Under the Hood: A 1972 Chevy Nova's Improvements Make it Brand New

When Tinley resident Mark Kruk was 5 years old, he told everyone he was going to buy a Chevy Nova someday.

"They kind of laughed at me 'cause I was just a kid," said the 40-year-old. "But my neighbor used to take us to get ice cream in his Nova and I just said, 'I want that.'"

He's now owned the classic car for 21 years and is constantly working to improve it. Everything on the car has been upgraded except for its original body, he said.

"Literally every nut and bolt has been replaced," Kruk said.

Asked how much all the restoration work has cost him over the years, Kruk just laughed and shook his head.

"I have a folder about 3 inches thick of all the receipts," he said, noting that the motor alone is worth $30,000. "I don't want to add it up. I have an idea what it might be, but I know the true cost is actually much higher than what I'm thinking."

Make and Model: Chevrolet Nova

Year: 1972

Odometer: 107,000 miles

Engine: 1,000-horsepower, hand-built and outside the hood

Interior: All black, leather

Year Purchased: 1990

Bought from: A Bolingbrook man who Kruk said, "Actually stood in the street and watched me drive away."

Owner occupation: Information Technologies, computers

Tags: KRUK 3

General fun facts: Complete radio system overhaul, roll cage and racecar seat belts. A new paint job only cost him $83.

What makes it all worth it?: "The looks I get driving down the street."