If two lucky '53 Corvettes could talk, I'm sure they would say "yes." Heaven for cars has to be defined as the care and treatment that is being bestowed on these two beauties in their afterlife. We can only guess if these cars were rode hard and put down wet in their prime. We do know that like two former beauty queens, their better days are certainly behind them. What would they pay to regain their voluptuous bodies and silky smooth skin?
Most former beauty queens will attest to one fact-there is no magic in a bottle to recapture youth. Fortunately for our two '53 Corvettes, the gods of youth have looked favorably on them and decided to spare them the ravages of old age. They have not been fed to the hungry jaws of a crusher and dumped into the landfill car hell. Instead they have ascended to the Classic Car Restoration and Service Center (CCRSC) in Tarpon Springs, Florida. This restoration shop is a joint effort of Al Wiseman, Chris Brand, and his brother, Jim Brand. Over the next six months, the restorative powers of the Brand brothers will be directed to these aging beauties.
The impetus behind the massive effort to restore these historically significant cars can be attributed to Carlisle Production co-owner Chip Miller, and classic car collector, Al Wiseman. Miller has been planning out his tribute to the Corvette's birthday for the last five years. His dream was to restore a '53 Corvette and display it around the country.
"I wanted a tribute to the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the Corvette's birth in 1953," says Miller. "This golden anniversary of America's original sportscar isn't just for the car hobby-the Corvette has become a rolling statement of personal success and a cultural icon of 'cool' for America for almost half a century."
When Miller shared his idea with Wiseman, his friend immediately agreed it was a great idea and proposed that they locate the necessary cars and get started on the restoration. Wiseman liked the idea so much he decided to build two '53 Corvettes, one for the project and one for his personal collection. The "Restoration Celebration" had begun.
The Corvette (car No.158), which is to be auctioned off at Corvettes at Carlisle in 2002 with the proceeds going to charity, has jumped to the head of the line for the makeover process. This article will focus only on car No.158 as the other '53 Corvette (No.147) is resting comfortably in storage waiting for its turn to be rejuvenated. Car No.147 will go to the personal collection of Wiseman.
The frame of No.158 has been straightened back to perfection, media blasted, hand-sanded, and painted perfectly. All other components of the chassis received a similar refurbishing, and the engine and transmission have been reunited with their metal brethren once again.
The last months have been spent on one of the most difficult parts of the restoration, restoring the fiberglass body to better than new condition. Wiseman and Miller chose one of the masters in the restoration industry when they selected Chris Brand for this project. Toiling for 10 years repairing fiberglass boat hulls, Brand elevated his restoration skills to an art form. Boat hulls are exposed to extreme environmental conditions, with the combination of salt water and unrelenting sun quickly providing feedback on what type of fiberglass repair works or doesn't work. His years of experience have paid off for car No.158. Its body will be transformed into a flawless work of art when he is finished.
"I went through a lot of different manufacturers and experimented with a wide variety of methods before I found the optimal combination of materials and procedures to bring fiberglass back to perfect condition," says Brand.
He has developed a system of fiberglass repair that is on the cutting edge of technology and may be unique in its application to the automotive industry.