Want to see how most people would blow big money on a fully-custom C2 Corvette to go racing? Just check out this dreamy 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Pro-Touring built by a guy named Greg. It’s got all the tech goodies, including an all-motor LS7 that somehow still manages to make 630 horsepower.
Giving credit where credit is due, the car being featured today on AutotopiaLA belongs to Greg Thurmond of GTS Customs. They work out of Simi Valley, California, and are specialized in Corvette restomods.
This metallic orange beauty is their showcase car and you’d be surprised to see how it started life. Just the fiberglass body was resting in a junkyard with no front end, probably having been destroyed in a drag racing crash.
The body was heavily modified after that. It’s got a custom-fabricated fiberglass rear with six inches of extra fender. The new front end was also widened five inches, and there are numerous other custom touches, like the headlight delete, the extra vents, modified front grille and more. Above all, I just love how this looks even more like a Stingray because of the crisp line going around the body.
The Corvette sandwitch
The original 1965 Corvette frame was kept, but it was heavily bolstered by a cage and modified to support C4 Corvette-type suspension. It’s basically designed to race and does track days, with cantilever rocker arm suspension in the rear and a Positraction LSD.
Some really thick pro shafts are also seen, needed because of how much power this makes. The Corvette obviously has the C2 performance hood. But people in 1965 probably couldn’t even dream of a 630 horsepower all-motor V. This is an LS7 that’s been built by Lingenfelter.
Unless I’m mistaken, that would be a 427 cubic-inch motor that used to belong to the 2006-2013 C6 Corvette Z06. The upgraded internals are apparently super-durable and stand up to serious track use, which isn’t bad when you consider it’s only a $13,000 crate unit. A Tremec 6-speed manual seems like the natural choice when handling this kind of power and abuse.
Since being built, the C2 has done about 6000 miles, all of them on the track. And the interior reflects this with attitude. It’s got an all-carbon dashboard and stripped-out door trim. This is one serious piece of kit that isn’t afraid to have fun.
