BY Ron Ceridono Photography by Chadly Johnson

ugene, Oregon, is noteworthy for a variety of reasons: it’s home to the University of Oregon, Animal House was filmed there, but more importantly for us, it’s where you’ll find MetalWorks, one of the premier restoration and hot rod shops in the country. In the 20 years since Jon Mannila founded the company, he and his crew have gained a reputation for turning out quality vehicles that are not only prizewinning caliber in appearance, but are solid, reliable drivers as well.

Along with MetalWorks’ expertise in fabrication, body- and paintwork, Mannila and his team have the knowledge to guide customers in selecting components that work together. They pride themselves on coordinating components when updating vintage vehicles to Pro Touring status; a case in point is Sam Dommer’s ’63 Corvette.

When the C2 Corvette series that ran from 1963-67 was introduced it was hailed as revolutionary. The styling was striking and under the sexy new fiberglass body was a new chassis. Over the five-year run C2 Corvettes received minor styling changes (most notably the removal of the split in the rear window due to safety concerns) and the chassis remained relatively unchanged, the biggest improvement was the switch from four-wheel drum brakes to discs at all four corners in 1965. But while the new C2 front suspension and steering and the innovative independent rear suspension were certainly considered an exotic combination in their day, that was then and this is now.

The truth is the C2 front suspension wasn’t anything special, it was basically the same as what was under a Chevrolet passenger car. And while the IRS was unique it had a host of handling peccadillos, including poor toe, camber, and antisquat control. Of course, rolling on skinny bias-ply rubber (6.70×15 in 1963 and 1964, 7.75×15 in 1965, 1966, 1967) didn’t help. But the fact remains for a C2 to have performance commensurate with its visual impact a modern chassis is in order, and that’s where Art Morrison Enterprises enters into our story. MetalWorks slid a complete new AME GT Sport chassis under Dommer’s split window.

As the stock frame fits tightly to the body, AME’s replacement duplicates the original contours while increasing torsional rigidity. GT Sport chassis are available with ride heights 1 ¾ or 3 inches lower than stock and engine/trans mounts for small-block, big-block, and late-model LS power coupled to all popular manual and automatic transmissions are available.

Up front the AME GT Sport chassis features a specially engineered IFS with tubular control arms, coilovers, antiroll bar, and rack-and-pinion steering with Ackerman geometry similar to high-end European sports cars to improve cornering grip and stability. In the rear is AME’s sophisticated multi-link rear suspension that is far superior to the C2’s original IRS.

With this project, MetalWorks combined beauty and brawn, the stunning styling of a vintage Corvette with the contemporary performance offered by an AME chassis and modern running gear. The end result really is the best of both worlds.

2. The new C2 Corvette, introduced in 1963, incorporated a number of unique styling features, including electrically operated hidden headlights and split front bumpers. This example was equipped with optional knock-off wheels.

4. Powering the split window was a 340hp 327ci small-block. Somewhere along the line the original single brake master cylinder had been replaced by a dual chamber design. Other than that, the coupe appeared to be pretty much original.

5. The first step in the chassis swap was to carefully separate the body and frame. As the MetalWorks crew is the top AME dealer in the country, they deal with chassis swaps on a regular basis.

7. The front track of the AME chassis is reduced slightly to lower ride height and allow the use of wider tires than stock-framed Corvettes. The new IFS provides vastly improved suspension geometry when compared to the original.

9. The design of the AME IRS reduces unspring weight by roughly 100 pounds, which allows a lower spring rate for improved ride and handling characteristics.

11. Satisfied with the preliminary assembly of the chassis, it was blown apart to paint all the suspension components gloss black and powdercoat the frame.

13. The completed frame rolls on C7 Schott Wheels wrapped with Hankook tires. The LT1 crate engine has been equipped with a Holley front drive kit.

15. In stock form there is a bulkhead behind the seats and a removable panel covering a storage compartment (the hole is a finger pull to allow removal).

16. With the cover removed, the storage compartments can be seen. This is where the factory jack and handle were stored.

18. This is the section of the floor aft of the passenger seats that MetalWorks removed. Other than this modification, the frame bolts in place.

21. Keeping the LT1 cool is a Ron Davis aluminum radiator. A Wilwood master cylinder supplies hydraulic pressure for the same-brand four-wheel disc brakes and an E-Stopp electric parking brake system is used.

23. MetalWorks hooked the chambered side pipes to the stock LT1 exhaust manifolds. Installing these pipes does require some trimming of the body.