Chevy’s first 9C1

The gasoline crisis hit the United States in the early 1970s, and people began to seriously consider smaller and more fuel-efficient vehicles for personal transportation. Around this time, General Motors engineers envisioned producing an economical taxicab version of the Nova.

Enter the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, a large and progressive law enforcement agency covering an area almost as large as the state of Connecticut, with vastly varied geographical, topographical and environmental issues. With the energy crisis looming towards the acute stage, LAPD Sheriff Peter Pitchess ordered research into smaller, more fuel-efficient cruisers. Sheriff Pitchess also formed an Automotive Management Unit in March 1972. This group was comprised of sheriff’s employees along with other civilian automotive experts recruited from the L.A. County area, whom were sworn in as (Specialist) Reserve Deputy Sheriffs. Two members of the Automotive Group were Harris Bierman and John Christy, editors of Motor Trend magazine. Targeted goals for this group were to come up with a more efficient police cruiser, and to reduce the number of out-of-service (broken down) vehicles which, at any given time, averaged almost one-third of the fleet.

Christy, with his vast automotive knowledge and connections within the auto industry, went to work on the problem of developing a more efficient and reliable police cruiser. He described current police cars as “taxicabs with large engines.” One evening, in the spring of 1974, Christy and Sheriff’s Lieutenant Bill Kirtley met with a pair of GM engineers over an informal dinner in Los Angeles. The topic of discussion was developing a more fuel-efficient police cruiser.

After the meeting, the two GM engineers left Los Angeles and returned to Detroit. About a month later, the pair returned to Los Angeles driving a white 1973 Chevrolet Nova sedan, which was originally manufactured as a test mule for their upcoming taxicab program. This Nova had been driven hard and fast by GM engineers Jim Ingle and Harry Hammond from Michigan to Los Angeles, who arrived in three days’ driving time. This Nova appeared to be a typical, run-of-the-mill “Plain-Jane” grocery-getter. The first clue that this wasn’t Grandma’s 250-cid six-powered or 307-cid V-8-powered Nova was it sat on blackwall, raised-letter E-70x14 bias-belted Goodyear Polyglas Wide Oval tires. This particular Nova, in reality, was a prototype police-package car powered by the L48 four-barrel 350-cid V-8 with dual exhaust and rated at 185 hp. Behind this potent engine was a specially calibrated three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 automatic transmission, 3.08 differential gears and Positraction limited-slip differential. GM engineers had raided Chevrolet parts bins for the various specialized parts, using heavy-duty components intended for the Chevrolet truck, Corvette, Impala, Chevelle and Z28 Camaro.

The sheriff’s department was impressed with the performance of the prototype Nova, and 15 police-specification 1974 Chevrolet Novas were manufactured for evaluation and testing. Eleven of the Novas were purchased by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department. The remaining Novas were purchased by the Fountain Valley (California) Police Department.

There can be considerable differences between an essentially hand-built prototype and a production vehicle. The following year, 1975, brought about several changes in the Nova. The Nova itself grew larger, gaining an additional 300 pounds of weight. Suspensions were revamped. Additionally, the police version’s stock steering box was replaced utilizing the quicker-ratio (2.42-turns lock-to-lock) variable-ratio box from the Z28 Camaro. The F-41 Handling Package consisted of heavy-duty springs and shock absorbers and front and rear anti-sway bars. Stiffer rear spring bushings were also a part of this unique police suspension package. Exhaust emission standards were tightened that year, and a single exhaust system with a catalytic muffler was introduced. The LM1 350-cid V-8 engine replaced the previous year’s L48 Corvette engine. While there were no performance upgrades with the revised engine, this police-exclusive engine had slightly increased engine oil capacity and heavy-duty valvetrain components for better engine reliability.

Back in the 1970s, there were two automotive exhaust emission standards: Federal (49-state), and the stricter California standards for motor vehicles first sold in California. GM engineers focused on the California engine and finessed carburetor jetting, spark advance curve and timing specifications for optimum performance. The GM High Energy Ignition (HEI) system became standard that year. Ergo, all police Novas were equipped with the LM1 350 V-8 set to meet California standards. The specially calibrated M-40 Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission, with a police-specific low-gear block out (preventing the transmission from being manually placed in low gear) transmitted power to the rear axle. FR-70x14 Firestone Super 125 Kevlar fabric radial tires were also introduced that year as an option, mounted on 14x7-in. steel wheels. (Later, the fabric-belted radial tire became the only tire Chevrolet would “bless” with the police package). Brakes were power front discs from the full-size Impala. Chevrolet’s secret to these almost-impossible-to-fade brakes were semi-metallic front pads. This package also included a heavy-duty 80-ampere-hour battery, 61-amp alternator (with an optional 80-amp unit available and capable of producing 58 amps at idle) and heavy-duty cooling system. The secret of the cooling package was an oversize radiator and large seven-blade fan with a fluid clutch from the 454-cid-powered Chevy truck. The police package also included a heavy-duty front seat with thicker heavy-duty vinyl upholstery, along with a special rear seat for increased leg room. Chevrolet also engineered the rear door of the police cars to open wider than on stock Novas. The new Novas had a softer ride, due to the revised suspension and radial tires, but had better ride performance than the previous year’s Nova, which was considered harsh-riding. Even with the changes, the new Nova was a hit with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

John Christy instituted some of Motor Trend’s vehicle testing procedures with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s annual testing program of potential police vehicles. (The Los Angeles County Sheriff and Michigan State Police are the two law enforcement agencies in the United States who thoroughly evaluate potential police vehicles.) Vehicles were tested for acceleration, stopping and handling performance. Additionally, various potential reliability items were evaluated after the preliminary performance evaluations, such as measuring temperatures of various components including the radiator coolant and engine, transmission and power steering lubricants. (Excessively high temperatures could exceed the lubrication “breakdown” points, inviting component failure). Ease of repair was considered. This testing program was deemed “pass or fail.” Vehicles which did not pass these tests were deemed unacceptable and were not bid upon.

Come time for the sheriff’s annual Vehicle Testing Program involving the police-spec Nova, the police Nova did very well when compared against “traditional” police cars such as the intermediate-size Dodge Coronet, Plymouth Fury and the successful AMC Matador. However, it was not the top scorer. The Volvo 164E sedan won the top honors, beating the Nova by just a hair. Like American police vehicles, the police version of the Volvo was equipped with heavy-duty upgrades to withstand the rigors of police service, being that Volvo had already been successfully serving in police duty throughout Europe. The 360-cid. V-8-powered Dodge Dart was also a strong contender, but was not without its issues. California vehicles required a catalytic muffler, which dropped the Dart’s horsepower by 45 units compared to those sold outside the Golden State. In the real world, the Dart’s “K-frame,” to which the front suspension components were attached, would not withstand the severe stresses that police vehicles undergo. The Nova and a few other compact vehicles beat the Dart in handling and stopping.

In performance tests, the Nova accelerated from 0-60 mph in the 9-second range. Standing-start quarter-mile times ran a bit over 17 seconds with a trap speed of around 83 mph. Top speed was just a hair under 120 mph.

Despite being edged out by the Volvo, the final bid approval went to Chevrolet. The Volvo was more expensive than the Nova, and there were more Chevrolet dealers than Volvo dealers in Southern California. This would simplify maintenance, warranty issues and the availability of replacement parts. What wasn’t mentioned is that county administration was perhaps reluctant to affix the sheriff’s star on a foreign-manufactured sedan.

Still apprehensive, however, the county split the purchase order for 1975. The sheriff’s department purchased half Novas and the other half of the bid went to Plymouth Fury sedans powered by 360-cid engines and TorqueFlite automatics. After being upfitted with radios, emergency lights, sirens, security cages, markings and other cop gear, the first 33 Novas were quickly snapped up by the elite sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) deputies since the compact sedans were essentially four-door Z28 Camaros.

Most sheriff’s deputies loved the Nova because of its performance, brakes and handling. There were downsides, however. The Nova was a tight fit for two large deputies. Additionally, it could be challenging for deputies to wrestle a fighting 300-pound drunk into the rear seat of the relatively small Nova. Other issues concerned vehicle handling; deputies related that the Nova “handled like a go-kart.” Up to a point, that was true, however, when pushed past its limits, it was easy to lose control — which could suddenly occur without warning. Part of the handling issue was the Positraction rear axle. Vehicles with limited-slip differentials have different handling characteristics than those with standard differentials. When pushed hard, the car with a standard differential will probably spin one of the drive wheels while the car with a limited-slip differential may drive both rear wheels, thus propelling the vehicle in a different direction than intended.

Also, the Nova had a unitized body, and in severe sideways collisions, such as driving into a telephone pole or being “T-boned” by another vehicle at an intersection, the crash could be devastating to the occupants. Some police administrators feared the police Nova had too much engine for a small, light sedan, and when pushed beyond its limits, officers could easily get in over their heads. (The four-barrel 350-cid V-8 with the M-40 Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission and 3.08 rear axle was the only available power team for the police Nova in 1975.)

Christy wrote a series of articles for Motor Trendabout the Police Nova, or factory order code “COPO #9C1.” His prediction estimated that, if all law enforcement agencies utilized the Nova, governments in this country could realize more than $400 million in combined annual savings. Later, Christy personally owned a COPO 9C1 Nova and a police-spec Volvo 164E sedan for his personal transportation. One of his articles outlined the available options so a civilian could closely spec out a Nova close to the police version. Prospective civilian Nova buyers could order a smaller V-8 engine, such as the 305 or two-barrel 350-cid V-8 with the 2.56 rear axle. When your author was attending the police academy in 1978, a fellow police academy classmate did just that and spec’d out a new police-type Nova as his family transportation. 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had good luck with the Nova. During the first year of service, a couple Novas suffered transmission failures, but there were no major engine issues reported. Performance, handling and stopping ability of these smaller cruisers was excellent. They were also very reliable considering the punishment they had to endure as police vehicles. This reliability vastly reduced the number of out-of-service vehicles. Not only did the LASD purchase Novas, many suburban law enforcement agencies in Southern California utilized COPO 9C1 Novas, often “piggybacking” their vehicle order along with the sheriff’s order. Even the LAPD who, for years, ran MoPars and AMC Matadors, purchased 16 police-spec Novas in two-door configuration for undercover and vice detail. Subsequently, Novas served law enforcement agencies in 47 states and in Canada.

The Nova was a highly successful police car, and the LACS utilized the compact Nova until Chevrolet ceased production after the 1978 model year. The following years, the intermediate Chevrolet Malibu and full-size Impala/Caprice took on Chevrolet’s 9C1 police car duties.

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