RPO 584? This bored-out,...
RPO 584?
This bored-out, TPI-injected 350 looks at home in the C1's engine bay-so much so that it looks factory. The Vintage Air compressor adds cool cabin comfort to cool underhood looks.
The updates and upgrades all added up to one distinctive C1, which saw its license plate change from Ohio to Indiana when John bought it from Bob. that meeting at Mid America Motorworks' Corvette Funfest resulted in more than a Corvette changing hands. John says, "When we bought this car, we became good friends with Bob. It turns out that they're our best friends now. It's really fun going to these shows."
What's it like to drive? "With all the upgrades on it, it rides as good as the C5s," John says. That's especially true after John did one modification that Bob had looked into, but hadn't done: a Heidt's front suspension. "When I first got the car, I redid the whole front end, and that made the ride completely different. Bob said that was the only other thing that he would've done to it. So I went ahead and got it done, and it changed the ride completely," John says.The new front end makes for a lot smoother ride, especially on the roads of the Midwest. "You can hit a chuckhole with that thing now, and you'll hardly feel it. In the older '62s, you'd feel all those in the road."
John's advice isn't just for folks looking to go the Vette-Rod route. "You might die tomorrow. Live today, and if you can afford it, enjoy it. That's what my wife and I are doing. I'm in my early '60s. I've had a heart attack, and I just live for those car shows. "
Data File '62 Corvette Convertible
Owned by John and Chris Irvin, Crawfordsville, IndianaOne of 14,531 Corvettes built in the last year of C1 production
| BODY |
| Modified production '62 Corvette body |
| MODIFICATIONS | Hoodscoop, one-off backup lights, rocker panels shaved 2 inches for side-pipe clearance, C3-style ducktail on rear body, rear fender flares |
| BODYWORK | by Bob Shetler (previous owner), including collision repair |
| PAINT | DuPont black basecoat/clearcoat, applied by Mike Burger, Bucyrus, Ohio |
| CHASSIS |
| Modified production C1 Corvette |
| SUSPENSION | (Front) Heidt's, with coilover shocks; (Rear) stock C1 Corvette leaf springs |
| STEERING | Mustang II rack-and-pinion |
| BRAKES | (Front) 13-inch rotor with 6-piston caliper; (Rear) 13-inch rotor with 4-piston caliper |
| WHEELS | Billet Specialties Legacy, 17x8-inches, all around |
| TIRES | BFGoodrich Radial T/A, P255/50ZR17, all around |
 Tale of the Tail Thanks to...  Tale of the Tail
Thanks to Bob Shetler's fiberglass skills, the ducktail on the back of John Irvin's '62 looks like an original body feature. |  Enjoying John Irvin's a dedicated...  Enjoying
John Irvin's a dedicated '62 Vette lover-so much so he's building another one. |  Great Profile Subtle exterior...  Great Profile
Subtle exterior mods add up to one distinctive Vette Rod. Rocker panels were shaved 2 inches for side-pipe clearance. |