'55 Vette: Intro

Having assembled the Corvette engine in the Cheetah, I figured I should rummage through the stash for more Vettes, of which I have far too few, the Blazer-powered LT1 being the most notable. (The LT1 chassis went into the chopped and sectioned Blazer.)



The Accurate Miniatures Grand Sport is a real project, plus the instruction sheet is about an acre and a half in size, with the paint instructions on the back side. Then I discovered a couple of C1s, a '53 and a '55.



The '53 will get built box stock as it has a tri-carb Blue Flame (aka Stovebolt) motor; the 283 in the '55 now has 4 Webers courtesy of an HRM carburettor kit originally meant for the GT350. It remains to be seen if the hood needs to be cut up for this.



I think the objective is going to be a road racer, sort of a precursor to the Cheetah. I've removed all the trim, the little finlets on the rear fenders, and the turn signal bumps on the front and rear pans. I figure a classic paint job, white with blue stripes, will be just right; and I plan to cut the windscreen down.



The custom grille from the '53 will look good here. Fat tires from the parts bin ('60s NASCAR tires from the aftermarket, perhaps) and steelies will look good. Stay tuned!