Purchasing a Corvette can be a daunting task. Assessing the price for a pile of Corvette parts (supposed to be a Corvette) gets even trickier. Piling all those parts into two pickup trucks and a trailer, and hauling them over the Canadian/U.S. border can test a mans will to the limit. As if that isnt enough, he then has to ascertain the worthiness of, clean, rebuild, paint, and assemble all those parts he just diligently lugged over the border. What one man will do once hes succumbed to the fever!
Mark Ach is one such man. He purchased this Corvette in Canada and brought it back to his home in Toledo, Ohio, where he diligently began to reassemble the car. Since he was basically building a Corvette, why not build it the way he wanted, instead of the way the original owner ordered it? Once again, a daunting task, but one that was accomplished with the help of his wife Rae Ann and their daughter and friends. As you can see, this cooperative was a huge success.
After spending approximately eight months on the frame of the car, Mark was ready for the engine and transmission. Remember, he was building this car for himself so, with the encouragement of his wife, he decided on a GM Performance Parts 502 crate engine and a Muncie four-speed transmission. Using such a big-breathing engine requires that the suspension downstream of the powerplant be equally up to the task. Mark took care of that concern by using Vette Brakes & Products pieces for strength, in conjunction with offset trailing arms to give the 235/70-15 Michelins all the necessary room. To keep the engine cool, he used a Griffin Aluminum radiator and, to keep the engines performance hot, an Edelbrock intake with a 750 Holley carburetor.
The paint on Marks Corvette is 99 Cadillac Dark Polo Green. The paints perfect finish didnt come without a fight. To begin with, the body was repaired as needed, and as Mark puts it, block-sanded too many times. Once the body was straight and ready for the PPG two-stage paint, another problem arose. The newly applied paint began to solvent-pop, so Mark had to sand the entire car and spray it again. Finally, in the spring of 2000, all the hard work started to pay dividends, as Mark was able to testdrive his Corvette for the first time before adding the 2 ½-inch exhaust and Flowmaster two-chamber mufflers.
Now that the car is complete and built to his approval, Mark intends to reap the fruits of his labor. His primary use for the car: pleasure. While this car could easily merit the approval of many a show judge, thats not what led Mark to take such pains during its creation. He drives this one, collecting back all the painstaking work he bestowed on it throughout the build, and thats enough for Mark.
Thats why he did it in the first place.