A Modern Corvette Wearing a C2 Veil

Are You Gonna Go My Way

Let's say you like Corvettes and you also like winning autocrosses. There are several routes available to you in your pursuit of glory. You can buy a newer Corvette, one that sets the bar for handling and horsepower out of the box, and be doe with it. Another option is taking a vintage 'Vette (especially a been-raced-in-the-day example) and build it up old school style, adding modern bits that don't compromise the original too very much, like the Hobaugh's '65. Choice Three is lifting the body off a classic and carefully fitting it to a newer Corvette chassis, swapping in an LS motor as you go, similar to Mark Rife's Split-Window coupe. The last option is taking a classic and by any means necessary grafting modern Corvette parts as needed. If your love of lap times far outpaces your feelings about preserving an object some might see as sacred as a work of art, the last option might be the one for you. It was for Dan Livezey.

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Racestromod

Livezey didn't start out cutting into C2 Corvettes. He started racing in the early 1980's and by '85 had won his first Pro Solo championship, followed closely by a successful run from 1989-90. He kept a toe in the water with track days after that but until recently he'd hung up his racing hat. When the bug bit again he wanted to make a run at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, and at first he actually picked the option of racing a period Corvette, running his personal '69 Corvette. As he told Speedhunters, it was like "bringing a knife to a gunfight." Which brings us the the C2 you see here. He sold his '69 and retrieved this '64 from a facility he says was "working on it." Then he went shopping for 2010 C6 parts.

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Suspension

Starting in the back, Livezey had the shop Full Street "modify" the chassis of his C2 to accept the full aluminum C6 suspension cradle. The structure holds a Dana 44HD center section from a Dodge Viper, while the control arms and remainder of the rear suspension are pure C6. Up front it's the same story, magnesium C6 components were grafted to the Sting Ray's chassis, with the addition of four-way adjustable Strange shocks, H&R coils, and a thicker Z06 sway bar helping out.

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Rolling and Stopping Stock

Of premium importance to any autocrosser of course are the wheels and tires, and in Livezey's case the stock 19×10 inch front and 20×12 inch rear wheels were just what the doctor ordered, as were the sizeable factory carbon brakes he sourced from a ZR1, which fit inside them like a charm. Livezey dialed in 2.3 degrees of negative camber using the 'Vette's stock alignment cams to keep the front end planted going into high-g corners, and coming out of them when his choice of engine came on song.

>>Join the conversation on this LS7 Powered Modern C2  right here on LS1Tech.

Fire Breather

Naturally, C6 parts mean an LS motor (Livezey cherry-picked parts for the build from forums and auction sites rather than buying a C6 roller), in this case a 2010 LS7 unit. He notes that 2010 was a good vintage for his 'Vette, that model year seeing upgrades to bearings and oil cooling capacity. Livezey's 427 cu in LS7 features a slew of  Lingenfelter parts including ported heads, valves, a re-ground cam, and a throttle body. Comp Cams components include valve springs and retainers, and cam gears and cam chain. Livezey went with stock a GM crankshaft, connecting rods, head gaskets, lifters and pushrods. Other goodies include Mahle 11.5:1 compression pistons, a FAST port-matched intake, fuel rails, and injectors, ARP fasteners, Modified Hooker headers, and a Flowmaster exhaust system. All together the combination was good for 685 horsepower and 680 lb-feet of torque, and with less of a weight penalty than his original 1964 mill imposed.

>>Join the conversation on this LS7 Powered Modern C2  right here on LS1Tech.

Under the Knife

Here's where we come to the sticky part of the build for more traditional Corvette enthusiasts. No way Livezey was going to fit the combination of C6 suspension components and 10-12 inch wheels under the stock '64 bodywork. In addition to the obvious flaring and tweaking done to the fenders, Livezey split the front bumper, and while he was down there drilled some holes in the Sting Ray's prominent flip-up headlights and filled them with Buell motorcycle lamps. When he was done the front end of the 'Vette was 16 inches wider than before. Out back he molded the bumper into the bodywork and ended up fabricating a custom spoiler. Livezey says the deck lid and the hardtop are the only stock pieces left under the fresh coat of Corvette Electron Blue paint. The resulting look isn't exactly restomod and it's not quite racecar either. The interior follows a similar theme, stock '64 bones combined with racing seats, new gauges, and assorted custom and carbon bits. How you feel about the completed package is one thing, but Livezey is undoubtedly happy with his times. As billionaire Ted Turner said when people asked him why he was colorizing classic films back in the '80s, his reply was something along the lines of: the last time he checked they were his and he could do whatever he wanted with them. Ted doesn't like bringing a knife to a gunfight either.