“Belle” - 1972 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
VIN 1Z37K2S508096 - Brought to Life in October of 1971
Numbers Matching – 350 V8 5.7L Small Block & Automatic (TH-400) Transmission
The car was born Ontario Orange but re-painted in 2007 with a custom color called “Merlot Metallic”.
In 2009 she went through an extensive (frame on) restoration: The motor was professionally rebuilt and stroked to 383 c.i. using top of the line components including an Edelbrock “Performer” cam, heads, intake manifold, and Demon 650 carburetor which Increased the Total Horsepower to Modest 400HP. A new MSD electronic ignition was also installed to assist in this monster turning over.
Other restorations included new stock foam seat covers, a lightweight starter, a re-cored radiator, new heater core, an overhauled tranny (even though it did not need it), plus a new differential with 355 gears to support the increased engine power without adding additional stress to the transmission, new springs, shocks, brakes, and trailing arms. The speedometer is newer and reflects the total miles of the vehicle after the 2009 restoration (Approx. 7,000) which is a standard method to document the vehicles history (96,975 miles before restoration).
She starts, idles, and runs fantastic - The sound of the 383 through Flow-master 40’s exhaust is deep and throaty, but not too loud. The T-Tops have a paint chip that has been touched up, there are some reflections of rivets near the headlights, and without a choke the car in cold temperatures will need to warm up when starting. The rear pop out window is conveniently stored in a rear hidden compartment which is almost never installed along with the T-Tops which I feel is the real way to enjoy the car.
2013 - New Alternator, Headlight Knob, Speedometer, Gas Sensor, Interior Lighting System, Retro Looking MP3 Radio w/ Bluetooth, Front Speakers Replaced (didn’t work), and Additional Speakers Added to the Rear.
2013 -2023 – Just Oil Changes and Enjoyed the Ride
2023 - New Tires and Battery
2025 - Entire New Breaking System and Vacuum System
Corvette History
The C3 generation, the longest of all runs for one corvette generation lasted a total of 15 years. The first year of the C3 was 1968 which introduced the removable twin tops, commonly called T-tops. Although the body design was completely new, the rolling chassis was still the same as the C2 with a 98 inch wheel base. The automatic transmission changed from the old two-speed Powerglide to the all new three-speed Turbo Hydro-Matic. The side vent windows were no longer used and the windshield wipers were hidden under a cowl panel. The door handle no longer existed; the open latch was a spring loaded finger plate with a separate release button.
Although the appearance changes were small this '72 model year would be the last year of both the front and rear chrome bumpers. This was also the last year of the removable rear window and the vacuum actuated pop-up windshield wiper door. The fiber optics system was gone and a bright egg crate grill was introduced with side fender grills that are functional. There was a total of 27,004 Corvette's built for the 1972 year - 20,496 were coupes and 6,508 were convertibles. She was constructed in 1971 in St. Louis and the average cost for a Corvette at that time was around $6,000.
