Some of the most exciting builds are the ones that sneak up on you – classic Detroit iron with a deceptively stock appearance that hides serious modern firepower. Autotopia LA’s Shawn Davis recently encountered exactly that in this supercharged Chevy Nova, a car that perfectly defines the term “sleeper.”

Owned by Joe Whitney, this awesome ride now boasts 6.2 liters of stout L92 V8, sourced from a Cadillac Escalade that Joe equipped with rings that are gapped for boost and topped with a familiar LSA supercharger. Joe stated, “I made 557 and 600 torque to the tire on 91 pump gas.”

That engine pairs nicely with a T-56 Magnum 6-speed manual transmission and a Ford 9-inch rear end that’s finished with 3.50 gears. Joe mentioned his budget goal for the entire build was only $50,000.

To better handle all the modern LS block’s power, the Nova uses a ’69 Camaro subframe with what Joe confirmed was “all RideTech suspension,” including their True Turn system up front and 4-link set-up in the rear. Turns come courtesy of a Borgeson steering box, and stops are handled by Wilwood disc brakes.

While the exterior proudly wears its “whiskey dents” and patina, Joe plans to do minor rust repair and just “blend the paint back to a factory, rough-looking paint,” preserving its sleeper character.

Inside, the focus is on driver ergonomics, with Joe explaining, “I centered the seat and did the adapter because it would bring the steering wheel back to you.”

Once Davis got behind the wheel, the supercharged Nova showed its true nature, springing to life. After doing an aggressive pull, Davis exclaimed, “There’s so much torque available, dude … this car just makes you want to drive!”

After the driving test, he gave his final verdict. Shawn declared, “that in my opinion is a perfect car… it does every single thing right. The power’s great, the weight’s great, the way it steers, the suspension … perfection, in my opinion.”

This garage-built Nova is clearly a serious driver’s car. With a supercharged LSA pushing 557 horsepower to the wheels – likely translating to around 650-700 horsepower at the crank – it’s a true street machine built with a specific vision. What do you think about Joe’s supercharged LSA Chevy Nova and its impressive power-to-patina ratio?