70 Nova SS with 402 + THM 400

[CDAUSA]

First timer here--would appreciate info on production numbers on this SS Nova with 402 and Turbo 400. I have known the car since new--I drove it off the lot, have reowned since 72. The only distinguishing thing about the trans is it has 6 bolts from the convertor to flex plate. If you could direct me to an appropriate place to find information I would appreciate it. Thanks

[SS427]

My figures show 19,558 Nova SS's for 1970 but I have no breakdown on Turbo 400. If the trans is original with the 6 attaching bolts, that is a possible sign that it is a 375 horse 402. What are the engine, trans and rear codes?

[CDAUSA]

Oh Yes! It is a 375 horse, it came with 3:55's and the turbo--It was never right, it would turn about 4400 with E-70's at 70.

Didn't take no Columbo to figure out the convertor was slipping--I don't know if this was an early attempt at a stall convertor or what. I still have the convertor, but I wouldn't put it back in.

It is an iron head car though--original pale yellow paint and black vinyl top---43000 miles, bench, mat in the floor, column shift, if memory serves it has a #4557 holley.

All of my big block Nova's are 375 horse cars---was there anything else????

Looking at your handle--I also had a SS427 Impala in 69'--I always called it Marina Blue but am not sure if it was--Beautiful car!! Awfully heavy though!!

I had just been told the car was not righteous---this coming from a Chevy guy--saying that they never put a Turbo in a 375 horse car---but I know how it came off the carrier with 3 miles!! Thanks

[JoeC]

CDAUSA, Welcome to the site. Sounds like a great car. There were 3,765 L78 396/375 hp Novas built in 1970 and 1,802 396/350 hp. I don't think that any records exist that can tell you how many 375 hp Novas had the TH400. I would guess most of them were 4sp. Is there a plate on the pass side of the trans with a bunch of numbers on it? I was trying to decode these plates to see if the serial numbers will show how many were built but I don't have enough data yet. here is a Nova site with more info

http://www.novaresource.com

[Mr70]

Here is what we know on 1970 L-78 Tonawanda Records engine production show:
L-78 Manual CKO engines made-5572
L-78 Auto. CTY engines made-1338
401 of these were Service engines.

3765 X-Body-Nova
2144 A-Body-Chevelle
600 F-body-Camaro

Now for the guesses.
It is Believed that all 600 L-78 Camaros are Manual trans.(Pending Charleys example)

I have a L-78 Chevelle and started a registry years ago.Of the almost 200 buildsheets or related documents I have obtained,they almost always came with a Manual trans.
I have an Auto in my car and only have 4 other Chevelles that came this way too.

I believe the majority of the 1970 L-78 Novas came with Automatic trans.

This is just my opinion from what I have read,seen,and touched.

[COPO]

Rick,

Why do you think most of the L-78 Novas were auto? I would have guessed just the opposite.

[CDAUSA]

Joe--the tin tag just in front of the governor cover---is about 1 1/8" by 2"--little information there. I will try to put this right:


344



70-CW- 2034



And that is it----and no greasy paws have ever laid a hand on it but me!!!

Mr70--You may be right--mine is a guess only--out of the ten that I own or have owned---hundreds I have seen--none but this one was an auto. I have checked every site I can find on the web and have been told everything from "It never happened" to "only 350 horse cars had them"--but thanks for your thoughts guys. Steve

[CDAUSA]

Well Joe--that didn't come out right, but that is all that is on that tag--the stamped numbers on the driver side are all correct!

[Mr70]

Charlie & Steve you are right.
Let me clarify.
I meant to say that the Nova got the majority of those M-40 Transmissions.
If the L-78 Camaro didn't get the M-40,and very few L-78 Chevelles got the M-40,then that would leave the rest of the 1338 M-40 coded engines to be found in the L-78 Novas.

Now out of the 3765 L-78 Novas produced,lets say 1000 were M-40's.
Leaving 2765 Novas getting the Manual trans.,as Steve has suggested he has seen more with the Manual trans as well.

Again this is my guesstimate,
but Bottom line is a 1970 L-78 Camaro-Nova-Chevelle with an M-40 Auto.Trans.from the factory is a rare car.The majority of them all were Manual trans.Sorry to have worded that wrong earlier.

Steve
My Trans tag says:
276
70 CW 1436
I believe the 276 to mean the 276th day of the year.Which decodes to October 2nd 1969.Which would work out correct to my October 24th Cowl tag date.






[Edited by mr70 (01-02-2002 at 08:26 AM).]

[JoeC]

The 3 digit number is the date code starting with 1/1/69 and the 4 digit number may be some type of sequential serial number. So what I was thinking is there were 2034 units built of the "CW" TH400 by the date 344 which is NOV 1969. I am just guessing because I don't have that many numbers to compare. I was doing this with the "CX" trans for the COPO cars.