DATELINE: 3-19-22, this story first appeared in the January 2017 issue of Vette Vues Magazine – The C8 mid-engine Corvette is arguably the biggest news in the world of Corvettes since the very beginning in 1953. Many of us thought Chevrolet would never offer such a Corvette, but here we are. And thanks to an established pattern of performance track-model Corvettes that started in 2001 when Chevrolet decided to brand the car, “Z06” after the one-year-only 1963 Corvette, subsequent new model Corvettes have offered a Z06 model. Within minutes after the C6, C7, and now C8 Corvettes were debuted, fans’ second question (after “how much is the new Vette?”) is, “Where’s the Z06?” Yes, we expect it and Chevrolet has not let us down since.
As of this writing, Chevrolet has their Traveling Road Show in full-swing at select Chevrolet dealers to show the loyal faithful exactly what the new C8 Z06 is all about. On March 25, 2022, Stingray Chevrolet, in Plant City, Florida will be hosting their C8 Z06 presentation. No doubt, owner Steve Hurley will put on a fantastic presentation.
So, with that in mind, the next dozen or so posts here on Corvette Report will present stories I have written for Vette Vues Magazine over the last ten years about the Z06. The C8 Z06 did not arrive from nowhere, there’s been a progression of Z06 Corvettes that go back nearly 70 years to 1963 when “RPO-Z06” was an obscure, one-year-only “racer kit” option that Zora Arkus-Duntov seeded into the 1963 Corvette option list that was essentially a “suspension and brakes” option on top of the L84 Fuelie. There were no external badges or special body enhancement and the car looked like any other Fuelie Corvette. And truthfully, unless a customer wanted to go road racing with their new Corvette, the Z06’s performance suspension and brakes were of little value on the street. There was no fanfare and after 1963, no one but Zora and his hardcore racer friends missed the Z06, so the Z06 faded into Corvette history; that it until the release of the 2001 model year. Ever since then, the Z06 was THE track weapon for Corvette racers.
So, let’s have a look at how we got to where we are with the C8 Z06. It is arguably the most exciting story in Corvette history. – Scott
When I was a wee lad and would see the term, “For Off-Road Use Only” I used to think, “Well who drives these cars in the dirt and grass?” What I didn’t understand was that the term is code for “RACING”! Beginning in 1957, Chevrolet’s new general manager, Ed Cole, made the command decision that he would let “customers” carry the Corvette racing mantle by offering Chevrolet-engineered parts, specifically designed for racing, available through the Chevrolet Parts Department. Continue reading “Z06 Corvette Review, Pt 1 – The 1963 Z06 Racer Kit”→
Roger “Red” Eldor and Paula “Trigger” Lawson-Eldor blend their passion for horses with their passion for Corvettes!
Dateline: 2-8-22 Written by K. Scott Teeters, Photos by Roger “Red” Eldor & Paula “Trigger” Lawson-Eldor. This story first appeared in the December 2020 issue of Vette Vues Magazine – Our teen years are arguably the most impressionable years of our lives. Roger “Red” Eldor of Spring, Texas had two powerful interests as a kid; horses and Corvettes. Horses came first, as Red grew up with pigs, cows, and horses; and his family grew their own vegetables. Over the years Red has owned four horses and even started a riding club called, “Cadillac Cowboys and Cowgirls”.
Next came Corvettes. Red was just twelve-years-old when his next-door neighbor brought a brand new 1977 Corvette. It was just the coolest thing he’d ever seen. You could say that was the day when the shark bit him.
All young men have to find a career, so in his early 20’s Red started driving trucks. By 1989, he got his Commercial Driver’s License and has been driving big rigs ever since. In 2016, 2 years after meeting his wife, Red and Trigger started their transport business; BGV Transport, LLC., specializing in the enclosed transportation of high-end vehicles; mostly working in Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.
When you spend time as an over-the-road trucker, you can have long periods of time to “think”; and in Red’s case, that meant envisioning the day when he would get his first Corvette. One day in 2009, Red saddled up and rode to Sugarland Chevrolet, in Sugarland, Texas, and left in a new Corvette; Black, Ebony/Cashmere interior, 430-horsepower, six-speed, and the 2LT Equipment Group.
In an interview, former Corvette chief engineer Dave Hill explained that Corvette designers are there because they want to be there to be a part of something that is beyond just transportation. Hill said, “… these cars change people’s social lives…” I think we can all agree on that.
Red started attending car shows and began to study the various cars that won trophies to see how they did it. If you go to car shows and just “look at the cars”, it may not be obvious what it takes to present your unique Corvette.
Enthusiasts have been personalizing their Corvettes since around 1954-1955 as aftermarket businesses started offering custom parts for Chevy’s new sporty car. These were the early days of the “Custom Cars” era when the post-war economy was burgeoning and young men (mostly) had extra cash to spend on their cars to personalize and customize. Corvettes have been the subject of some of the wildest custom cars ever built.
By 2012 Red started his project car where many of us do; performance wheels and bigger tires. Red got a set of Savini Forged Wheels, “Signature Series”, 19”x8.5” on the front and 20”x10” on the rear; shod with Hankook Low Pro tires; 245/35 ZR19 on the front; and 305/25 ZR20 on the rear. The low-profile wheels made the car look lowered, especially after Red installed the Ecklers ZR1-style front splitter and ZR1-style ZR1 side skirts.
Custom cars typically have custom interiors. This was around the time Red decided to just go for it and make his personalized Corvette a show car that was also still drivable. Few modifications on show cars makes a bigger splash than a set of Lambo-type door hinges. Red went with a set of hinges by Vertical Doors, Inc, and installed by Josh Williams of Aggressive Dream Cars. The high-rise custom hood by Duraflax was painted and installed by Josh. Aside from the hood, all of the paint is factory and has been color-corrected and ceramic coated by Mario Cuppepper of Zenith Auto Works, in Houston, Texas.
LED lights with special colors are made for custom car projects. Red upgraded his car with LED lights by Oracle. The under-the-car and behind-the-wheels LED lighting kits are also from Oracle. Josh Williams did all of the LED work. All of the exterior under-the-car LED lights are hidden and tucked away so that the only things you see is the glow.
The rear taillight bezels are billet chrome from West Coast Corvettes. Bill Mitchell, the Father of the Sting Ray loved flourishes he called, “elements of discovery”. The chrome “elements of discovery” on Red’s Corvette all came from RPI Designs, Corvette Central, West Coast Corvettes, American Car Craft, and Ecklers. Note Red’s custom license plate, “NA5TY”.
Custom cars typically have some extra grunt to go along with the extra blink inside the engine compartment. Red’s 430-horsepower LS3 engine received a set of Kooks Long-Tube Headers’ and B&B Billy Boat cat-backs and exhaust tips installed by PowerFab, in Spring, Texas. Red is very happy with the car’s performance, and after all, it’s a show car.
While we are talking about what’s under the hood, we must call out the airbrush art throughout the car. The design for all of the art on the car came from Paula “Trigger” Lawson-Eldor. Trigger worked with airbrush artist Robert Clarke of Clarkes Custom Airbrushing, in Houston, Texas to create Red’s homage to his first passion, horses. Although Red is an over-the-road trucker, he’s a cowboy at heart; cowboy boots, hats, the whole setup.
The three horses under the hood are jumping through fire; perhaps the fire coming from the LS3. A cover forward of the radiator, as well as several covers, are painted black with airbrushed flames. The fuel rail covers were painted black with red inscribed “Corvette LS3” lettering. Chrome filler caps, hood hinges, and struts finish off the engine compartment.
Red’s interior looks like what Chevrolet could have done. The Cashmere interior already looked great, but Red took things to the next level. The beginning design for the custom upholstery work was created by Manny Garcia III. Manny redesigned the seat inserts, armrests, and door covers with long embroidered stitching in three lines. Several years later, 5 Star Upholstery from League City, Texas duplicated that design on leather to wrap and custom-stitch the sun visors, gas and brake pedal booties, shifter, and the hatch strut covers. The custom upholstery work also extends back into the trunk, which was the most challenging part of Red’s “Nasty Red” custom Corvette. Black floor mats with “Nasty Red” embroidery are a nice contrast with the Cashmere interior. The rear cargo shade art was also airbrushed to match the car theme of “Cowboy Up”.
Red said that the sound system was the hardest part of building Nasty Red. The design was Josh Williams’s idea, the sound system was built by Josh Williams of Aggressive Dream Cars in League City, Texas, and the woodwork was done by “Derek”. The housing box is all wood with a Texas-shaped plexi cover etched by Josh with a matching horse head. The system uses two Fosgate 10-inch woofers, and a Rockford amp with a Shuriken 600w show trunk battery. The upholstery on the box, the cream-colored center inset, and the storage lids were done by 5 Star Upholstery.
When it comes to making a big impression at car shows, staging is everything. By this time in the “Nasty Red” project, Trigger (aka, Paula) had taken on the role of art and design director. Since Nasty Red is liberally decorated with horses and fire, plus the 450-or-so horses inside the LS3 engine, all those “horses” needed to be in a coral! Trigger worked out the details of her vision and Derek at Aggressive Dream Cars built the coral. Everything is real wood, custom-burned, and finished by Derek.
Car Shows are all about having fun. An awesome customized car with fun staging and lights can make a lasting impression. Who knows, twenty years from now some young person might say, “When I was a kid, I saw a beautiful black custom Corvette decorated with horses and sitting in a coral. And that’s how I got into cars.”
While Nasty Red is a “show car”, it’s also a driver’s car. Red and Trigger have taken Nasty Red to shows from Ohio to Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and of course, Texas. For small local shows, they just drive Nasty Red to the show. For bigger shows when they can set up their coral, they use an enclosed trailer. At the World of Wheels Show in Louisiana, Red won the Best Display Award. At a car show at the National Corvette Museum in 2017, Nasty Red won 2nd Place in Custom Class and a Celebrity Choice. To date, Nasty Red has won Best in Show four times.
Red has declared Nasty Red “completed”. Trigger has a 2001 coupe, so maybe they are already dreaming up something for her ride. Trigger and Red started a Corvette apparel online store offering shirts, tops, and gear for Corvette people under the brand name “Bad Girl Vettes LLC”.
Red and Trigger also have a special Corvette mentor, former Bowling Green Plant Manager, Wil Cooksey, and his wife, Liz. They are now part of “The Cooksey Crew” and attend car shows, such as Corvettes at Carlisle and other shows. Dave Hill was so on the money when he said that Corvettes change people’s lifestyles. Red and Trigger, along with Wil and Liz Cooksey, and others are having the time of their lives! – Scott
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When it Comes to Grand Sport Replicas, Attention to Details Pays Off!
Dateline: 2-1-22 This story was first published in the February 2019 issue of Vette Vues Magazine –Larry Taylor’s passion for Corvettes might be genetic. The Clinton, Utah resident’s grandfather was into Corvettes in the 1950s. Grand Pop passed down his Corvette passion to Larry’s Dad who owned a 1966 Sting Ray that he drag raced a little and also used to trailer his boat. When it came time for Larry to enter the world of automobiles, his first Corvette was a 1959 model that he bought in 1984.
Larry has an affinity for details. Anyone who has ever gone after an NCRS Top Flight award knows it’s all about “details, details, details”. It wasn’t long before Larry’s 1959 Corvettescored a Top Flight award. Classic Corvettes are wonderful, but as the 1990s went on the C4 Corvettes were looking better and better. So in 1995 Larry decided to get a “modern” Corvette and bought a 1990 Corvette. The C4 was really nice, but he found himself pulled back to the classics. Larry sold his 1990 Corvette, but not before acquiring another NCRS Top Flight award. If your passion is classic Corvettes, you can’t get much more “classic” than a 1963 Split-Window Coupe, which, you guessed it, Larry got another NCRS Top Flight award.
While all this was going on, Larry did some open-wheel racing and always liked Corvettes with racer-style. So if you are into “racer-style” and you own a 1963 Split-Window Coupe, it is no stretch that you would be drawn to the 1963 Grand Sport Corvette; the greatest “could have been…” Corvette of all time. If you are new to the Corvette hobby you might be wondering, “What’s so special about a Grand Sport Corvette? It’s a nice model Vette, but what’s the big deal?” Well, we’re not talking about the 1996 Grand Sport, or the C6 and C7 Grand Sports. No, we’re referring to the 1963 Grand Sport Corvette all-out racecar; arguably THE most storied car in Corvette history. Here’s the short version of why the Grand Sport is still being talked about, longed for, and honored with the production and replica Grand Sports.
In early 1962, after the major engineering work was completed on the new, upcoming 1963 Sting Ray, Zora Arkus-Duntov and his team got to work on RPO Z06. Duntov’s C1 racer kit program was hugely successful, such that by the end of the 1950s and into 1962, Corvettes were a force to be dealt with in SCCA racing. The Z06 was to carry on with Duntov’s program. That is until Carroll Shelby’s 2,000-pound Cobra arrived.
Duntov was an experienced racer and he knew that his 3,000-pound Z06 Sting Ray would be no match against the 2,000 Cobra. To Duntov, it was obvious; he needed to build a lightweight Corvette and to do this if would have to have a tube frame, an exotic engine, and a lightweight replica body. But what he really needed was official permission. Fortunately for Duntov, he had a friend at the top of Chevrolet; Semon “Bunky” Knudsen.
Knudsen was a serious “car guy” corporate officer who worked his way up through the ranks at GM. As general manager at Pontiac, he turned the brand’s stodgy image around with his Wide Track, Tri-Power performance cars, and factory support in NASCAR racing. His reward for doing a great job at Pontiac was the general manager position at GM’s flagship division, Chevrolet in 1961.
Knowing he had Knudsen’s ear, Duntov outlined his plan to get around GM’s adherence to the 1957 AMA Racing Ban. Duntov’s idea was to build limited production lightweight Corvettes that would sell for around $16,000-to-$20,000 and let the customers do the racing. Knudsen green-lighted Duntov plan and five, special cars, called, “The Lightweights” were built.
By November 1962 cars were completed and were renamed “Grand Sport”. They looked almost exactly like the production Corvette, but with minor differences and no split rear window. Initial testing at Sebring in December 1962 was very promising. But when word of Duntov and Knudsen’s covert activities reached GM President Frederick Donner, the Grand Sport came to a screeching halt! Documents at The GM Heritage Center indicate that the five Grand Sports and the spare parts were ordered to be warehoused, but that didn’t last long.
Duntov gradually loaned out Grand Sports #003, #004, and #005 to privateer racers. But without a proper development program, the cars were not successful and their performance was inconsistent. By the end of the racing season, Duntov called in the three Grand Sports for a few “improvements”. Duntov wanted to give his Grand Sports a fighting chance against Shelby’s Cobras at the upcoming 1963 Nassau Speed Weeks race at the end of November and the beginning of December.
When Grand Sports #003, #004, and #005 arrived in Nassau under the banner of the “Mecom Racing Team”, they were loaded for bear. This is the now-classic Grand Sport look; fat racing tires on wide knockoff wheels, aggressive vented hood, and big wheel flares. And under the hoods were Duntov’s latest engine jewels, the all-aluminum 377 small-block Chevy with 58mm side-draft Weber carbs. It was a romp for the grand Sports, as the Cobras were thrashed.
Three months later, the 1964 class win at the 12 Hours of Sebring with Roger Penske at the wheel of Grand Sport #005 would be the high-water park for the Grand Sports. This time period saw extraordinary advancement in racecar technology, such that by the end of 1965, the three-year-old cars were outdated.
When the Grand Sports received their upgrades in preparation for the 1963 Nassau race, Grand Sports #001 and #002 were made into roadsters and held back, but were eventually sold and raced, as were the coupes. Fortunately, all of the cars survived, are in excellent condition and are each worth millions of dollars. Over the years, Grand Sport Corvettes have thrilled thousands of fans, many have lusted to own one of the five cars, and around two dozen have actually owned Grand Sports.
Enter the world of kit cars. In early 1990 a company called D&D started making Grand Sport kit cars, but the quality was not good. Mongoose Motorsports offers high-quality 1963 Grand Sport and 1980s era GTP Corvette kits and turnkey cars. Then there are the Duntov Motors Grand Sport Continuance Racecars and the Superformance custom built-to-order Grand Sport cars.
When Larry decided to merge his interest in classic Corvettes, racing, and his attention to detail skills, he decided to go for a Grand Sport replicar. The Superformance Grand Sports are fantastic but on the expensive side, so Larry decided to get a Mongoose Grand Sportroller and finish it himself.
When you buy a Grand Sport roller from Mongoose you get the bare fiberglass body and interior, and a 4-inch tube chassis and basic suspension from a 1988 Corvette. The rest is up to you and your skill level. Larry bought the rolling chassis in April 2016. Many Grand Sport replica cars are finished as street machines with modern paint, wheels, tires, and amenities. A few are street versions of the real Grand Sport replicars. If you are going the racecar replicar route, you have to research which livery you want to replicate. Since the three Grand Sport coupes were raced by numerous owners; in different configurations; and liveries; one has to do their homework; and pay attention to details. Fortunately for Larry, he’s very good at that. After careful research, Larry chose the Sebring ’64, Delmo Johnson, and Dave Morgan livery. Today the actual car is part ofThe Reve Institute in Naples, Florida.
An all-aluminum 377-cubic-inch Donovan small-block Chevy engine with four Weber 48-mm side-draft carbs powers Larry’s Grand Sport. The real small-block Grand Sports used 58-mm Webers, but they are insanely expensive. The side exhausts are hand fabricated. The radiator, oil cooler, and power brake booster are 1963-style. The transmission is an M22 4-speed “Rock Crusher” and the shifter is an original 1963 shifter.
The front suspension is from a 1988 Corvette and has rack & pinion steering. The rear suspension is somewhat unusual. It is a modern coil-over suspension that uses the C4 differential and “batwing” rear cover and carrier. For an authentic look, Larry added a set of C2/C3 leaf springs and painted the batwing differential carrier black.
The wheels are 15×8 Halibrand aluminum replicas that have been powder-coated gold. The real Halibrand cast magnesium wheels had gold Dow 7 Magnesium Coating. When the real Grand Sports were racing they used then state-of-the-art Firestone racing tires. Larry’s Grand Sport replica uses 15×8 period-size correct Goodyear racing tires. As mandated back in the day when the Grand Sports were racing, there’s a spare tire in the “trunk” area.
“font-size: large;”>As delivered, Larry’s Grand Sport interior was bare fiberglass. Larry added some extra bolsters to the fiberglass seats, period-correct seat belts, a fire extinguisher, and a period-correct CB radio and antenna. The speedometer has been fitted with a 200-mph speedometer face and the factory fuel gauge has been replaced with an oil temp gauge. The toggle switches control the main fuel pump, differential cooler, and reserve fuel.
With a ton of photographic references for the Grand Sport #004 that currently resides at the Collier Museum, Larry applied his attention to detail skills to his Grand Sport replicar. As seen in these photos, the car was just completed in November 2018. Larry’s plans for 2019 are to show the car at Corvette shows and maybe at the National Corvette Museum. Then, he will bring the car back into his shop, remove the body, add all of the required modern safety equipment, and then take the car to the track.
The Donavan 377 small-block Chevy engine pulls around 550-horsepower, so weighing in around 2,250-pounds, that’s a power-to-weight ratio that will be a lot of fun on the track. Larry says, “I just want to have the experience of being on a race track with my Grand Sport and other vintage cars, just to be there; not to race and win anything, but just to get a sense of what it must have been like back in 1964.”
That’s something I believe we have all fanaticized about Larry. Go for it! – Scott
Against all odds, a 1996 Grand Sport Coupe and Convertible live two blocks from one another in rural Florida!
Dateline: 1-23-22, this story was originally published in Vette Vues Magazine –When we moved to the tiny town of Lake Placid, Florida in 2014, I wasn’t expecting such a robust car culture. It’s not huge, but it is considerable. Once a year in July, Lake Placid hosts their annual Caladium Festival, with a Car & Bike Show at the DeVane Park that is well attended.
Lake Placid is located 15 miles south of Sebring in Highlands County, in south-central Florida. The town was chartered by Melvil Dewey, the inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, and is the sister city of Lake Placid, New York. The town is best known for several things: it is the “Town of Murals” (there are 46 murals painted on downtown businesses), the “Toby The Clown Foundation” Clown College, the “Caladium Capital of the World,” 27 freshwater lakes, and in 2012 Reader’s Digest Magazine voted Lake Placid as “The Most Interesting Town in America.”
With only 2.84 square miles and a population of around 2,000, the best way to describe the town is; think “Mayberry” as in “The Andy Griffith Show.” Between Sebring and Lake Placid there are orange groves, farms, and cow pastures. To the south, east, and west of the town, there are more farms, pine trees, cows, and let’s not forget the gators and bears!
Lake Placid is also home to two of the rarest special edition Corvettes, a 1996 Grand Sport Coupe and Convertible. And here’s the kicker – they both reside within two blocks of one another! Ron Ellermanis the original owner of the 1996 Grand Sport Corvette Coupe and John Meyerhoff is the owner of the 1996 Grand Sport Convertible.
I met John Meyerhoff in 2015 after a man tipped me off about “… a guy in Lake Placid that has one of EVERY generation Corvette!” Before the C7 came out, Meyerhoff had one of each generation. John sold his C1 to make room for his future C7, but it gets even better. John’s lady, Mary Carol Plottalso has four Corvettes! Now THAT’S a “Corvette Power Couple”! John and Mary Carol appropriately met at a car show in Lake Placid. How’s that for Fate?
John got the Corvette bug back in the mid-1960s thanks to a fellow Navy officer and bought his first Vette, a 1966 427/425, 4-speed Mosport Green Roadster, around Christmas 1965. After John settled down and started a family, the Corvette was exchanged for a down payment on a house.
By the late 1970s, John got into a 1973 350/250 L82 roadster that fell casualty to a divorce and there were no Corvettes in John’s life for 15 years. John eventually remarried and by 2001, bought a new Magnetic Red convertible. John found the 2001 convertible to be a very comfortable road car and started racking up lots of miles. He was also getting close to retirement time.
Most of us have a soft spot for our “first Vette,” so John began searching for another 1966 427/425 roadster. Finding another Mosport Green 1966 big-block roadster, but he finally found one that was close enough, a super sano Sunfire yellow 427/425 Roadster. With no power steering or brakes and a very heavy clutch, this is NOT a daily driver, but it makes for a great show car.
After full retirement, John’s wife passed and he decided that “Corvettes” would be his retirement.
“I came up with a new goal. I wanted one Corvette of each generation and I happened to find the 1996 Grand Sport Convertible. It was really dumb luck because although I had owned many Corvettes, I didn’t follow the special editions, so I really didn’t know what I had, I just liked the color scheme and the fact that it’s a convertible. It turns out that it’s one of four other Grand Sports with the exact same combo of options. Then to fill up the collection, I got the 1969 427 Convertible, then got a red-on-red 1960 Corvette. Before the C7 came out, I had one of every generation!”
Except for the Grand Sport Convertible, John’s five Corvettes are mildly modified. He doesn’t race them, but he does enjoy them with an occasional blast. John’s attitude when it comes to his Corvettes is that if a modification will improve the car’s performance or durability and drivability, he doesn’t mind making changes.
Ron Ellerman’s story is quite different. Ron was a boilermaker by trade and eventually owned a very successful, full-service car wash in Ohio. Over the years Ron had numerous interesting cars and motorcycles, but in his heart, he always wanted a Vette. He got his first Corvette bite when his older brother let him borrow his 1966 427 Roadster while Ron was in high school.
“I was always good at working on cars. As long as I could get something apart, I could reassemble it. In 1996 my local Chevrolet dealer had one Grand Sport Coupe on the showroom floor that he was using as an attraction. I kept looking at the car and thinking how much I wanted it, but the dealer wouldn’t sell! He was hoping to be able to keep it for himself, but I kept working on him. Eventually, he called me and we made the deal.”
Ron was having some health issues and recounts;
“I decided that I couldn’t put it off any longer. I let my business buy the car as a “company car,” paid it off, took the depreciation, and eventually sold the car to myself. The car is totally-stock and has run perfectly for the most part for 20 years. I took the car to a Mecum auction to sell, but couldn’t get what I know the car is worth (1996 Grand Sports are currently very undervalued), so I decided to keep it, probably for good. The car now has just over 10,000 miles on it. I recently noticed a small oil leak at the rear main seal – not bad for a 20-year-old car, I suppose. Since getting the Grand Sport I’ve had lots of “fix-up” cars that I worked on and sold. I had VW Bugs, old Cadillacs, a hot rod Nova, street rods, a few boats, and three Harleys. I like working on and fixing cars, and I love driving my Grand Sport Corvette.”
Let’s talk a little about what makes the 1996 Grand Sport Corvettes so unique. The 1996 Grand Sport option listed for $3,250 for the coupe and $2,880 for the convertible. Here’s what was included: dedicated Admiral Blue paint with white center stripes, special details, 17-inch ZR-1-style 5-spoke wheels with painted black spokes shod with P275/40ZR17 tires on the front and P315/35ZR17 rear tires, rear-wheel flares, all-black interior or black/red interior, iconic red fender hash marks, and sequential serial numbers.
The convertible Grand Sports had slightly smaller tires – P255/45ZR17 on the front and P285/40ZR17 on the rear and no rear fender flares. The reason the convertible had slightly less wide tires was that engineering felt that the convertible owners would not be happy with a more grip with a less rigid chassis structure.
Except for the red accents on the throttle body and the “Grand Sport” lettering, the LT4 looked identical to the LT1. Inside the LT4 it was hot rod heaven and included increased compression (10.8:1 vs 10.4:1) improved aluminum heads, Crane roller rocker arms, a revised camshaft, stronger crank, and revised pistons. All LT4-equipped 1996 Corvettes had 8,000-rpm tachometers. The Grand Sport option was a beautiful way to celebrate the end of the C4 Corvette line.
When it comes to collectability and desirability, low production numbers are key. Chevrolet offered six special edition C4 Corvettes:
1986 Pace Car Replica (all 1986 Convertibles): 7,315 units
1988 35th Special Edition Package: 2,050 units
1993 40th Anniversary: 6,749 units
1995 Pace Car Replica: 527 units
1996 Collector Edition: 5,412 units
1996 Grand Sport: 1,000 units – 810 Coupes, and190 Convertibles
No one pays ANY attention to the 1986 Pace Car Replicas; the production numbers were too high and it was just a Corvette convertible with stickers. And while the 1995 Pace Car Replica has the lowest production numbers of all of the C4 special editions, the Grand Sports have the patina of one of the coolest Corvette monikers ever, as an honor to the original five 1963 Grand Sport Corvette racers.
Also, while the 1995 Pace Car Replica has just over half the production numbers than that of the Grand Sport, the Grand Sport has the better LT4 engine, performance suspension, fender flares for the coupe version, and ZR1 wheels and tires. Where the 1995 Pace Car replica is a pretty car, the Grand Sport is a tough guy!
John Meyerhoff and Ron Ellerman are perfect examples of people that got the “Corvette Fever” that’s permanent. Duntov always wanted his customer to “enjoy their Corvette.” So with only 1,000, Grand Sports built, what are the odds of these two unique Corvettes residing in the tiny town of Lake Placid, Florida just two blocks from one another? Pretty amazing! – Scott
Dateline: 10.8.21 To download the free PDF, CLICK HERE. NOTE: When your PDF Reader opens, change the “View” setting to 100% to more easily read the article pages.
John Greenwood is a legend in the world of Corvettes. Through the ’70s, while production Corvettes struggled to maintain as much performance as possible, John and his brother Burt built a series of stunning C3 Corvette race cars. Arguably, the most famous of the Greenwood Brothers Corvettes was their famous “Batmobile” very wide-body Corvette that was more aerodynamic and produced lots of down-force on the car’s huge racing slicks. Greenwood needed as much traction as he could get to better work his ZL-1 427 engines, rumored to be making upwards of 700-hp, perhaps more.Continue reading “Bench Racing with John Greenwood, Free PDF Booklet & Video”→
Dateline: 8.29.21 This story was first published in the February 2021 issue of Vette Vues Magazine; Story by K. Scott Teeters; Photos by Mario Brunner: In the Corvette world, C2 Sting Rays are becoming increasingly rare. With only five years of production, 1963-to-1967, only 117,964 Sting Rays were built. Compare that figure with the 1968-to-1982 C3 Corvette total production of 542,741. Now imagine a 1966 Sting Ray convertible in modern-day Germany in an ocean of Porsches. Let’s add another layer of uniqueness. Mario Brunner’s 1966 327/350 Corvette convertible is a numbers-matching pilot car!
Before we get into the details of Mario’s unique Sting Ray, let’s review pilot cars. After the details of an updated car are nailed down, a small batch of cars are built for evaluation. Engineers drive the cars to make sure everything works, everything fits properly, no leaks, etc. The cars are not subjected to harsh durability testing, they are driven as a customer would drive the car. Pre-production cars built for durability testing are typically pretty-well beat-up and are eventually sent to the crusher. When you see magazine road tests that come out before or at the same time as the new cars are in dealer’s showrooms, those are pilot cars.
Pilot cars are also built more slowly so that the plant workers can make sure that everything is up to speed for production. As problems are identified, solutions are implemented. Typically around 20 pilot cars are built. Pilot cars can be identified by their very low last three VIN numbers. Any VIN number 001 and above is considered by GM to be saleable.
After evaluation, pilot cars are sold at the GM factory auction to dealers. Pilot cars are not the same as GM Fleet / PEP cars, private fleet cars, or dealer demo cars. Pilot Corvettes have a unique place in Corvette-Land, while they look like a regular Corvette, they are quite rare.
I recently read a humorous expression for us “car people”; we’re the way we are because we have “the car gene”. Mostly guys have it, and some gals too. Typically, the car gene kicks in during our adolescent days, around the ages of eight-to-ten. All races and nationalities can have the car gene.
Mario Brunner grew up in the small German village of Enzweihingen, just northeast of Stuttgart in southern Germany. As a little boy, his family often drove into Stuttgart and would drive by the Porsche factory. Today, the Porsche factory and museum are at the same location. Mario recalls, “I was absolutely fascinated with the Museum and the beautiful Porsches parked in front of the museum. It all started there. My dad was also a car and motorcycle guy. He owned a Harley and some Jeeps. When he passed away way too soon, my mom told me, to maintain dad’s legacy, I had to buy a classic American car.”
When Mario grew up he became a professional photographer. But Mario’s intense car interest was a little out-of-the-ordinary in a European nation; American muscle cars were his passion. At the top of Mario’s bucket-list was a 1963-to-1967 Corvette Sting Ray. In 2010 Mario acquired a 1967 383 stroker engine Camaro and in 2017 Mario bought a 1964 327 4-speed Impala SS. But he still had the Sting Ray itch, and we all know what that’s like. Mario was definitely on the hunt and the car he found is truly extraordinary.
On Craig’s List Colorado, Mario found the car of his dreams; a 1966 327/350, 4-speed Sting Ray convertible with factory side-pipes, knock-off wheels, and a hard top. Much to his surprise, the car was a pilot car with the VIN #194676S100006. Note the last three numbers, “006”, that’s what tipped off Mario that the car is a pilot car. Mario sent NCRS detail photos of the car and they verified that indeed, Mario’s Corvette is a “pilot car”.
NCRS’s 1966 specialist told Mario that the car is very early and rare pilot car and they were very impressed. Concerning the authenticity of the VIN plate and the Options plate, NCRS said that the rivets and the arrangement of certain letters indicate that the tags are legitimate. Another indication that the car is indeed a pilot car is the hand-laminated fiberglass inner fenders in the engine compartment.The inside of the front wheelwells look completely normal.
As if the pilot car status wasn’t enough, the car is numbers-matching, complete, all-original, and well-optioned. The car is a survivor and in 2009 was treated to a new Laguna Blue respray. In 1966 only 2,054 1966 Corvettes were ordered in Laguna Blue; only Trophy Blue (2,054) and Tuxedo Black (1,190) colors are rarer.
The car was optioned out to be a maximum-performance small-block 327 Corvette. The L79 327 engine was rated at 350-horsepower @ 5000 rpm and 360-lb-ft of torque @3000-rpm. The next step up the 1966 Corvette performance ladder was the L36 427 with 390-horsepower and then the L72 427 with 425-horsepower. If a lighter-weight Corvette with plenty of grunt was your passion, the 350-horsepower L79 327 was a $105 option! The base price of a ’66 Corvette convertible was $4,084 and Mario’s car had a sticker price of $5,573. That was a lot back then!
A closer look at the options on Mario’s ’66 Corvette indicates that the car was optioned for performance. Options include: L79 327-cid, 350hp Engine, M20 4-speed Manual Transmission, Side Mount Exhaust System, Power Brakes, Positraction Rear Axle, Cast Aluminum Knock-Off Wheels, Genuine Leather Seats, Soft Ray Tinted Glass, Telescopic Steering Column, Teakwood Steering Wheel, Power Windows, AM/FM Radio, and an Auxiliary Hardtop.
Missing from the option list were Air Conditioning ($412, the single-most-expensive option in 1966) and Power Steering ($94). But if the car was optioned for maximum small-block performance you wouldn’t add unnecessary weight to the very front of the car. The tires are Goldwall Michelin 215 Radials with the tire information on the inside of the tire to maintain a classic look.
In 2019 Mario decided it was time to go for his dream classic car, a Corvette Sting Ray. He sold his ’67 Camaro and ’64 Impala to fund a C2 Corvette. So when Mario found a super-clean, complete 327/350 ’66 Sting Ray on Craig’s List Colorado, he knew others would be looking at the car, so he had to act fast. Mario says, “I haven’t owned the car that long. After being transported to Germany, when the trailer opened and I saw the car for the first time, it was a very emotional moment. Unreal. Mileage is low, with just 65,585 miles on the odometer.”
Mario did some research on the car’s build and found several interesting things:
* The 1966 model year production started in September 1965. This car was built on 9th
July 1965. Body number 5.
* The car has hand-molded inner fenders.
* The engine block has the correct casting number for 1965 models (3782870) but the
correct serial number for Corvette number 6 of 1966. Engine, distributor and cylinder head
were made on 24th May 1965.
* Lot of early 65 parts.
* New color for 1966, perhaps the first 327 convertible ever painted in Laguna blue.
Back in the day, cars such as Mario’s were often driven very hard. I’m certain that somewhere in the car’s past it was driven “with enthusiasm”, but the car is 100-percent complete and numbers-matching and shows no signs of being thrashed.
Mario explains, “Most people that see the car don’t know what it is because there are hardly any C2 Sting Rays in Germany. Germans know what Mustangs are, but not old Corvettes. They also can’t believe a car this old has 350-horsepower. The ultimate pleasure is to drive the car without the top on a warm summer night, listen to the side-pipes, feel the 350 hp V8, and knowing that this is a very special car, especially here in Germany. This is the fulfillment of a life-long dream for me. It’s a privilege to drive something special like this.”
“The only repairs I had to make was replacing the intake manifold gaskets, shocks, flywheel, and clutch, that’s it. I drive the car as much as possible. It is pure joy and adventure to drive. NCRS recently confirmed that the car is indeed one of the rare pilot Corvettes. For me, this is the best and last classic car in my life.”
When asked what he intends to do with his 1966 327 Corvette Sting Ray pilot car, Mario gave the right answer, “Drive it. Take care of it, and learn more about the car’s history.” Yes, spoken like a man with the car gene! – Scott
PS – Mario Brunner is a professional wedding photographer in Stuffgart, Germany. Check out his work HERE.
PSS – To subscribe to Vette Vues Magazine,CLICK HERE.
Dateline: 6.16.21 – This story was first published in the August 2018 issue of Vette Vues – Story by Scott Teeters, Photos from Tom & Deb DeBold:
Imagine spending twelve years restoring a Corvette, winning all kinds of NCRS awards and such, only to at one point being told that your Corvette is “too perfect”! That was Tom and Deb DeBold’s experience at the 2017 NCRS National in San Antonio, Texas event. How could that be? We’ll explain later.
Corvettes have never been “cheap”. Even in the early days, a new Corvette cost about the same as a mid-level Cadillac. In 1975 I bought a 10-year-old 1965 327/300 Sting Ray Coupe with side-exhausts for $2,800, which is in 2018 dollars around $13,500. That’s around the same price some 2001-to-2004 C4 Corvettes are going for today. The point is that, back in the day, if a young man wanted to be driving a used Corvette, was willing to work hard, and work some overtime (remember that?), he could get a Vette.
But as the 1960s wore on, car insurance companies went to war on young male Corvette owners. A lot of that had to do with the way young guys drove back then. They did tend to get into more accidents, and Corvettes had a much higher theft rate. (I know, mine was stolen!) So, it was not uncommon for young guys, even with an older Corvette, to be “insuranced” out of being able to own their Corvette.
That was Tom DeBold’s experience. In 1966 as a young single guy, Tom purchased a 1959 Corvette. This was his daily driver for only 8 months before his insurance company raised his rates into the Unaffordable Zone. They didn’t like the idea of an 18-year-old guy in a fast sports car. In 1970 Tom and his sweetheart Debbie were married. But Tom promised his new bride that “someday” he’d get another 1959 or 1960 Corvette.
The DeBolds raised a family in Ohio and Tom had a long career in sales, eventually becoming a sales manager for a national pesticide manufacturer in Kansas City, Kansas. Deb had a long career as the Human Resources Director of Benefits for Dick’s Sporting Goods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. While on a business trip to Orlando, Florida in 2001, Tom found a barely running 1960 Corvette Fuelie basket case. He knew it was time to take action, so he called Deb and told her, “Deb, I’m buying another Corvette!” According to NCRS Master Judge Steve Neal, there are currently only 15-to-17 original 1960 Fuelies in existence!
By this time, Tom and Deb had a second home in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tom had his new, 41-year-old, barely running, 1960 Fuelie Corvette transported to Las Vegas. Once Tom got the car home he was unsuccessful in finding a restorer that he felt comfortable working with. Tom didn’t want to just fix up the car to get it running again. Tom decided that his goal was to have an NCRS-level restored car. A year later, after some searching, Tom found Cub Gustafson, in Chandler, Arizona.
Cub’s background was mostly with rare European cars, such as Mercedes, Bugatti, Alfa, Ferrari, and others. Cub had never restored a Corvette but was up for the challenge. Tom and Cub found a local 1960 Corvette (not a Fuelie) in need of restoration and decided to do both cars. A long-term friendship formed from working on the two cars. Once completed, both 1960 Corvettes went through the complete NCRS judging process together and both received the coveted DUNTOV Award at the 2017 National NCRS Convention in San Antonio, TX. The second Corvette was restored for a friend and was a non-Fuelie car.
Working out of a two-bay garage, Tom and Cub took the 1960 Corvettes completely apart. All of the parts were cataloged, examined, refurbished, and repaired if possible. And thus began a 12-year restoration project. You are now probably wondering why it took 12 years to complete the restoration? First of all, it was just Cub and Tom working on the disassembly and reassembly. And secondly, Tom decided that he wanted every single part on the car to be a vintage 1960 Corvette part; everything. No reproduction parts were used during the restoration.
When Tom got his car, it was barely running and needed a lot of help, plus over the years, there had been numerous repairs done with newer parts, so everything had to be examined to make sure it was a 1960 vintage part. If a part was deemed to not be from 1960, Tom and Cub had to source the part. It turned out that sourcing parts took a lot more time than they thought it would. Plus, in the early 2000s, car parts were not as cataloged on the Internet as they are today.
So, Tom and Cub had to do a “parts juggling act” getting the car together. While waiting on parts for one component, they’d work on another component until it was completed, or stopped because a year-correct part had to be sourced. As you can imagine, the process got complicated. The guys started with the frames and step-by-step worked through everything on the cars. This is why the project took 12 years because the end goal was that everything had to be to NCRS standards.
Tom’s 283 Fuelie engine received a total rebuild and was balanced and blueprinted by DeWayne Samuels of SST Performance Engines, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fuelie engines are notoriously challenging to get running right. Jerry Bramlett in Mobile, Alabama rebuilt the Rochester Fuelie unit, “dialed it in” to the engine, and then dynoed the engine to produce 325HP.
While Tom and Cub were working on the chassis of Tom’s Corvette, the body was sent to Steve Loy in Scottsdale, Arizona for the full body treatment. Steve put hundreds of hours perfecting the entire body. The guys knew they would take a few points hit by over-restoring the body, but it was just too gorgeous to not make perfect. Therefore, everything else about the car had to be perfect
Loy painted the car with Roman Red Urethane paint and wet-sanded with 5000-grit sand paper between eight coats of clear. Tom and Cub could have stopped there, but chose to take the body to Distinct Detailing, in Scottsdale, Arizona where Scott Nicholes took the already amazing paint two stages farther by wet-sanding beyond 5000-grit, then polish, polish, polish, and polish again. The end result is Roman Red that looks VERY deep.
The Tom and Deb’s 1960 Fuelie was completed in 2014 and immediately hit the NCRS circuit and has racked up an impressive resume of awards, including:
2014 NCRS Chapter Top Flight 2015 NCRS Regional Top Flight 2015 NCRS Performance Verification 2016 NCRS Regional Top Flight 2016 Bloomington Gold 2016 Triple Diamond 2016 Chicago Concours Gold 2017 Arizona Concours Best in Class 2017 NCRS Regional Top Flight 2017 NCRS National DUNTOV 2018 Boca Raton Concours Best in Class 2018 Boca Raton Concours Sponsors Choice (out of 247 cars) 2018 Tri-Power 2018 Keels & Wheels Concours Best in Class
Along the way, Tom did an interesting thing. He used the judging as an indicator of what needed to be corrected. So whatever a judge picked up that wasn’t quite right, Tom would go back and correct. Do this, and eventually, you’ll get to “perfect”. Even the tires on the car are really from 1960!
The NCRS “Performance Verification Test” is especially challenging. Most cars attempt this six or seven times before achieving their Performance Verification. The test is a 12.4-mile drive with over 350 points that have to be passed. And when the drive is completed, it has to be EXACTLY 12.4-miles. Not 12.3, or 12.5; 12.4 on the dot! A car has to score 100-percent. If you score 99.9-percent, you fail! That’s why most owners attempt this test six or more times. (sounds worse than the Bar Examination, doesn’t it?) The DeBold’s 1960 Corvette Fuelie passed the Performance Verification Test the first time!
So where and when were Tom and Deb DeBolt told their car was “too perfect” and points were deducted? At the NCRA Regional Top Flights in 2014 and the Duntov in 2017. The judges told Tom and Deb that the car is absolutely perfect, but he would have to take off one point. And what was that? The paint. The judge determined that the paint was simply “too perfect”, as no production Corvette’s paint would ever have been that good. The judge also pointed out that no Corvette would ever stand a chance at a Concours D’Elegance show with a factory paint job. Of course, this was part of Tom’s plan, to begin with.
While the DeBold’s 1960 Fuelie Corvette has won every award there is in the arena of the Corvette hobby, there’s always more. Tom explained that what’s ahead for their Corvette is the Concours D’Elegance circuit and plans to do two or three shows per year. They have already won Concours D’Elegance Best In Class at the 2017 Arizona Concours, the Boca Raton Concours in 2018, and the Keels & Wheels Concours in Sea Brook Texas in 2018. They also won the “Sponsor’s Choice” award at the 2018 Boca Raton Concours D’Elegance event. Tom and Deb are looking forward to attending Concours D’Elegance events in Atlanta, Amelia Island, Boca Raton, Hilton Head, and the ultimate, Pebble Beach. So, the DeBolds are well on their way.
We’re sure that Tom and Deb DeBold will do quite well. The ultimate achievement will be Pebble Beach, as there has never been a Corvette at this most prestigious event. When Tom and Deb’s 1960 Fuel Injected Corvette makes its showing there, we’ll let you know. – Scott
Car magazines were my friends when I was a young teenager in the late ’60s. While I was crazy about Corvettes, there were no road racing tracks, only a drag strip close to where I lived in Collingswood, New Jersey. So, if I wanted some racing action, the drags was it; which was fine by me because tire-burning muscle cars regularly roamed the streets of our town, and were SO COOL.
Zora and his brother, Yura were making and selling their Ardun hemi-head conversion kits for flat-head Fords in the early 1950s.
Hi-Performance CARS, Popular Hot Rodding, Car Craft, Car and Driver, Car Life, and Hot Rod Magazine were my favorite flavors for fun reading. But somehow, the December 1967 issue of Hot Rod got past me, as I did not see that issue until way after eBay sellers started selling them 20 years ago. Recently I picked up a copy to add to my Corvette library.
The BIG SPLASH is the cover! There was Zora on the cover of Hot Rod, in a corporate gray suit, white shirt, a narrow black tie, and all smiles; but then again, Zora never knew a camera he didn’t like. And why wouldn’t he have been a happy guy, sitting there with four exotic experimental Chevrolet engines; single-overhead cam heads, and double-overhead cam heads with fuel injection systems of different configurations. Duntov even pushed to offer a SOHC kit for small-block Chevy engines via the Chevrolet Parts Catalog! Imagine that under the hood of your Vette!
Hot Rod’s editor, Jim McFarland got the plum assignment to go to Detroit with a recorder and interview Duntov about “some” of the experimental engines Chevrolet engineers were playing with. After the sixth paragraph, McFarland turns over the mic to Zora to take it from there. Duntov was very exacting and articulate in explaining everything he was allowed to talk about. Zora may have been the ultimate corporate misfit in his time, but he knew when to stop talking.
Here’s Zora and Jim McFarland many years after the famous Hot Rod Magazine “Inside Chevy’s Secret Engines!” December 1967 cover story.
The article is a fascinating peek inside the thinking of Chevrolet performance engineers, circa 1967. Enjoy! – Scott
Before the 1969 427 ZL1, there was the All-Aluminum 377 Small-block Chevy!
Dateline: 5-7-21, This story by K. Scott Teeters was first published in the October 2019 issue of VETTE magazine – In the early 1960s, an aluminum performance engine was as exotic as fuel injection, independent suspension, and four-wheel disc brakes. The first mention of an all-aluminum engine for a Corvette was in Zora Arkus-Duntov’s proposal outline for the Q-Corvette in 1957. Ed Cole was Chevrolet chief engineer from 1952 to 1956 and was the lead engineer in the design and development of the small-block Chevy.
The Wintersteen L88 Grand Sport #002 resides at the Simeone Museum in Philadelphia, PA. Part of the collection includes the hand-made #002 Roadster replica body and one of the all-aluminum 377 SBC engines that Dr. Simeone purchased from Jim Jeager. The replica body is mounted to a chassis buck with an interior.
Cole was a mechanical engineering visionary. After he became Chevrolet’s general manager in 1956, Cole announced his 1960 Q-Chevrolet concept that would put a transaxle into every car to improve traction and handling and eliminate the transmission hump that would open up the interior. Cole’s plan included the Corvette.
Even before going to work for Chevrolet, all Duntov wanted to do was to build racecars. Based on his racing knowledge, Duntov’s Q-Corvette was spectacular and included; a four-speed transaxle, four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes, and an all-aluminum fuel injected 283 engine. Duntov is usually credited with the all-aluminum small-block Chevy, a deeper look tells a slightly different beginning.
The design parameters of Cole’s SBC were that the engine should be; small, lightweight, simple, and inexpensive. Cole reasoned that an aluminum version of the SBC using a new aluminum-silicone alloy would be obviously lighter and probably less expensive to make. To keep costs down, there would be no valve seat inserts, no pressed-in valve guide inserts, or cylinder liners. But sometimes a simple idea turns out to not be so simple.
Problems started right from the beginning. The complex molds used sand cores and the completed castings required extensive machining. Sand-cast aluminum is high in porosity and low in density. During machining, cavities would open up in the castings, causing a high rejection rate, which drove up the cost.
Another indication that this is likely to be one of the Nassau Invasion 377s is the chrome stamped steel valve covers. Photos in the “Corvette Grand Sport” book by Paddock and Friedman from the race show the same valve covers.
Aluminum pistons on aluminum bores were hard to lubricate and would scuff the bores. Between the strength of materials and the casting challenges, pouring aluminum into molds designed for cast iron wasn’t going to work for mass production.
Weber carbs were THE hot setup in the 1960s before fuel injection became more efficient. The 377 used four massive 58mm side-draft carburetors. The “EW” on the float chamber cover stands for Edoardo Weber, the founder, and inventor of the Weber carburetor.
A few aluminum engines were completed. Duntov installed one in his CERV-I car in 1959, but the valves would freeze to the guides when the temperature went low. Mickey Thompson got an aluminum engine for an Indy car project and bored the cylinders to installed steel sleeves to reduce the C.I.D. to the Indy limit of 255-C.I.D.
Note the non-stock location of the alternator. This was to slightly lower the car’s center of gravity.
Roger Penske had TRACO modestly build an aluminum SBC to just 300-horsepower for his Cooper Monaco. When TRACO was done, the engine weighed just 350-pounds; the lightest of all the aluminum SBCs.
Forensic evidence gleaned from the book, “Corvette Grand Sport” by Paddock and Friedman indicates that based on the shape of the collector on the headers, this was most likely one of the engines used during the Nassau assault in 1963.
The original SBC was never designed to be cast in aluminum. So when exact copies were cast in aluminum, the basic weaknesses of the original design were obvious. In 1960 some Corvette brochures offered 275 and 315-horsepower fuel injection engines with aluminum heads but were canceled early in production due to breakage. Briggs Cunningham was to be given several sets of aluminum heads for his Corvette Le Mans assault, but none were installed.
When Duntov started planning his Lightweight Sting Rays in early 1962 to battle Shelby’s Cobras, the SBC had 327-cubic-inches. Duntov insisted on an all-aluminum 327, reasoning that the heavy-duty parts from the L84 Fuelie would be more than enough for his racing engine. Unlike the previous aluminum engines, steel cylinder liners were pressed into the block. After each block was machined, it was water-tested for leaks. If leaks couldn’t be fixed with welding they were scrapped.
The most significant change to the basic block was that the main bearing webs were thicker and four-bolt main bearing caps were used. The earlier aluminum SBCs were not delivering any significant power increases, so it was decided that more cubic inches were needed. A 4.00-inch stroke yielded 402-cubic-inches. However, experimentation showed that the engine was happier with a 3.75-inch stroke that yielded 377-cubic-inches. Notches had to be made into the insides of the block for connecting rod clearance.
Numerous cylinder head designs were considered. The wildest was a hemi head design with two spark plugs per cylinder. The hemispherical combustion chamber allowed for larger 2.20-inch intake and 1.72 exhaust valves. The intake system was a Rochester constant-flow fuel-injection unit. This was Duntov’s preferred engine for his Lightweight but never was developed or tested. Engineers expected 600-horsepower from the 402-cubic-inch configuration.
The Mark II big-block with its unique “porcupine” semi-hemi heads was in development, so engineers designed and cast similar sets of aluminum heads for the SBC. Initial tests showed that they did not flow as well as the standard wedge combustion chamber heads, so the concept was dropped. If the heads had been developed they could have been a game-changer and made it into production cars.
Twelve aluminum 377 blocks were successfully machined and designated “A” to “L”. WhenJohn Mecum took delivery of three Grand Sport Corvettes as part of his Nassau invasion, the cars had aluminum 377s with four 58-mm Webers. After the Grand Sports stomped the Cobras at Nassau, the cars were bought and sold at a brisk pace.
Engineers learned that the aluminum 377s were good for short races, such as Nassau, but not durable for long races, such as Sebring. When Penske raced Grand Sport #005 at Sebring in 1964, his car was powered by a steel version of the 377 and performed very well.
Several of the engines were sent to Jim Hall and installed into his Chaparrals. Hall was instructed to install the engines and not to change anything except for timing and settings for the Webers. The engines were plugged in, raced, and returned to Chevrolet for evaluation.
The inscription of the transmission is unusual and indicates that it was likely to have been a specially built unit. “W.O.26310” could have meant “Work Order”. “TRANS #7-B” could have meant the second rebuild of transmission #7. Also note that the bolts on the case side plate are aircraft safety wired. A special team at Chevrolet built all of the 377 engines, the safety wiring was likely a deterrent to tampering.
As the engines were raced, eventually nearly everything either failed or upon examination was soon to fail. For instance, when one engine threw a rod, engineers used a new process for making rods called, Vacuum-Induction Melt steel to insure no impurities in the raw forging. When bolts were magnafluxed and showed signs of stress, all bolts were then over-designed. Rocker-arm lube was another issue and there were electrical problems with the early-transistorized regulators and ignition amplifiers.
Note the serial number on the back of the block casting, “0240983” and the casting date, “8-20-63”. This “could” have been one of the engines used in the 1963 Nassau assault in early December 1963 that stomped on the Cobras.
Exhaust headers were showing signs of cracking at the ports due to metallurgical problems. This was fixed by using a different welding process. Camshaft gears were failing when dry-sump oil systems were installed. Excessive stress and wear on the camshaft drive gear caused the distributor to retard the timing; causing a drop-off in power.
Privateers raced all of the Grand Sports and many changes were made to the cars. One of the previous owners of the Simeone 377 built this expanded capacity oil pan. Original versions of the engines used as many stock performance parts as possible
The perceived advantage of the all-aluminum SBC was weight; the complete engine weighed 150-pounds less than a cast iron version, however, the aluminum engines didn’t make quite as much power. Because durability was such a serious issue, in the early years, development work went into durability.
Eventually, the aluminum SBC reached optimum development, priced itself out of racing, and didn’t contribute any parts that went into production engines. Close to the end, there was talk of an overhead-cam kit for the SBC, but no action was taken. The amount of money spent on the program was an accounting nightmare for sure. At best, all the problem-solving saved years of development time for the all-aluminum Can-Am block and the ZL1. In a sense, the all-aluminum SBC was a prehistoric ZL1, domed by the basic “bread and butter” design of the original SBC. – Scott
Reproductions of this post’s lead illustration of the All-Aluminum 377 Small-Block Chevy and the Grand Sport #005 are available as 11″ x 17″ prints, signed and numbered by the artist, CLICK HERE!
And for fans of the 1963 Grand Sport Corvette, we have LOTS of Grand Sport Corvette prints CLICK HERE!
A Look Back At An Inexpensive Option That Delivered a Little Extra Grunt and A Lot of BARK
Note: This article was first published in the December 2013 issue of Vette Vues. Subscribe to Vette Vues HERE! –Corvettes enjoyed a banner year in ‘08. When no one was looking, GM unleashed the latest variation of the LS generation small-block Chevrolet engine, the LS3. This latest edition of the highly successful LS series of GM engines is only 12-cubic-inches larger than the LS2, but uses the Z06-style valves and port design that features larger and straighter intake ports, nine-percent larger valves, and a five-percent higher cam lift. For what wasn’t much of a stretch, the LS3 netted out an extra 30-horsepower for the base model Corvette, which added up to a whopping 430-horsepower for the base Corvette! But a close look down the ‘08 Corvette option list shows a little item called, “Dual Mode Exhaust System” (RPO NPP) for $1,195. This was the first time since 1969 that Corvette buyers had a factory exhaust system option.
This version of Corvette factory side pipes were available from 1965 to 1967
You could call it the Trickle-Down Horsepower Theory from the high-performance Z06. The Dual Mode option functions the same as the Z06 version. The outlet valves are vacuum-actuated to open during what Chevrolet calls, “high-load operation.” (That’s GM-speak for “get’n on it!”) While the Z06 version has 3-inch diameter exhaust pipes, the LS3 version uses 2-1/2-inch pipes. So, how much extra grunt do you get for your $1,195? The system adds 6-horsepower and 4-ft/lb of torque. While those numbers aren’t terribly impressive, the exhaust note certainly is. Of the 35,301 Corvettes sold in ‘08, 13,454 (38.1%) were equipped with the new system. That’s pretty cool, considering that’s only $199.16 per horsepower unit and $298.75 per torque unit, but we won’t quibble over numbers. After all, the system sounds great!
As these side pipes got older, they got louder.
It all got me to thinking about those infamous, barking side-pipes that were offered from ‘65 to ‘67, and slightly milder ‘69 side-pipes that made even the 300-HP small-block sound as ominous as a junkyard dog. Two unique designs were offered back then. Beginning in ‘63, as part of the overall Z06 package, was the $37.70 N11 option, the Off-Road Exhaust System, which included low-restriction, under the car mufflers and 2-1/2-inch exhaust pipes. This option was available through to ‘68 and was officially listed as “off-road.” (That’s GM-speak for “race track”, is in, racing.) The N14 Side-mount Exhaust System was another animal altogether. The system begins at the end of the exhaust manifold flange with the typical 90-degree bend.
Side pipes were not available on the new 1968 Corvette but were brought back for 1969 only. The side pipe setup was available through Chevrolet Parts Department for many years after 1969.
But instead of bending towards the back of the car, the bends were directed towards the sides of the car. After a short distance of about 12-inches or so, there was a gentle bend of approximately 118-degrees that leads to a long, straight tube that passed as a “muffler.” The “muffler” portion that ran along the side rocker panel had small crimps that created little internal baffles – and not much baffle at that.
Since Chevrolet didn’t want to burn the ankles of their Corvette customers and passengers, a set of beautifully styled, aluminum covers were designed. Each cover featured five horizontal ribs, with five sets of vertical blacked-out indentations between the ribs. The standard side rocker panel was replaced with a narrow polished aluminum rib that was mounted over the top of the covers. These hid the attachment screws that held the side covers. At the end of the piece of long, chambered tube was a downward-pointing chrome exhaust tip. And here’s the kicker… the Side-Mounted Exhaust System cost was only $131.65 in 1965! Plus, the system looked fantastic! Talk about “muscle.” Side pipes not only made ‘65 to ‘67 Corvettes look serious, they sounded serious!
The C3 side pipes look great on this black 1980-1982 model. Owners could not do this until the car reached “antique” status and was no longer subjected to emissions testing. In the side pipe system, there was no capacity for catalytic converters.
But as good-looking and inexpensive as they were, by the numbers, it wasn’t a terribly popular option. Only around 10-percent of all ‘65 to ‘67 Corvettes were optioned with the system. When the new Mako Shark II-inspired C3 Corvette came out in ‘68, the side-pipes weren’t on the options list. It was said that GM’s VP of Styling, Bill Mitchell, didn’t want to distract from the new shape with side-mounted exhausts. That may or may not be correct. It wasn’t that Mitchell was opposed to loud, side-mounted exhausts – nearly every concept and show car that came out of his studio had side-pipes as standard equipment. Considering what a nightmare it was getting the new Mako Shark II design out as a ‘68 model, perhaps there just wasn’t time for side-pipes.
This is Kevin Mackay’s “see-through” 1969 427 L88 Corvette. These mufflers were more like real mufflers, as they were not chambered pipe, like the 1965-1967 side pipes.
When the ‘69 Corvettes came out, side-pipe fans rejoiced over the return of the barking pipes. Only the new version didn’t bark as much. While the new pipes bolted on and functioned like their predecessors, the minimalist chambered pipe was replaced with a for-real muffler. However, the covers were beautifully styled to fit the unique shape of the Corvette’s side rocker panel.
A few specialty performance builders, such as Joel Rosen of Baldwin-Motion fame, installed the ‘65 – ‘67 units on his ‘68 and a few ‘69 Phase III Corvettes. While they didn’t fit exactly right, they still looked great. Rosen also added the first generation side-pipes and covers to his Phase III Camaros, Novas, Chevelles, and Biscayne supercars, although due to the short Corvette wheelbase, the system was less aesthetically successful than the C3 Corvette application.
During the 1970s, Hooker Header side pipes on Corvettes were quite common and helped un-cork whatever engine they were put on. This is Craig Cardwell’s 1970 LT-1 and was a LOUD beast!
So aside from the barking exhaust note and added bragging rights, what did the side-pipe exhaust system do for the car’s performance? Unlike the C6 Dual Mode Exhaust system, the old side pipes were never promoted to increase horsepower at all, or at least, they were never officially tested and certified. Of course, the only way to really answer that question would be to rear-wheel horsepower test, say a 427/435 427 ‘67 Corvette with and without the side-mounted exhausts. A lot of work just to find some numbers.
Craig Cardwell bought his 1970 LT-1 new and had the dealer install the side pipes.
So, I took the question to two genuine experts – veteran Corvette racer, Dick Guldstrand and Mike Cederstrom, owner of Sweet Thunder Chambered Exhaust Systems, in Cadillac, Michigan. Since Guldstrand has spent thousands of hours building and racing Corvettes for over 50 years, I thought Goldie might know how much horsepower the side-pipes were worth. Dick’s answer was somewhat surprising. “Those old chambered pipes did improve the engine’s performance, but not much. But then again, almost anything you did was an improvement over the stock system. The ram horn manifolds were pretty good, but nothing like big tube headers with proper phasing and the scavenger effect. But they sure sounded good!”
My conversation with Guldstrand was very historical. According to Mike, GM first started using the low-restriction chambered pipes as part of the ‘61 Oldsmobile Starfire performance package and standard equipment on the ‘64 – ‘65 models. But since the pipes were mounted under the cars and not on the sides, hardly anyone took notice. Meanwhile, over at Chevrolet, with the new big-block 396 engine coming out in ‘65 and the L84 Fuelies were making their last appearance, the Corvette designers wanted a little something extra and got approval to offer the chambered-pipe Off-Road Exhausts optional on all model Corvettes.
The chambered pipes have distinctive “crimps” on the exterior. Inside of each side-pipe is an inner 1-3/4” inner baffle tube with hundreds of small perforations. The crimps on the exterior are there to create the chambered sections, these are specific sizes that combined with the special perforations on the inner baffle tube. These two factors are what they used to help control different exhaust sounds. The “muffling” effect comes from all of those tiny perforations, which burn off after a few years of regular use. With only a 1-3/4” inner baffle tube, you can see why some call the side-pipes “chokers” and why Guldstrand commented that they helped a little, but not much.
The Sweet Thunder Company started making true factory-style, replacement chambered side pipes for Corvettes in the late 1990s. Not the crimps on the outer shell of the side pipes. All the crimps do is hold the inner pipe.
An educated guess might be close to what the new Dual Mode Exhaust System is worth – around 6-horsepower. Had the inner perforated tubes been in the neighborhood of 2-1/2-inches, horsepower increases would have been more substantial. “Why” the 1-3/4-inch inner tubes were chosen is anyone’s guess. Design engineers may have felt that was “enough.” Or perhaps larger diameter inner pipes were experimented with and were determined to be excessively loud. Within my extensive library of Corvette history books, I have never read of an accounting of side-pipe development. It is widely believed that mid-year Corvettes equipped with factory RPO N11 – the “Off-Road Exhaust System” consisting of a pair of GM “Hi-Flow” mufflers in the stock 2-1/2-inch exhaust system would out-perform side-pipes.
See the small perforations? They act like little sound scoops. That’s all that does any kind of muffling. The little perforation burn off after a few years, leaving an owner with an extra loud Corvette! I know, I had one that everyone complained about. “Your car is SO LOUD!”
Of course, side-pipes of one kind or another had been showing up on racing, experimental, and show car Corvettes since earliest Fuelie racers in ‘57 and the stunning Corvette SS racer. Many of Bill Mitchell’s important show and concept cars wore their exhausts on the sides from the ‘59 XP-700 dream car to numerous modified production-based show cars, as well as his Mako Shark I and Manta Ray cars. The Mako Shark I had exposed header pipes protruding from the sides of the fenders that blended into a collector fitted to a decorative, finned muffled cover. While these setups looked dreamy as show cars, exposed header pipes on a production car would never happen. But they did help pave the way for the tamer but deliciously loud chambered side pipes. Until steel tube headers became common, most racing Corvettes used the stock ram horn cast-iron manifolds and would either have a 2-1/2-inch diameter open pipe that exited just in front of the rear wheel or ran along the side rocker. This setup was obviously considered “open” exhaust and was completely illegal for the street.
Not that the factory optional chambered exhaust didn’t create a few problems with young Corvette owners, such as myself. Several inspection officers at my local DMV threatened to not pass my ‘65 Coupe with factory side-pipes because they didn’t like loud cars. I always passed… barely. Once I was told that if I came back next year with THAT CAR, it would DEFINITELY not pass! It wasn’t until my conversation with Sweet Thunder Mike that I learned why my ‘65 Coupe was so loud. Mike asked, “Were those original pipes?” To the best of my knowledge, my car came from the factory that way. They certainly weren’t “header” side-pipes. When I owned the car, it was 10 years old. Mike said, “That’s why. Those little perforations that were stamped into the very thin aluminized steel, didn’t last that long. The whole inner tube would just rot away. You were running nearly straight open exhausts!” he laughed.
I shared with Mike that my girlfriend at the time once said to me, “Your car is really cool, but it’s deafening!” Of course, it didn’t keep her from wanting to drive it from time to time. Once I thundered by a fellow in a 356 Porsche. As we were approaching a traffic light, I could see that he was quite agitated and was yelling at me, “I only got FOUR CYLINDERS, MAN! Four cylinders!!!” I thought, “Well, don’t complain to me!” So I pushed the clutch in and barked the side-pipes for good measure. Another time I passed a coworker friend on the way to work in a, shall we say, ‘spirited fashion” at around 6,000 rpm in second gear. Later in the office, my friend came over to my drawing board and said, “That car of yours is SO FRICK’N LOUD, I could feel the side windows in my Camaro rattling!”
Chambered exhaust systems eventually found their way into Camaro, Chevelle, and dealer-installed AMX cars. Usually, these systems ran under the cars to not draw too much attention. Former VETTE editor and founder Marty Schorr had a tricked out, black 390 Javelin with a set of ‘65-’67 Corvette side-pipes and covers. And what can only be considered a true anomaly was that a small handful of new Corvette buyers opted to have their new Corvettes equipped with dealer-installed Hooker Header side-pipes.
While repro side-pipes have been available for some time now, the guys at Sweet Thunder have invested a lot of time and energy into the reproduction of these new side-pipes with the correct sound. For more information and photos, visit Sweet-Thunder.com. Mike and his team also make chambered exhaust systems for the new 2010 Berger Chevrolet Super Camaros, as well as chambered exhaust systems for several other cars.
So, will side pipes ever come back as a production option for Corvettes? The short answer is, “No!” And many would ask, “Why would anyone want them?” After all, strictly “by the numbers” when offered, side-pipe-equipped Corvettes only accounted for 10-to-11-percent of new Corvettes. However, the side-pipe systems were available for many years through your local Chevrolet Parts Department, to be self-installed by owners. For several decades, ‘75 and newer C3 Corvettes that were equipped with catalytic converters could not have side-pipes and pass inspection. However, now that all of the C3 Corvettes are well over 25 years old and are considered “historic” cars, there’s a lot more leeway.
And what about C4 Corvettes you ask? The folks from Power Effects® obviously have a passion for side-pipes. What’s surprising about their Side Effects® system is that it’s actually a Cat-Back design. The factory catalytic converters remain in place. Just south of the catalytic converter is an aluminum splitter that makes a 90-degree bend to the right and left sides. The splitter is located in alignment with the final exhaust exit. The exhaust weldments bolt to the splitter, then make a 90-degree bend forward and bolt to the sound chamber that captures excess sound. Exhaust gas is then allowed to escape out the exhaust tips in front of the rear wheels.
There is a built-in heat shield attached to the weldment which keeps the composite side panels cool to the touch.
These panels can be painted to match the car’s body color or even custom painted, as seen in our photo sample. The system is available in two sound modes; “Sport” has a deep, throaty tone while “Touring” is a little quieter. Unlike the old factory side-pipes, this system has been dyno tested. L98-powered C4 cars can expect an additional 23-HP while LT1 and LT4 cars can expect a 10-HP gain. For C4 owners, this is an attractive way to personalize your machine. You can review their entire line of performance exhaust systems at PowerEffects.com.
With the introduction of the C5 Corvettes, design parameters were changed to make the new Corvette more of a GT, or Grand Touring machine. Then Corvette chief engineer, Dave Hill, brought his considerable experience working on Cadillacs to the Corvette line. Corvettes had a long history of quality issues and Hill wanted to make sure that owning a new Corvette wouldn’t be a headache. After the C5 was introduced, Hill’s team went on a hunt to eliminate as much excess noise from the cars as they could afford, but at the same time, not lose the car’s performance character. Hill explained that the C5 was the kind of car you could drive for 500 miles and feel good when you arrived at your destination. When he was outlining the parameters for the C6, he determined that after driving 500 miles in a C6 Corvette, the driver would feel GREAT! Obviously, droning side pipes wouldn’t fit into the equation.
The other factor in the demise of side-mounted exhausts was advances in exhaust systems in general. The biggest being the introduction of crossover and H-pipes. Besides emissions, the biggest factor has been noise restrictions on new cars. In order to be certified for production, carmakers must design the cars so that they pass decibel standards in a variety of conditions from various distances. The Corvette’s Dual Mode option is an interesting way to get around those standards because the solenoids only open the flaps during “high load” conditions. You could call the new system, “Bark On-Demand.” Considering that the C6 Corvette is more GT car than ever, the new setup is truly having your cake and eating it too. Well done, C
My automotive coming-of-age started in 1965 when I saw a 1965 Sting Ray in a local Chevrolet dealer’s showroom. By the time the Mako-Shark-inspired 1968 Corvette came out, I was a full-blown motorhead. I thought the Mako Shark-II was the most beautiful car ever made. Although the 1968 Corvette wasn’t exactly the Shark show car, I loved it!
I was just in junior high school and was the only one in my family with an interest in performance cars. My way of keeping up with the burgeoning muscle car scene was through “Hi-Performance CARS Magazine”. My local small-town pharmacy had a huge newsstand rack with almost every car magazine published. And I knew what week the various titles came out.
One day in early 1969 on the newsstand, I spotted the screaming yellow Corvette on the cover with the cover copy saying something like, “Baldwin-Motion Phase III SS-427 Corvette Supercar!” As much as I loved the new Corvette, I loved the Phase III Corvette better! It had flared wheel wells and deep-dish Cragar Mags shod with FAT L60-15 tires. Atop of the stock 427 hood bulge was a ’67 Stinger hood scoop and a Pontiac hood-mounted tach. Finishing the setup was a set of 1965-1967 Corvette side pipes. WOW!
In the back of the magazine, there was an ad for a Baldwin-Motion catalog, for one dollar! I sent away for it and a few weeks later, my carpals and I were pouring over the catalog and bench racing how we would order our own personal Baldwin-Motion Supercar!
I still have that catalog today. So, before it gets lost or fades and falls apart, I thought I should make a PDF version to share. The 1969 Phase III SS-427 Corvette started at around $7,000, or around $51,000 in 2021 dollars. Today these cars are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. As Marty Schorr told me once, “Joel and I had no idea these cars would be worth this much, and over 50 years later, people still love them!”
As Marty used to say in his editorials in CARS Magazine, “Nuff said!” – Scott
PS – You can access the entire collection of Corvette E-Booklets and the Duntov Files HERE.
A loving tribute to a brother, a husband, a father, a hero, and the very first production Z06 Corvette Sting Ray racecar
We all have “defining moments” in our life. You know, those rare moments that can happen in an otherwise ordinary day that changes the course and direction of your life. It could be the day the prettiest girl in class “smiles that smile” that makes you forever a softie for blonds. Or, like for me, the day I saw a 1965 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe at a Chevrolet dealership and a salesman gave me a brochure with technical line art that helped set me on my life course.
In late September 1962, 16-year-old Doug MacDonald had such a defining moment. Doug’s big brother was road racing legend and 2014 National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame Inductee, Dave MacDonald. When your brother is eleven years older than you, while you are growing up, your perception is that your sibling is “one of the adults.” In 1960, Dave MacDonald started racing a 1957 Corvette when he was 23 years old and Doug was only 13, so the best Doug could do was hang around on the sidelines, take in as much as he could understand, and do his best to stay out of the way!
Dave MacDonald was one of a group of Southern California guys that were Zora Arkus-Duntov’s favorite people – young men that raced their Corvettes. These were the burgeoning years of the California car culture. What’a time to be a young man with a driver’s license and a knack for mechanics! Dave had a job at Don Steves Chevrolet and formed a friendship with salesman Jim Simpson. Together the young fellows bought a beat-up 1957 Corvette and built a racecar. Simpson helped get a small sponsorship from their employer and the two lads were off to the races.
The Dave MacDonald story is now legendary and I have covered Dave MacDonald’s amazing but short career in the October 2012 issue of Vette Vues. Dave was a natural and taught himself to drive racecars via the school of trial and error. It didn’t take too long before crowds started to notice MacDonald’s “tail out” driving style and quickly nick-named the young man, “The Master of Oversteer.” (Dave would have LOVED modern “Drifting” racing!)
What most of the young fellows that were honing their skills on the SoCal racetracks didn’t know was that important and powerful men in the racing and manufacturing were closely watching the amateur-racing scene, looking for talent. As MacDonald kept racking up an impressive string of wins, two of the most powerful men in manufacturing and racing were following Dave very closely – Zora Arkus-Duntov and Carroll Shelby.
MacDonald’s rookie year was 1960 when he took five 1st place wins out of 18 races – a 27% victory rate! The following year in 1961, Dave drove the Don Steves Corvette to 15, 1st place wins out of 25 races – a 60% victory rate. From January to April 1961 Dave and Jim won the first nine races. For the season, the guys only had three 2nd place finishes and five “DNF” (Did Not Finish), and one “DNS” (Did Not Start) race. One DNF race was with their all-new, Max & Ina Balchowsky purpose-built 1961 Corvette.
The purpose-built Balchowsky Corvette happened because one day at the track, Carroll Shelby told Dave and Jim that to take their racing to the next level, they should get a Balchowsky purpose-built car. “Purpose-built” racecars were hand fabricated, tube chassis cars with hand-made, lightweight fiberglass silhouette replica bodies. Think prehistoric tube frame Trans-Am cars. Balchowsky’s 1959 “Old Yeller II” was already a legend, so Max and his wife Ina were the “go-to” couple for competitive hand-made racecars.
When word got out that MacDonald and Simpson were building a tube frame Corvette, it got the attention of Mr. Duntov because he too was thinking about building a tube frame Corvette, but with the body of the upcoming new 1963 Sting Ray. Yes, we’re talking about the Grand Sport Corvette during its larva stage. One day, when Duntov was in the Los Angeles area, he stopped by MacDonald’s house for a visit and to check out what Dave and Jim were up to!
Doug MacDonald was just 14 years old then and recalled, “Mr. Duntov’s accent was so thick, I couldn’t understand much of what he said. Somehow, Zora and Dave understood each other enough, but I was completely lost.” A bond of racer’s respect was forged and Duntov would later put Dave to work for some interesting “field testing” opportunities. The 1,750-pound purpose-built car, now called the, “1961 Corvette Special”, was powered by a mildly modified 327 Fuelie, and had tremendous potential. Dave and Jim now had two cars they were campaigning on a small budget, despite the Don Steves Chevrolet sponsorship.
From October 1961 to May 1961 Dave and Jim raced the 1961 Corvette Special in eight races, taking four 1st place wins! But a close examination of the points standings showed that Dave and Jim had a better chance of a championship racing with their stock-based Corvette racer. So, the 1961 Corvette Special was sidelined. Both young men were gunning for a championship!
But Duntov’s meeting with MacDonald made a powerful impression on the Corvette chief engineer. By the summer of 1962 when preproduction Corvettes were ready for some promotional track testing, MacDonald and Dr. Dick Thompson were invited to a sampling. From June 29 to July 2, 1962, Chevrolet produced a promotional film with MacDonald and Thomson driving a ‘63 Coupe and Roadster at the GM test track. After a few laps, Mr. Duntov interviewed the drivers. The promotional film is titled, “Biography of a Sports Car” and fortunately is on YouTube. The television commercial for the then-new 1963 Corvette Sting Ray has footage of Dick Thompson and Dave MacDonald driving a coupe and convertible at the test track. This too is on YouTube.com.
A few weeks later, Duntov flew Dave and Sherry, Jerry Grant, and Bob Bondurant out to St. Louis to pick up three of Duntov’s latest “racer kit” Z06 Corvettes. Chevrolet brass decided to give Dave Z06 #1! That’s right, the Don Steves Chevrolet Z06 Corvette racecar is the first “official” Z06 to roll off the assembly line! Jerry Grant drove his Sting Ray out to Washington state, while Dave and Bob drove their cars to California.
Dave and Sherry loaded their suitcases in the back of the Sting Ray and headed west. Dave actually liked his lady driving a hot car. Sherry recounts, “A lot of times if I was driving one of our Corvettes, Dave was always telling me, “Drive faster, drive faster!” Do you think the MacDonalds opened up the Z06 on the way home from St. Louis? Sherry remembers seeing the speedometer pegged at over 140-mph! But the Z06 wasn’t their personal car; it was scheduled to become a racecar. The MacDonald’s would soon purchase a new Sting Ray as their personal car; a Riverside Red 1963 Fuel Injected Sting Ray Coupe with 4.11:1 gears, 4-speed, and power windows. Yes, it was very quick.
Meanwhile, back at home; Doug MacDonald could not have been more stoked! His big brother/hero was being flown around the country with all expenses paid by Duntov and Chevrolet. Dave was track testing preproduction Corvettes for Zora and now was one of four select racers (Dave, Jerry Grant, Bob Bondurant, and Mickey Thompson), personally invited by Duntov himself, to take delivery of what was supposed to be Zora’s secret weapon for his Corvette racer customers, RPO Z06. The all-new Sting Ray with its much-improved frame, structure, chassis, and Fuel Injected 327 was now available with a special suspension and brakes package that was designed for victory.
The long trip home was designed to break in the Z06 so that by the time the cars arrived in California, they could be prepped for the L.A. Times 5th Annual Grand Prix Race at Riverside 3-Hour Enduro in October. Doug’s big brother Dave and sister-in-law Sherry were driving the new Z06 home from St. Louis where the car had just rolled off the assembly line. This was VERY heady stuff for a 15-year-old kid!
Phone calls along the way kept the MacDonald family apprised of the trip home. When Dave and Sherry got off the freeway and called home, what they didn’t know was that they had company. “New Cars” were hyped back then, but not like they are today. Think for a moment what cars looked like in 1962, and then hold in mind the images of a 1963 Corvette Sting Ray Split-Window Coupe. There was NOTHING like it. The new Sting Ray looked like “the automobile from another planet!” Buck Rogers and George Jetson didn’t even have rides this cool!
Doug was waiting outside of his parent’s home when Dave and Sherry turned the corner of their street. Doug recalls, “I could not believe what I saw. The bright white Sting Ray was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life! But as the car turned the corner of our street, a dozen or more other cars were following Dave and Sherry – and we didn’t live on a busy street. These people followed Dave and Sherry off the freeway and to our house because they wanted to see this stunning new Corvette! I’ll never forget it. We were all stunned!” The scene was forever burned into Doug’s memory and 54-plus years later, Doug MacDonald would be driving his own white Corvette Stingray, with a special purpose in mind.
With less than three weeks before the L.A. Times 5th Annual Grand Prix 3-Hour Enduro race, Dave and Bill Thomas (Mr. Cheetah) got as much done to prep the car as they could. Modifications were limited to rebuilding the engine, installing side exhaust, adding a roll bar, and removal of the bumpers. The Sting Ray’s fender humps and hood bulge were painted blue with red pin striping and “Don Steves Chevrolet” and MacDonald’s “00” lettering was added.
Anything can go wrong in an endurance race, even the simplest things. The biggest challenge to the new Corvettes was Shelby’s new Cobra that weighed 1,100-pounds less than the 3,100-pound Corvettes. In the first hour of the race, hard-charging MacDonald fought Billy Krause, driving the Cobra. Just before the end of the first hour, within minutes of one another, the driver’s side rear wheel of MacDonald’s Z06 came off (likely due to one or more loose lug nuts), then Krauss’ Cobra broke a rear axle. Later in the second hour, the engines in the Bondurant and Grant cars let go, leaving Doug Hooper, driving the Thompson Z06 to win the race.
Thompson, ever the showman, proclaimed, “I don’t think its ever been done before! A new production car winning the first time out.” While a “win is a win,” it was a default win because Corvettes would be chasing after Cobras until Duntov’s L88 arrived in 1967. Ironically this was the last time MacDonald ever professionally raced a Corvette. By the end of 1962, Carroll Shelby offered Dave a golden opportunity as a full-time driver. The Don Steves Corvette was raced a little, but nothing serious. The car has since been beautifully restored and is currently owned by Jim and Nancy Jaeger.
Life often offers up pivotal moments where a single decision can make profound changes. Dave MacDonald’s decision to take Shelby’s offer to professionally drive Cobras took Dave away from the world of Corvettes and into Shelby’s world of beasty Cobras – which Dave loved driving. Not only was MacDonald driving Cobras, he was helping to develop the cars. Dave was also deeply involved in the development of the fastback Cobra Daytona. He was also given the opportunity to race NASCAR stock cars. But back then, just as it is today, the big prize in American racing it to drive and win the Indy 500.
Mickey Thompson was called, “The King of Speed” because he was into anything fast on four wheels and “Sir Mick” wanted an Indy 500 win for his record. Thompson developed a radical, mid-engine Indy racer that was extra low to the ground thanks to its tiny 12-inch tires. The car debuted at the 1963 Indy 500 with mixed results, but after the race, Thompson hired MacDonald to drive for him the following year. But a month later, USAC officials mandated all cars run on 15-inch wheels for future 500s. This was devastating news to Thompson, as the change raised the car’s center of gravity, negated the unique design advantage, and caused the car to lift at speed.
Many of the top drivers of the day track-tested Thompson’s car but passed on driving for Thompson in the 1964 Indy race. However, MacDonald would stay loyal to his friend and not abandon him. Dave also viewed the Indy 500 as a big opportunity and that if he backed out, he’d never be invited back. (probably not so, but it looked that way to Dave) Many drivers questioned his decision. Racing legend Jimmy Clark was track practicing and following MacDonald on Carb Day when Clark pulled off the track after Dave and told him, “Get out of that carmate! Just walk away!” Later, Dave reiterated to Sherry that if he walked away, he’d be branded a “candy-ass”. Even Carroll Shelby tried to get MacDonald to change his mind with the promise of a ride in a really good car for 1965. But Dave’s “word” was his word”.
When the race started, MacDonald, ever the hard-charger, did what he’d always done on a racetrack – charged hard, passing everywhere he could. Racer Johnny Rutherford later reported that MacDonald’s car seemed to be handling badly and he thought, “He’s either gonna win this thing or crash!” At the beginning of the second lap, the Sears-Allstate Special went out of control and crashed, taking the lives of Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs.
Life for the MacDonald family would never be the same. Doug MacDonald was so overcome with grief and anger that he burned all of the memorabilia he’d collected about his brother’s racing career and he didn’t drive a car for several years. Sherry MacDonald raised their children; Rich and Vicki. After a long investigation, the Indy officials concluded that the crash was caused by the car’s design and there was, “No driver error!” In retrospect, one has to wonder why the car was approved to race in the first place.
But time heals most wounds – sort of.
Doug MacDonald eventually did some racing on his own and for a few years was a driving instructor at the Bob Bondurant Racing School. Over the years, Doug had a few stout Camaros and Corvettes. But for Doug, two things never changed; his passion for Corvettes and the memory of Dave and Sherry driving down his street in that brand new, white 1963 Z06 Corvette Sting Ray. Then in 2009, Doug made the leap into what was then, Chevy’s closest thing to an all-out racing Corvette, the C6 Z06. Doug’s Z06 was Atomic Orange and he added the rear spoiler and aftermarket hood.
In 2012 Doug had the opportunity to get a previously owned D&D Grand Sport replica. The car was a blast to drive but has its own unique ownership challenges. Grand Sport and Cobra replica cars show us just how rough and brutish the originals truly were. These are not cars that owners tend to drive a lot. They are loud, harsh, and garish. No one takes long trips in them, as they’re not especially comfortable. You can’t go to the store in one because; A. There’s no storage space, and B. You wouldn’t want to leave the car parked without an armed Blackwater Security guard or a big nasty dog! And C. they are cop-bait! Drivers often get pulled over so that law officers can get a good “look-see”. The limitations and routine can get old after a while.
In 2016 when Chevrolet debuted the C7 Grand Sport, Doug saw the possibility of fulfilling a dream of building a modern tribute to the Corvette he still couldn’t stop thinking about, the Don Steves “00” 1963 Z06 Corvette Sting Ray Split-Window Coupe. When Dave and Bill Thomas prepared the 1963 Z06 for the L.A. Times 5th Annual Grand Prix Race at Riverside, they didn’t have a lot of time or much budget, so the prepped racecar had stock black steel wheels. When Doug MacDonald saw that he could get a white Grand Sport with black wheels with blue center stripes, his tribute Corvette plan clicked into place. Combining his two passions into one, Doug sold his 1963 Grand Sport replica, and his C6 Z06, and bought his 2017 Grand Sport Corvette from Nate Chandler of Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon, New York because they advertised, “We can beat any deal!”
Doug ordered his Grand Sport with the following options; 3LT Adrenaline Red interior (top of the line), Competition seats, black wheels (just like Dave’s 1963 Corvette) with red calipers, blue center stripes, Heritage Package with red fender hash marks, the Phase II rear spoiler, and the Corvette Museum Delivery. The optional interior plaque reads, “In Memory of Dave MacDonald”. Doug later added the front aero winglettes and rear spoiler wickerbill. He also changed the car’s red taillight to clear taillights.
Doug’s Museum Delivery was also special. Doug and his lady, Sherry Sablan, dealership salesman Nate Chandler and his wife, all attended the Museum Delivery. All of the proper photos and certifications were fulfilled, the event was documented and posted on Facebook and lastly, Doug and Sherry drove the car home to California, just like Dave and Sherry MacDonald had done in September 1962!
It took Doug months of living with the car and looking at it to come up with a plan to complete his tribute. Doug wanted to replicate the 1963 racecar’s “white with blue stripes and trim” look on a very different body shape. Doug started with the basic Grand Sport center stripe and had the stripe extended forward, past the hood air extractor, and onto the front bumper cover to better match the look on the 1963 car. Doug’s fender stripes hit the mark perfectly by starting at the inside line of the headlights and flowing back, intersecting perfectly with the red fender hash marks, then flowing and thinning back towards the A-pillar. The rear fender strips just kiss the tops of the rear fender creases, splitting the space between the edge of the fender crease and the rear fender scoops, and flowing back. And at the back edge of the rear glass in white lettering, it says, “IN LOVING MEMORY OF 2014 CORVETTE HALL OF FAME LEGEND DAVE MACDONALD WWW.DAVEMACDONALD.NET”.
Doug MacDonald is absolutely delighted with his C7 Grand Sport Corvette tribute car. “I love everything about the car! The car’s looks, stance, the interior is gorgeous, the Competition Seats are excellent and I even like the automatic transmission, it shifts hard and quick. I’m sure Dave would love this car!”
I’m sure that Doug isn’t completely done with his tribute car. There’s a possibility he might have “stick on/peal off” vinyl “DON STEVES CHEVROLET” AND “00” in a round blue meatball made for the doors and hood, for when he displays the car at shows. But mostly, Doug and Sherry’s plans are to get into their 2017 Grand Sport and drive, drive, drive, and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy – just the way Dr. Duntov wanted all of his Corvette customers to do. – Scott
