1962 Chevrolet Corvette - Z062

But that's not what John Faria started with when he began the project that resulted in the "Z062" Vetterod you see here. A longtime Vette lover, he already owned two (a '74 convertible and an '00 drop-top) when he traveled to Corvettes at Carlisle back in 2003-and saw some Corvettes that caught his eye in a big way. "I came across a few restomods on custom frames, spoke to their owners, and decided that this combination of classic styling with modern performance, handling, and comfort would be the answer," Faria says from his Warwick, Rhode Island, home.

The first thing he did when he got home was sell his '00 Vette, to help bankroll the project that was taking shape in his mind. Next, he began his search for a '61 or '62 Corvette body at a reasonable price-and that's when frustration set in. "Most of the ones that I looked at were real basket cases," Faria recalls, "requiring major bodywork or missing many major components." He wanted a Vette that looked original, but would incorporate subtle changes to improve its overall appearance and function.

The following winter, Faria found the C1 he was looking for-a '62 that, while missing its engine and transmission, had a no-hit body and had been stored for more than three decades. It was part of an estate sale (a '63 Sting Ray convertible was also included in the deal, which Faria sold in short order), and before long he'd found a new home for the '62's original frame.

So far, so good. Unfortunately, this was when the project began slowing down, so Faria asked for-and got-the help he needed in getting it finished. "Billy was my savior," he says of Corvette Correction's Billy Dawson, who hauled the body, frame, and other parts Faria had acquired back to Texas. "He took care of it when I got frustrated, and I needed someone to get this thing done."

Dawson didn't need to do much to the body to get it ready. "When Billy got it, he did some tweaking here and there, and finished up a couple areas that needed it," says Faria. "But, for the most part, the body was about 95 percent done and ready to go." It was then smoothed and dressed in two-stage Viper Red by PAS Enterprises in Seguin, Texas.

In all, after Dawson hauled the '62 from Rhode Island to Texas, it took only eight more months to create this "Z062." Faria made four trips to Texas from Rhode Island while the build was in progress, to see how his Vette was coming together. In late May 2008, the '62 was finally finished.

Since then, Faria has enjoyed it immensely. "It drives beautifully," he says of his 430-plus-hp Vetterod. "It handles great, and it's fast as hell. It's the fastest thing that I've ever owned!" That enjoyment is shared by everyone who sees it, per Faria. "Wherever I go, it's always a major conversation piece. It gets a lot of attention"

Maybe you've thought of building a Vetterod of your own, from seeing the ones like Faria's featured in the pages of VETTE, or at events like Corvettes at Carlisle. If you've had that idea, Faria has this advice: "You need to plan this thing out ahead of time," he says. "You need to be very well organized and have a good idea of what you're going to do. Even then, you will come up with all kinds of problems, changes, and this and that. I had plenty of time to make my changes, because I had four years.

"There were so many decisions to make, like what kind of interior you want to put into it, what kind of wheels, and what kind of brakes. It's like building a house-there are so many options you have, and decisions you have to make."