Update, Friday, March 13: You know how these things go. The Ridetech crew has been hard at work transforming a 1972 Corvette into a road race and autocross monster for the last three days, and is now into a fourth day. According to RideTech’s Brett Voelkel, the Corvette has been more complicated than the 48-hour Camaro, so live coverage of the build will continue through Friday (longer than originally scheduled). Periodic updates will then be provided until the Corvette is complete.
[CLICK THE VIDEO IMAGE ABOVE TO START THE LIVE FEED]
Four years ago, the suspension experts at Ridetech built a 1967 Camaro in 48 hours and posted a live video feed of the build. The Ridetech crew turned that Camaro into a road race machine in just three days—then took it racing that same weekend.
Now Ridetech’s at it again.
The 48 Hour Corvette Build has enlisted the help of Summit Racing, Lingenfelter Performance, MSD, Holley, and others to transform a tired 1972 Corvette into a fully equipped track monster over three 16-hour workdays. When the car is done, Ridetech will drive it to the track and go racing.
For more information on the project visit www.48hourcorvette.com. Ridetech has posted a couple of teaser videos, created a “build recipe” listing the parts that will be used, and even opened a chat room if you want to talk Vette with the build crew.
We talked with Brett Voelkel of Ridetech about the 48 Hour Corvette Build. Here’s what he had to say:
OnAllCylinders: Why did you choose a C3 Corvette over, say, a GM A-body or a second-gen Camaro?
Voelkel: The Corvette market is likely the biggest and most organized car niche in the country today. Up to this point most of these cars have been restored or lightly modified, but recently there is a growing number that have been upgraded with modern drivelines and other amenities. We intend to show them how!
OAC: Why did you choose the three day/16 hour format for the build?
Voelkel: We specifically chose that format over a continuous 48 hour build for two reasons. First, nobody can realistically expect to work on a car for 48 straight hours. You’d be punch drunk halfway through and the work would suffer accordingly. It also gives us a chance to get parts that we might have forgotten during the preplanning stage.
Second, doing the build over three days is something people can relate to. We know that it’s not uncommon for a group of hot rodders to get together and thrash on a car for three days to get it ready for a race or track day.
OAC: How did you organize your crew for the build?
Voelkel: The primary build crew will consist of three teams of three people each. One team will be in the engine bay, one will handle under the car stuff, and the third team will work inside the car. In addition, several manufacturers will have their staff on hand to oversee the installation of their particular product.
OAC: What are the plans for the car when it is finished?
Voelkel: The day after the Corvette is done, we will drive it to Bowling Green, KY to race on the new road course at the National Corvette Museum. From there we will compete in Goodguys autocross and Optima Ultimate Street Car events all over the country for the remainder of 2015 and 2016.
This car will definitely not be a garage queen!
Comments