Amid all the hype surrounding the new mid-engined C8 Corvette redesign, plenty of pundits have opined that Chevy's longstanding sports car finally got the engine layout it always deserved. But the Corvette began its production run with a relatively weak first generation that was all about style over performance—it was only for the C2 generation that GM went all-out with a range of powerful engine options to match the aggressive exterior. The C1 still remains popular for its sleek design, however, and in today's burgeoning restomod industry, swaps like the C4-gen V8 and six-speed drivetrain enhancement to this C1 Corvette currently listed on the auction website Bring a Trailer will become all the more commonplace.
This C1 Corvette Restomod Looks Good, Drives Better
The car in question here is a 1957 model year Corvette finished in silver with red accents and equipped with a matching hardtop. From the outside, little denotes the major upgrades going on under the skin, right down to the relatively tame wheel and tire combination.
Under The Hood: 5.7-Liter V8
The listing stipulates that the car received a 5.7-liter V8 from a C4 employing fuel injection and mated to a six-speed stick shift. The powerplant's appearance has been worked over to resemble an original 283ci "Fuelie" setup, complete with a custom intake manifold and throttle body, plus Corvette script on the valve covers and even an alternator that looks like a generator.
The Way Things Should Have Been
The interior has also been refreshed with red bucket seats, a wood-rimmed steering wheel, and even a fire extinguisher. Other mechanical upgrades to go along with the engine swap include a conversion to four-wheel disc brakes, a custom steel tube chassis equipped with independent suspension front and rear, plus coilovers.
Bidding currently sits at $65,000 despite many questions already having been raised in the comments about the specifics of the build, with one post sounding quite knowledgeable and suggesting that the engine is probably a Chevrolet Performance Parts Ram Jet 350 using bolt patterns from the Vortec engine used on GM trucks, as is the intake manifold, while the transmission appears to be a BorgWarner unit sourced from a Camaro.
Sources: bringatrailer.com and lsxmag.com.