The Chevy Nova has been a longtime favorite among gearheads and custom car builders since its debut in 1962. The Chevy II (as it was known in the first generation) was created in less than 18 months as a basic offering that was intended to fill a need in the market for a modular platform that could include a two-door coupe, two-door convertible, a four-door sedan, and a wagon. The rush to market and modular platform proved to be popular with consumers as the model line became a robust seller.

While the Nova was never intended to be a top-of-the-line sports car, it had clean lines and was offered in a two-door. And as the old go-fast adage stipulates, putting a big engine in a small car is always a good combination. The largest engine that Chevy initially offered from the factory in 1962-1965 era was a 327cu good for 300hp. The hot rodders of the time sourced bigger engines from other cars and manufacturers and a legend was born.

By the time the 2nd gen (1966-1967) rolled around, it was a favorite among speed chasers and customizers of the day for its cheap initial price and decent power. It still retained its modular offerings of a convertible, coupe, four-door, and wagon and endured as a decent seller for the masses. The same 327 was offered as the highest horsepower offering, but that didn’t stop speed demons from chasing that ever-shortening ¼ mile time.

The 3rd gen (1968-1972) really saw the Nova beef up in response to the usage of the car. A longer wheelbase, redesigned body, and a larger 350cu engine was offered, making it a full-fledged muscle car. Although the modular offerings were cut down to just a two-door coupe, a funky and seldom seen three-door coupe, and a four-door sedan, the two-door pushed out the best power-to-weight ratio.

TMI always had a robust product offering for the 1968-1972 year range but had recently expanded that to include some new styling patterns that were applied to seats, door panels, quarter panels, and molded fiberglass two-piece seats that have the option of a cupholder console. These products then got treated to the newly developed Super Sport pattern that gives a nod to the speed-centric builders of the time with an overall look that emulates racing stripes, with dual stripes going down the middle utilizing triangular sections on both the seat back and bottom.

The Nova platform is so popular with the restomod and race community that one of our local heroes hit us up for a full interior. Ken Johnson is building an absolute monster of a 1971 Nova with a planned horsepower rating of over 1,000hp. Ken contacted TMI to get a full interior and TMI responded with a full custom kit to deck out that demon and give it some style. A set of door and quarter panels, carpet kit, a headliner, and dash pad are only some of the products TMI provided, not to mention a set of Pro-Chicane seats in their new Super Sport pattern to give more credence to the speed-centric focus of Ken’s Nova. Look for more coverage of the Boosted Nova right here in the near future.

The new product offering themselves can be teamed up with existing TMI Nova components to completely transform the interior of any 1968-1972 Nova. The entire interior can be upgraded with new TMI products including front seats, door and quarter panels, a center console, carpet and headliner, as well as a fiberglass molded rear seat, as well as a trunk kit. And the best part of TMI manufacturing methods is that they ship to your door completely ready to install.

Novas of all eras have been popular since their debut, but none more than recently. Decent Novas still exist out in the wild, but their numbers are decreasing and their prices are going up. If your plan is to build one, then TMI has your interior figured out.