Tom Austin

It's a shame this guy couldn't come up with a more "original" name for his car . . . this car doesn't hold a candle to the original "Split Personality" built by Rich & Barb Lagasse!!!



Tom

vettebuyer6369

To be fair, I'd like a dollar for every modified SWC thats been named "Split Personality" Ive seen since the 70s...

groovyjay

Maybe that's the other (split)half of the personality...

groovyjay

Yes, the sidepipes are original to the car...

capevettes

Rich and Barbara Lagasse had the original "Split Personality." It sold at Mecum Kissimmee a couple of years ago. It was a red 63 coupe and had an LS7 motor. Really well done like all Rich's cars.

futura

Rich and Barb continue to make stunningly tasteful modifications to their new Blade Silver with a red interior C7 coupe.

3JsVette

but not exactly a low budget thrown together nightmare either.

Tom Austin

True . . . the silver car is without question a beautiful car, but I followed along on the more than 18 month build of Rich's car, and was fortunate to meet Rich in Carlisle and have a look at his masterpiece. I still consider it to be the "Mona Lisa" of C2 Restomods!

Tom

richscorvettes

Tom,

Just an across your post. Well, the title of your thread sure got our attention and at first we wondered if it was our 63 being re-circulated. Glad it wasn't. This one does look like a really well done car and we’ve always loved the silver and red color combination. Ironically, our C7 is that combination.

Needless to say we like what they have done since it incorporates several familiar features. He obviously has great taste…

When we watched the video and listened to him describe the car it was like listening to Barb and I describing our car at shows or re-reading the project series of articles we had written. If there was any doubt it was removed when he mentioned the gauge needles being painted in body color. Glad that someone was paying attention.

It's always interesting to see how some of your ideas have been incorporated into other cars. We've never minded an individual borrowing an idea for their own personal car. Far from it as that was one reason we decided to do the project series for CF magazine as well as our having responded to more e-mails and phone calls than we can count. Sharing ideas has always been one of the aspects of the hobby we have enjoyed the most.

For this particular owner he was no doubt unaware of where some of the concepts or ideas came from since he didn't build the car himself. I guess you could question an owner’s knowledge when he mentions things like the side-exhaust system being original to a 63 Vette or that the silver for 63 was Cortez Silver. We can understand that happening but using the same name for a car which was well known and had been shown on the same ISCA show circuit only a few years earlier is certainly interesting.

Nevertheless, the owner seems like a very nice gentleman who really loves his car and we hope he did well at the shows.

Thanks for the post and your kind comments.

Rich

claysmoker

You could use "Lickety Split"

Bluestripe67

Rich, Tom, myself and two other Vette friends went to a Cars & Coffe in Great Falls Va. last Oct and your old '67 was there. It still has that WOW factor. Dennis

richscorvettes

Dennis,

Always loved the 67 and we do miss it. We keep in regular contact though with Al and he did mention having brought it to a Cars & Coffee event last year. It seems our cars never really leave home..........

Hard to believe it was 15 years ago that we built the 67. After building three of those cars, and enjoying every minute (well mostly anyway), we're now just playing with making a few changes to personalize the new ride a bit and plan several long-distance cruises. It's been nice to take our time over the winter playing with the car and not undertaking a major, multi-year project for a change.

Hope to see you and Tom in Carlisle this year.

Rich

Tom Austin

Hi Rich,

I'm not sure if you recall . . . but after we met the last time in Carlisle you sent me a spare "shifter indicator plate" that you had made for the '67! Here it is in my car after my T5 install:



Tom

DZAUTO

How can someone who is supposedly a knowledgeable Corvette person make the statement that the side pipes on a 63 are original to the car?????????????????
Credibility??? Down the tubes!

Frankie the Fink

Probably part of the same crowd that thinks '63s were factory delivered with knock-offs...

Bluestripe67

They are a corvette owner only, NOT a corvette enthusiast. Dennis

richscorvettes

Tom, the shift plate looks right at home in your car.

Hope to see you in Carlisle.

Rich