White-pearl fender "wings"...
White-pearl fender "wings" are just a couple of the body mods that Eckert's Rod & Custom added.
But the engine was another story. "I actually found the engine up in Fairbanks, Alaska," Adams says. "It was a new crate engine that I'd bought as a spare for my other ZR-1s, just to have." To it, he added a new-in-the-crate ZR-1 six-speed manual transmission he'd located in Florida, and with that, he (and Eckert's) had all they needed to restore and update the midyear.
In all, it took about three years to transform the split-window from "carbecue" to the coolness seen here.
What's it like to drive? Need we ask? "It's a dream! It's really nice to drive," Adams says enthusiastically. "But it's nothing like the new 2010 ZR-1 I've got."
Is there another ZR-1 project in Adams' future? Maybe. "I've got a '54 Corvette right now, and I'm contemplating whether to put a ZR-1 engine in it or not," he says. "I'd hate to, because it's all there and all original, but the front end's got to be replaced on it."
If he does it, that "'54 ZR-1" would be in good company, though. Not only does Adams have this and the five other ZR-1s among the 13 Corvettes in his collection, but he's also got the "Poor Man's Corvette" that he built in high school, which he bought from his former shop teacher and restored.
But, as times have changed, building a Corvette of any kind has become a more-dollar-intensive proposition than in the past. The big piece of advice that Adams has for anyone considering any sort of Vette project? "Have a nice bank account!"
Inside, the seats were narrowed...
Inside, the seats were narrowed 2 inches and stitched in leather by Giffin Interiors of Bend, Oregon. AutoMeter gauges monitor the LT5's functions and the midyear's velocity.
Four cams, 32 valves-and no...
Four cams, 32 valves-and no waiting! Adams already had this 405hp LT5 engine when he began his '63 ZR-1 project.
| Spec Sheet: '63 Split-Window Coupe |
| Owner | Dren Adams; Spokane Valley, Washington |
| Block | '93 LT5 aluminum |
| Displacement | 350 ci |
| Compression Ratio | 11:1 |
| Heads | Stock LT5 DOHC aluminum |
| Valves | Stock LT5 (1.54/1.39) |
| Camshafts | Stock LT5 |
| Pistons | Stock LT5 cast aluminum |
| Crankshaft | Stock LT5 forged steel |
| Rods | Stock LT5 forged steel |
| Intake Manifold | Stock LT5 aluminum |
| Throttle Body | Stock LT5 |
| Fuel Injectors | Stock LT5 |
| Fuel Pump | Stock LT5 |
| Ignition | Stock LT5 |
| Engine Management | Stock LT5 ECM |
| Exhaust System | Doug Rippie Motorsports stainless-steel headers, modified for side exhaust by Eckert's Rod & Custom |
| Transmission | Stock ZFS6-40 six-speed manual |
| Clutch | Stock '93 ZR-1 |
| Driveshaft | Stock '93 ZR-1 |
| Front Suspension | '93 ZR-1 with QA1 shocks |
| Rear Suspension | '93 ZR-1 with QA1 shocks |
| Differential | Dana 44 with Richmond 4.10 gears |
| Brakes | '93 ZR-1 four-wheel discs with ABS |
| Wheels | Schott custom billet aluminum; 17-in (front), 18-in (rear) |
| Front Tires | Toyo Proxes T1R, 245/45ZR17 |
| Rear Tires | Toyo Proxes T1R, 275/40ZR18 |