This Restomod C1 is a Jaw-Dropper

Searching For Perfection

Having owned numerous Corvettes over the years, Michael Suppo is what we'd call a true Vette enthusiast. In fact, he most recently acquired a pair of '67 Corvettes that are said to be some of the best in the country, but he still has a soft spot for his favorite C1 Corvette. Michael always lusted after a first-generation Corvette, specifically a 1960 model as that was the year he was born, but he really did not start searching for one until the early 2000's. After being on the hunt for approximately four years, Suppo was turned onto the car you see here by a friend, but he almost passed it up as it did not quite stack up to being the perfect ride he was looking for.

First Impressions

Apparently, Michael went to lay a set of eyes on the '60 Vette that had just been restomodded, but was not immediately impressed because the car had an awful looking set of wheels installed and the ride height was said to be more akin to that of a pickup truck instead of a sports car. Fortunately, Mike's friend told him to look deeper into the car as there was much more happening than initially met his eyes. For one, the car had an absolutely stunning black and silver paint job where it was clear that no expense was spared. Similarly, the interior was perfectly finished in that classic Corvette red leather. The real surprises, however, would come with the chassis and powertrain.

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More Than Meets The Eye

The car was built on a modernized Corvette Corrections chassis and featured a built 440 horsepower 383 stroker under the hood mated to a ZF 6-speed transmission. The story goes that the owner purchased the C1 at the famous Corvettes at Carlisle event as a barn find car, but then took it home to be restored. In fact, the owner of the car did not even plan on selling it after all of his restomod work, but Suppo managed to work a deal and purchased the car. Although it cost him a bit more than he wanted to spend, Suppo acknowledged that all the important work had already been completed and he could focus on modifying the car to his liking. As such, he had the car delivered to Mike Coletta in Orlando, Florida to complete the modifications before even taking the car home.

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Modding To Tastes

While at Coletta's shop, the C1 was fitted with a set of 18x8" Boyd Coddington "Junkyard Dog" wheels wearing 245/40 Falken Ziex sport tires. Coletta then went about dropping the ride height of the car by adjusting the Corvette Connections coilovers to put the car down where it should be and allowed the new wheels to nicely fill the fender wells. Lastly, Coletta installed an 800-watt audio system with i-phone integration before sending it back to Suppo in Ohio. Michael explained that from the moment the car was unloaded from the trailer, he knew he'd never sell it. Michael enjoyed driving the car over the course of the next four years, stating that it was "the most reliable Corvette I'd ever driven."

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The Finishing Touches

After four years of heavy use, Michael eventually decided to freshen things up and throw a few upgrades on the car, so he sent the C1 to Corvette Conspiracy in Cleveland, Ohio to perform the work. There, the car received an awesome 8-stack Inglese electronic fuel-injection system that gives the engine that classic Weber carb look with all of the modern performance benefits of EFI. Additionally, Corvette Conspiracy fitted a set of Hooker long-tube headers, a March Performance serpentine belt drive setup, and a Wilwood brake system with 14" rotors and 6-piston front/4-piston rear calipers. In the end, Michael Suppo received his dream car that retains much of the elegant C1 styling while also having the performance and reliability of a modern driver. What more can a guy ask for?

>>Join the conversation about this restomod C1 right here in Corvette Forum.

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