Bradan Donaldson
A couple of the other staff members here at the Corvette Action Center tend to be anal-retentive purists when it comes to the Corvette. “Don’t change a thing! – Keep it stock! – What would the NCRS say” is frequently heard around the office. To me, it’s like listening to nails on a chalkboard!
Well, here’s what I say: “HELL NO!” Thankfully, the owner of this stunning Corvette resto-mod obviously agrees with me.
How can you not drool all over yourself and go into fits of orgasmic pleasure while looking at this beastly 1968 Corvette C3R Wide Body that will hit the Mecum Auction block next weekend!?
After looking at this thing, words like “originality”, “matching numbers” and “NCRS Top Flight” are nothing but foolish gibberish to me.
Inspired by the Mako Shark II concept Corvette designed by Larry Shinoda, the owner of this spawn of Satan definitely spared no expense when it came to this 1968 Corvette resto mod.
Sitting on a structurally reinforced frame, this beast is propelled by a Z06 drivetrain, suspension and brakes as well as the C6 Z06’s legendary 500 hp LS7 engine mated to a T6 6-speed manual.
To give it a little extra touch of sinister, the entire car is finished in a stunning Black Mosaic Metallic paint with very subtle (and well done) orange highlights.
The whole package is topped off with beautiful bits of exposed carbon fiber such as the wheels, bumpers, and side gill inserts.
Below is the official Mecum listing:
A Mako Shark II-inspired bespoke custom, this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Resto Mod combines the best of “coke bottle” design language and contemporary Z06 drivetrain and suspension in one coherent and stunning package. This Resto Mod sits on a structurally reinforced Street Shop chassis with C7 fully independent suspension, and it features 2018 Z06 big brakes. Powered by the legendary LS7 427 CI pushrod V-8 engine producing over 500 HP and, in this case, hooked up to a T6 6-speed gearbox, this car is seriously fast. It is fitted with a C3R wide body painted in 2018 Z06 Mosaic Black Metallic Paint and complemented with 20×13 Asanti three-piece carbon fiber wheel wrapped in steamroller-sized low aspect ratio high-speed tires.
Chevrolet introduced a brand-new body style for the Corvette in 1968. The car would prove to bear a strong resemblance to the Mako Shark II—a General Motors concept show car designed by Larry Shinoda under the direction of Bill Mitchell that premiered at the New York International Auto Show in April 1965. It received an overwhelming response, and automotive journalists were rightfully predicting that it would appear as a production car by model-year 1968. It is a classic shape that has set the “coke bottle” design language for multiple future generations of Corvette and Camaro with its narrow midsection and flared-out front and rear quarter panels.
This car captures that same effect of the Mako Shark II concept show car with tasteful customization that includes a monochromatic black exterior and full leather interior that is offset with deviating color stitching on the TMI leather racing seats. Creature comforts include vintage air conditioning and a complement of Dakota digital gauges. The excellence of the build is evidenced by the 1,800 hours of labor invested into this incredible 1968 Chevrolet Corvette Resto Mod.
As per the listing, the hammer is expected to fall somewhere in the range of $200,000 – $235,000.
You can bet your bottom dollar that if I had a quarter of million dollars burning a hole in my pocket, I’d be unleashing this “big nasty” on a track somewhere with Charlie Daniel’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” blasting on the radio!
Source: Mecum Auctions Kissimmee 2021
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1 comment
235K?
You guys are joking, right?