RideTech

Jasper, IN View More Vehicles

48 Hour Corvette – 1972 Chevrolet Corvette

Vehicle Quick Facts

Profile ID: 4407
Year: 1972
Make: Chevrolet
Model: Corvette
Markets: Racing, Resto-Mod, Sports Car
Vehicle Type: American
Contact: RideTech

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Vehicle Story

When Ridetech decided to take on the challenge of building a car in 48 hours, they figured there should be some sort of way to demonstrate that the work was not only quick, but sound.

For those that do not remember the event, Ridetech took on its first 48 hour build in May 2011, and completed the task with immense success. According to Bret Voelkel, President of Ridetech, “The original 48 Hour concept came about at the 2010 SEMA show during a discussion about there being so many parts available for early [gen] Camaros, that you could bolt one together in a parking lot in a weekend.”

We had the opportunity to speak with Voelkel about the build and after hearing more about it, we are beyond excited to watch this amazing project unfold right before our very eyes. Voelkel explained, “The primary build crew will consist of three teams of three people each. One team will be working in the engine bay, one team under the car, and one team inside of the car. Each team will have one person designated as the team leader… he gets to make the decisions and will expedite any problems with components, fabrication, or tools.”

The project car is a C3 Corvette that was purchased off eBay, out of Phoenix, Arizona. It is a relatively nice LT1, four-speed car that is fully capable of driving to the Ridetech Build Center on March 10th. We asked what the main reasoning behind selecting a C3 for this build was, and Voelkel responded, “The Corvette market is likely the biggest and most organized car niche in the country today. There are several manufacturers and distributors that specialize in nothing but Corvettes.”

“Up to this point most of these cars have been restored or lightly modified, but recently there is a growing number that have been upgraded with modern drivelines and other amenities. The newer C5, C6, and now C7 Corvettes are such highly refined cars that now the C2 and C3 guys want their cars to perform that way too. We intend to show them how!”

The build schedule will consist of three 16 hour days beginning on March 10th. In the conversation we had with Voelkel, he explained that they specifically chose the split-format compared to a solid 48 hour build for a few reasons.

To begin with, it is unreasonable to expect any person to work on a project for 48 straight hours. Building the Corvette over the course of three days will enable the teams to overnight any parts they may have overlooked or did not plan on needing due to those inevitable surprises.

“We think it is totally conceivable that a group of hot rod friends would get together and thrash on a car for three days to get it ready for a major event.” While most folks try to plan ahead for shows and races, it is often tough to avoid wrenching at the 11th hour, so it should make for a realistic representation of that final prep.

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