Features Corvette hot rods - picture thread

Denny good article. At least his ET and speed is more reasonable than most of the guys that I listen to. I know these cars turned a best of 13s in "stock" trim but I run into people that seem to get quicker and faster with the passage of time. I have a list somewhere of the top 50 drag tests done by the major magazines of the day and the 62 Vette with the 327/360HP was one of the very few small blocks that made the list. I believe it was #37 on the list and the best ET was 13.87 or thereabouts. I also believe Mickey Thompson was the driver that got it down in the 13s.

 

featured in a Ryan thread today

XP755 Mako Shark 1961





Clippenger Chevrolet



1962

 

From Bangkok dean



Lemans 1960



Lemans 1960



XP 700 concept

 

Slicks and a hitch LOL



VERY FIRST Vette made



Vette Wagon at Motorama



vettes at motorama

 

Loudbang, what a kool, timeless photo. If it wasn't for the license plate it could have been taken on
Chicago's southwest side in the late '60s. I wonder what would go through the mind of the woman
if she saw that pic today.

 

Is that the steel bodied prototype or production car #1.

 

She would say to her grandkids, "See I told ya Grand Ma was a Badass back in the day."

 

Production

 

There never was a steel bodied prototype Corvette.

 

Well not exactly.

Chevy did build a metal concept car. The 1957 Corvette SS had a magnesium body with a tube steel frame. The magnesium body retained heat from the engine having a cooking affect on the driver.

 

steel

 

I love this car, I've got a 69 in monnoco orange and a 57 that needs to be

 

Looks like the same nose that Dad used years ago

 

There used to be a real shitty PURPLE 58-61 with nose in the area in the 80's

 

i beleave there is a special place in hell for people that restore ( to stock) old corvette race cars and hot rods!




Maybe not really, but you know what I mean.

 

Scotty we know what you mean and I agree with your overall sentiment (although not sure if they should go to hell-maybe a stop over in purgatory if such still exists-LOL). There are plenty of restored examples around to show us how they came from the factory.

The red 58 above (XP700) with the different style nose was a trend for awhile. I looked at a clone a number of years ago but the owner wanted a lot of money. I also looked at a new front clip years ago and the owner once again thought it was so special that he had a price of like $2000 and that was probably in the early 90s.

 

Jim Dillon I've enjoyed reading your posts since I discovered the corvette forum years ago when I had my 60 vette. Tom Parsons is another one to read but you know that. I wish I had the experiences and knowledge that you guys have.

 

Or a place where every car is a Prius.

 

Scotty, I rarely ever go to the Corvette forum anymore and have not for a number of years. Some good people there like Tom Parsons and a handful of others but too many guys that if I went there I would have to put on an ignore list so why even bother. Not much interest in drag cars anyways.

As to my past with Corvettes, I have often wondered what my life had been like if I had not spent so much time with the obsession, as in channel my time and energy into something that made more money for instance but I have great memories of all of it that makes it worthwhile (and priceless).

More of a drag race Vette guy so I try to chime in on some of the semi useless stuff that either I remember or have made notes of. With so many Corvette guys that have destroyed the history of Corvette drag cars, I feel it is good to keep some of the interest going with guys that appreciate it. I believe we have at least two pretty good threads with Corvette Hot Rods and Corvette Gassers and I always look forward to them-good stuff.

 

Lemans 1960



Nassau 1963 Note taillights?



1963 Sebring



L-88

 

The Grand Sport '63 Corvettes are about the most interesting bit of Corvette history out there. If you have not read it find a book like Stars Spangled Corvettes and read it.

 

Do factory-built dream cars and race cars REALLY count as "hot rods"?

 

I believe so.

 

I think they were 2400 pounds with a 377 inch FI small block, so I think they qualify.

 

That question really needs to be broke into the two categories you've listed.
Strictly speaking race cars, those early Corvette team cars were anything but "dream cars".
With a lot of people here the true definition of a "hot rod" would be limited to any old car (fill in what fits you) with wide whites and Lancer hub caps, myself, I'm a bit more inclined to say anything with serious horsepower, whether its a Corvette, 55 Chevy, 64 Thunderbolt, etc.

 

When it comes to Corvettes they do. Whether they're street cars, drag cars, NHRA, AHRA , IHRA,
SCCA or IMSA, they're hot rods. I wouldn't say that about any other car. Good old American
ingenuity and enthusiasm went into each type.

 

The Grand Sport, SS, and Le Mans 56-60 Corvettes were built by Chevrolet Engineering- hardly Old Fashioned American Engineering. Their education, capabilities and resources were WAY beyond guys like Doane Spencer or even Vic Edelbrock senior and Ed Iskedarian. I don't think cars designed and built by factory engineers using the latest materials and techniques, and using virtually unlimited budgets should be called hot rods. As the 377 inch, 2400 lb Grand Sport, that makes a 427 Cobra a hot rod.

 

Outside of the HAMB the definition of hot rod is more broad.

 

I didn't realize that Hot Rod was such an easily definable term. What is your definition of a hot rod Critical Mass?