1965 C2 Gets Modern Love with an LS2 Engine

C2 No. 1

Being tall doesn’t disqualify one from owning a classic Corvette, but can make driving one a compromise. At six feet, four inches, Jeff Goldstein ranks among the tallest half-percent of American males, but being a C2 owner makes him part of an even smaller club. Not much can be done about his height, and Chevy isn’t making C2s anymore, so he’s historically been willing to put up with a little discomfort in exchange for the privilege of Sting Ray ownership.

But, while production numbers are absolute, the space inside a C2 is a little more flexible. Goldstein knew this when he bought his first C2 ‘Vette, a 1966 convertible that had been raced hard and showed it. While in the process of restoring the car, which Goldstein said had very few original parts remaining, he gave himself a little extra legroom by cutting and re-welding the pedals further away and pushing the pedalboard a little closer to the front tire.

C2 No. 2

About ten years later, Goldstein got his second C2 Corvette, another convertible, but this time an all-original ‘67. He also restored that one but, owing to its originality, decided no height-accommodation mods would be allowed as he intended to adhere to National Corvette Restorers Society guidelines for the project. Goldstein found himself driving his roomier ‘66 much more than the by-the-numbers ‘67, but more than either of the Mid-years, he ended up putting by far the most miles on his 2006 coupe. You can’t argue with miles so the writing was on the wall for his next C2.

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C2 No. 3

Armed with that more flexible mindset, Goldstein attended Corvettes at Carlisle 2008, chatted with a few restomod specialists, and checked out their builds. Wanting to combine the comfort of his first C2 with the show-worthiness of his second, he switched it up and tracked down a 1965 coupe that was in need of some TLC. Goldstein delivered the ‘65 he found to the shop that he’d worked with on his two earlier Midyears: Xtreme Restorations in Slatersville, Rhode Island. Xtreme decided the car’s frame wasn’t roadworthy, so in its place went an Art Morrison chassis the shop modified by moving the X-member back for an extra couple inches of legroom.

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Suspension

Xtreme Restorations fit the new chassis with C5 braking and suspension components QA1 coilovers all around, and out went the stock steering, replaced with an adjustable-assist rack-and-pinion steering system. The Corvette now rolls on vintage-look Schott Wheels (8×17-inch front, 12×18 rear) wrapped in Michelin Sport Pilot 2 tires (275/40ZR17s front, 335/35ZR18 rear).

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Engine

Goldstein wanted a reliable driver and decided a modern 400 hp LS2 V8 coupled with a 4L60E automatic transmission/Dana 44HD rear end combo would be perfect. The factory C2 rear valence gives lie to the Street & Performance headers and custom exhaust system, which uses a Flowmaster muffler mounted sideways before exiting through 2.5-inch tips. In addition, the half-century-old gas tank was replaced with a stainless Rick’s Hot Rod Shop tank featuring an internal electric fuel pump.

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Body

After some close inspection, Xtreme Restorations realized they’d have to replace a significant amount of the car’s original fiberglass. This made the question of whether to tub or flare a lot easier to answer and thus, the coupe’s rear fenders were widened to accommodate the new wide meats. The decision not to carry the width into the door lines gives the flares a tell-tale abrupt bulge. About the always-controversial third set of tail lights, Goldstein says they are a tribute to Bill Mitchell’s designs.

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Interior and Future

Though the footwells weren’t elongated on the coupe, the floor under the seats was both dropped and lengthened. Goldstein says the ‘65 coupe is now even more comfortable than his ‘06. Other changes inside include new red leather upholstery, C6 seats, a custom roll bar, and A/C from Vintage Air. Sharp eyes will notice the absence of widow cranks and the presence of mixed ’63 and ’64 stainless trim elements. The gauges have also been updated and the instrument panel itself was refinished in red. With his C2 couple literally built around him, there are only one or two things he’d like to change—he’d like modern wipers and airbags. Maybe on his next ‘Vette, though he’s toying with going all electric on C2 number four.

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