and son concentrated on performance,
but didn’t skimp when it came to the
quality of the bodywork, paint, interior
and final details. The result is a stunning
Pro Touring build that offers a great
mixture of modern performance parts
with the timeless styling of the swoopy
C2 coupe body.
Aesthetically, the Corvette has a
Grand Sport vibe, due to the Luxo Blue
Metallic paint with a wide Olympic
White stripe and red fender hash marks.
You’ll also find sponsor decals on the
front fender and door, which is com-
mon for the teams on the autocross cir-
cuit. Earl Bryant handled the fiberglass
work, raising the rear floor, modify-
ing the transmission tunnel and add-
ing 2 1/2 inches to each corner to clear
the wide rubber. An L88 hoodscoop
was added to tie in with the road race
theme, and give the LS7 a little more
breathing room. You may also notice
the vertical 1965-’66 style “gills” behind
the front wheels, as well as the relocated
exhaust exits. The bumpers, trim and
emblems have been given the blacked-
out treatment, and it gives the car a
sinister look to go with the black wheels
and rocker panel trim.
The SRIII Motorsports chassis fea-
tures a round-tube design and complete
C7 suspension with Hyperco front and
rear springs and JRi shocks at all four
corners. A Flaming River rack-and-
pinion simplifies the steering system
and gives the car excellent steering
response. Braking is handled by Baer
Brakes discs, with massive slotted rotors
and billet 6S calipers. Rolling stock con-
sists of Forgeline GS1R wheels, which
measure 18x11 up front and 18x12 out
back. Gerald and Joe decided to stay
with the stock shape of the wheel open-
ings rather than going with the more
rounded flares that were seen on Grand
Sport race cars of yesteryear. From a dis-
tance, the car’s body appears stock, but
as you get closer you notice the extra
curves in the front fenders and rear
quarter-panels, allowing just enough
room for the huge BFGoodrich g-Force
Rival S tires, sized at 315/30R18 up front
and 335/30R18 out back.
Under the hood is another modern
Corvette element: an LS7 engine. The
aluminum block retains the stock bore
and stroke, which keeps it at 427 cubic
inches. The short-block has been con-
verted to a wet-sump oiling system and
the original LS7 cylinder heads were
rebuilt with new valves, springs and
guides. Lewis Roberts at Roberts Motor
Vehicles in London, Kentucky, handled
the engine work, installing a Brian
Tooley Racing (BTR) camshaft and
associated valvetrain components. Up
top is an MSD Atomic AirForce intake
manifold, which brings in air from a
Spectre cone filter and carbon-fiber
intake pipe. Holley EFI controls the fuel
system, as well as the ignition, whichconsists of MSD coil packs and plug
wires. Exhaust gasses exit through a set
of American Racing stainless steel head-
ers, which lead to a 3.0-inch exhaust
system and MagnaFlow mufflers. Lethal
Performance tuned the LS7, giving it
567 horsepower and 535 lb-ft of torque.
Behind the 427ci powerplant is an
American Powertrain-prepared T-
six-speed manual transmission. It is
designed to fit the Corvette chassis and
provide optimal shifter placement, com-
pared to a T-56 with a stock case and
tailhousing. A GM F-body bellhousing16 VETTE 19.0 4
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