[SebJr]

I'm sure this car has been discussed here before, but thought I'd ask.
Some guys on another forum are trying to figure out if they made this car/engine combo in 70, seeing as Team Chevelle has pretty much answered all the questions I've ever had for my Chevelle's...I figured this would be the place to get this Nova question answered.

thanks guys,

heres the car

[brian oneil]

Should be a L-78 with aluminum heads and i beleive tri-power, making it a L-89.

[Big Dave]

L-89 was an aluminum headed 425 horse 427 (an L-88 with aluminum heads) not a 396. The fact that the interior is not matching and doesn't match the trim tag tells me this is a poorly cloned car. His documentation of a protecto plate (which warants only a V-8, not any paticular RPO code: so anything from a 307 to a 396 would be documented as being under warranty) is only good if it matches the VIN of the car (which would tell you it left the factory with a V-8).

This is a car with no documentaion in my opinion and the guy doesn't even know what "rare engine" RPO to put in his add. For all you know this thing could be a remanufactured car from the late eighties or late nineties when people wanted BBC cars to race on the street and Novas made a better sleeper than the much more well known and expensive first generation Camaro.

Big Dave

[brkyard]

The L89 was a 396/375 with aluminum heads. The L78 was a 396/375 with cast iron heads.

The L72 was a 427/425 motor with cast iron heads. The L88 was a 427/430 with aluminum heads.

This car has been discussed and has been pretty much declared a clone.

[SebJr]

OK...so the car is a clone..and a bad one at that, so I can assume if it's a clone of a particular car, that they did build that particular combo of car/engine in 1970.

[brkyard]

You can go to this link and read some posts from people that REALLY know what they are talking about when it involves a 1970 L89 Nova.

Just to be clear, the Chevrolet's 1970 396 was actually bored .030 to make it a 402 from the factory. GM just didn't changed the badges. Also, the L88 and L72 was never a Regular Production Option (RPO) in a Nova.


http://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/show...ge=7&fpart=all

Kurt

[SebJr]

Thanks Kurt

[WILMASBOYL78]

The L89 designation was used to denote the aluminum cylinder head option on several specific big block engines.....the 396/375 hp motors in 68-69 Camaros and 69 Chevelles... and the 68 427 tri-power engine in the Corvette. There were also a handful of 1970 Chevelles that got the L89 option...they are very rare.

As for the L89 option ever being installed in a Nova....the common opinion is that it never happened. In the 40 years since these cars were built, a real documented car has never surfaced. There been many rumors and stories about these cars and the topic comes up fairly often. Most folks would love to see one...some consider it the "holy grail" of Novas.

This particular 1970 car has been beat around the car sites many times...it's authenticity is certainly questionable. The 4.10 axle ratio was only avaialble in the Yenko Deuce in 1970...3.55 was the steepest gear you get in a production Nova.

Some folks would tell you "to never, say never" when it comes to rare cars/options from GM....the only thing I'm sure of is....they make for interesting discussion.

LOL...wilma

[brian oneil]

I would think on a car like this, if it actually ever existed would be documentation. I know they offered the alum head over the GM counter, but if it was not built from the factory, it is not a L-89.

On that note, I would beleive that GM built cars with options that never showed up on any option sheet. Money and clout talked. Now documenting one is a different story.