This story, “Zora Looks Back” offers some interesting insights into Duntov’s tenure at GM, as well as the “Lightweight Grand Sport Corvette” experience. For instance, Duntov said, “It was a quick and dirty sledgehammer project that we put together in a couple of months. There were so many compromises and constraints that we made something of which I am not particularly proud.” Interesting. Well, we sure love them!
Late in 1989 Corvette Quarterly (formerly “Corvette News”) arranged a special event. Grand Sport #002 was brought together at Sebring International Raceway for a side-by-side comparison test with the then “state-of-the-art” tube chassis Trans-Am C4 Corvette. Twenty-six-years separate the two cars, they are both tube-frame cars with replica bodies, and powered by Chevrolet engines. But that’s where the similarity ends, and the difference is startling.
Sebring, Florida resident Rick Weigand swaps out his tired old ’63 Split-Window Coupe for a modernized C1 classic! Dateline: 11.13.20 This story was first published...
Learn how Dave McLellan guided Corvette engineering through decades of evolution — from performance priorities to design breakthroughs — and left a lasting mark on America’s sports car.
Dean Kaliakmanis of Burlington, Illinois is a 16-year old sophomore at the Burlington Central High School. Dean got the car bug from his Dad, Dean Kaliakmanis. Dean Sr. is a group health insurance professional but has been a car guy since he was a teenager. Along the way, Dean’s dad has owned five Corvettes, including; a 1969 Stingray, a 1977 Corvette, a 1985 Corvette, a 1987 Corvette, and a 1993 Callaway Corvette. The 1987 Corvette and the 1993 Callaway, plus a 1971 Z-28 Camaro are Dean Sr.’s current rides. Obviously, Dean the younger has been around Corvettes all his young life, so it’s no surprise that he would want to follow in his Dad’s footsteps.
Dive into the story of the C4 Corvette chassis engineered under Dave McLellan’s leadership. With a clean-sheet redesign, improved structural rigidity and advanced suspension geometry, the C4 marked a dramatic leap forward in Corvette handling and performance, redefining what America’s sports car could be in the modern era.
Not every Corvette build needs a six-figure budget. Tommy Storino’s 1986 “Vader Vette” proves how an affordable C4 Corvette can be transformed into a bold, head-turning street machine. Built around the L98 small-block, this custom project blends attitude, performance, and creativity—showing exactly why the C4 remains one of the best entry points into the Corvette hobby. Whether you’re restoring, modifying, or just looking for inspiration, this is the kind of build that makes you want to get in the garage and start wrenching.
Ed Nieves was like lots of red-blooded American males that have a “Some day I’ll get a Vette!” mental infection. But Life and obligations typically keep the Corvette daydreams way down the list. Ed had the itch we can all relate to. But in 2008 he decided to go for it!
