Daily Slideshow: 1967 C2 Gets a Sweet Update with an LS7
Straight from Schwartz Performance comes this Convertible C2 that delivers all of the retro style you could ever want and modern capability that you need. Check it out below.
A real treat
I think most of us at some point have thought to ourselves about having an older car that would possess all of the modern creature comforts and performance of a contemporary vehicle. However, few enthusiasts have tried to make that fantasy into reality and even fewer have something completed to show for their efforts. Schwartz Performance has built a name for themselves for bringing dream cars to life and this is just the latest of those fit as a fiddle restomods.
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The Corvette love affair
A gentleman who is only known to us as Steve owns this fine piece of American machinery and knew that when he wanted to do something wild to it Schwartz performance was the place to hit. The Corvette bug first bit Steve when his godfather gave him a ride in a 63 split-window way back when: “It was a hook, line, and sinker into classic cars,” Steve remarked. Ever since then it’s been his lifelong dream to own a Corvette.
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Makes sense to us
Basing what he knew Schwartz was capable of off of what was done to his Chevelle, he turned the Corvette over to them. The Convertible Vette would be something out of the ordinary with no expense spared to have the best of the best. Something that he could count on not just for reliability but also for out and out performance whenever he desired. That would mean taking the 1967 Corvette and merging it with a 2017 model. As to why Steve bought a top-down Vette, he explains, “I don’t see any other way to own a Corvette. You hear the car better, smell the car better ... life is just better in a convertible.”
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An amazing surprise gift
There was just one thing that one should exercise the maximum amount of caution in doing: The entire purchase and build of this car was to be a secret from his wife Cindy. The caveat was that the need for the clandestine vehicular activities was due to the Vette being a gift for Cindy.
“You could have done a restoration if you wanted,” recalls Steve, “but it wasn’t anything special.” So it was the perfect candidate for the type of “restoration” the guys at Schwartz had in store.
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A blank check for love
Schwartz began dissecting the fiberglass body from the frame and transferred things over to a fully built Schwartz Performance G-machine chassis. The car first received a new big-block stinger hood and a widened body that expanded the car to 1 1/2 inches in the front and 3 inches in the rear. The G-machine chassis uses the C6 Corvette style control arms, RideTech coilovers and Schwartz's anti-sway bars in the front and rear. For some stopping power, bulky six-piston Baer Pro-Plus disc brakes with drilled and slotted 14-inch rotors were installed.
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Bring in the power
What about the drivetrain? Well, Steve went and had Schwartz bolt in a dry-sump LS7 crate engine that would put out a pleasant 505 horsepower and 475-lb-ft of torque. To give an amazing soundtrack to riding in the open air a set of reproduction side pipes were added on. Hooked up to that LS7 is a TREMEC T-56 Magnum that sends power to a built C4 independent rear end with a limited slip diff and 3.08 gears.
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We're sure she loved it
The body then was then prepped for paint and received factory color option C7 (2015-16), Shark Grey, using PPG paint. The C2 received three base coats and three layers of clearcoat to give the car the high-quality luster it deserved.
On the interior, Steve wanted things to stay as original looking as possible but snuck a few modern conveniences in like Bluetooth controlled audio, Vintage Air air conditioning, and Dakota Digital gauges. The build took Schwartz Performance a year and a half total to complete, which coincided perfectly with Cindy's birthday. Steve says with a laugh that when people say “You have a nice car!” he gets to respond with, “It’s my wife’s car.” Then he sits back to watch their reaction.
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The past and the present together
“It’s an old car with all the benefits of modern technology. It starts, stops, and handles with no headaches.” He continued, saying, “There are certain expectations you have with buying a new 2017 Corvette—it’s the same with this one.”
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For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to page in the forum.