It's a Love Affair of Epic Corvette Proportions
Just a classic love story between a guy, a girl, and their two gorgeous Corvettes.
Match Made in Heaven
The tale of Greg and Jane Thurmond of Simi Valley, California is much like any other love story. The couple met at a fairly young age. Greg was a car guy whose father had owned several Corvettes over the years. Jane worked at a pizza place and also loved cars - classic Corvettes in particular. Greg bought his first 1968 Corvette back in 1985, which just happened to be Jane's favorite year. But they sold that car to fund their first home purchase. Of course, it might've been their first 'Vette, but it certainly wouldn't be the last. Now the couple owns the pair of incredible cars featured in this Super Chevy piece.
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Keeping It in the Family
Given their history, it only made sense that Greg and Jane would get into the car business. So they opened up Outrageous Paint by GTS Customs, where Greg could work his magic doing collision repair and restoration work. It wasn't long before Greg got wind of a basket case 1964 Corvette for sale down the road. He immediately scooped it up and began building it for his beloved bride. He modernized the '60s muscle car by installing an IFS and IRS from a C4 Corvette. Rounding out the sharp handling 'Vette are Wilwood brakes, RideTech shocks, and a Dana 44 rear end with 3.73 gears.
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Show n' Go
Keeping with the resto-mod theme, Greg chose to install an LS1 under the hood for a little modern muscle. The balanced and blueprinted engine utilizes goodies like AFR heads, a Howards Pro Series 4340 crankshaft, and an LS6 intake to up the power. Shifts are handled via a TREMEC SSR/T-56 6-speed transmission. The idea was to build a car that Jane could race on the weekends, but also display at shows. And we'd say he nailed it.
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Second Addition to the Family
After finishing up Jane's '64, Greg waited a full 10 years before he spotted an '65 in need of a new owner. The raggedy ride had sat outside for over 30 years in the desert, but he saw it as a perfect candidate to show off the wares of his business. Since the Corvette was only a shell, it made building his ultimate autocross weapon an easy proposition. GTS Customs widened fenders were added to make room for the massive rolling stock, and a custom diffuser helps eliminate high-speed lift. Covering all of it is a sparkling Candy Tangerine paint job befitting a fine show car.
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One Upping the Wifey
Greg once again chose to go the modern route when it came to the motivation for his Corvette, sourcing a 427 ci Lingenfelter crate LS7 producing a stout 630 hp. A dry sump setup and Holley fuel injection keeps it lubricated and fed while Greg's slinging it around cones at high speed. Gear changes are handled via a Legend LGT700 five-speed transmission.
In regards to suspension setup, Greg's car is a little more serious than his wife's. This time, he used a 6061-T4 aluminum adjustable rear suspension, traverse mounted RideTech shocks, and a custom torque arm to make the 'Vette go 'round. But what we're really interested in seeing is these two love birds running against each other. Because we're guessing that all the niceties go out the window when these two 'Vettes line up against each other.
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