1960 Corvette C1
It’s the typical dilemma of so many classic American car fans: do you buy a project that requires work, or a cream puff that requires none, or more intriguingly, something in between? Paul Bussey meets a man who chose to do the latter when buying his C1 Corvette…
American car enthusiast Steve Warnes has owned a great many models over the years − his first was a 1967 Mustang Fastback when he was only 18 years old. Then followed a 1967 Cadillac, a Ford Fairlane, several more Mustangs, one of which he ‘Pro-Streeted’, a 1969 427cu in Camaro, which was converted to Pro-Touring specification and drag raced. “I had a guy that wanted to buy this Camaro and he was quite persistent,” recalls Steve. “He came and viewed the car, said he’d let me know, and a year later he came back and said he’d buy it!”
So now Steve had cash in his pocket and wondered what to do next. Paying the mortgage off was a thought, but then his wife reckoned he needed to find himself another American car, which is what happened. “I have to admit to always hankering after a 1963 split-window Corvette C2,” he reveals. “However, finding the right car proved quite difficult. They were either fully restored and commanding high prices, or they were totally original and needing major restoration, neither of which was very appealing. It just so happened that a 1964 Corvette C2 popped up, which had been reclaimed by the banks on a mortgage in the US. So I bought that car, ran it for a few years and loved it.
“Then one Saturday morning in November 2013, a friend of mine telephoned me and asked if I’d seen the 1960 Corvette C1 for sale in Wroxham, Norfolk? I had not, and it was a much earlier model than I had ever thought of owning.” Being located relatively close to where Steve lived, curiosity got the better of him and he went and viewed the car straight away. After a quick look over the car, the vendor said he had to go out, so Steve vowed to return again the next day. He did, and made an impulse decision to purchase the car from the barn where it was stored. The Corvette broke down on the way home but, nevertheless, it made it back, and then Steve deliberated what to do next.
Diner delight
“The car had once been on display inside a diner in Romford, Essex, and was known to a number of people, including Corvette specialist Tom Falconer of Claremont Corvette. It was painted red with white coves, but the interior had been retrimmed using an orange vinyl, with white piping, which didn’t gel very well,” he mused.
“I then discovered from the vendor, that the engine had been fitted with a dual Carter carburettor set-up, but currently it had just a single Holley carburettor. Apparently, he couldn’t get the engine to run properly on the dual carburettors, hence the current set-up. I managed to obtain the original dual carburettors and inlet manifold from him. The original 283cu in engine had been replaced in favour of a 327cu in engine. The car had retained its original front and rear suspension and a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. I decided to remove the 327cu in engine and discovered that it had a sleeve in one of the bores, which wasn’t very nice.
“I knew someone who had an early correct 283cu in engine, which I managed to acquire and a friend and engine builder, Paul Wayling, built up the 283cu in engine from the block, using new pistons and so on.
“Also incorporated were ‘Fuelie’ specification valves and cam. While the engine was removed, the majority of removable parts in the bay were all powder-coated satin black. The only other thing that I did to the running gear was to fit a dual brake master cylinder and front disc brakes, which fit on to the original drum spindles. “It was also discovered that the Corvette had the rare option of a power-operated soft top and electric windows. Retraction of the soft top through its hydraulic operation is a quite long-winded procedure, so it wasn’t reconfigured back into the car during the restoration. I did have the soft top recovered in white Alcantara, a decision I came to regret, as it’s a nightmare to keep clean and is rarely ever used anyway. I also have a hardtop painted red.”
The Corvette’s bodywork looked rather dull and tired, with faded paintwork and plenty of crow’s feet stress cracks, but it wasn’t damaged at all. Steve thought he could probably get away with a little paintwork rectification and freshening here and there and so called a friend to come over and take a look. Cliffie is a well-known car restorer/builder/painter in East Anglia, with a penchant for Yanks. He looked at the Corvette’s bodywork and, in his opinion, it really needed a full repaint to make perfect, something Steve hadn’t really budgeted for. However, he agreed with Cliffie’s expert opinion and the Corvette went over to his workshop, where it remained for around three months during the full repaint.
It was at this juncture that the question arose: should the body be removed from the chassis? Steve asked around and the general consensus of honest feedback was that if the chassis was sound, maybe it was better to leave well alone? Once you remove the body from the chassis, you potentially open up a whole can of worms when it comes to refitting and reassembly. It has to be said that when the car emerged from the workshop, the bodywork looked stunning, the paint finish looked like glass, you’d never know that it was a GRP body and the panel fitment was superb, probably much better than when it left the factory. Cliffie had certainly worked his magic! The paint used was Ferrari Red, with a Ford White for the coves, followed by several coats of lacquer.
“When we took the car apart for painting, we discovered that the surround that holds the radiator in place, which actually supports the front, was rotten at the bottom, thus allowing the front wings to drop down a little,” explains Steve. “So this had to be repaired with a new lower support. Once the car came out of Cliffie’s workshop, I did all the reassembly work, using new rubbers and seals and so on. Most of the brightwork was in very good condition, though I’ve had the quarter bumpers rechromed and purchased a new chrome catch for the deck lid and one stainless steel side trim.”
Inside job
Steve still had to sort out that less than ideal orange vinyl trimmed interior which, put simply, he couldn’t live with. As luck would have it, the young trimmer from North Walsham, Norfolk, who was responsible for the work on the orange retrim, was entrusted to replace this with a red leather trim, to include the seats, door cards and arm rests.
“We did change the design pattern on the front leather seats, which originally had the pleat going straight up to the top on the backrest,” points out Steve. “I wanted the pleat tuck and roll pattern to curve around just below this. We also fitted a new dashboard top pad. Just about the only other non-standard aspect of the interior is the steering wheel, which should be red, but I wanted it painted white; just a personal choice really, but I think it complements the white door handle knobs and gear knob.”
Other work which has been completed includes a full electrical rewire, while the windscreen wipers have been upgraded to an electric worm drive motor system. The steel wheels have been powder-coated red and shod with skinny style whitewall radial tyres, which replace the previously fitted cross-plies. The Corvette engine runs relatively quietly, emitting the most delightful exhaust note burble, exiting via a full stainless steel system, fabricated by Mark Stacey of Power & Performance.
Steve is naturally delighted with his C1, which has undergone a huge amount of restoration in his ownership. It has also won Best in Show Award at the CCCUK Nationals on two occasions, plus numerous other awards. “I think there were plenty of double-takes at the Nationals, when I attached my Fifties Portafold caravan to the Corvette’s towbar and then drove home,” grins Steve. “I do like to drive and use the C1 as often as possible, even taking it to France for a week on a golfing holiday. These C1s are a fairly rare sight on UK roads; you only see a handful at the Corvette Nationals and I think that’s why people are drawn to the car at shows. Fitting disc brakes has totally transformed the driving experience for the better. You can hit the brake pedal and you know you’re going to stop with great efficiency, in
a straight line.”
So there you have it. While Steve always hankered after a split-window 1963 C2, at last he has found his ideal model with a C1 that’s in a superlative condition. He derives enormous pleasure in ownership and driving and it’s a car that’s greatly admired wherever he goes. If anyone has any information on the car’s previous history, details of owners, photographs and so on (especially of it inside the McDonald’s diner) Steve would love to hear from you on 07770 687909.
■ Photographic location (Hawker Hunter aircraft built in 1956) by kind permission of Huby Fairhead, curator of the Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, The Street, Flixton, Bungay, Suffolk NR35 1NZ. 01986 896644 www.aviationmuseum.net