Why Joe Rogan's LT4 Powered '69 Chevy Nova Is A Drool

This one-of-a-kind classic Chevy Nova is proof that the MMA commentator has exceptional taste when it comes to old-school Muscle cars

It is safe to say, classic American Muscle cars have been immortalized. While many would think of the countless movies featuring fast versions of the 1960s and 1970s American cars, we are talking about the numerous custom shops, working their magic to reimagine them. One such example is the reimagined 1969 Chevy Nova, built by Pure Vision Design, and specially built for Joe Rogan. The MMA commentator and podcaster has worked closely with the California-based shop to create the ultimate, daily-drivable, high-powered, classic Muscle car.

RELATED: 10 Great Things About The Chevrolet Nova SS That You Might Not Know

Pure Vision's style is known for making cars that look almost stock but have been totally redesigned. A while back, AutotopiaLA featured another build from Pure Vision - a1969 Ford Mustang Anvil that was Fast and Furious 6. Now we are showing you a build, called the R Nova. While it started life as a 1969 model year and still looks largely stock, almost all the sheet metal has been custom-fabricated, except for the roof.

The front quarter panels are remodeled 1969 Camaro pieces, as are the doors (for the most part). The upper sections of the doors are still from a Nova, but everything below the belt line is ’69 Camaro. The rear quarter panels are from a 1969 Pontiac Firebird, but like the front fenders, they have been shortened to fit the R Nova. With the new body kit, the custom Chevy is 3.0 inches (76.2 mm) wider than stock.

The front section of the car looks completely stock but has been thoroughly revised. The chrome bumper has been tucked in to make it flush with the body while the front grille has been extended downwards, effectively removing the plastic filler trim.

The rear has received a similar treatment. The rear chrome bumper has been pushed in and features four openings for the quad-exhaust tips – a very 1950s design trait. The quad tips are bolted directly to the bumper and connected to the exhaust system with flex pipes. The taillights look stock and even feature the ’69 Nova bezels, but actually mimic the ones on a ’69 Camaro. In between, them sits a fuel cap from a ’68 Plymouth Barracuda.

The most interesting design feature here is the integrated, rear spoiler that "spills" down the rear quarter panels. It's made out of two 1970.5 Camaro Z28 spoilers since the Nova is wider than the 1970.5 Camaro. The aesthetic is rounded up by three-piece, HRE, five-spoke wheels, 18-inch at the front, 19-inch at the back, wrapped in high-performance Pirelli tires, 275 mm wide at the front, and 355 mm at the rear.

RELATED: The Ultimate Muscle Car Showdown: Old School vs Modern

Under the hood of Joe Rogan's custom, R Nova, you find custom inner fenders and a not-so-custom engine. That's because Pure Vision decided to leave the LT4, GM crate engine completely stock, aside from the APR hardware. The cylinder heads have been finished in Chevy orange while the factory, stainless-steel exhaust manifolds have been polished. There are also dedicated passageways for all the hoses and no beauty covers.

"I wanted to make sure Joe had serviceable, functional, fun car", Pure Vision Design owner, Steve Strope, said in front of AutotopiaLA.

Speaking of usability, the 6.2-liter, supercharged V-8 packs the factory 650 horsepower at 6,400 RPM and 640 pound-feet (868 Nm) at 3,600 RPM, which is the same as you would find in a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Power goes to the rear through a Tremec T56, a six-speed manual with what Steve Strope believes to be "around 3.50" rear gears. According to him, at 80 mph (129 km/h), the engine sits at around 2,300 RPM, which makes this an ideal long-distance cruiser.

RELATED: Would You Buy a Modern Chevy Nova If It Looked Like This?

While Joe Rogan's one-off Chevy Nova is impressive on the outside and in the engine bay, Pure Vision Design has matched that underneath the body. The chassis consists of custom frame rails with Art Morrison front and rear sub-frames where the front section utilizes Corvette A-arms, in a gold finish, matched by the HRE wheels’ inner finish. The gold theme continues even on the Pirelli logos on the tires, giving the car a unique character.

More importantly, all the fluid lines have been routed in a way that will not allow for any of them to be severed in case the car's underbelly hits something or bottoms out. JRI adjustable, coil-over suspension and Bear brakes have been installed to improve handling and stopping power. Another neat feature is the structural reinforcing, which was done from the inner side of the floor, hence why you can't see it underneath.

RELATED: 10 Things Every Gearhead Should Know About The 1964 Chevrolet Nova SS

​​​​​​​Inside the cabin, Pure Vision Desing's work continues to amaze with subtle modernizations, while keeping it old-school. The dashboard started life as a 1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa dash that was retrofitted to fit in the Nova's cockpit. The chrome bezel for the new gauges and chrome trim for the vents and some of the switchgear are all custom-made. Strove points out that since Joe Rogan is also a Porsche guy, the ignition switch has been relocated to the left of the steering wheel.

The black leather interior consists of the factory bench rear seats and modified Corbeau GTS front seats. Strope explains to Shawn from AutotopiaLA that this particular model is versatile as it accommodates a wide variety of body types. The Chevy Nova is the baby in the Muscle car segment and that's only when it has an appropriate engine in it. Pure Vision has gone above and beyond to take the "granny mobile" out of the Nova and create something truly special. We don't know how much Joe Rogan paid for it, but we think it's money well spent.​​​​​​​

Dim's fascination with cars began when he was just six. Born into a family of car enthusiasts and racing drivers, he started learning basic mechanics and driving from an early age. While he loves writing for any car, Dim is most interested in exploring obscure and forgotten cars as well as finding the best deals on the enthusiast car market. His passion took him to car restoration in the Malta Classic Car Museum, where he briefly worked on a 1964 Jaguar E-Type and an Alfa Romeo Junior. In Malta, he also graduated Media and Communications, which further improved his skills as an automotive journalist. Dim is always ready to get behind the wheel of any car and tell you all about it later.