The wily 350 was bolted to a Richmond five-speed manual box enabling Randy to row the gears with ease. The factory independent rear suspension with the stock 3.73 Posi was left pretty much alone, while the front and rear suspension was tweaked for greater handling prowess. Randy went with a complete Vette Brakes monoleaf fiberglass performance plus suspension front and back, with the front getting a 118-inch sway bar and tubular upper and lower control arms. The aft of the Stingray got a 78-inch sway to keep the tail planted in the hairpins. The stock disc brakes were rebuilt with stainless steel sleeves.
When it came to the look of the Corvette, Randy feared turning the Stingray into an overly modified fiberglass monstrosity. Only small changes were made, and most of them were made purely for function. An Ecklers front spoiler was mounted beneath the front bumper for additional down force and Ecklers bubble rear taillight lens were placed in back for greater visibility. The body was treated with professional care at Jeff's Corvette Shop in Dallas, where the fiberglass was coated four times in the original Sunflower Yellow with an additional two coats of clear.
Throughout the five-year build and restoration, Randy personally tackled the interior. The cabin was preserved in factory Dark Saddle, purposely kept to look stock. Ecklers provided the correct carpet and interior covers, and Randy did all the labor. The seats were rewrapped in Dark Saddle leather skins as was the 14-inch custom steering wheel. Bathed in warm colors, the pilot of this shark was meant to be comfortable while shaving the corners. Looking stock, the car quickly surprises any Doubting Thomases at the track. Randy laughs that while many a street rod has come and gone, the Corvette has always remained. And we doubt it will be going anywhere anytime soon. cf
engine ::: Many will wonder why if you had a plain-Jane 350 '71 to start with you wouldn't build a big-block? Well, the answer is when you're trying to save weight. Randy Stone went with the potent aluminum headed ZZ4 350 to provide plenty of power while shaving off excess pounds. WHEEL ::: Randy opted to have the factory Rally rims paint matched to the brilliant Sunflower Yellow paint and fitted with large 255/50/16s. INTERIOR ::: There is a lesson to be learned here. See how gorgeous this interior is? Randy did it all himself. And no, he doesn't own his own upholstery shop.