1956 Chevrolet Corvette

When I got my ’56 Corvette it was in very poor condition - but ran and was licensed. It took me a number of years to put together the resources to build my Corvette, so in the meantime I had a rat rod Vette. When the time came, I decided on the GM Performance Parts Ramjet fuel injected crate small block with a Keisler Tremec 5 speed overdrive. I had the body pulled off the frame, replaced the Borg Warner T-10 4 speed transmission with the Keisler 5 speed Tremec overdrive. Along with replacing the 4:11 gears with 3:06 posi gear set this would bring my RPM’s down to less than 2000 at 70 mph. Out came the original heater and in went a Classic Air A/C, heat and defroster unit along with lots of insulation for the interior. I kept the original Wonderbar radio and located and installed all original and refurbished gauges making the dash area look just as it did in 1956. This Corvette has both the soft top and hard top. I was able to get the power assist top installed and operating just as it was designed to do in the mid fifties. The hardtop was taken totally apart and restored. With this setup, I use the hardtop in the warm summer months when I use the AC, then once the Texas summer cools off I remove the hardtop and run topless or if needed when it gets a little chilly I put the soft top up. For braking, I went with a split master cylinder and front/rear disc brakes on the original suspension. I wanted to keep as much of the ’56 Vette as I could, yet improve performance to modern levels. That is why I kept the original king pin front suspension, but I did install new spindle supports from Fatman Fabrications that lowered the front. Paint and body work was the next step and I used the original colors of Cascade Green with Shoreline Beige coves. The Pirelli tires and American Torq Thrust 17 inch wheels give it the modern look but keep the classic lines and colors of the past. I owned the car for over 20 years before the serious task of restoring it occurred. Seeing this project through to the end has been trying at times but very rewarding in the end. I intend to keep the car and simply drive and enjoy it. I have taken trips from my Dallas home to Houston, Austin, San Antonio and points all around with trouble free and enjoyable driving. I have even done a little drag racing with it and in our local car club racing series found myself winning my class at one race and coming in second in yet another. Occasionally I will show the car in local car shows and I enjoy that somewhat, but my real fun comes from driving my car and driving along some Texas backroad is where you will likely find me.