Page 82 - Demo

HOW WE ROLL
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
What kind of upgrades have you made, to improve its driving experience? I imagine automotive improvements have come a long way since 1936?
Tim: It originally drove just like an old truck; the suspension was minimalistic and it was in- credibly di cult to steer, especially compared to modern vehicles. We replaced the original dropaxleandleafspringswitha4:11positrack rear end and 4-link suspension, and 4-way disc brakes, and a 2-inch drop front end with rack and pinion steering. It’s not only a looker, it’s a driver!
Has there been any particular aspect of working on projects that stumped you, or on the truck that was dif cult or challenging?
Tim: Perhaps the most challenging on the ’63 Corvette was when Josh redid the headliner. It was di cult to nd, and install; it has a crazy compound bow contour in the roof. Drilling into a steel body with little screws and drill bits is a nightmare, while holding it in place overhead at the same time.
Josh: I also cut out all the oor pans out and
lowered them three inches, to t the racing seats I installed. Now that was challenging!
Looking around the Despard garage, I see ve powerful Corvettes. Surely you have added a little “get up and go” to the truck’s performance?
Josh [laughs]: Absolutely! We installed a small block Chevy 355 engine, with a turbo 350 au- tomatic transmission. We also added an elec- tronic ignition and a quick fuel EFI fuel injection throttle body. We won’t be adding air condi- tioning; the windshield tilts outward. That’s all the cooling we need!
Both Tim and Josh chuckle when asked what’s next on the list of things to be done on the old- er model Corvettes or the truck. Their answer; “Let’s just say we are on a rst name basis with the UPS guy!”
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82 • May - June 2018 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com
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