1978 wasn’t quite the lowest point when it came to anything performance-related in the automotive world, but you could see the lowest point from there. 185 horsepower Corvettes, 180 horsepower Trans Ams, and loads upon loads of tank-like Fords and Chryslers were as good as it got for most folks. If you wanted something that could move out and make at least a half-hearted attempt at putting a smile on your face you had two real options: a Dodge truck or a cop car. You know about the big-block Chryslers from this era, which even when smog-choked, could run, but lesser known are Chevrolet’s attempts at downsizing cop cars. The Bel Air and Impala fit the big car requirement, but with fuel economy becoming a real issue, shrinking down to the X-body Nova and the A/G-body Malibu offered up a chance to gain performance via weight loss. The 9C1 Nova was offered from 1975-79, in both two and four-door body shells, and offered a healthy mix of X-body Nova and Camaro Z28 parts that created a surprisingly competent mover. It wasn’t 1969 Polara fast, but for the day, nothing new was or would be. The Nova wouldn’t drain the tank like the bigger cars, had a handling advantage due to it’s borrowed components and lighter weight, and for the districts that turned a blind eye towards adjustments in the garage…well, you can use your imagination there.
I had a buddy in the navy whose dad was a small-town sheriff in Tenn. They had a fleet of these and one of them was ordered with a 4 speed! Jack brought it on base with him one day, and it looked factory. Bucket seats too. He told me it was special ordered, but this has to be one of one.