Roger's 1969 Nova SS

The origional owner told me a story about how he origionally ordered it as a 375 Horse 396 and the factory messed up thinking that he meant to order a 370 Horse 350. The story continues that he had to wait 4 months for delivery and when the car finally got to Steakley Bros. Cheverolet, here in Waco, TX, he was notified, he went down to the dealership to pay for the car.

Upon arriving at the dealership he saw the engine emblems on the front fenders. They had the "350" emblems, not the "396" emblems. The origional owner told me that he, then, turned the car down and was not going to take delivery of it. The dealership, then made him a lower price offer, then he decided to accept it.

Back then no one wanted a small block. Everyone around here, in Waco, was running big blocks at the time. So, therefore, the origional owner didn't think to keep any of the paperwork that would go with such a "Red Headed Step-Child" kind of car.

The origional owner put a few over-the-counter performance parts on the car, such as dual points, etc. He also put aftermarket parts, such as headers, matching exhaust, and cheap traction bars. He, then took the car up to Green Valley Raceway and ended up having a really good day, spanking a few big block cars in the process. Then, he would occassionally take the car down to another local drag stip, Little River, and surprising everyone down there with the LT-1's performance.

By the time I bought the car in 1977 he had had his fun with the car, gotten off into jet-boats and was using this Nova as a dragboat towing vehicle.

Since I have owned the car, some 25 years, no less than 30 or so local people have pulled me over while I was out driving around town, here, and told me the same story about the car. So, lacking the proper paperwork to the car, I don't know how to respond to people who still tell me the same story that I have told you.

The rest of the car was as he ordered: No power steering, no radio (I punched holes in the dash for the Pioneer Super Tuner II stereo in 1983), Corvette disc brakes, Muncy 4 speed tranny, and what is supposed to be a 4:10 limited slip differential, 14 x 7 ralley wheels, Special Order Burgundy paint with matching color bucket seeted interior.

I don't know if the differential is really a 4:10 ratio, because 3rd gear will take me up to just shy of 100 mph. But, it is a limited slip.