The introduction of the Nova, properly called the Chevy II in 1962 was met with great success. The car was economical to buy and operate, and Americans liked it. For that reason, Chevrolet didn’t feel the need to make many changes to the1963 models. That is, except for adding the Super Sport package. But when 1964 rolled around, the introduction of Chevrolet’s new Chevelle model, managed to take some of the Chevy II/Nova’s market share.
Behind that grille, the 153 cubic-inch four-cylinder engine was still standard, but the Hi-Thrift 194 cubic-inch six cylinder engine was available with 120 horsepower. Another option was the top-shelf six cylinder engine, the Turbo-Thrift. This engine carried 230 cubic-inches, and 155 horsepower. But, the big news for this year was the Chevy II/Nova now had a V-8 added to the option list. This new 283 cubic-inch V-8 engine came in two versions. One delivered 195 horsepower, and the second, gave consumers 220 horsepower. The choice of a two or three-speed automatic transmission was available, and the four-speed manual transmission was added to the options list.
The addition of a V-8 engine made sure that the 2,500 pound Chevy II/Nova not only looked like a real musclecar, but performed like one as well. The Super Sport package remained virtually unchanged from the preceding years, and the addition of special SS badging, bucket seats, a floor shifter, and a console were items included in the SS package. A slight restyling put the turn signals in the front bumper rather than in the grille, while out back a new taillight treatment could be found.