Zip Corvette partnered with Hemmings earlier this year to restore and giveaway a 1972 Corvette. Once the restoration was completed, the car was driven in this summer’s Great Race, where it competed in the X-Cup division! Later this month, the car will be awarded to one lucky winner who entered the Great Race Corvette Giveaway.
Hemmings created a step-by-step video journal detailing the purchase and restoration of this 1972 Giveaway car!
In the first video, hosts Junior Nevison and Terry McGean check the Corvette over while pointing out trouble areas to watch for when shopping for a classic C3.
In the second video, they start the process of freshening it up by rebuilding the rear suspension, especially since they determined that the bushings, bearings, and just about everything else in the back is quite tired.
For video three, the project continued with a full front suspension rebuild: new bushings, ball joints, tie-rods, coil springs, and an idler arm. Original riveted rotors were swapped for new ones with fresh pads, along with stainless brake lines and hoses provided by Zip. With the chassis refreshed, the team is now moving on to under-the-hood upgrades.
In video four, they tackle engine issues, starting with replacing the incorrect, dirty carburetor with a reconditioned Quadrajet from Zip Corvette, along with a new distributor featuring an electronic conversion. The team also swapped a cracked exhaust manifold, installed a 2½-inch replica “Off-Road” exhaust system, and added a new aluminum radiator. After fixing a damaged harmonic damper and tuning the engine, the 350 now runs stronger and sports new LT-1 style valve covers from Zip for a refreshed look.
For the last video, the team performs a road test to confirm that the suspension, engine, and exhaust systems show that we’re heading in the right direction, and to get squared away before the 2025 Great Race kicks off.
