This 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop in need of some serious power, performance, and reliability upgrades. This C3 Corvette was powered by a non-original and well worn 350 cubic inch V8 backed by a Muncie 4 speed manual transmission. The goal was a Corvette LS Swap to add modern power to this C3 Corvette. A C3 Corvette LS Swap seems to be a simple job at first glance, but the more you investigate, you’ll see that a C3 Corvette LS Swap isn’t quite so simple.
The V8 Speed & Resto Shop team addresses the fitment issue of the LS3 V8 swap, as well as the steps needed to perform a Tremec T56 Magnum 6 speed manual transmission swap into the C3 Corvette. The challenges included fitting the off-center LS3 engine under the hood, as well as fitting the Tremec 6 speed manual transmission into the C3 Corvette chassis. We sourced our LS swap engine from GM Performance Parts, and a Tremec T56 Magnum 6 speed manual transmission, clutch, bellhousing, and shifter from Modern Driveline.