Daily Slideshow: The 1962 Corvette Grand Sport That Wasn't

1. Building What Chevy Wouldn't

As any Corvette fan worth their salt already knows that Chevy never built a 1962 Grand Sport version of their fiberglass wonder. But what if they did? We imagine the styling of their stripped-down racer would lend itself quite nicely to the C1, and in fact, it does. We know this because James and Sandy Eudy decided to give their project '62 the GS treatment. And the result was nice enough to land in the virtual pages of Super Chevy.

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2. Junk to Jewel

The origins of this ambitious project weren't nearly as promising as the result. “My search for a 1962 Corvette donor body took several months and ended successfully when we found the perfect piece of ‘junk’ for this project,” Eudy admits. With the help of Bloomington Gold judge and C1 Corvette Specialist of R.A.R.E (Raintree Automotive Restoration Enterprises) Joe Calcagno, Eudy set to work figuring out what his weathered body and frame would turn out to be. 

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3. Built to Go and Show

They eventually came up with an idea for a restomod, but one unlike anything else currently out there. “We created a ‘theme’ car based totally on the 1996 Corvette Grand Sport,” Eudy said. Which meant that this old Corvette wasn't just going to look like a newer GS, but handle and go like one, too. For the go part, the team settled on an LT4-based 383 stroker with Keith Black 10.5:1 pistons, and a GM Performance Parts LT4 Hot Cam, which bumped horsepower up to 425 ponies. 

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4. Luxury and Comfort

The interior sports a nice mix of old and new, with goodies like a custom-built center console joining an old-school Budnik Flat-Track steering wheel in harmony. A custom gauge cluster sports VDO gauges and custom-built black leather bucket seats give the car a nice, luxurious feel. Even the underside of the hood and trunk are covered in diamond-pattern leather, much like a modern high-end sports car. 

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5. She's a Driver

The front of the frame was ditched in favor of a newly fabrication section to make room for a C4 K-member. Everything was then laser cut and custom welded for a precise fit. Suspension components are straight off a 1996 Grand Sport, with urethane bushings all around. Other goodies include a modified Corvette 2.5-turn steering rack, custom-valved Bilstein shocks, and adjustable ride height front composite springs. Throw on a set of GS wheels and paint scheme, and you've got one special car just begging to be driven - hard!

>>Join the conversation about this 1962 Corvette restomod right here in Corvette Forum.

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