Twas the Night Before Christmas - Corvette Style - Description ...

Another major modification that Duntov made to the ‘Vette was its prototype racing V8, an engine build
that would become the EX87′s most distinguishing feature. Duntov not only bored the 283 to a 307 cubicinch
displacement, but custom-ordered a camshaft from Chevy Engineering that would help the very
first, V8-powered ‘Vette to achieve a top speed of 163 MPH at GM’s Arizona Desert Proving Ground.
Today, these kind of track speeds are very much taken for granted, but a top speed of over 160 was
phenomenal by 1955 standards.
Sadly, the race legend who was Smokey Yunick passed away in 2001, leaving behind a garage full of
automotive relics. His widow had asked his old friend, Steve Tate, if he would like to come to Daytona to
look at some stuff that Yunick had left behind. Sure enough, Tate came across a specially-marked engine,
the 307 V8 that was built for the EX87, and it was labeled “Record Run.” Tate would buy the engine,
along with its original logbook from Chevy. He would eventually track down the EX87 car as well, and
would get together with close friends to spend the next year restoring it. Still known as the very first V8
‘Vette, the EX87 is a rare piece of performance history that will always be remembered as “the original.”
Wrecked Vette: C1 Saved from Scrapyard by Smoke Alarm
Wrecked Vette Wednesday usually depicts
the horrific fate of a Corvette, but this time
is a little different. According to
Firegeezer.com a fully restored 1956
Corvette was spared a trip to the wrecking
yard thanks to the installation of a simple
smoke detector in the garage. Tom Archey
and his wife Sue were watching a Seattle
Mariners game on TV when their smoke
detector alerted the couple to a blaze in
their garage. Upon entering the garage,
Archey saw that his classic Corvette was
on fire and instructed his wife to call 911;
as Sue Archey dialed, her husband
grabbed a fire extinguisher to subdue the flaming Corvette.
Thanks to the quick actions of the couple the Corvette can be saved from the wrecking yard and their
home was not destroyed in the process. Once the Bend Fire Department arrived at the Archey’s home,
they were able to remove the car from the garage, douse the flames and save the home from serious
damage. A video from Oregon’s KTVZ-TV station reported that Corvette sustained an estimated $25,000
in damage, but it was fully insured. A subsequent investigation determined that an electrical fire under
the hood of the ’56 ignited the blaze. There are two important lessons from this story; smoke alarms in
the garage are an excellent idea, and always have good insurance!
Corvette Drag Car to Cross the Block at October Mecum Auction
We’ve all dreamed of owning a full-on race car at one point in our life. If a tube-chassis Corvette is along
the lines of your ultimate dream car, that dream could come true soon if you attend the Dallas, Texas
Mecum Auction. The October auction is set to play host to a ‘04 Corvette drag car. Even better, you
could be the first one to ever take this Corvette down the strip.
The Corvette is set up to be a true race car. It is equipped with a 383 CI, 475 HP small block mated to a
Turbo 400 transmission. It has a four-link rear suspension, Weld wheels, Wilwood brakes, Jensen heads
and a full stainless steel exhaust system. Titanium valves, keepers and springs also come on the Corvette.
Giving the car a unique custom drag car look is the huge intake, carbon fiber Pro-Mod wing and radical
flame and pinstripe paint job by Robby Grant.