Pro Street C3 Corvette is a turn-key 10-second car, and it could be yours.
When it comes to vehicle builds, it can seem as if the list of mods goes on forever. Unfortunately, the builder’s time with the vehicle often doesn’t go on nearly as long, whether it’s because of a loss of interest, a financial emergency, or a growing family. It’s not clear why the current owner of this 1973 Pro Street Corvette is selling it, but their time with it is coming to an end.
Like other extensive builds, this Corvette we found on Craigslist has a long list of mods. It was frame-off built eight years ago. The supercharged 427 cubic-inch V8 is connected to a Turbo 400 automatic and features ported and polished heads, a custom hydraulic roller cam, a forged steel crank, and forged pistons. A “polished stainless steel tig welded custom fabricated 3-inch exhaust system with x-pipe and Borla mufflers” allows the 7.0 to breathe. Other custom parts include the aluminum radiator and heavy-duty drive shaft.
This black bullet routes its power through a 12-bolt rear end with 3.70 gears. Putting that power to the ground are a pair of Weld wheels, with Mickey Thompson tires up front and bead lock wheels wrapped in new 325/50/15 Nitto drag radials in the back. All the better to shovel the blown 427’s grunt to the pavement.
According to the seller, this ‘Vette has hit “low 10’s in [the] ¼ mile at 138mph just the way it’s driven on the street.” Wilwood disc brakes with drilled rotors are in place to scrub those kinds of speed off.
Inside, the cockpit is full of new parts and ready for legal speeds with power windows, a CD player, and seats from a later model Corvette.
That long list of parts and the many others that went into this car add up to a claimed $175,000. The current owner is looking to end their time with this mighty machine. It’ll cost the right buyer $72,999 to pick up where they left off.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
