CUSTOM ::: Hewn from various Chrysler, Studebaker, and other non-Corvette materials, this '53 was once number 77 of the first year Corvettes ever made. It was found abandoned and left for ruin before John restored this custom roadster. Look for a future article on this special '53.
Nestled among John's collection of beautifully restored first-generation roadsters is a peculiar creature. the 77th Corvette ever produced, this '53 roadster was in dire shape as it sat on the dealer floor. Deemed impossible to sell, the car was simply given away just to get it off the lot. The '53 was treated roughly-thrashed and ultimately wrecked to the point of near-demolition. It was then chopped up and turned into a custom using Chrysler, Studebaker, and other various parts. fins were added, and the straight six was swapped for a V-8. Sadly, the car would be stripped, dumped, and abandoned sometime during the '80s. It was finally rescued and rebuilt when John realized it was both a very early car and beautifully unique.
"Dudley," a worn and battered white '62 roadster, was never meant to enjoy the quiet life. Born a race car, this caged fuelie was restored mechanically, but its weathered and chipped body records the years of road-course warfare that it has endured. Amazingly, the car still retains its original drum brakes. John says, "They're huge and nearly as good as some disc setups." Gashes in the trunk are evidence that someone cut out racing numbers with a craft knife, using the deck lid as a cutting board. Some modern gauges have been added.
RACER ::: Dubbed "Dudley," this '62 was used as a race car from its beginning. the restoration on this second-generation was only mechanical. | 
Some minor modern amenities (e.g., an updated cage, fire extinguisher, and gauges) were added to keep the driver, John, and the car safe. | 
The skin was left rough and chipped to authenticate the car's racing legacy. |
PATRIOT ::: This particular third-gen was once raced by Don Yenko during the American circuit and later by John Greenwood and his team, Dick Smothers, Alain Cudini, and Bernard Darniche, at Le Mans in 1972.
At the forefront of John's collection is a Corvette made famous by its participation in the 24-hour Le Mans race in 1972. the Greenwood No. 50 endurance racer was driven in the U.S. by famed Chevrolet tuner Don Yenko and John Cordts, and by John Greenwood and his team, Dick Smothers, Alain Cudini, and Bernard Darniche, at Le Mans.
The car can't be driven locally in American vintage racing because it runs a dry-sumped engine, but it was shipped over to Le Mans two years ago so John could fulfill one of his ambitions: to drive in the vintage Vingt-Quatre Heures Du Mans.