Dave Kindig vs Jeff Hayes: Who Made a Better Custom Corvette?
Dave Kindig vs Jeff Hayes: Who Made a Better Custom Corvette?
Two titans went head to head at Barrett Jackson with custom Corvettes. Dave Kindig vs Jeff Hayes. Which one do you think sold for more? Which one would you rather buy, and why?
Cruisin’ through CorvetteForum today, I happened upon a terrific thread titled, you guessed it, Dave Kindig vs Jeff Hayes. Member Rich Yanulus noticed that both builders had vehicles up for auction at Barret-Jackson Scottsdale 2023 while noting both of their big-dollar final sale prices (including commission). He then asked the simple question car guys have been debating for ages…
Which one do you like better?
The Hand Built Custom or the Traditional Restomod?
In one corner, we have a 1953 Kindig CF1 Roadster #8 Barrett-Jackson Licensed Edition built by Jeff Kindig and his amazing team. Carbon fiber body. Roadster shop chassis. Custom one-off wheels. Custom Dakota Digital gauges. Houndstooth SIAM red leather. 6-piston Wilwood brakes. And a 652 wheel-horsepower Lingenfelter Eliminator 427 LS7 motor with Borla 8-stack injection and a Borla exhaust. All in a vehicle that weighs only 3,025 pounds.
In the other corner, we have a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette convertible Resto-Mod. Built by Jeff Hayes Customs — he’s not as TV famous, but if you watch or read about high-end auctions, his Corvette builds often bring a lot of money. This particular resto-mod features a 540 horsepower crate LS3, vintage air, an Art Morrison sport chassis, Wilwood brakes all around, and custom wheels and tires.
Both stunning Corvettes that sold for buckets of cash, but let me again ask you this. Which one do you think brought more at auction? And which one would you rather own? Make sure to join this thread to see the final numbers and share your opinion.
The CorvetteForum Editors’ Take
#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
}
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
The buyers are both going to adore their Corvettes. There are no losers here because it’s really hard to choose, to be honest. The ’67 is more a classic restomod, which we love. GM crate motor power (and reliability) with modern suspension components tucked into the timeless C2 convertible body style.
The ’53 (technically it’s a replica) is probably more special, only because it’s a signature, custom body style. It’s the type of car you see and you’re not sure what it really is at first. Did they make something like that at the factory? Nope. Toss in the extra power and all the lightweight carbon, and the CF1 is bound to be a handful in all the right ways.
Either way, you can’t go wrong, but we’d probably scoop up the ’67 if we had the budget.
What about you? Again, join the discussion right here in our thread!
Bonus Barrett-Jackson Corvettes!
In addition to the fine discussion in the above thread, member vjjack04 shared a few extra Barret-Jackson Scottsdale Corvette photos that he captured, including a nice look at the CF1’s custom engine bay. Check them out!
#gallery-2 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-2 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 50%;
}
#gallery-2 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-2 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
Photos: Barret-Jackson, vjjack04
