Sua Sponte

1969 Chevrolet Nova SS

GM corporate policy in 1969 was firm: nothing larger than a 400 cubic-inch engine in anything smaller than a full-size car or Corvette. Don Yenko had been bending that rule for two years already with the Camaro and Chevelle. The Nova was a different problem entirely.

When Yenko pitched the idea of installing his 427 into the Nova SS to Chevrolet executives, they refused to touch it due to safety and liability concerns. A lightweight compact with that much power was considered impossible to insure and potentially dangerous. Yenko built it anyway. He ordered 1969 Nova SS cars equipped with the 375-horsepower L78 396 engine and pulled the motors at his dealership in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. His mechanics then installed 11.0:1 compression L72 427 cubic-inch crate engines producing 425 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque.

The 427 big-block pushed the 3,100-pound Nova to 60 mph in approximately 4.3 seconds. One was track tested at sub-11 second quarter mile times. Don Yenko himself referred to it as "barely legal at best" and "the wildest thing we ever did." On the street it looked completely stock. Just a compact family car with simple Yenko stripes. Insurance companies had no idea what was under the hood, which was entirely the point.