Plastic Fantastic 76 Corvette
 

First, where I'm at. I built this car to compete in various SCCA and USCA events. It didn't start that way but it snowballed. First, where is it now.
https://i.imgur.com/W3AEFejh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VVPSIpGh.jpg

Okay let's back up 4 years. I bought the car for $2500 mostly because it was parts and I had flares that I hadn't put on another project.
trust me, it looked even worse in person
https://i.imgur.com/pJ2Gpnh.jpg
but it's a 4 speed car, it was close, and I take home strays.
Somewhere around 2018, I was watching one of the Motor Trend shows and Randy Probst mentioned that the 2010 Camaro was a better handling car then the 2010 Corvette.... Hmmmm, I've built more then a couple things including this
https://i.imgur.com/JBUyF7Eh.jpg
and lots of cars too..including the Corvette that was supposed to get the flares.
What I have now is a 1976 Corvette that looks like a 73 with flares, 2010 Camaro SS rear suspension (clipped in place), and a 2010 Corvette front suspension with Aiden coil overs, Brembo brakes from the SS Camaro. The motor is a 12:1 compression bb 427 with ST-10 trans, sniper spark and fuel control.
My goal was to do Optima Challenge. I made it, it broke the first day. Which was not optimal but given the car was in primer a year before AND I built a new motor for it in-between those dates... I did okay.

But now, it's time to take this to the next level. It handles amazing - the Willow Springs picture, I'm doing 150 mph in that corner. What I did learn was I needed to tune the shocks, add stiffer sway bars, and start working on aero. It also gets a bit warm at full song for extended time.

I figure builds come in 1/3rds. 1st - body work/suspension. 2nd - assembly after paint and driving, and 3rd - tuning. I'm solidly in 3. I'm also building a 64 Buick wagon in the background of this as a tow car - with a twin turbo 6.0 LS. Mostly, though, will be the things I identified above. currently it has terrible understeer, but I may have started to get a handle on that. I also broke the midplate on the t-10 so a TKX is waiting to be installed. It'll be a week or two before I start updating again - thanks for having me.

motor shot
https://i.imgur.com/bPkRqK3h.jpg
gratuitous Luigi shot
https://i.imgur.com/ixDhnoNh.jpg

optima, I was so far behind my goals that just making it was win. I had one autox on the car, no track time, maybe 300 miles on the entire car.... and still felt safe at 150 on Willow....

forgot, inside is Corbeau seats, Dakota Digital dash/gauges.

Welcome!

Welcome to the site. Sounds like a fun build. I look forward to the pics and progress. Good luck!

Wow, quite the build. :thumbsup:

Sounds like you’re really getting to enjoy it too.

Love it, keep posting and we will keep reading. Nice side pipes!

​Finally back on this
https://i.imgur.com/fOr6ObSh.jpg
pull the shifter off
https://i.imgur.com/Ui9hYQXh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/J5AEyEih.jpg
fluid looks perfect!
https://i.imgur.com/l2Fnqd8h.jpg
wonder what I'll do with trans next...
https://i.imgur.com/5S4v83nh.jpg
and hooks
https://i.imgur.com/OwZbbXUh.jpg
basically they attach to the prior spring mounts....
https://i.imgur.com/7YH3iE3h.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CpXGE1Gh.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/WtHKuj9h.jpg
wrapped the hook with stainless rod - basically it adds a lot of strength
https://i.imgur.com/tvngZuPh.jpg
bit of cleanup tomorrow and paint them "please hook here not on a headlight red"
​https://i.imgur.com/RCphxH9h.jpg

cleaned up
https://i.imgur.com/1y4L0s3h.jpg
now with paint
https://i.imgur.com/5mIgmA4h.jpg
installed
https://i.imgur.com/UTFcdgkh.jpg
rear matching
https://i.imgur.com/aKoSJzfh.jpg
for sale ;)
https://i.imgur.com/oejUQyZh.jpg
first problem... the cross member is simply in the way
https://i.imgur.com/jfwybhlh.jpg
I could have got the trans in/out without removing it but that would be a real problem on race day since it'd mean moving the motor
https://i.imgur.com/qBZPGcah.jpg
now it's not a problem
https://i.imgur.com/xBMrVCUh.jpg
first issue... a bit of massaging and it's fine now
https://i.imgur.com/qRdlcPAh.jpg
time to set angles before building the cross member
https://i.imgur.com/VWKmdkZh.jpg
a bit of envisioning going on
https://i.imgur.com/Xx0FPvvh.jpg
it does fit really well, I have no trouble cutting the floor - which solves the issue of whether or not I need a special shifter
https://i.imgur.com/6CSyCCvh.jpg

Killer looking car! TKX is a great choice, which gearset did you go with?

2.87 first gear, .68 OD ....

cross member time
https://i.imgur.com/KI6DfbEh.jpg
now 4
https://i.imgur.com/tUALWF9h.jpg
and weld
https://i.imgur.com/ehAAgIlh.jpg
and cross member
https://i.imgur.com/6ulL9Jdh.jpg
need to finish welding, put the e-brake cable pulley in place then paint it.... but doneish