This Big-Block 1970 Nova Barn Find Has A Mystery Hiding Under The Hood
A 1970 Chevrolet Nova SS barn find has a 454-cubic-inch V8 under the hood, but there’s a question about its past that its new owner hasn’t been able to answer: did this classic muscle car originally leave the factory with a big-block engine? Parker from Backyard Barn Finds recently bought the black Nova from Christine, whose late husband, Val, bought the car new when he was just 18. According to Christine, he paid $3,000 for it and used it for local driving and drag racing. He even raced at Indiana’s US30 Dragstrip, where he won two trophies. The car now needs some attention, but its history gets particularly interesting when Parker starts investigating what’s under the hood.
The 454 Isn’t The Nova’s Original Engine
Christine recalls that a previous owner blew up the car’s original engine before Val bought it. She says that engine was a 396, but Val eventually installed a 454 in its place. Parker identifies the current 454 as a service-replacement block, meaning it isn’t the engine the Nova originally left the factory with. That leaves an important question unanswered. Chevrolet offered the 1970 Nova SS with several V8 options, including a 350-cubic-inch small-block and two versions of the big-block 396. The high-performance L78 version was rated at 375 horsepower. If this Nova originally came with an L78, that would make its history particularly interesting. However, there’s no conclusive evidence establishing that it did.
Clues Suggest The Car Might Have Started With A 350
After examination, Parker found out that some of the hardware is consistent with a big-block setup, but other details lead him to suspect the car might have started life with a 350 before someone converted it to big-block power. It’s an interesting theory, but Parker can’t prove it. The original engine is gone, and the available evidence doesn’t conclusively establish which V8 Chevrolet installed when the car was built.
The Nova itself appears to be a promising restoration project, with a largely solid body and some surface rust. Parker plans to take it back to Pennsylvania and work on it alongside his 1968 Camaro. For now, the car’s next chapter is taking shape, even if one part of its past remains unresolved: was this Nova born with big-block power, or did it gain that muscle later in its life?
Source: Backyard Barn Finds YouTube
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