Sometimes all it takes is a glance to know that the Vette sitting on the corner will soon be yours. And it was this look of love that was in Bob Smith's eyes right before he purchased this '59 racer two years ago. But it wasn't long before the "new love" became a "labor of love" and was transformed from its then-current status as a record holder in the 1996 Hot Rod World's Fastest Street Car Shootout running 8.9s--into a blow-out, full-on, custom, yet streetable racer. Along the way, this Litchfield Park, Arizona, resident has added 15X3 and 15X14 Halibrands in the front and rear, respectfully. A few years back, the gas tank was replaced with a custom unit and now sits atop a narrowed frame. The 350 motor has been taken out to 355 and then topped with two Holly 650 carburetors with a Weiand 6-71 blower strapped beneath them. With all this power you can bet this makes Bob a force to be reckoned with when he needs to stomp on the pedal, leaving the competition saying, "Well, it takes my breath away!" When Smith isn't speeding past the would-be challengers, he's busy with events where he's almost guaranteed a trophy or two with the judges. But who can blame them for awarding it Best of Show in more instances than the owner can count? Just take a look for yourself! Team VETTE, along with some of our boys and girls in green, did, and at the Buckley Air Force base in Colorado to boot! They played host to us and our shenanigans for the day and there were never less than a dozen of America's Finest around the General's Finest while we did our shootout on the tarmac. Thanks, guys! We hope you enjoyed this as much as we enjoyed being there. If you missed out, just take a look at our photo coverage! It's almost as good as hearing the '59 and an F-18 going full-bore, side by side.