Introducing "TRIBUTE" - A 2017 Grand Sport Tribute to the 1963 Grand Sport #001
 

Photo Credit for most of the exterior photos - Todd Cooperider, Esoteric Fine Auto Detailing Owner

The following is a link to all of the photos taken by Todd Cooperider: https://flic.kr/s/aHskVMzrmw Todd also took additional photos after we put the targa top back on and will have those ready on Monday.



I would like to thank the following for their significant contributions to the project:

- Mike Furman, Criswell Chevrolet, who helped me order the Grand Sport with no hassle or fuss and always made the journey fun.

- Steve Ray, Airbrushed Inc., whose expertise as an artist is what made the concept a stunning reality. If you truly want Steve's best work, give him a concept for what you want done, leave him alone, and be blown away by the finished product.

- Josh and Don, RPI Designs, who not only offer great products, but also provide exceptional communication and service after the sale.

- Sean Dunshee, VetteFX, who always comes through with the very best products and rush service when needed.

- The fine folks at American Car Craft, Apsis USA, ACS Composite, Cultrag Performance, GM Parts Direct, Wheels Boutique, and NoviStretch.

- Shawn Raines and the team at Corsa for their work on my exhaust system.

- Todd Cooperider and the team at Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing, who I now consider to be the very best when it comes to paint protection services and aftermarket parts installation. Todd is also a pro behind the camera lens.

- My friends, John Elegant, Steven Bell, and Mike Furman, for letting me bounce ideas off of them and for providing honest opinions about those ideas.

- My friends, Mark and Karen Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, and Gary and Torie Cockriel in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for their hospitality while I was in their cities for various trips associated with the project.



Modifications:

Steve Ray, Airbrush Inc. - Removed all body panels, sand and clear coat all body panels with three coats of clear, cut and buff all panels, custom carbon flash painted Grand Sport stripe with custom phantom Grand Sport in the stinger and velocity yellow edges, custom painted engine bay pieces and hood liner, custom painted interior parts, custom painted Z06 grille, custom painted rear bumper cover "Corvette" script and grill slats, paint tinted rear tail lights and side markers, custom machined and painted Grand Sport fender emblem

RPI Designs - Signature Series side skirts and splitter, painted front fender spats, interior replacement parts, painted windshield cowl, painted windshield wiper arms, various engine bay parts, various interior parts

VetteFX - LED side markers

American Car Craft - various engine bay parts

Apsis USA - Horn pad cover

ACS Composite - Diffuser fins

Cultrag Performance - Z06 grille, Stage 2 rear winglets

GM Parts Direct - Grand Sport floor mats, cargo mat

NoviStretch - Front bra

Corsa - Double Helix X-Pipe, Extreme Exhaust, Black Chrome Exhaust Tips

Wheels Boutique - Custom velocity yellow and carbon flash painted ADV.1 ADV 10 Track Function CS wheels with Continental Extreme Contact DW tires

Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing - minor paint finish work, installation of SunTek paint protection film and window tint (18% on the sides and rear), installation of PowerStop brake pads (front and rear), side skirt and splitter installation, Kamikaze ceramic coating on all exterior parts and wheels



This has been a long time coming, so with no further ado, my 2017 Grand Sport "Tribute!"


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f3cbed3d7f.jpg

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...43ca469ad0.jpg

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Pretty darn incredible!

Wow! I'm speechless, and it's beautiful!

P.S. Are you really going to be able to drive that without fear?

Thank you! :cheers:

The whole thing is spectacular, but what takes it for me is the 63 in the hood stripe!

WOW !!! Looks amazing.....engine bay makes the car for me.

:yesnod: I was actually going to say it had a Blue Angels vibe to it.

That's really cool. It looks great:thumbs:

It's almost Blue Angels blue.....

That's what I was thinking.

That looks killer, nicely done! :cheers:

What an outstanding amazing car! Thank you for creating it. And of course thanks to Steve@AirbrushInc for his phenomenal work.

Very cool!

Thanks, friends! There is so much information to share about the project from concept to reality, as well as information about all of the specific mods, etc. I hope to post that information tomorrow. One thing that I feel is very significant is the fact that everything is painted. There are absolutely no decals anywhere. Steve Ray did a phenomenal job on the paint work and so many others deserve credit as well. I shall also give credit to everyone involved when I post tomorrow.

Wow, just Wow! Totally insane. Like I said earlier, just take it to the NCM and rope it off, cuz you certainly can't drive it anywhere. Like Foosh said, speechless :yesnod: Looking forward to the detail. :cheers:

I'm speechless:thumbs:

Bloody amazing! Love the contrast of yellow with blue.

Like Foosh said, though, how are you gonna be able to drive that outside? ​​​:O

I'm not a fan of blue cars but I'll make an exception for yours. Well executed.

I agree with an earlier post. You could also call the car your Blue Angel edition.

Wow. Just wow. I am late to this party, but that car is just beautiful. And it really is a "tribute" to the original GS. Perfect, Jeremy---so well done, it sets a new standard IMO.

Great pics too but the car is the star! Drive it in good health as some friends say....

I see I copied jmc's opening sentence above; I didn't even read it. I got stopped on the pics. :yesnod:

awesome tribute...i like that a lot

Awesome tribute car Jeremy. I cant wait to see it next month. Wow! :thumbs:

Thanks, friends! She went from 32 miles on the clock Friday morning to almost 500 by Friday night. I'm going to drive her all over the country, which is why I have SunTek PPF on nearly 100% of the body. The only negative to PPF is that the beauty of the paint finish is actually diminished slightly. Steve Ray did an amazing job on the paint refinishing, which is why I wanted to protect it.

Very cool!

One word- Awesome.:cheers:

Gorgeous Car !! Nicely stated, not overdone, very tasteful !!

Pretty good tribute. Curious if those are custom side skirts as they look way wider than all the others I have looked at and would love wide ones like this.

Awesome!! Love what you've done.

I need to pick my jaw up off my knees, wow, that car is sweet! When can we get a poster of that? That is one beautiful Corvette. Thanks so much for sharing all this! Very, very cool.

A truly worthy tribute to an amazing series! :thumbs: :flag:

Knocks My Lights Out.. It's A 10+ .. The Truth..

beautiful! :cool:

Great job...I see some trophies in your future.

Thanks, everyone!

They are the signature series skirts and splitter from RPI.

WOW nicely done you should be proud of it.

Pretty Awesome! Great work.

An outstanding tribute!!!

I am looking forward to hearing the details. It looks amazing.

I would like to thank the following for their significant contributions to the project:

- Mike Furman, Criswell Chevrolet, who helped me order the Grand Sport with no hassle or fuss and always made the journey fun.

- Steve Ray, Airbrushed Inc., whose expertise as an artist is what made the concept a stunning reality. If you truly want Steve's best work, give him a concept for what you want done, leave him alone, and be blown away by the finished product.

- Josh and Don, RPI Designs, who not only offer great products, but also provide exceptional communication and service after the sale.

- Sean Dunshee, VetteFX, who always comes through with the very best products and rush service when needed.

- The fine folks at American Car Craft, Apsis USA, ACS Composite, Cultrag Performance, GM Parts Direct, Wheels Boutique, and NoviStretch.

- Shawn Raines and the team at Corsa for their work on my exhaust system.

- Todd Cooperider and the team at Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing, who I now consider to be the very best when it comes to paint protection services and aftermarket parts installation. Todd is also a pro behind the camera lens.

- My friends, John Elegant, Steven Bell, and Mike Furman, for letting me bounce ideas off of them and for providing honest opinions about those ideas.

- My friends, Mark and Karen Thomas in Columbus, Ohio, and Gary and Torie Cockriel in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for their hospitality while I was in their cities for various trips associated with the project.



Modifications:

Steve Ray, Airbrush Inc. - Removed all body panels, sand and clear coat all body panels with three coats of clear, cut and buff all panels, custom carbon flash painted Grand Sport stripe with custom phantom Grand Sport in the stinger and velocity yellow edges, custom painted engine bay pieces and hood liner, custom painted interior parts, custom painted Z06 grille, custom painted rear bumper cover "Corvette" script and grill slats, paint tinted rear tail lights and side markers, custom machined and painted Grand Sport fender emblem

RPI Designs - Signature Series side skirts and splitter, painted front fender spats, interior replacement parts, painted windshield cowl, painted windshield wiper arms, various engine bay parts, various interior parts

VetteFX - LED side markers

American Car Craft - various engine bay parts

Apsis USA - Horn pad cover

ACS Composite - Diffuser fins

Cultrag Performance - Z06 grille, Stage 2 rear winglets

GM Parts Direct - Grand Sport floor mats, cargo mat

NoviStretch - Front bra

Corsa - Double Helix X-Pipe, Extreme Exhaust, Black Chrome Exhaust Tips

Wheels Boutique - Custom velocity yellow and carbon flash painted ADV.1 ADV 10 Track Function CS wheels with Continental Extreme Contact DW tires

Esoteric Fine Auto Finishing - minor paint finish work, installation of SunTek paint protection film and window tint (18% on the sides and rear), installation of PowerStop brake pads (front and rear), side skirt and splitter installation, Kamikaze ceramic coating on all exterior parts and wheels

Jeremy,

Hat tip to your painter. Looks like glass.

Top shelf work.

Holy bejezuz, Batman! That is OUTSTANDING!!! You really outdid yourself this time, Jeremy. Congrats on your GS fighter jet!!!!

Absolutely incredible. You are going to get a lot of attention. :cheers:

Show & Go! Yes!

Well done, Brother! Some new design ideas, I like that....I thought we peaked out, but you revived my interest! Take it to SEMA in November....:thumbs::cool:

Looks nice but I would have stuck the extra $15K into a Z06. :thumbs:

Hope to see this at the Bash! :thumbs: Sweet!

Just WOW! Outstanding effort and results, congrats to you. :cheers:

Thanks! Z06 is awesome but I don't need that much power. :cheers:

Love it!

Great job! Now just keep it away from the fires and floods. :thumbs:

That is a beautiful car!

Absolutely beautiful! I'm looking forward to seeing this next month as well.

Gs
 

Very Nice!! Guess I will get to view it in a coupe weeks? :cheers:

^^^ Indeed! See you soon!

Looks like wolverines car 😂

Wow! A Masterpiece! :thumbs::cheers:

So ... Here's the thing ... When you post anything on the internet you open yourself up for criticism, negativity or whatever else anyone can throw at you.

Well my friend here goes ...

I LOVE this tribute car!

Sometimes people can go WAAAYYYY over the top and make it an eye sore, but not you my friend. I really really like what you did.

I will be honest that the wheels aren't my favorite, but I do have to say that they look good on the car. The paint looks AMAZING! The yellow accents are perfectly placed.

I really really love this car and cannot wait to see outdoor photos of this amazing creation.

Great job my friend.

^^^ Thank you! The wheels were actually a big question mark for me too until I put them on and saw them in person. With the 1963 having a lot of yellow in the wheels, I needed something there. Wheels are an easy change though, which is good if I decide to do something different. Thanks, again! :cheers:

www.corvettefurman.com ~ 301-212-4420 ~ Mike Furman
 

55 years later...you have nailed it. Truly a great Tribute and I hope Roger Penske gets to view your Corvette someday Jeremy.

http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/p...8/IMG_3356.jpg

http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/p...8/IMG_3357.jpg

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Mike Furman

http://i420.photobucket.com/albums/p...e%202016_1.jpg

Mike, thanks for sharing your pics! I hope Roger gets to too. :cheers:

Amazing car and some excellent work by those vendors getting it to look the way it does. Well done, Jeremy.

Incredible project !! Congratulations. Bring it out to the Classic Car Week in Monterey CA in the third week in August. You could show this beauty at quite a few shows during the week. Here's a link to the Pebble Beach Concour D'Elegance with a Events calendar of the various shows (yet to be updated for the 2017 show).

http://www.pebblebeachconcours.net/events.html

Beautiful! :cheers:

That is off-the-hook fantastic!! Hope I get the opportunity to see in person one day soon---

Stunning!!!!:thumbs:

Very nice, well done, and congratulations to you.

This is incredible. Excellent Job.

Just stunning!!

Wow, I thought I did something with my C5 and C7 1996 GS tributes. I never thought of going back to the 1963. You nailed it! We should get my 2014 together with your car for a photo op if you'll be at Corvettes @ Carlisle this year. You should join the Grand Sport Registry.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ps28jswqqu.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...ndSport053.jpg

Member's Corvette Tribute Car Makes the Grand Sport Even Grander
 

Member's Corvette Tribute Car Makes the Grand Sport Even Grander

https://www.corvetteforum.com/wp-con...teForum-10.jpg

All tributes are well intentioned, but not all of them are well executed. That's not the case here. The owner of the C7 Corvette tribute car you see on your screen meant well and did well.

Read the rest on the CorvetteForum.com homepage. >>

Well done.

Congratulations my friend, and thank you for making ESOTERIC such a large part of the project. It was great having that beauty here for a few weeks, and we all enjoyed spending the time with you as well.

As always, please do not hesitate to let us know how we can help in the future.

Very nice Jag!

Your work is certainly the best of the best! Forum members, I can wholeheartedly recommend Esoteric and their services. If anyone wants to contact me for a more detailed recommendation, please feel free to do so. Remember, you get what you pay for and Esoteric's work and service is worth the price! :cheers:

Very well done tribute. :flag: I remember the days the Penske car used to run. Beautiful job!! While viewing your list of credits I saw Sean Dunshee's name. I've known him and his father since 1991. I've bought a lot of parts from Sean's father over the years.

Awesome brother! Can't wait to see it in person!

You're probably tired of hearing it, but it looks amazing. Well done, the attention to detail is incredible.

Thanks, friends! I hope many of you are able to see the car in person this year. I plan to attend many Corvette events across the USA this year. :cheers:

WOW. Very nicely done, without being over done. Real head turning material, in a good way. Congrats !!!!!!

What a fantastic tribute to a real classic. Bravo Jag!:thumbs: