Gary Roberts, a restaurateur from Lake Villa, Illinois, is a second-generation enthusiast. His father bought this 70 big-block on a whim in Bloomington, Illinois, years ago and Gary fell in love with it, too. In 1988, it became his, and hes been showering attention on it ever since.
Although its original color was Donnybrooke Green, it had been repainted red and looked great on the outside. It was plain to see, though, that the original owner hadn't done much good under the hood. The intake and exhaust weren't right, and the wiring and vacuum lines were a mess.
It took Gary five years to make this Corvette his own. He started with the simple things, as many of us do, then realized this was going to be a major project. As he put it, "The more I did, the more I found I had to do." It was his good fortune to have an uncle in the car-repair business who was willing to help. He also credits the folks at Fine Line Automotive, an area shop, for the excellent paint and bodywork. He decided he liked the car red, and stayed with it.
Today, the car boasts a 600hp engine featuring a roller cam with aluminum heads. He also added ACCEL fuel injection and an aluminum radiator. He did all the suspension work himself using Koni shocks and Vette Brakes products, and spent countless hours in his garage fixing and restoring interior items. Gary is justifiably proud of his ride and the work he's put into it. He's taken First Place in most of the shows he's entered, and can't imagine life without this Corvette. While he enjoys cruising the area around his Illinois home, he admits a passion for drag racing and autocrossing as well. He has truly crafted a Corvette for all reasons.