Original American Wear ▪️The largest selection of custom automotive shirts
Original American Wear ▪️The largest selection of custom automotive shirts
Original American Wear ▪️The largest selection of custom automotive shirts
Original American Wear ▪️The largest selection of custom automotive shirts
Original American Wear ▪️The largest selection of custom automotive shirts
Original American Wear ▪️The largest selection of custom automotive shirts

CORVETTE C1 GASSER

Marshall Vance from Wichita acquired the Corvette in the summer of 1959 as a nearly brand-new wrecked car. The original owner had picked up the Corvette C1 from the dealership just a few days prior and, heavily intoxicated during his very first cruise, slammed it directly into a solid wooden telephone pole. The entire fiberglass front clip and the hood were completely shattered, which is why the frustrated owner sold the car to Marshall for a dirt-cheap price.
In his uncle's barn—locally known by their hobby name, "Vance & Sons Speed Garage"—Marshall and his buddies rebuilt the car over the following months. Since the factory front clip was ruined anyway, the guys simply chopped off the remains entirely and ditched the hood altogether to clear room for the massive Roots blower. The entire build was done purely for fun on the weekends. With the Gasser Corvette finished, Marshall hit local, improvised drag strips like the Arkansas City Dragway and the old Wichita Airfield Strip, strictly amateur-racing with his crew to stir up the local competition.

Technical Specifications

General Information & Performance

  • Vehicle Base: 1959 Chevrolet Corvette C1

  • Weight: Approx. 2,710 lbs (reduced by removing the hood, soft top mechanism, and bumpers)

  • Fuel Type: High-octane pump gas (no specialized race fuel)

  • Quarter-Mile ET: Approx. 11.5 seconds on un-prepped regional tracks

Engine & Induction

  • Engine: 283 ci (4.6-liter) Small-Block Chevrolet V8, 1959 casting

  • Engine Block Modification: 327 ci Corvette cylinder heads (larger valves), hand-ported and polished

  • Induction: GMC 4-71 Roots supercharger, salvaged from a retired diesel bus engine

  • Supercharger Drive: Custom V-belt pulley setup running off a modified crankshaft balancer

  • Fuel Delivery: Dual Carter WCFB four-barrel carburetors on a handmade aluminum intake manifold

  • Camshaft: Iskenderian "Super Cams" solid flat tappet (mechanical grind)

  • Ignition: Mallory dual-point distributor, manually locked at 12° BTDC at idle

  • Exhaust System: Custom fenderwell headers, J&J Mufflers (Hollydale, Calif.) dumping below the rockers

Transmission & Drivetrain

  • Transmission: BorgWarner T-10 4-speed manual with a Hurst Competition Plus shifter

  • Clutch: Heavy-duty 10.5-inch sintered iron clutch disc

  • Rear Axle: Factory Chevy solid axle with a Positraction limited-slip differential, 4.11:1 gears

Chassis & Suspension

  • Front Suspension: Original independent front suspension, raised approx. 2 inches via stiffer springs

  • Rear Suspension: Solid leaf springs fitted with custom traction bars to eliminate wheel hop


See this Tee