But in all seriousness, Mark Krzystofczyk’s “relationship” with his ’64 Chevy Nova SS has been a constant in his life. The little Chevy was purchased way back in 1981 when he was in high school in Simi Valley, California. The Chevy Nova SS served as a great “classroom” back then, teaching him about automotive mechanics, horsepower, driving, and much more. From there he went to Universal Technical Institute (UTI) where he honed his wrenching skills. For the last 28 years, he’s been the owner of House of BMRs where he cures the complex problems to be found in super expensive BMWs on a daily basis. But working on his Chevy Nova SS, well, that’s a labor of love.

“When I bought the car for $1,500 back in 1981, it came with a 350hp 327 and a 12-bolt rearend,” Mark states. “Included in the deal was the original 283ci engine and Muncie transmission. First thing I did was install an Art Carr TH350 automatic to make it shift consistently but then I ran into a bunch of traction issues. I just could not get the car to hook.”

Notes Mark, “After graduating from UTI, I really had a chance to dig in on the Nova with a special focus on my traction issues. With the help of the guys at Perry’s Auto Fabrication we installed the massive rear wheeltubs. I still drove the car on the street as a cool Pro Street car but now we had the ability to install proper drag tires if racing was part of my agenda.”

To further bulletproof the driveline, Mark added an Art Carr–improved Turbo 400 transmission with internal transbrake and a 5,400-rpm stall speed torque converter. Out went the 12-bolt Chevy rearend, replaced with a ’73 Ford Thunderbird large-bearing rearend housing and a Ford 9-inch equipped with a Detroit Locker differential, Moser axles, and 5.14:1 gearing. During their time together, Mark has installed two other 350ci engines in the SS, finally arriving at the current 383 (built by Jeff at Jim Grubbs Motorsports and Mark), which puts out in the realm of 640 hp.