Vette Daddy

I own an 89 unconverted Challenge car. After taking it to Carlisle this past weekend and participating in the Challenge Reunion, I decided to convert it to 89 Corvette Challenge specs. Maybe apply a mixture of 88/89 graphics to the car.

The decision to do this project is NOT to sell the car later and try to make money on it. I doubt that this conversion would make it worth more money anyway. I just feel that it would be a neat thing to do.

I set this up for this winter with John Powell (Powell Development) to do the conversion.

* Spec roll bar
* Spec exhaust
* Spec fire supression system
* Dymags (which I already have)
* VET1806 real Challenge engine (which I already have)
* Special windshield decal by Powell Development stating "Converted To Corvette Challenge Specifications"
* Corvette Challenge Emblems

This is just for my own liking. The car is a known unconverted car and could never be passed off as a raced Challenge version. Besides that, thankfuly, there's too much documentation on the Challenge series for anyone to ever try to do that. It will just be an unconverted R7F car converted by John Powell to 1989 Corvette Challenge specifications.

Thoughts??????

Brett Richmond

I think it is a great idea, it is your car so do with it what you want. If I can be of any help with contact information for the graphics or the Challenge Emblems that I will have for sale,


To quote an old friend of yours, from a recent thread


"Good luck with the car and if you need any help with it, that is what this forum is for, I will be glad to help you in any way, along with many others."

Vette Daddy

I just threw up in my mouth a little.

davidfarmer

so what is an unconverted challenge car??? I guess specifically what is a R7F? I had an 89' Vette, but that was just before I got a competition license, so I'm not sure if GM had a stripper Vette back then??

Vette Daddy

R7F is the RPO code for a 1989 Challenge option car. B9P = 1988 Challenge car. R9G = 1990 World Challenge car. These cars were available though specific dealers for race teams to buy. Not all of the R7F cars in 1989 were purchased by race teams though. The R7F cars that were not bought by race teams were sold to the public instead as regular Corvettes. There was no special badging or anything. Buyers did not know that they were buying an R7F Corvette in most cases. In 1989, 60 R7F cars were built. Only 29 were converted for the Corvette Challenge series. That left 31 cars as unconverted. Finding an unconverted car is like the needle in the haystack. Brett Richmond found mine. He is the Challenge car private eye of sorts.

1BDRSK

I'm looking forward to seeing this car in person at the Powell Race shop since that's who keeps my car going. You definitely can't go wrong with John and Devon.

Vette Daddy

John was very nice to talk to on the phone. I can't wait to get the car to his shop.

qwikredline

As an extra tidbit for Bretts initiative with Brett's help (lol, Brett and Brett!) Devon thinks he has a small supply left of the genuine emblems used for the fascias and the steering wheel. Bonus! Now I gotta go pack up Brett R's challenge newsletter book...

Vette Daddy

I just emailed John Powell about including them in the conversion package, if possible? We'll see.

UPDATE: John just emailed me. He said "no problem"!!!

davidfarmer

so there is absolutely nothing unique about the car other than an obscure option code??? I mean no offense, but I don't understand why GM would bother to even acknowledge there existence at all if they weren't given some unique treatment at Bowling Green.

Thanks for the history lesson!

Vette Daddy

Well, they definitely acknowledge their existence. That Challenge series helped to sell Corvettes and also to do development for the ZR1's introduction in 1990. It's Corvette racing history.

qwikredline

David you have a history of racing with Corvettes. I dont think anyone here would say your racing was "nothing unique. " For sure you werent an RK Smith or a Johny O'Connell but you were there. You raced a Corvette. Regardless of how long/ how far /how often /how well. So consider this:

The Corvette hobby includes those who are interested in the history of the car, and the Corvette Challenge option code cars that were unconverted are an interesting sidebar for such collectors and enthusiasts. These are not actual Challenge cars; not the cars raced by Jenner or Said, Tracy or Vasser, even Desiree Wilson, (she, an ex F1 driver of considerable skill but relatively unknown "obscure?" to the American race public, she who set fastest time in the first ever Corvette Challenge series practice session, which certainly caused some angst among the testosterone charged racers in the field) . These R7F cars are actually pure option code "gold" I think. The 89 car has the ZF transmission, and was a much better car imho than the 88 C4

Some day the story as to how these Challenge cars came about, got built, distributed, and sold, working inside the arcane corporate policy corridors of GM will see daylight. GM didnt care about the Challenge and Corvette back then and today David, you evidently dont care now about these option codes and cars. Others will. Thats the Corvette hobby; something for everyone.

L98Terror

I think what David is saying is what makes it a "Challenge Car", what did it come with and you started to answer the question a ZF Transmission, did it have extra coolers, better shocks, stiffer springs, different gear ratio, AC delete, no power windows ect, ect.

I'm interested also.

Vette Daddy

ZF Transmission
FX3 Ride Control
Glass Top
Power Driver's Seat
HD Suspension
Cloth Interior
Oil Cooler
Desert Driveline Exhaust (Thanks Brian)


There may be more. If I'm incorrect about any of these features, someone please correct me. Brett Richmond will know all of the options.

I'll have my build sheet next week, from the NCM.

BrianCunningham

Sounds like it would be more unique if you left it alone.

more on them
http://www.vetteweb.com/events/vemp_...nge/index.html

the exhaust they put on it

Vette Daddy

I already have a few unique cars in my collection. (53's, 54's, Morrison Mobil1 #99 car, etc.) I have made a tentative deal on a black 89 R7F car that I can sell or just leave alone as is, if I buy it.

Brett Richmond

A couple of cars that I was looking for at one point, would like to have a collection like that.

Vette Daddy

I have asked John Cafaro to take on the project of designing a present day graphics plan for the car, once it's painted again. This project could really end up quite unique on it's own.

qwikredline

100% stock Z51 cars, ps pb pw, other than sealed and qualified engine, qualified transmission, stock springs and shocks (Bilsteins, lasted for ever) cage was done at the Powell facility in Wixom michigan. Bill Hagee from Texas was the sales guy (did a great job) Tommy Sapp did the cages in 89 (since died in a car crash) Robert Nathanson, (drove the rig too) Mark Cornwell (super guy) and Mitch (lastname?) Billy Powell (no relation to John Powell) hard working guys who did the grunt work to get the cars out...GM's Mike Dupree made sure the computer side was looked after and did the motor qualifying at SVI in Detroit (outstanding guy Dupree smarter than all the wouldbe racer laptop gurus, and last I looked was at ALMS) and Doug Robertson (also at ALMS) who basically made it all happen at GM for Dave mcLellan these last two guys you cant thank enough, along with Frank Ellis on the marketing side who was a genius at navigating the corridors at GM. There were dealers - Kenny Wallace, Tom Bell, + _ + there were sponsors Goodyear (Bob Toth) Mid America Weidman and his boss Yager, Exxon ( I got them in) Bilstein (still the best shocks you can buy day in day out) etc. and the Bowling Green plant did their best with what we all knew was not a perfect car. Thanks to all these folks, the C5 was what it is, and the C6 is more of the same. Back in those days it took 3 years to develop an IP for a GM car, remember...the Powell guys also developed data acquistion with on board telemetry back then weighing 35 lbs and costing 30 k. Now you can buy a DL for a grand and it weighs 5 ounces for data logging....

Vette Daddy

Wow.

That's a great history lesson!

Thanks for sharing!!!