The engine itself is stock, although Polzin crafted a custom wiring harness. "We didn't want to fool with it (the engine) until we were sure everything was running right," he says when asked about any modifications to the engine.
In a '93 Corvette, the 350ci LT1 was good for 300 horses. It probably makes a little more than that in Polzin's car, thanks to a free-flowing exhaust that includes headers and '67 big-block-style side-exiting exhaust pipes.
The engine is backed by a '93-style ZF six-speed transmission. Although it easily bolted up to the small-block, it required a custom crossmember on the frame, as well as a custom-built driveshaft. The late-model tranny features an internal-rail shift mechanism, which necessitated the relocation of the shifter position in the interior. It sits about 3 inches farther back. Without any type of center console it's difficult to tell the difference at a glance, although the ZF's shift knob is a clear giveaway that something's not quite stock.
And the hidden details abound throughout the rest of the interior, too. Look at the steering wheel. Polzin built it to emulate the look of a stock wheel, but its diameter is 2 inches smaller, which makes for more responsive inputs to complement the late-model steering system.
There's a hidden compact-disc stereo system in the cabin, as well as the stock Wonderbar radio that came with the donor body. The gauges are stock '57s, too, though modified to work with the LT1's computer. Another crafty touch is Polzin's re-wiring of the stock "generator" idiot light to serve as the late-model motor's "check engine" light. The remainder of the trim and upholstery is stock-type material.
The body of the '57 is stock, too. After searching high and low, Polzin found a donor car just 30 miles from home. It had been stored for 20 years, but came with new stainless trim, bumpers, and hard- and soft-tops. Dave Wendell handled the Torch Red paint job, which is one of the deepest-looking we've seen.
Start to finish, Polzin's creative Corvette took just 18 months to complete. And he's not shy about putting miles under that home-built chassis. Of course, it collects big trophies at every show he drives it to, but the red roadster has also collected a few timeslips from the drag strip. Its best so far is a tire-spinning 13.48 at 105 mph.
We end this write-up with the thought that not every detail of the ingenious fabrication has been covered. (Did you notice the wholly appropriate "Fuel Injection" badges in the coves?)
Whatever we've missed, we'll try to make up for on the feature of Polzin's next project. He wants to drop a '57 body over C5 running gear-including the rear-mounted transmission. Better get some more steel for the barn floor, Dwight.