Wicked Custom C2 Corvette Is One of the Most Thorough Builds Ever Conceived

This custom C2 Corvette was designed using the kind of technology an automaker utilizes to build new vehicles.

We’ve seen our fair share of customized, restomodded Corvettes in our time, ranging from mild to truly wild. But few compare to this incredible custom C2 Corvette creation conceived by Bob Bertelsen, who is no stranger to such things, having already built a show-winning 1969 Chevy C10 and 1968 Corvette. Bertelsen has long wanted to create his idea of the perfect, custom C2 Corvette however, one that features radically altered bodywork and the mechanicals needed to go road racing. The result of years of effort, planning, and hard work have since culminated in this – what Bertelsen calls the Solar Flare, which was recently and deservedly featured by the folks at Holley.

Bertelsen leaned on Gary Ragle to conjure up the design for his dream build, which would feature extensive carbon fiber in its construction, along with heavily flared fenders and a new roof to make room for his helmet. Zach Ingram at Fiber Forged Composites scanned the car and created a CAD model for the finished product, and shortly thereafter, bodywork began. The end result is something like we imagine a brand new C2 Corvette might look like, if GM was able to build one, with the kind of fit and finish reserved for high-end exotics.

Things don’t get any less impressive underneath, as this modernized Corvette rolls on a suspension consisting of Detroit Speed Speedray and Decalink components, with Baer XTR brakes to slow the whole thing down. To ensure this car had enough power to perform on the track, Bertelsen went to Kurt Urban to build him a mighty powerful heart, which consists of an RHS Aluminum six-bolt block that now displaces 427 cubic inches and is fitted with a host of go-fast goodies including an MSD Atomic Air Force intake manifold, a Holley Dominator ECU, Detroit Speed stainless steel headers, and Hooker sidepipes.

The resulting build pumps out a healthy 660 horsepower and 596 pound-feet of torque, which flows through a built T56 six-speed transmission to a Hammerhead rear center section pieced together by GearFX, along with a TrueTrac limited-slip rear differential stuffed with 3.55 rear gears. However, this is no bare-bones race car inside the cabin, as this C2 is fitted with a rather luxurious interior with Recaro seats, air conditioning, and a Holley 12.3-inch Pro Dash.

Needless to say, this gorgeous creation has proven to be one heck of track monster, too. “The car handles incredibly well,” Bertelsen said. “The motor pulls hard, the clutch is easy to engage, the 2.29 first gear gives me the ability to go almost 70 MPH in first, which helps in big autocrosses, and the transmission is easy to shift. The car feels like it is on rails when cornering in autocross, and the Baer Brakes stop the car on a dime.”

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Photos: Holley