1979 · Chevrolet · United States
1979 Chevrolet Nova: the final year
Final year of the 1962-1979 chronology. Enthusiast-compiled production: 97,721 cars.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
This record's own dek describes 1979 as the final year of the 1962-1979 chronology this record covers, with an enthusiast-compiled total of 97,721 cars and no separate SS figure carried in this record's key facts or production rows for the year. This record's own overview states that every count comes from the same single enthusiast compilation, NovaResource.org, with ratings carried as SAE net figures for the year.1
Three body-style rows are documented, 4,819 hatchbacks, 44,329 cars in the source's own "2 Door Sedan" column, and 48,573 four-door sedans. Three engines are documented: the 250 six coded L22 at 115 net hp, and two V8s, the 305 coded LG3 at 130 net hp and the 350 coded LM1 at 165 net hp. The installation figures in this record's production table sum exactly against its own V8 cylinder-count row: 19,749 305 V8 cars plus 3,157 350 V8 cars equal the 22,906-car V8 row also documented here.1
Three transmissions carry their own installation counts: 3,055 three-speed manuals, 616 MM4 four-speeds, and 94,050 M38 Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 automatics. This record's own key facts cite the kit's price schedule for initial 1979 shipments, its page published January 22, 1979, listing the six-cylinder Nova from $3,954.95 for the coupe to $4,263.95 for the Custom sedan, with the Nova Rally equipment at $211.00 and the 5.7-litre (350) V8 priced separately at $360.00.
This record's own options section prices the Nova Rally package, coded Z26, at $211.00 with its own separately sourced installation count of 2,299 units, and its own note states that the 1979 kit lists the Rally equipment as RPO Z26 in both the price schedule and the Nova Rally stripe-package chart. This record's engine options are named in metric displacement for the year rather than cubic inches, the 4.1-litre six, the 5.0-litre V8 and the 5.7-litre V8, alongside the AB8 Cabriolet roof at $190.00 and an extensive further options list running past thirty codes, including four distinct audio options topping out at a $395.00 AM/FM stereo radio with a digital clock display and a $335.00 AM radio paired with an 8-track stereo tape system.
Fourteen solid exterior colors and twelve interior trim codes are documented for the year, both drawn from the enthusiast reference's own cowl-tag code pages. This record's own specifications section carries only curb weights for five body and series combinations, from 3,262 lb for the base Nova two-door coupe up to 3,342 lb for the Nova Custom four-door sedan, with no wheelbase or standard tire size documented in this record for 1979, a gap left visible rather than filled from another year's figures; its performance section remains empty for the year.
This record's own identification section documents cowl-tag series XX for Nova and XY for Nova Custom, alongside body codes for the hatchback, coupe and sedan, and two assembly-plant abbreviations, T for Tarrytown, New York, and W for Willow Run, Michigan. Conflicts and unpublished leads are both empty for the year, leaving production, prices, engines, transmissions, the options list, paint, interiors, specifications and identification as the whole of this record's sourced coverage for the final documented Nova model year in this chronology.1
Fact sheet · 1979 · United States
The numbers
1979 Chevrolet Nova — Final year of the 1962-1979 chronology. Enthusiast-compiled production: 97,721 cars.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
- Total 1979 production per source: 97,721.1
- Chevrolet's price schedule for initial 1979 shipments (page published January 22, 1979) lists the six-cylinder Nova from $3,954.95 (coupe) to $4,263.95 (Custom sedan); the Nova Rally equipment (RPO Z26) was $211.00 and the 5.7-litre (350) V8 $360.00.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chevy II / Nova, all series1 US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 97,721 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-door hatchback1 2-door hatchback · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 4,819 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 2-door (source column "2 Door Sedan")1 2-door (source column "2 Door Sedan") · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 44,329 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 4-door sedan1 4-door sedan · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 48,573 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-cylinder cars1 L6 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 74,814 | built, model-year | Reported |
| V8 cars1 V8 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 22,906 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 250 I6 engines installed1 250 I6 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 74,814 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 305 V8 engines installed1 305 V8 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 19,749 | built, model-year | Reported |
| 350 V8 engines installed1 350 V8 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 3,157 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-speed manual installed1 3-speed manual · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 3,055 | built, model-year | Reported |
| MM4 4-speed installed1 MM4 4-speed · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 616 | built, model-year | Reported |
| M38 Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 installed1 M38 Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 · US tabulation (source does not state geography) | 94,050 | built, model-year | Reported |
All counts are from one enthusiast compilation (NovaResource.org), which says its numbers were compiled from many sources and carry no guarantee; the underlying Chevrolet documents were not seen. Status is reported, or estimated where the source itself marks a value approximate or rounded.
Rows are separately scoped. Body, cylinder, engine-displacement and transmission rows each describe the whole line from a different angle and must not be added across groups.
A value missing from this table was marked unavailable ("?") or zero in the source and is not shown; missing does not mean zero.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Nova hatchback coupe 1XX17, 6-cylinder | $4,118.37 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination charges, state and local taxes, optional equipment (Chevrolet Motor Vehicle Price Schedule, prices effective with initial shipments of 1979 model motor vehicles; page published January 22, 1979), 1978-10 |
| Nova 2-door coupe 1XX27, 6-cylinder | $3,954.95 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination charges, state and local taxes, optional equipment (Chevrolet Motor Vehicle Price Schedule, prices effective with initial shipments of 1979 model motor vehicles; page published January 22, 1979), 1978-10 |
| Nova 4-door sedan 1XX69, 6-cylinder | $4,054.95 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination charges, state and local taxes, optional equipment (Chevrolet Motor Vehicle Price Schedule, prices effective with initial shipments of 1979 model motor vehicles; page published January 22, 1979), 1978-10 |
| Nova Custom 2-door coupe 1XY27, 6-cylinder | $4,163.95 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination charges, state and local taxes, optional equipment (Chevrolet Motor Vehicle Price Schedule, prices effective with initial shipments of 1979 model motor vehicles; page published January 22, 1979), 1978-10 |
| Nova Custom 4-door sedan 1XY69, 6-cylinder | $4,263.95 | manufacturer's suggested retail price; excludes destination charges, state and local taxes, optional equipment (Chevrolet Motor Vehicle Price Schedule, prices effective with initial shipments of 1979 model motor vehicles; page published January 22, 1979), 1978-10 |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| L22 · 250 I6 (L22)1 250 cu in · 1-barrel carburetor | 115 hp @ 3,800, 200 lb-ft @ 1,600 (SAE net) | offered (standard/optional status by series not stated in source table) | Not yet sourced |
| LG3 · 305 V8 (LG3)1 305 cu in · 2-barrel carburetor | 130 hp @ 3,200, 245 lb-ft @ 2,000 (SAE net) | offered (standard/optional status by series not stated in source table) | Not yet sourced |
| LM1 · 350 V8 (LM1)1 350 cu in · 4-barrel carburetor | 165 hp @ 3,800, 260 lb-ft @ 2,400 (SAE net) | offered (standard/optional status by series not stated in source table) | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| 3-speed manual1 | offered | 3,0551 Reported |
| MM4 · MM4 4-speed1 | offered | 6161 Reported |
| M38 · M38 Turbo Hydra-Matic 3501 | offered | 94,0501 Reported |
Options and packages
| Code | Option | Price | Installed |
|---|---|---|---|
Z26package |
Nova Rally package1 | $211 | 2,2991 Reported |
|
Sport cloth bench seat (J**1) | $23 | Not yet sourced |
|
Custom sport cloth bench seat (E**1) | $23 | Not yet sourced |
|
Custom vinyl bucket seats (X**2) | $85 | Not yet sourced |
|
Two-tone paint (includes bright outline moldings) | $55 | Not yet sourced |
|
Vinyl roof cover (includes bright roof drip moldings) | $99 | Not yet sourced |
AB8RPO |
Cabriolet roof | $190 | Not yet sourced |
L22RPO |
4.1 litre 1-bbl L6 | $0 | Not yet sourced |
LG3RPO |
5.0 litre 2-bbl V8 | $235 | Not yet sourced |
LM1RPO |
5.7 litre 4-bbl V8 | $360 | Not yet sourced |
C60RPO |
Four-Season air conditioning, without V8 (includes V01) | $562 | Not yet sourced |
C60RPO |
Four-Season air conditioning, with V8 | $529 | Not yet sourced |
G92RPO |
Performance axle ratio | $18 | Not yet sourced |
G80RPO |
Limited slip differential | $64 | Not yet sourced |
UA1RPO |
Heavy-duty battery | $20 | Not yet sourced |
AK1RPO |
Deluxe color-keyed belts, bench-seat coupes and sedans | $23 | Not yet sourced |
AK1RPO |
Deluxe color-keyed belts, bucket-seat coupes | $21 | Not yet sourced |
J50RPO |
Power brakes | $76 | Not yet sourced |
V30RPO |
Bumper rub strips and guards | $79 | Not yet sourced |
U35RPO |
Electric clock (included with U14) | $23 | Not yet sourced |
D55RPO |
Console | $80 | Not yet sourced |
C50RPO |
Rear window defogger, forced-air | $55 | Not yet sourced |
AU3RPO |
Power door locks, coupe | $80 | Not yet sourced |
AU3RPO |
Power door locks, sedan | $111 | Not yet sourced |
YF5RPO |
California emission requirements | $83 | Not yet sourced |
NA6RPO |
High-altitude emission equipment | $35 | Not yet sourced |
B37RPO |
Color-keyed floor mats | $23 | Not yet sourced |
UF7RPO |
Gage package (econominder, voltmeter, temperature) | $53 | Not yet sourced |
A01RPO |
Tinted glass, all windows | $64 | Not yet sourced |
U05RPO |
Dual horns | $9 | Not yet sourced |
U14RPO |
Special instrumentation | $112 | Not yet sourced |
ZJ3RPO |
Interior Decor Package (standard on Nova Custom) | $31 | Not yet sourced |
TR9RPO |
Auxiliary lighting, hatchback without ZJ3 | $43 | Not yet sourced |
D31RPO |
Day-night inside mirror | $10.50 | Not yet sourced |
D33RPO |
LH remote outside mirror | $18 | Not yet sourced |
D35RPO |
Sport mirrors, LH remote and RH manual | $43 | Not yet sourced |
B84RPO |
Body side moldings with black vinyl insert | $43 | Not yet sourced |
BW2RPO |
Deluxe body side moldings | $53 | Not yet sourced |
B51RPO |
Bright rocker and extension moldings, without ZJ5 | $37 | Not yet sourced |
B51RPO |
Bright rocker and extension moldings, with ZJ5 | $15 | Not yet sourced |
B93RPO |
Door edge guards, coupes | $13 | Not yet sourced |
B93RPO |
Door edge guards, sedans | $20.50 | Not yet sourced |
B80RPO |
Roof drip moldings | $20 | Not yet sourced |
B90RPO |
Side window reveal moldings | $41 | Not yet sourced |
B96RPO |
Wheel opening moldings | $22.50 | Not yet sourced |
B74RPO |
Wide wheel opening moldings | $39 | Not yet sourced |
V01RPO |
Heavy-duty radiator | $33 | Not yet sourced |
U63RPO |
AM radio | $82 | Not yet sourced |
U69RPO |
AM/FM radio | $158 | Not yet sourced |
U58RPO |
AM/FM stereo radio | $232 | Not yet sourced |
UM1RPO |
AM radio with stereo tape system | $244 | Not yet sourced |
UM2RPO |
AM radio with 8-track stereo tape system | $335 | Not yet sourced |
UN3RPO |
AM/FM stereo radio with 8-track stereo tape system | $341 | Not yet sourced |
UY8RPO |
AM/FM stereo radio with digital clock display | $395 | Not yet sourced |
U80RPO |
Rear seat speaker | $25 | Not yet sourced |
U76RPO |
Windshield antenna | $27 | Not yet sourced |
K30RPO |
Automatic speed control | $103 | Not yet sourced |
N41RPO |
Power steering | $163 | Not yet sourced |
N33RPO |
Comfortilt steering wheel | $75 | Not yet sourced |
N65RPO |
Stowaway spare (standard on hatchback) | $19.30 | Not yet sourced |
D85RPO |
Body side pin striping | $30 | Not yet sourced |
F40RPO |
Heavy-duty suspension, V8 | $11 | Not yet sourced |
F41RPO |
Sport suspension (includes 14 x 7 wheels) | $45 | Not yet sourced |
QEGRPO |
E78-14/B bias-belted blackwall tires (standard) | $0 | Not yet sourced |
QEHRPO |
E78-14/B white stripe tires, coupe and sedan without N65 | $47 | Not yet sourced |
QDVRPO |
FR78-14/B steel-belted radial blackwall tires, coupe or sedan without N65 | $118.95 | Not yet sourced |
QDWRPO |
FR78-14/B steel-belted radial white stripe tires, coupe and sedan without N65 | $167.95 | Not yet sourced |
QBTRPO |
FR78-14/B steel-belted radial white-lettered tires, coupe and sedan without N65 | $183.95 | Not yet sourced |
MM3RPO |
3-speed manual | $0 | Not yet sourced |
MM4RPO |
4-speed manual | $135 | Not yet sourced |
MX1RPO |
Automatic | $335 | Not yet sourced |
ZJ5RPO |
Value Appearance Group (B80, B90, B96 and rocker moldings) | $79 | Not yet sourced |
P01RPO |
Full wheel covers | $43 | Not yet sourced |
N95RPO |
Wire wheel covers | $130 | Not yet sourced |
ZJ7RPO |
Rally wheels | $88 | Not yet sourced |
A31RPO |
Power windows, coupes | $126 | Not yet sourced |
A31RPO |
Power windows, sedan | $178 | Not yet sourced |
A20RPO |
Swing-out rear side windows | $59 | Not yet sourced |
CD4RPO |
Intermittent windshield wipers | $38 | Not yet sourced |
Paint
| Code | Color | Built |
|---|---|---|
11 |
White1 | Not yet sourced |
15 |
Silver Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
19 |
Black1 | Not yet sourced |
22 |
Light Blue Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
24 |
Bright Blue Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
29 |
Dark Blue Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
40 |
Light Green1 | Not yet sourced |
44 |
Medium Green Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
51 |
Bright Yellow1 | Not yet sourced |
61 |
Beige1 | Not yet sourced |
63 |
Camel Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
69 |
Dark Brown Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
75 |
Red1 | Not yet sourced |
77 |
Carmine Metallic1 | Not yet sourced |
Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.
Interiors
| Code | Trim | Built |
|---|---|---|
11N |
White vinyl bench1 | Not yet sourced |
19R |
Black vinyl bench1 | Not yet sourced |
24B |
Standard coupe and sedan (A52 bench): Light Blue Bordeau woven sport cloth | Not yet sourced |
24R |
Standard (A52 bench): Light Blue Plisse vinyl | Not yet sourced |
62B |
Standard coupe and sedan (A52 bench): Camel Tan Bordeau woven sport cloth | Not yet sourced |
62R |
Standard (A52 bench): Camel Tan Plisse vinyl | Not yet sourced |
74R |
Standard (A52 bench): Carmine Plisse vinyl | Not yet sourced |
24D |
Custom (A52 bench): Light Blue Edinburgh woven sport cloth | Not yet sourced |
62D |
Custom (A52 bench): Camel Tan Edinburgh woven sport cloth | Not yet sourced |
62N |
Custom (A52 bench or A51 bucket): Camel Tan Wallaby vinyl | Not yet sourced |
74D |
Custom (A52 bench): Carmine Edinburgh woven sport cloth | Not yet sourced |
74N |
Custom (A52 bench or A51 bucket): Carmine Wallaby vinyl | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Curb weight, Nova hatchback 1XX17 (250 L6) | 3,382 lb | base vehicle |
| Curb weight, Nova 2-door coupe 1XX27 (250 L6) | 3,262 lb | base vehicle |
| Curb weight, Nova 4-door sedan 1XX69 (250 L6) | 3,300 lb | base vehicle |
| Curb weight, Nova Custom 2-door coupe 1XY27 (250 L6) | 3,307 lb | base vehicle |
| Curb weight, Nova Custom 4-door sedan 1XY69 (250 L6) | 3,342 lb | base vehicle |
Identification
- Cowl tag series and body codes
- Cowl-tag series XX Nova, XY Nova Custom; body 17 hatchback, 27 2-door, 69 4-door sedan.1
- Assembly plants (cowl-tag codes)
- T Tarrytown NY; W Willow Run MI1
Identification
Read a 1979 Chevrolet VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1979
- AMC AMX The Spirit liftback carried the AMX name for 1979 with color-keyed flares, Rally-Tuned suspension and the 258 six or 304 V8. An unattributed secondary report puts deliveries at 3,657.
- AMC Gremlin X and Spirit AMX The Spirit liftback carried the AMX name for 1979 with color-keyed flares, Rally-Tuned suspension and the 258 six or 304 V8. An unattributed secondary report puts deliveries at 3,657.
- Buick Regal Turbo, Grand National and GNX The two-barrel turbo was dropped, the four-barrel Quadrajet became standard at 170 hp, and 21,389 turbo Sport Coupes were built.
- Buick Riviera Front-drive E-body Riviera and Motor Trend Car of the Year; the S Type brought the turbo 3.8 V-6 (185 hp).
- Chevrolet El Camino SS RPO Z15 Super Sport trim on the fifth-generation El Camino; no production count from a verifiable source was found.
- Ford Ranchero GT In the Ranchero's last year a secondary source reports 12,159 GTs among 25,010 sold, a lineage no primary Ford record read here confirms.
- Ford Thunderbird The 400 was gone; a 302 V-8 with SelectShift was the standard power team and the Heritage replaced the Diamond Jubilee.
- Mercury Capri RS and ASC/McLaren The Fox-platform Capri generation, whose trims included the RS and Turbo RS, began; a secondary source puts 1979 output at about 110,000, some 9,500 of them Turbo RS.
- Mercury Cougar Outside the muscle focus: 172,152 Cougars for 1979 per Wikipedia's table.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The Hurst/Olds returned on the downsized Cutlass Calais, built entirely by Oldsmobile with a 350 V-8: 2,499 built, 1,165 white and 1,334 black.
- Plymouth Road Runner A low-volume Volare appearance and performance package.
- Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The peak: 211,453 Firebirds, 117,108 Trans Ams, and 7,500 Tenth Anniversary cars.
- Pontiac Grand Prix The last year of the SJ with a 301 4-barrel as the top engine.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The downsized LeMans offered its strongest powertrain in the 301 four-barrel (L37), the only V8 listed with a four-speed manual.