Nowadays, it’s not terribly hard to find classic muscle cars on the market that are in decent condition. For most of these cars, their owners have had them for decades with the intention of transforming them into their dream machine. Unfortunately, though, this goal tends to get interrupted and the car is left at a point far below its full potential.

Perhaps a few refurbishments or modifications were completed over the years, but in most cases the car is put up for sale as a half-baked restoration or performance car. Thus, local listings are riddled with unfinished projects and what could be impressive builds.

Naturally then, it’s far more rare to come across one that’s been both immaculately restored and well tuned. An owner-built, fully-finished race machine can be a special thing – it’s an inspiration to the rest of us gearheads that it is, in fact, possible to pull off our dream builds.

We stumbled across one such ride on Craigslist: an LS1-powered, 1967 Chevy Nova SS. The seller states that he built and tuned the LS1 himself, swapping out the fuel injection for a 780-CFM Holley carb and installing an Edelbrock intake. Though never run on a dyno, he claims that the mill should be pushing at least 500 horsepower.

The gorgeous paint and body work were finished with the help of a local body shop, but otherwise the car was built solely by the owner. Sporting a four-speed automatic trans, high-performance drivetrain, Wilwood brakes at all four corners, Viking coilovers, and a Chevy II 12-bolt positraction rear end, this Nova means business.

Even still, there’s a captivating balance between aggressive performance and flat-out artistry built into the car. Though intended as road racer, it maintains a show-car level of refinement. And for being a home-garage project car, it really does look fantastic.

Unfortunately, however, being priced at just under $60,000, this ride doesn’t necessarily qualify as ‘affordable’ (for most, at least). But it sure is fun to look at – and even more fun to view as evidence that garage-built dream cars can be a reality.

But maybe your dream build is already a reality for you. Do you think your own project can top this one? Let us know what you’re working on in the comments below.