Prototype Corvette restoration

[pwd72s]

1/2 hour long...but history galore..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPSZ77Hp7Pg&ab_channel=JerryHeasley

[sc_rufctr]

Excellent video... You could spend a life time researching and restoring these cars.
- I wonder what a car like that would be worth to GM?

Something of particular interest to me. The engine in that Corvette looks very similar to the original 186 cubic inch engine that powered many Australian built Holden-GM cars for decades. It was eventually enlarged to a 202 cubic inch. (They then used a Nissan engine for the "VL Commodore" onward's. )

A 186 cubic inch "Red Engine". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_straight-six_motor



Screen grab from the Corvette video.

[Otter74]

Interesting. Wiki suggests the Holden motor was based on a pre-war Buick design and not the Chevy six that was used in the Corvette and sedans of the same era.

Did the '70s Torana share a body shell with the Opel Ascona / Vauxhall Victor? Sure looks similar.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by Otter74

Interesting. Wiki suggests the Holden motor was based on a pre-war Buick design and not the Chevy six that was used in the Corvette and sedans of the same era.

Did the '70s Torana share a body shell with the Opel Ascona / Vauxhall Victor? Sure looks similar.

They did change the design for the local cars but yes GM shared their designs all over the world.
Being really honest I never liked them. I was always more interested in Euro cars.

BTW Classic Corvettes have always been like gold in Australia. But unfortunately a lot of them have been converted to RHD locally. A few years ago the laws changed so privately imported cars aren't converted anymore which is a very good thing.

[sc_rufctr]

Wow...

[nota]

I saw them before the car shows or the ads
zora live in our big lake front house in the up stairs apt
and only drove vetts home from work

GM demanded he have hidden parking for the car
and our old garage sized for the purple gangs smuggling trucks
was approved for hiding vetts

zora did not like the 6 but the v8 was being developed
and zora was driving the cars with pre-producion units + his bits
I used to bug him for rides as a little kid zora was a race driver
who was on the team the scored the 356's first Le-mans class win
he also got my dad in to 356 ownership in the early 50's but dad never owned a vett

[masraum]

Originally Posted by nota

I saw them before the car shows or the ads
zora live in our big lake front house in the up stairs apt
and only drove vetts home from work

Very cool!

GM demanded he have hidden parking for the car
and our old garage sized for the purple gangs smuggling trucks
was approved for hiding vetts

What? This sounds like a subject that deserves a little more attention.

[nota]

Originally Posted by masraum

Very cool!

What? This sounds like a subject that deserves a little more attention.

that house no long in existence was at the end of ten mile road and lake st clair
the only road frontage was a driveway an L shaped lot with another house in front
by the road and a canal with a 40ft boat well/lift/ garage sized for 2 18ft box trucks

during prohibition they [the purple gang Detroit's mob] ran boats from Canada
to that house load one truck while sending an empty truck to see if the cops/feds were out and about or not then send out the load

my dad bought the house FLOODED as it settled a bit and was built too low plus the lake level rose so the high ceilings became a bit lower when dad poured concrete
to raise the floors out of the water in 1950 just before I was born
I do not think the gang cared as the house was just a prop for the booze smuggling
unsure if dad dealt direct with the gang or others but no one live in that house for a long time before we got it the house was split 3 2 down stairs and a 2 1 apt on the 2nd floor with a huge attic with the plaster 1/4 sized models of the 1949 Frazer car the only production car my dad designed https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser-Frazer
likely the frazer car design deal paid for that house I have no idea why dad keep the 1/4 scale models but remember playing with them when we junked them when we cleaned out the house for sale in 1958

dad did a f/g pre t-bird called a detroiter on a cut down 54 ford that got some cover shots but no orders for production inspired/stolen from seeing zora's vetts
his gadabout an alloy body MG got lots of press but no production as did the other designs he did for hyd drive and wood bodys

the gang had some one associated living in the front house when we owned it
as dad was very careful not to annoy them but that house was built at a much higher floor level any way it is all gone now both houses torn down the two lots are now one with a big modern house and garage on the site the only old bit is the concrete boat well area is still there but now in the open