60 Days Till Blast Off

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InTheGarageMedia.com

Rick Smith’s Autocross-Ready 1972 Corvette

TEXT & PHOTOS BY Chuck Vranas

I

t’s easy to see that the Chevrolet Corvette is America’s most beloved sports car, taking owners on an amazing performance-driven journey with each defining era—from the C1 all the way to the cutting-edge C8. What’s even better is the ability to inject more edginess into the model of your choice to push it to the limits on the street, dragstrip, and road course. For Rick Smith, of Quincy, Massachusetts, building a hard-edge C3 Corvette that could carve cones at the autocross with a perfect combination of horsepower and grip led to many late nights in his workshop till it was time to hit the track. Not every build is planned, however, and this one has a unique story.

Rick was autocrossing a fire-breathing, LS-powered 1971 Camaro on the circuit a few years ago when the car was stolen after an event, leaving him stranded without a ride to compete. Having been inspired by an online build series dubbed the “48-Hour Corvette,” where a number of manufacturers banded together to build a competitive autocross C3 Corvette in two short days, he wasted no time in commencing a search for his very own base to start with. The results of his 60-day build are wicked-impressive, seeing his finished 1972 Corvette displayed here.

Rick’s no newcomer to the performance car world; he’s been wrenching on hop-ups for decades with a number of well-traveled rides under his belt. His builds include a 1932 Ford roadster, 1933 Chevy coupe, and the long-lost 1971 Camaro, to name just a few. It’s all about living life to the fullest in the fast lane, with each car bringing new challenges to address and gratification to enjoy. When it came time to locate a suitable donor, his search led him to a 1972 model originally from Ohio where it had been mothballed away for many years. The car was a solid, never-wrecked example in need of a full makeover. It was the perfect candidate, so cash was swapped for the title.

After thorough evaluation it was deemed that the original frame was a perfect base, so Rick got busy stripping the original suspension. He followed by cleaning the spine and spraying it in satin black. With the main intent of the car being a hard-core competitor at the autocross, it was imperative the suspension was up to the task. Out back the factory IRS was updated, starting with a freshly rebuilt differential from Zip Corvette packed with 3.70 gears suspended in place by a RideTech StrongArm system. To complete the upgrade, RideTech’s tubular rear crossmember was deftly matched to HQ-Series coilover shocks and a MuscleBar sway bar.

Up front, Rick dialed in RideTech’s TruTurn system and MuscleBar sway bar. A Borgeson power steering conversion completes the handling enhancements. To stop on a dime, a Baer dual master with power assist pushes fluid though steel lines to Baer Pro+ 14-inch rotors matched to their two-piece forged six-piston calipers. Linking it to the street are a set of Forgeline 18×10 MD3P-Series wheels capped with BFGoodrich P315/30R18 g-Force Rival performance rubber.

When it came time to pack plenty of power between the framerails, Rick contacted Chevrolet Performance for one of their LS3 6.2L crate V-8s for a perfect edge on the street and track. Straight from the factory it’s ready to rumble, starting with a cast-aluminum block with six-bolt, cross-bolted main caps filled with a nodular iron crank linked to powdered metal rods wearing hypereutectic aluminum pistons. Don Kinder at Slowhawk Performance in Bridgewater upped the ante with a stick from Comp Cams matched to aluminum L92-style ported heads. Up top, a Holley Sniper EFI low-profile fabricated sheetmetal intake with 102mm throttle body and matching fuel rails was combined with C5 Corvette injectors and management system. A C5 ignition lights the fire with spent gases dumping through stainless headers to a custom 3-inch steel exhaust with Borla Pro XS mufflers by Rick. Other cool bits include a Vintage Air Front Runner system and Spectre Performance cold-air intake. To move the goods, a TREMEC TKO 600 five-speed trans from Silver Sport Transmissions meets a matching driveshaft. Custom tuning by Slowhawk dialed in the mill, which produces 458 hp to the rear wheels.

It’s always a plus when your project doesn’t require serious bodywork or special fabrication. Luckily, the Corvette survived through the decades virtually unscathed, having been treated well by its previous owners. Rick had Steve Hill at Holbrook Auto Body in Holbrook, Massachusetts, strip the body and set all the gaps in preparation for a classic coating of PPG White Pearl. Once completed, Rick added satin red fender stripes and finished the exterior with fresh bumpers, trim parts, and an LED taillight conversion all from Zip Corvette.

Inside it’s all business, with the factory dash wearing Classic Instruments Autocross Series dials to monitor the vitals, while a Grant steering wheel mounted to a Flaming River tilt column ensures precise cone-carving capabilities. Rick yanks the gears through a Silver Sport shifter. For comfort, a pair of Braum Alpha-X seats in black leatherette offers plenty of comfort and support, especially when combined with a driver-side five-point harness and passenger-side two-point belt for plenty of safety. Rick has been laying down plenty of action at a number of autocross events as well as racking up the miles driving the car on the streets, and to us that’s the real deal!

TECHCHECK

Owner: Rick Smith
Vehicle: 1972 Chevy Corvette

ENGINE

Type: LS3 6.2L
Displacement: 376 ci
Compression: 10.7:1
Bore: 4.065
Stroke: 3.622
Cylinder Heads: Aluminum L92-style port, “as cast” with 68cc chambers
Rotating Assembly: Nodular iron crank, powdered metal rods, hypereutectic aluminum pistons
Valvetrain: 2.165 intake/1.590 exhaust
Camshaft: Comp Cams
Induction: Holley Sniper, 102mm throttle body
Ignition: C5 Corvette
Exhaust: Stainless headers, 3-inch steel exhaust, Borla Pro XS mufflers
Output: 458 hp to rear wheels at 6,400 rpm

Drivetrain

Transmission: TREMEC TKO 600, five-speed
Rear Axle: Factory IRS 3.70:1 gears

Chassis

Steering: Borgeson quick-ratio power steering
Front Suspension: RideTech TruTurn control arms and spindles, HQ-Series coilover shocks, MuscleBar sway bar
Rear Suspension: RideTech StrongArm system, tubular rear crossmember, HQ-Series coilover shocks, MuscleBar sway bar
Brakes: Baer dual master with power assist, Baer Pro+ 14-inch rotors, six-piston calipers

Wheels & Tires

Wheels: Forgeline 18×10 MD3P-Series
Tires: BFGoodrich 315/30R18 g-Force Rival

Interior

Seats: Braum Alpha-X buckets
Upholstery: Black leatherette
Gauges: Classic Instruments Autocross-Series
Steering: Grant
Carpet: Black loop
Shifter: Silver Sport Transmissions

Exterior

Paint: PPG White Pearl
Hood: Stock
Grille: Stock

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