Dream Giveaway Corvettes - What Dreams Are Made Of

An Inside Look At Two Corvettes With A Very Special Mission

From the January, 2011 issue of Vette

By Jerry Heasley

Photography by Jerry Heasley

On January 15, 2011 a lucky Vette enthusiast will receive a phone call from the Kids Wish Network with news of a significant addition to his or her garage. That person will win not one, but two Corvettes. One will be a classic '67 convertible with a matching-numbers 427/435 big-block and NCRS Top Flight certification. The second will be a brand-new ZR1 featuring a 720hp Lingenfelter-enhanced engine, one of more than 30 special modifications.

If half the fun of winning is the anticipation, every one of us can purchase that thrill for a scant three bucks. That's the cost of one ticket, and it drops even further as purchase volume goes up. (Go to www.winthevettes.com to buy tickets or for more info.)

The winner will find the ZR1 to be a truly one-of-a-kind Corvette. Officially, the name is the "Brad Paisley Hero Edition, Serial No. 1." Actually, the serial number is a moot point because there will be just one car.

While the country-music superstar lent his name to the car to help the hospitalized children served by the charity, both Brad Paisley and his father have Corvettes of their own. When we did our photo shoot in late August, the paper tags were still on Brad's own new ZR1. A week or so earlier he had taken delivery at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He tells us he considers the latest ZR1 the "absolute pinnacle of American sports cars to this point."

The ZR1 Hero Edition that bears his name is quite a bit different from the stock one he drives. It follows many of the styling cues, as well as the color combination, of the '67, which remains bone stock. United Charities International (UCI)-the fundraiser for Kids Wish Network-put this plan together.

As hot as the ZR1 is stock, UCI felt that further upgrading its output was critical. Lingenfelter Performance Engineering gets credit for almost 100 extra horses courtesy of its supercharger-pulley-and-snout upgrade. Alternative Automotive Technologies (AAT) in Detroit made a host of cosmetic changes to link the car visually with the '67, arguably the best-looking Corvette model of all time.

This job was akin to building a prototype Vette, or at least a pilot vehicle. "We did a lot of artist's renderings in the beginning," says AAT's Bryan Williams.

The build was so extensive, AAT actually stripped the ZR1 down to the chassis for the transformation, which included a complete repaint to match the Ermine White of the '67. Williams says that at the beginning, with the two cars parked side-by-side, "they didn't look like they belonged in the same room together." But, when the work was finished, the ZR1 looked like a "morph" of the '67, "almost like the same designer did both cars."

There will only be one winner in the drawing for this spectacular pair of Vettes. However, the money generated will benefit literally thousands of kids with life-threatening ailments, thanks to the Corvette Dream Giveaway's highly successful "Hero" program.

According to Alicia Lyons, executive director of the Kids Wish Network, Inc., the charity fulfills wishes for children between the ages of 3 and 18 who are living with life-threatening illnesses. It also offers other important programs. "In fact," says Lyons, "the charity's fastest-growing program is our 'Hero of the Month,' which is fully funded by our annual Corvette Dream Giveaway.

"Participating hospitals around the country become members of their network. Then, monthly, each hospital selects a child who has faced and overcome tragic circumstances with their courage and spirit [and become] an inspiration to their family and their care providers. They present that child their Hero of the Month award."

Kids Wish Network provides that child with a pre-paid gift card, a plaque, and numerous "value-added items," such as T-shirts and other age-appropriate gifts.