Each Corvette project is a challenge. With many Vette projects, that involves a car that's complete, or at least intact. When John Kundrat started on this project, he had a far bigger challenge on his hands, one that took him about four-and-a-half years to complete. "It was a complete car that had been stored about 7-8 years and not run for a long time," recalls John. "It had a rotted frame."Also in a less-than-solid condition: The car's body, and its history. "Actually it was two cars that were cut in half and spliced together, back in the late '60s," he notes. "The front originally was a Tuxedo Black '64 Fuel Injected car, and the back was a '66."
Can you see the LEDs that...
Can you see the LEDs that John installed inside the bumpers? They're there, acting as side marker lights, front and rear.
That skin received some significant upgrades, starting with headrest fairings that he molded off of a pair of reversed C2 front fenders, then worked into the convertible top's boot cover. "I did all that, and where it's open behind the seats is all filled in," John says with pride. "It also has a 'waterfall' going down to the console, and the console is all hand-fabricated aluminum."
But those aren't all of the body modifications. GTS flared rear quarter panels replaced the stock ones, making room for the big 275/40R18 Kumho tires to come. John made the hood himself, taking the best features of the '65-'66 big-block hoods, the '67 427 Vettes' stinger, and Chevy's Cowl Induction hoods, combining them in one elegant yet stock-looking piece.
There are plenty more hand-fabricated items on John's C2, many done by John himself. For openers, there are the latch mechanisms for the shoulder harnesses and the top boot cover that are located behind the seats (along with the stereo's rear speakers). Then there's the front and rear LED lighting that John installed inside the front and rear bumpers, which act as side marker lights.
Stock '64 steering wheel and...
Stock '64 steering wheel and gauges join the Pioneer sound/navigation system in the dash, while C5 seats sit atop a repro carpet set from Mid America Motorworks.
What's it like to drive? "It's a blast. It's like a big go-kart!" But its powertrain puts up better numbers than any Briggs & Stratton-powered kart ever will. "It gets 28-30 miles a gallon, and it dynoed out at 405 horsepower at the rear wheels," John says with pride. "It's a joy to drive, it really is. It's not like you drive that car-you wear it. It becomes part of you. It's just amazing the way that thing handles."
When he began the project, he could have gone the restoration route. "I used to restore a lot of original ones, back in the day," says John. "And, they are what they are, as far as driving them, you're sort of limited. I got the urge to do one that I could travel in, with all the amenities-and I came up with these ideas."