Vehicle Description
Cost-no-object professional build by Corvette Conspiracy. Fuel
injected 540 cubic inch Merlin V8, 6-speed, custom tube frame
chassis with C4 suspension, C5 brakes. Paint by Roman Chariot.
Incredible C3 resto-mod that can run with the biggest dogs. This
beautiful 1974 Corvette is the kind of car that you can spend a lot
of time examining and not see all the amazing work that went into
the build. It's subtle in some ways, but subtle like a sledgehammer
in others-that 540 cubic inch Merlin, for example. A lot of that
low-key attitude comes from the beautiful yellow pearl paint
applied by the legendary Jerry Roman of Roman Chariot, a finish
that looks appropriate on the early '70s Corvette curves. It's not
quite as vivid as the original Bright Yellow, but the added pearl
gives it a wonderful glowing effect that has to be seen in the
sunlight to truly appreciate it. Of course, under the stunning
paint job there's a lot of creative modifications, including that
tall cowl induction hood (which is fully functional), molded-in
front and rear bumpers, and the ducktail spoiler, all of which
improve on the already fantastic C3 look. Panel fit is exemplary,
far better than anything the factory could manage, and even the
headlight doors fit right. Black stripes on the hood scoop call out
the massive big block living underneath, but otherwise this car
prefers not to advertise too loudly-if a bright yellow Corvette can
be subtle, this is it. It's downright gorgeous, but it doesn't
really deliver the full effect until you stomp on the gas. The
black leather interior was fully restored using seats from a later
Corvette that hold you in place superbly when you need it. The door
panels, dash, and center console are pretty stock, but you'll note
that like the rest of the car, the details are what count here. The
three-spoke wheel looks like a Corvette piece but with a beautiful
wooden rim to warm things up. The stock shifter has been adapted to
the Tremec 6-speed manual gearbox living underneath (and the shift
diagram to match). Gauges are trick VDO pieces that almost look
like they were born there but light up when you turn the key. But
this is no uncivilized brute, because there's also ice cold A/C, a
tilt steering column, and a decent-sounding Kenwood stereo system
that was intentionally installed as a throwback to the era. Even
the engine tag has been updated to reflect the big Merlin's 700
horsepower and 740 ft-lbs. of torque. Nice! Remarkably, there are
no squeaks or rattles inside this C3 and you can pull the T-tops
and stow them in the back for an open-air experience-that big V8
ripping through the gears is worth it, trust us! But perhaps the
most remarkable thing is that you can slide behind the wheel, turn
the key, hit the A/C, and drive this car anywhere in comfort. Not
many cars with this much horsepower are this easy to drive. Most of
that is complements of the built 540 cubic inch Merlin V8 living
under the hood. With Canfield aluminum heads, a custom fuel
injection system with a Holley brain, electronic ignition, and some
fabricated stainless headers, it delivers some serious power (700
horsepower and 740 ft-lbs. of torque) while remaining docile and
user-friendly. Turn the key and it fires almost instantly, idles
nicely at just a tick under 900 RPM, and jus goes about its
business like any modern engine should. But stomp the loud pedal
and you'd better make sure this yellow missile is pointed where you
want to go because things start to happen very, very quickly. The
power is no joke, so pay attention when you're driving it. It's
also beautiful, with lots of polished aluminum and stainless,
hand-fabricated hard lines throughout, and extreme attention to
detail-just check out that fully functional cowl induction setup
that fits snugly to the fuel injection throttle body. A giant
Griffin aluminum radiator with a pair of Spaal fans keeps it cool
even with the A/C cranking and the accessories are a polished setup
from March. All the wiring was hidden and any plumbing that's
visible was expressly designed to be seen. This is a show-quality
engine bay. The chassis is a fabricated tube frame setup from
Street Shop featuring C4 Corvette suspension with coil-over shocks,
C5 brakes with drilled and slotted rotors, and a custom power
rack-and-pinion steering system. No more limp 1970s handling, this
car will dance on the razor's edge with you. You can see the talent
that went into the build just by looking at the fabricated
stainless exhaust system, which is like artwork. Precise welds,
perfect fit, and a gentle rumble from the Flowmaster mufflers that
never gets annoying. And if you need a little more rumble, there
are electronic cut-outs that really let the Merlin howl. Of course,
it goes without saying that everything is brand new and thanks to
effective testing and tuning it just works like it should. Ride
quality is excellent, the platform is super stiff and solid, and
thanks to reasonable sidewalls on the 18-inch Nittos, it doesn't
crash over bumps like a stock Corvette. This build took years to
complete and if you're familiar with John Drahos and Corvette
Conspiracy, you know the workmanship is off-the-charts nice. The
plan was to build the ultimate C3 Corvette with all that awesome
'70s style and none of the '70s performance, and in that regard we
have to admit this car is a huge success. It just does everything
well without any of the compromises you often find in builds like
this. If that's your kind of Corvette, give us a call today!Harwood
Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional
inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
