Vehicle Description
Pro Street fans, take note: this is how you build a vintage
resto-mod that stands up to the test of time. There are so many
hacked-up mid-year Corvettes out there with misguided attempts at
modernization that this track-ready 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Pro
Street roadster stands out simply by virtue of its insane curb
appeal and attention to detail. Of course, the thundering 496 cubic
inch big block with it's protruding blower doesn't hurt, and it's
got the performance hardware to put all that extra horsepower to
use without diminishing the fantastic original C2 look.
A mid-year Corvette roadster is nothing overly unique or incredibly
special, right? Sure, they have that timeless Stingray look that we
all love, but they've almost become so ubiquitous at car shows and
on TV that they almost go unnoticed. And I'm quite sure that
unfortunate development was on the drawing boards when this beauty
was being restored, because the builders did just about everything
they could to ensure this Pro Street stands out from the crowd.
They started with an Art Morrison 2x4 square tube custom chassis
with steel floors and wheel tubs, and a full 10 point roll cage
NHRA certified to 8.5 all powder coated in black. And painting it
bright Torch Red certainly helps, giving it an elegantly vivid,
attention-grabbing look that respects the Corvette's storied
pedigree, while still highlighting all the car's exciting upgrades.
The cowl hood is a custom big block 'Stinger' piece that allows
that huge motor and blower to stick out and breathe easy, there's a
custom decklid out back that was fabricated to cover the oversized
fuel cell and dual battery set-up, and the HUGE narrowed,
lengthened, and tubbed rear end allows for those GIANT Mickey
Thompson rubbers and Weld Racing rims to set the pouncing rake that
make this 'Vette look like it's going 100MPH while standing still.
Bodywork was nicely done a few years back (there's only 5,212 miles
on the build) and looks very good still today with only a few signs
of use, with great shut lines and a modern urethane shine on that
slick red finish. If we'd have to guess, this was likely a very
high-dollar paint job when it was applied, because it still looks
so darn good today. The custom egg crate grille and rear chrome
bumpers give the Corvette a classic sports car look and with the
factory trim around the top and windows still in place, the
brightwork sparkles against the high-impact bodywork. There's
absolutely nothing on the exterior that wasn't tweaked, upgraded,
or polished to a high shine during the restoration, and it's all
holding up very well. And yes, that's an Art Morrison wheelie bar
set-up out back, so this 'Lil Red Corvette is ready to stand-up and
salute the crowd right off the line.
The custom interior does a great job matching the exterior's
performance flash, with choice upgrades throughout the cabin. The
black-and-red leather upholstery is a great choice with the bright
red bodywork, suggesting someone with excellent taste was picking
the colors. All the soft parts are in excellent shape, including
the Monaco buckets lined with bright red piping and equipped with
Simpson 5-point harness seatbelts, plush black carpets, custom door
panels, and the original dash pad, so it all looks uniform and
everything matches nicely. A full array of AutoMeter gauges are
straight ahead of the driver, and along with the custom center
console and roll cage, it feels like the cockpit of a fighter jet
inside. And quite frankly, once you rev up the motor and watch the
RPM's rise on the tach, it sounds like one, too. This C2 is also
equipped with a sporty LeCarra steering wheel atop a tilt column, a
Cheetah shifter in the custom center console that manages the built
automatic transmission below, along with a heavy-duty roll cage
inside that stiffens the body and makes this Corvette racetrack
ready.
If you're trying to figure out what all the ruckus is about, you'll
quickly get the picture when you open the rear-lift hood and find a
thundering 496 V8 big block that grunts out HUGE horsepower thanks
to the giant Big Al's Toybox supercharger kit perched up top.
Finished in more polished aluminum bits than you'll find at a
Goodguys show, it's a street-legal piece that was built to dominate
at the track. There's a pair of Holley 4-barrel carbs on top, Wisco
8.5:1 pistons inside, long-tube headers, and an HEI ignition in
addition to all the stout goodies inside. All that horsepower is
handled with ease thanks to an Art Carr performance built 4L80E
4-speed overdrive automatic transmission with a 3500 stall, manual
valve body, and a Hurst line-lock set-up on the Cheetah shifter.
The reinforced chassis and custom suspension carries a power
rack-and-pinion steering setup, coilovers, and custom tubular
A-arms up front, along with coilovers out back along with a
back-halved tub and 4-link set-up that carries a narrowed Ford
9-inch rear end with Detroit locker 4.10 gears and Dutchman
38-spline axles inside, so nobody can accuse this of being a
race-only piece. Wilwood power disc brakes with 12-inch rotors live
at all four corners and the stainless Flowmaster dual exhaust
system sounds simply spectacular. Rolling stock consists of Weld
Racing wheels with a classic big-and-little set-up that features
31x18x15 Mickey Thompson rears tires out back that set the
aggressive stance.
Brutally fast and supremely agile, this is the Corvette GM would
have built with unlimited funds. With a huge big block motor, build
transmission, and high-quality workmanship throughout, this is a
car you can drive and show with pride. Call today!