Features Corvette hot rods - picture thread

Deuces I like that^^^^^ a lot. I saw many of those before and after Vietnam. And living on LI and close to Motion performance these Corvettes where around all the time.

Pat

 

This link will tell the story of this FSO (Factory Shop Order) car and save me a lot of typing.

http://www.superchevy.com/features/vemp-0604-bob-wingate-fso-corvettes

 

There we go, that is much better! [emoji41]


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Wow...This and a 60 Pontiac....dang....

I always wanted one of those Vettes...looked at one...sat in it...and at 6’4 I passed...

 

Deuces, that's an impressive photo display of the Bob Wingate '67. I have commented previously on lesser arrays of pictures of that car, posed at various scenic spots around this community. I can attest to the continued existence of many of the background locations, particularly the ones that picture the Covina City Park, about half-a-mile from the spot where I'm sitting today. Of course, the glassed-in showroom that was the centerpiece of the Clippinger dealership on San Bernardino Road has been vacant for several years and is quietly awaiting transformation into high-density, rail-convenient, town-home living spaces, an ignominious fate earlier foisted upon the original site of Russ Davis Ford (the dealership that sponsored Gas Ronda's race cars) directly across the street. The rusty Covina Pottery building is still in the same place, in about the same condition although I think that it's a body shop these days. The golf course setting was probably at South Hills Country Club on the other side of I10. Not being a golfer, I can't attest to that. Sadly gone are the glory days when the parts departments of the competing dealerships were open even on Saturday mornings, a fact that, believe it or not, was a substantial selling point in my decision to locate here over thirty years ago. Thanks for the local trip down memory lane!

c

 

I'm sure there's more pictures of that car..... Somewhere... I need to look.,.

 

Wow. Nice find.

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With the talk of having issues with these early Vettes due to height of 6' or more, it is possible to make things a bit easier. I am 6'1" and have no issues whatsoever. I also wear a helmet when I drag race the cars (which probably adds close to 2") and I found a way to do so with room to spare. If you remove the seat bottom and then remove the tracks for the sliding feature you pick up a bit of space. What I did was to make a new seat bottom that sits closer to the floor all the way back and is bolted directly to the floor. I then went with a Chuck Pelton steering wheel that looks like an original other than it is leather and is only 15". There are other 15" steering wheels as well and they are worth it. Some guys say that it is harder to steer with the smaller steering wheel, which if that is the case maybe an early Vette is not for you. If you like shifting and having enough room to kick the clutch, it is a must IMO. I had a guy in my car club that is a big boy and is 6'4" and he bet me he would never fit-he had to eat his words.

When I had my upholsterer make my seats for the red car, I had him make my seat close to the floor and my passenger seat at normal height or I would have heard comments from the "passenger" if you get my drift, since she is a bit shorter and wants to look through the center portion of the windshield.

 

I read the name Bob Wingate in the few posts above and the name sounds familiar and it just came to me. In the late 70's early 80's he had some 57 "150" FI's for sale a car I truly love but I could never afford one of his. It wasn't till I moved back to NY from AZ and went into the classic Chevy business that I bought two at separate times both factory V-8 cars, wound up selling them both. I have always operated on a shoe string budget. I had a lot of collectable cars only to sell them to pay school and property taxes.

Pat

 

6'4" might present a problem. At 6'2" x 200# I was able to make it work both on the track and off, with helmet and without. In fact, it worked so satisfactorily that I've reprised the combination with 4 different generation 1 cars, a generation 2 car, and now as an octogenarian, I'm comfortable in a gen 6. Of course, I've shaved off fifteen or twenty pounds over the years and probably shrunk an inch or so.

 

Thank you Jim D! That is what I was looking for! I thought someone had talked about seat modification recently (it was probably you) but I couldn’t remember. They sale modified seats but at almost $3000 I was looking for an alternative or was thinking I’d just suffer with a smile on my face. Lol


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What are your plans with the 61?[/QUOTE]

My current plan in my head as it has been since I was 12 yrs old lol is to build a nice (not restored!) street car that I plan to run at Famoso. I have a 360hp long block (with 2.02/1.60, chambers machined, screw in studs etc) that I had done a couple of years ago hoping I’d get the vette. The 315hp injector has been sitting but is complete.
Rear end wise Eventually a Pontiac but 4.56 posi in the stock housing for now.
Body wise it will be in primer for a while but I’d like a Honduras Maroon with more metallic an a Pearl white paint in the cove and of course 6 tail lights! We shall see.



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Sounds good. Making plans with what you are going to do with your "new" solid axle Corvette is good stuff.

 

[/QUOTE] The 315hp injector has been sitting but is complete.[/QUOTE]

A 320 unit (315hp) came with it? Not the 275 HP unit which is actually rather rare.

 

The 315hp injector has been sitting but is complete.[/QUOTE]

A 320 unit (315hp) came with it? Not the 275 HP unit which is actually rather rare.[/QUOTE]

Yes, you are correct. It is a factory 275hp which I hear is a rare set up. From I was told also did well in stock class too.
I was given the option of either or an I went with the “bigger” injector and heads.


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I was given the option of either or an I went with the “bigger” injector and heads.[/QUOTE]

The market is smaller for the '61 275 unit but the asking prices are higher due to rarity. I likely would have taken the 310 unit. Sold it and purchased the fairly common 320 and put the difference into the car.

What side is your windshield washer vacuum tank and and reservoir on?

What is the tach red line?

Any chance of engine bay pictures?

 

The fuelie cars were quite successful as the serious guys running them knew what to do with them for the most part. It was the weekend car mechanics that may have had some trouble with tuning them. I guess I would have to do a study of the 315 versus the 275 in competition and some of the results depended on the year and the resulting weight breaks. Lombardo in 68 was very successful with his solid lifter dual quad 270 hp, winning class and street eliminator at Indy in F/S. For 1969 he switched to G/S but went with the 275 fuelie to make the sweet spot in class and did quite well with it. Sometimes the 315 got lumped in class with the 1962 340 and 360 cars and the 315 cars did not have an easy way with that. Sometime I will have to do a little study on the 315 cars versus the others. I am sure they had some good results here and there.

 

The Corvette black book claims 118 275hp and 1462 315hp cars were built.

 

See, I said there weren't that many.

 

HEY! he should've been home working on my 57's paint/body work.

 

And so it begins

 

My current plan in my head as it has been since I was 12 yrs old lol is to build a nice (not restored!) street car that I plan to run at Famoso. I have a 360hp long block (with 2.02/1.60, chambers machined, screw in studs etc) that I had done a couple of years ago hoping I’d get the vette. The 315hp injector has been sitting but is complete.
Rear end wise Eventually a Pontiac but 4.56 posi in the stock housing for now.
Body wise it will be in primer for a while but I’d like a Honduras Maroon with more metallic an a Pearl white paint in the cove and of course 6 tail lights! We shall see.
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I like your plan. That is what I and my friends have done. Back in 07 or 08 Butch and I started the North Jersey Outlaws. A group of street/strip drag racing first generation corvettes. To keep it low cost our rules were to out law real race cars and parts. We got up to about 13 cars when the 08 recession hit. It really wrecked the group by 2010. Several had to sell there cars to survive, two died.

Anyway, Back then I made a list of things to do to their cars to compete and have their cars survive racing. If you want a copy of that list, let me know. most is stuff you can do for very little $$s. Things like front motor mount water pump leaks and surviving drive train destruction.

BTW, I have been racing these cars for 54 years successfully. Jim

 

Bill Jobe's Dallas-based 1964 fuelie "Supernova" was 4-time consecutive SCCA B/Production National Champion when we decided to take the crown away from my former employer Carroll Shelby's GT350 cars. Supernova won every race it finished.

 

Hi Jim, I for one would like to see that list. I'm sure others would too. Cool period mods for little $$ is what it is all about IMO

 

vetrod is a sharp dude, i can say that from experience, dont tell him i said that.
jp

 

The market is smaller for the '61 275 unit but the asking prices are higher due to rarity. I likely would have taken the 310 unit. Sold it and purchased the fairly common 320 and put the difference into the car.

What side is your windshield washer vacuum tank and and reservoir on?

What is the tach red line?

Any chance of engine bay pictures?[/QUOTE]

Rumble,
The tach is long gone. But it came with the low rpm tach which I’ll change.

We did talk about what to do with the injector and how the 275hp is a rare set up but I knew I’d be running at 360hp so I wanted the other injector. Since this is a friend I wouldn’t sell the injector. (They have a few units and they tend to stay in the “family”)






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The interior of this car with the gold paint is awesome!




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I like your plan. That is what I and my friends have done. Back in 07 or 08 Butch and I started the North Jersey Outlaws. A group of street/strip drag racing first generation corvettes. To keep it low cost our rules were to out law real race cars and parts. We got up to about 13 cars when the 08 recession hit. It really wrecked the group by 2010. Several had to sell there cars to survive, two died.

Anyway, Back then I made a list of things to do to their cars to compete and have their cars survive racing. If you want a copy of that list, let me know. most is stuff you can do for very little $$s. Things like front motor mount water pump leaks and surviving drive train destruction.

BTW, I have been racing these cars for 54 years successfully. Jim

View attachment 4825835 [/QUOTE]

Jim,
Thank you! That would be great! I’ll pm you! I’ve actually have been going back and looking up your post as well as JimD for inspiration!
I know the crash hard for a lot of folks. I was on the other end of that having just got out of the service and just finishing school I was able to do okay.

Sadly we don’t see a lot of “hotrod” corvettes on the west coast and definitely nothing like what you guys were able to put together! Maybe lumpy63 and I will have to kick it off! That’s 2 cars. Lol



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