LIGHTNING RUMBLE RAT

1968 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe (Resto-Mod)

 

 

 

 

Start of rebuild…..
Finish rebuild…… April 2006

RESTORATION/MODIFICATION BY

" CLASSIC FABRICATIONS, Fairy Meadow,

NSW, Australia  (02) 4284 2896

HORSEPOWER
" 425hp (317Kw) & 500ft/lbs (678Nm) Torque @ Factory

TRANSMISSION
" Muncie M21 4 speed.
" RPM super-heavy duty Clutch

 

 

ENGINE
" 454 CUBIC INCH (7.4 Litre) DISPLACEMENT

- GMPP HO (Crate Motor), USA
" 8.75:1 Compression Ratio
" GM Rectangle port cast iron heads
" Stainless 2.19/1.88-in. Valves
" Camshaft - GM roller; 211/230-deg duration, 0.510-in lift
" Rocker Arms - GM stamped steel, 1.7 ratio
" GM forged aluminium Pistons
" GM forged steel Crankshaft
" GM forged steel Rods
" GM dual-plane aluminium Intake Manifold
" GM Power Steering unit
" 650cfm Rochester Carb.
" Mallory electric fuel pump
" MSD Pro-Billet Distributor
" Cast iron Water Pump
" Max RPM 5500

DIFF
" Standard 3.08 Positraction
" Stock Driveshafts

BRAKES
" Front - C5 Rotors/Calipers
" Rear - Stock

EXHAUST
" Hooker Dual 3inch Side Pipes

WHEELS & TYRES
" American Racing Torque Thrust II,

17 x 8-in
" Nanking 245/45-17 Front,

Falken 255/45-17 Rear

 

 

 

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SUSPENSION
" Front: Grand Touring springs, Koni shocks
" Composite (Fiberglass) Mono-Spring, Koni shocks

STEERING
" Left Hand Drive
" GM Power Steering unit
" Flaming River Steering Column, painted black

INTERIOR
"  Re-trimmed standard
" Custom painted gauge faces
" 13 inch standard appearance steering wheel

 

 

PAINT
" DeBeers (Custom colour) Yellow
" Custom underhood mural depicting

a combination of my Corvette,

the Vegas desert, Betty Boop

and a Route 66 road sign.

Painted by Smart Arts of Wollongong

FUTURE MODS
" 502ci
" Tremec 5 speed
" Flares
" Wide Wheels, Simmons?

HISTORY & INFO

The Corvette was imported into Australia in 2000, sold by a female hairdresser in Las Vegas. I bought it in 2004.

The colour used to be red but there's too many Red Corvettes in Australia so I chose a custom yellow stand out colour.

The Vette was in a terrible state of disrepair, but that didn't bother me because I wanted to build a Vette the way I wanted

it to look!

I stripped the body back to the glass and in the process found under the numerous layers of paint that the original colour

to my surprise was code 976 Lemans Blue confirmed by the tag.

The seats/interior were originally code 411 Dark Blue vinyl!

How it ended up red with black interior, I'll never know? 
I stripped the interior because it was too shabby and replaced the panels with new black vinyl ones.

The original engine was a 427/390hp combo but this engine was non matching numbers and was a mess.

\I wanted to stay with a Big Block so I ordered a GMPP 454HO from Eagle Spares in Sydney.
I left the 427 numbers on the hood in homage to the Stingrays original engine and for an original look.