It’s been quite a while since we last saw “America’s Sports Car” make a feisty appearance on the AutotopiaLA YouTube channel, but the always relatable Shawn Davis hosts the return with a visual bang. At first sight, this 1968 C3 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible looks almost perfect, but that’s only until you get closer and notice the interior / exterior color combination.
As always, the life story of this ‘Vette also kicks off interestingly. The owner and his dad loved to tinker with cars since the former was just a kid and possibly as a related consequence the mom was quite picky with her cars. The C3 was her dream ride before actually owning one, but as she absolutely hated driving it, the Corvette ultimately ended up in a state of disarray.
Starting with a mess of a car when the owner finally took over the Chevy from his dad, it was up to him to bring it back to life. Alone in his garage, as it turns out. But no worries because he is actually a car professional (works for a company which builds off-road racers and stuff) and although he did all the bodywork and the entire paintjob by himself it still turned out quite mesmerizing.
The one thing many Corvette fans may never get used to is the blue exterior paintjob that got mixed with a pop-out crimson interior, but perhaps many will choose to give it a pass because of the incredible attention to details. For example, he decided to keep the Corvette as original as possible, with factory brakes and original M22 transmission, stock (fully rebuilt, two-inch / 5 cm. shorter) suspension, among others.
What he decided to upgrade was the 427ci L71 motor which has been swapped for a date-coded unit with a little more power than its original 435 hp rating. According to the dyno it now makes somewhere along the line of 520-525 hp, which is surely enough to give anyone the thrills when considering the manual brakes and the classic suspension...
Speaking of thrills, after checking out the red interior at the 4:50 mark (beauty is in the eye of the beholder, keep that in mind) it’s time for the customary ride-along. Shawn is keenly aware of the old school suspension feel, but it seems that it was a deliberate choice to keep the “experience of an old car.” And nothing matters anymore after the ‘Vette can deliver “instant smile(s)” once it performs its first-ever restomod burnout from the 8:30 mark...
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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