1968 Pro Touring C3 with an LS7 Gets Wild
Ultimate Street Car Shootouts and the USCA has become quite popular and extremely competitive in recent years. Modern Camaros, Mustangs, and Corvettes are popular car choices because they are easily upgraded and make for potent packages on the autocross and road course events. That said, many choose not to take the path of least resistance and instead opt to build heavily modified versions of their favorite classic sports cars. Bob Bertelsen is one of those people, and that is what makes the Ultimate Street Car Shootout so great.
A Beautiful Body
At first glance, the Green Mamba is clearly a third-generation Chevrolet Corvette, but upon further inspection, it is evident that Bob Bertelsen has heavily modified just about every body panel in the name of style and speed. Fitting as much tire under the car as possible is key in any USCA build, so Bob began cutting, shaping, and glassing in a set of fender flares to accommodate larger wheels and tires. Loads of work went into the front-end as Bob glassed a Camaro ZL1 hood-scoop into the original Vette hood, filled-in the original headlights and installed CNC-housed LEDs, and fabricated a complete front fascia out of foam, fiberglass, and carbon-fiber.
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Form Meets Function
The body modifications continue throughout the car with some trick touches. Bob redesigned the factory side vents to nicely coordinate with the ZL1 hood scoop slats. For the exterior mirrors, he ran into Mike Ring (co-founder of Ring Brothers) at SEMA and opted for a set of their sleek carbon-fiber mirrors. Bob wanted to visually shorten the rear deck of the Corvette, so he cut and tapered the rear window through the sail panels. Storage space was added to the car by cutting out a trunk opening in the deck and further extending the factory storage area by 18" before adding a trunk lid with custom CNC'd hinges. A huge carbon-fiber rear wing was added out back with custom mounts for excessive wing adjustability. The rear of the car was finished off by relocating the license plate, adding custom valence that also acts as a fuel tank cover, and making a small set of custom carbon bumperettes. Most impressive is that Bob accomplished all of this in his garage.
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The Power of Hulk
The heart of this green machine is an LS7 built by Kurt Urban. The rotating assembly is composed of a Callies Compstar forged crankshaft and connecting rods along with Diamond Racing pistons. The engine uses a Daily Engineering 3-stage dry sump lubrication setup with a custom 10-quart sump tank. Air enters the engine via a Spectre cone filter and custom forged tubing before moving through a FAST LSXR 102mm throttle body and matching intake manifold. Engine electronics and fueling are controlled by a Holley Dominator ECU that has the ability to switch between four different maps. Custom 1-7/8" headers are coupled to 4" stainless tubing that runs into each Hooker side-pipe. Cooling is accomplished by a C&R Racing radiator with oil and power-steering cooler plates built into each end-tank. Coupled with a Bowler Performance Stage II Tremec Magnum 6-speed, the powerplant produces a healthy 650 horsepower with a redline of 7,500 rpm.
>>Join the conversation about this Pro Touring C3 with an LS7 right here on LS1Tech.
An Imposing Interior
With such an extensive build, it is no surprise that the custom touches continue on the interior of the car. Much of the custom interior work was completed by Trick Labs in Butler, PA including the dash, door panels, and center console that are finished in a mix of leather and suede. The car has Cobra Racing Seats that have been covered in matching leather and perforated suede. An IdidIt Inc. steering column was used along with an NRG quick release steering wheel adapter and Detroit Speed Alcantara steering wheel. Vehicle information is displayed via a digital AutoMeter Competition programmable LCD screen fitted in the center of the dash. The car also has a Samsung tablet mounted in the console to function as a navigation unit and radio. The Vette has its share of amenities such as a mini Vintage Air heater unit and a Dakota Digital drive-by-wire cruise control setup. All of the electronics are neatly stored in an easily accessible "glove box" made into the dash.
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Speed-Engineered Suspension
Bob offered his car to up to Detroit Speed Inc. as a sort of test mule for a prototype suspension system that was being developed for the C3 Corvette. The car now sports their SpeedRay Front Suspension setup as well as the DECAlink Independent Rear Suspension system that was designed specifically for proper geometry, superior handling & ride quality, as well as being fully adjustable. Although the Detroit Speed IRS can accommodate 17 or upgraded 30-spline differentials, Bob opted for a 12-bolt Hammerhead unit with a 3.55:1 ratio and Treutec limited-slip for steering out of the corners.
>>Join the conversation about this Pro Touring C3 with an LS7 right here on LS1Tech.
Green With Envy
The brake system utilizes a unique twin Tilton Engineering master cylinder setup done by Detroit Speed with a brake bias shaft to allow for easy front to rear brake bias adjustments. Bob chose to install a set of 6-piston calipers from Baer Brakes along with 14" floating rotors. The wheels are deep-dish 18x11.5" F/18x12.5" Forgeline CV3C wrapped in BFGoodrich Rival S tires (315/30 Fronts & 335/30 rears). Safety was also in mind during the build as it features a custom 1-5/8" rollbar and Safecraft 10lbs fire suppression system in case things go awry. All said and done, Bob completed the build in approximately 1 year (including the time the car spent at Detroit Speed for suspension development). He has only managed to get it out on track a few times thus far but is fairly confident he will be running with the leaders in no time. Hats off to Bob Bertelsen on his incredible C3 Corvette build!
>>Join the conversation about this Pro Touring C3 with an LS7 right here on LS1Tech.
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