Enthusiast Rebuilds Totaled C8 Corvette… in a Home Garage???

With the right tools and the right attitude, anything is possible. Even rebuilding a totaled C8 Corvette.

If you managed to get your hands on a 2020 Corvette last year, you were exceptionally lucky. From strikes, to supplier delays, to a global pandemic, the cards really were stacked against the new Corvette and the people who wanted to own it. Unless you had already reserved one way ahead of time or you were willing to spend big money to buy one from one of those people, you were pretty much out of luck.

Of course, those with some ingenuity will always manage to make things happen for them. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can make almost anything happen. YouTuber ThatShortGuy bought a wrecked, salvage title 2020 Corvette convertible. Then, in a series of videos, he proceeded to restore it to its former glory. Now, he’s got his dream car.

The Corvette he bought had damage to the passenger side. Unfortunately, this damage happened with just 456 miles on the odometer – on the second day of ownership for the original owner. After getting the Z51 body kit installed at the dealership, the Corvette was T-boned at an intersection by a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Picking Up the Pieces

Due to the pandemic, the car was sold as salvage, despite the lack of structural damage. Thankfully, the quarter panels are bolt-on parts on these cars, although the rockers are bonded. There were a few small dents in the door frame, which were hammered out and leveled with filler before the new body parts went on. ThatShortGuy actually built a spray booth in his backyard out of a temporary carport to repaint the Corvette. The paint quality looks incredible.

Once the bodywork was taken care of, there was still plenty of work involved in re-installing the interior. From the look of things, replacing the seat air bag – which had deployed in the accident – was the hardest part. After the whole car is back together, a final buff and polish complete a great rebuild.

It’s amazing to think that this once written-off Corvette was rebuilt to such a high standard in a suburban two-car garage. His journey demonstrates that with enough determination, preparation, and skill, anything is possible. So far, ThatShortGuy has rebuilt a CTS-V and this Corvette. We’re excited to see what he digs into next.

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