialized tools & knowledge that are required. The 3rd gen Camaros usually used the 7.5" rear, but I wouldn't use a 7.5 because they are weak. They only used them in 305 Novas for one year, then they returned to the 8.5. Here's some more half-fast photos. Notice the protrusions at 5:00 & 7:00 positions that differentiate the 8.5" & 7.5" housings.

http://malibunorth.freeservers.com/RearID.html

[robbysapien]

thanks for the advice and the pictures they helped a lot but i was looking at my rear end today and i think it is the 8.5 because the cover and the bolts look totally different from the 7.5 and look identical to the 8.5 but once again thanks for your help