Corvette C2

[Belgiumbarry]

May i present my new bought '67 C2..... ( imported from Arizona )

Selling my cars as we move smaller , i also sold the Morgan +4 , so we were looking for a replacement cabriolet.
First idea was a Cobra , took options , but all had problems with registration.... ( kit cars... )
Then i came on this one , must say more happy now the Cobra(s) didn't work out , as we have some more lux as rolling up windows and a real soft top. ( and hard top )

This is a restomod , with a Merlin 540, tripower , 6 speed Richmond box which i like as wrenching is part of the hobby.

It's sure the best car i ever had converting gas into noise .....

So i know what to do this winter , getting it ready for next year summer. Already ordered at Corvette Central a big list of parts.....

 

[eriknetherlands]

Looks like Fjord!
Nice set of wheels, i also like it's styling.
Great choice.

 

[Belgiumbarry]

Yes @eriknetherlands , it's Chevy '67 Marina blue , was my first thought also , as Fjord.
But can be darker or lighter depending the camera.... will take a pic of both together when i visit my friend who bought my Fjord CS.....

 

[Mike Goble]

We raced a 65 Vette in Mexico in the early 2000's, competing in the LaCarrera PanAmericana.

 

[Belgiumbarry]

@Mike Goble , seeing the hood i assume the very first BB 396 ?

PS did you guys end the race ?

 

[vince]

Very, very cool!! The C2 one of the coolest designs ever, 67 is the best year, and you got the best color! I agree, the wheels look period perfect.

 

[Mike Goble]

@Mike Goble , seeing the hood i assume the very first BB 396 ?

PS did you guys end the race ?

Big blocks were not allowed. You could use a 327 bored 40 over. Single 4bbl, 4-speed, 15" rims, had to meet the minimum curb weight. This Vette originally had side pipes, but I built an under-chassis system using Stahl primaries, 4-1 merge collectors and a Dr. Gas crossover, resulting in a substantial increase in power. It sounded like a V-12.
We finished second in our class, behind Bernard Juchli driving a 63-1/2 NASCAR Ford Galaxie. It was an awesome car with a 427.

 

[Jon B]

Already ordered at Corvette Central a big list of parts.....

You need the correct shirt too ;-)

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

Mil Cumbres, Michoacan 2017

 

[teahead]

awesome rig!

Original big block/side-pipe car? Just curious; doesn't really matter as far as it going to be a driver and not an NCRS trailer queen.

'67 with side pipes and Stinger hood is the best combo! Especially in Marina Blue!

 

[Belgiumbarry]

Yes, @teahead , original BB & sidepipes C2 .... of course a bit modded now with the 540 and 3" sidepipes
Indeed , we want a fun driver ( cabriolet ) , don't care about NCRS....

My to do list :

safety : 3 points harnesses and head rests
personal : 14" steering wheel and Borgeson steering box with shorter ratio
Suspension work , alignment , rear coilovers instead of that transverse composiet leafspring
New AVON tires
And rear i want more rubber , only 225 now. AVON has them in 245 and 275 ... must look what is possible.
They sell offset trailing arms which give 2" more backspacing ( and special swaybar to fit it )
American Racing makes those TT wheels custom ,so i can order any wide/backspacing , must see what is possible , 9"... 10" ?
Fronts can stay , 7" with 225 AVON's or better going 8" rims , all to check

First problem is oil leaks .... car was imported in Germany and somewhere they changed the big valve cover breathers to a PCV valve....perhaps needed for TUV inspection. Now we have to much sump pressure which pusses up the dipstick just out of its closed position.... and oil leaks of course.
I will mount both sides a 1" vent hose to a oil catch tank with breather. Think a 540 can use that

look who's behind it ....

 

[Belgiumbarry]

meanwhile the C2 is almost road ready . A lot of work done as my list above and more....
Couldn't mount the Borgeson steering box due my big headers... so went more radical with a R&P and new PS pump after finding to hard steering.
American Racing couldn't make TT wheels with enough BS for the rears as i wanted . Finaly bought wheels in the UK at Image wheels , but now the Hallibrand type as the Grand Sports C2 used in racing. ( should arrive soon )

Also made a quad exhaust to please my "difficult" neighbors , now i can shut down the side pipes and use a under car exhaust with glass packs and ending in a Porsche 997 muffler. All that not visible. Still to make a H in front just after the headers , as recommended to me , due a probably "reversion/lean out" condition driving at 1000-1500 rpm. If it doesn't help , it sure doesn't harm.

Waiting for a "last" US order ( pump cams and jets etc... ) and hopefully ready for the summer !
PS car has scary power , torque all over the place ....

and yes, a tripmaster for some rally

 

[Arde]

Impressive!! Enjoy the summer and the "difficult" neighbors...

 

[vince]

I love your C2! Pretty cool that it has a tilt wheel. I know that's not stock, did you add it?

 

[Belgiumbarry]

no , tilt wheel ( Flaming River ) was in it as bought.... but it didn't fit. Was 1/2" to low . ( also dash bezel didn't fit of course )
had to cut the support bracket of the column and redo it . Now all fine

It is indeed a great advantage to get in&out the car, even with the 14" steering wheel i mounted . More elegant for a stiff old man.. like me

 

[Belgiumbarry]

One of the bigger surprizes was the heavy rusted !!! ( you guys know that word ) springs that keep the decklid ( for the soft top ) open. Also the body mount /nuts beneeth them.... i renewed them .... and find the reason. In the corners of the channel there are drains molded into the glass fibre body that drain above the rear wheels. Now some bubba , repainted or prepdd that car and thought it were "holes" ... so filled them up. I had to search with given dimensions etc... but could redrill those holes !
All water , even from washing , on the decklid , dripped into the spring pockets aka body mounts .

If it were E9 steel instead of glass fibre there would have been 2 BIG rusted out holes in the body .....

 

[bmw2800cs]

Looks like Fjord!
Nice set of wheels, i also like it's styling.
Great choice.

No it's a Chjevy haha

 

[Belgiumbarry]

this must be a US thing , bigger is better . Those are 1100 cc cilinders , in those years here in Europe most were 1100 cc 4 bangers !

What i don't understand is how poor the brakes are designed. Ok, mine are manual , and i even mounted EBC yellow pads ( as used on the rally E9 ) , they have a good cold bite , what we need on the street . But still ... one can only push that pedal so hard to not break the seat ....

Reason is the MC bore. Chevy only made 2 options : 1" bore ( as mine ) and even a 1 1/8" bore. Way to big . Perhaps it was enough to lock the tires in '67 ?

Bought now a Wilwood 7/8" MC , the only "smaller" one i found that will fit approx the car ,tubing layout and being one cast piece with reservoirs. Should already be 30% better.

A 3/4" bore would still be better.....if pedal travel allows it.
Thinking to look if we can sleeve the oem MC to 3/4" , if we can find the needed internals. Would keep stock appearence.

 

[Belgiumbarry]

time flies.... want to give a update on my US car
Indeed now "normal" brakes with the 7/8" Wilwood MC .
better handling now with rear Koni coilovers ( Germany set ) , Avon tires on new wheels ( Image Wheels UK )
Better running in low rpm with exhaust balance pipe
Made a air filter top plate with filter in it , found that the oem filter was to small for such big engine.
First summer trip with wifey i runned out of gas and second trip ended on our trailer.... alternator kaput.
Searched on engine problems , new HEI distributor ... finaly biggest improvement were new low resistance plug wires.
R&P conversion did not steer good , stiff, binding. Tryed everything , re-clocking the U joints , even new R&P. Same problem .
So during summer we didn't drove the C2 much , due that bad steering feel. Till my friend ( the BMW rally car builder ) noticed that BMW always put a "flex" coupling next such a double U joint. Mounted a "flex" coupling in it and indeed now good . Strange that they sell those R&P kits as is , never seen a flex coupling in it. Also with heat it became worse , meanwhile i mounted a PS oil cooler, wrapped the header , made some heat shields and swapped the aluminium double U joint with a steel one (half termal expansion)

And now that the car steers normal , i daired to test performance.... to see a big scary "boost" when the secundairies open. That must be more smooth. Now experimenting with the springs in the two vacuum cans. ( PO build it that way , a 540 Merlin with tripower from a 454 )
First run ( but we didn't daire go full WOT , car almost jumped out of the dyno with that sudden boost ... ) 450 HP and 650 NM.
Mounted now the softest springs but to bad weather lately for testing. Rain,rain and rain.....

As you see , i already had much wrenching fun on it and hope for better summer trips next year. Winter started here.

 

[Belgiumbarry]

thanks guys for the thumbs up .... to give a idea of that scary "boost"under WOT : +150 HP over 400 rpm ! engine struggles on the center carb to long and then boem,the secundaires fly open....Far from a seamless acceleration