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1976 Chevy Corvette - Going Wide
This Greenwood Daytona Pays Tribute To Its Race-Bred Forebears
By Andy Rumford
Photography by Andy Rumford
It started with a simple trip to Corvettes at Carlisle in August of 2004. My son, Alex, and I, along with my father, made the excursion to pick up a few parts for my 1976 Chevy Corvette. The Chip's Choice display that year featured original Greenwood Corvettes. I became an instant Greenwood fan, and in the ensuing years have been fortunate enough to visit the company's shop in Apopka, Florida, and meet many of the members of the Greenwood team.After spending an hour or more looking over the "Wide Body" race cars at the Chip's Choice display, I decided to see if I could find one for sale. As luck would have it, we located a Greenwood Daytona on the "For Sale" page of greenwoodcorvettes.com. After contacting the owner and speaking with him several times, we agreed on a purchase price of $19,000. Considering that only five original Daytona models were produced, along with a few hundred replicas, I felt the price was justified. On a cold day in November, 2004, the auto-transport service delivered our Greenwood Vette from the Chicago area. To date, this '79 model has racked up a mere 58,000 miles, with only 1,500 on the new powerplant.Since then, I've made many modifications to the car. The interior now features Oyster leather and black carpeting. An NHRA-approved six-point welded rollcage was installed by Trappe Auto, in Trappe, Pennsylvania. The powerplant, which was built by Blitz Automotive in Kennett Square, is a blown 383 stroker that makes 540 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque with 12 psi of boost. The exterior paint is pearl white with gradient shades of light gray to black. As numerous people have conveyed to me over the years, the car now "looks fast sitting still." Old-school Cragar rims complement the 28-inch Mickey Thompsons.
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Chevy Corvette Research
Car specs are often a major factor when deciding on buying a new Chevy Corvette. Get all of the information you could want including data on performance, cargo space, handling, fuel efficiency, and all-inclusive car specifications. The V8 standard engine in the Corvette gives you 505 horsepower with an estimated 19 mpg. It comes with comparable warranty coverage to other vehicles in its class.
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