According to Koch, a subsequent owner removed the L75 and replaced it with an even rarer L89 396 from a '69 Camaro; this engine remains in the car to this day. Fortunately, both the installed L89 and the removed original motor were delivered to the U.S. when Michaelis obtained the Suisse Racer.
Unlike its predecessor, the L89 has been heavily fortified for the rigors of racing. Heavy-duty internals include a Weinberg crank rotating Carrillo steel rods and Venolia forged pistons. Up top, the aluminum factory heads were ported and outfitted with Manley racing valves. A Crane custom-grind roller cam and 1.7-ratio roller rockers orchestrate the action. The combination is estimated to produce 500 hp at the crank with a race-fuel-only 12.1:1 compression ratio.
That power spins up to 7,000 rpm through a steel flywheel mated to a Muncie M22 four-speed transmission. Other fortifications include a driveshaft upgraded with larger U-joints and connected to the aforementioned 3.08 Posi rear. Grip is provided by American Racing wheels wrapped in Goodyear GS-D2 rubber, while stopping power comes from slotted GM rotors grasped by aluminum racing pads and GM dual-piston calipers. The braking system is controlled by a dual master cylinder with separate front and rear reservoirs and a driver-activated bias controller mounted in the cockpit.
The Suisse Racer also boasts a full complement of adjustable shocks and sway bars, which appear to have been custom-made for the car. As of this writing, Pro Team has been unable to determine their origin.
What is verifiable is the car's rarity. It was color-optioned in Rally Red with a Red interior, a combination Pro Team estimates to have appeared on only 25 to 30 Corvettes built with the L75 engine.
What little is known about the Suisse Racer's history was culled from a binder of race photos and European documents that accompanied the car to America. Items inside the binder include International Automotive Federation (IAF) ratification, a partial owner history, and a 12-chapter overview of the car's restoration.
Pro Team is currently conducting an extensive search for more details on the car, even going so far as to apply a vinyl "Information Wanted" banner to the windshield.
"There's no doubt that the Suisse Racer's story will continue to unfold," says Terry Michaelis. "We will continue to research for the Suisse Racer's complete owner and racing histories, race photos, import delivery documents, homologation information, FIA records, and much more-all in order to share the mystery of this Corvette's truly amazing heritage with fellow fanatics."
If you have any information on the '65 Suisse Racer Corvette, please contact us at Vette@primedia.com.