This light blue 1967 Chevrolet Camaro looks great, but the owner wanted it to perform better, so he sent it to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop for some suspension upgrades. He plans on some subframe connectors, coil-over shocks, and downsizing the 17″ wheels to a 15″ Rally wheel for a more period look.
Kevin Oeste and Mike “Q-Ball” Clarke chat about Q’s first 3 months as a V8 Speed and Resto Shop official staffer, Kevin and Kelle’s recent SoCal trip to the SEMA Leaders and Legends Gala, Ed Iskenderian, Gene Winfield, ocean fishing, Donut Derelicts, and much more! Of course, there are some ‘nother level automotive trivia questions and much more on the V8 Radio Podcast!
This cool Unique Motorsport Cobra came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop looking to convert to electric power steering with a closer ratio than rack it has currently installed. The owner is also looking to upgrade brakes to a 4 piston Wilwood manual system, and to add a full tonneau cover for the cockpit in our interior shop. The owner drives this one hard on the track, and we love that it gets used the way it was intended!
We’ve all wanted a full-size version of our favorite Hot Wheels car, and this custom 1964 Chevrolet Corvette built at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop makes that dream come true! The restomod Corvette build features custom paint, performance suspension upgrades from Global West, new disc brakes, and a Holley Sniper EFI system install on the Edelbrock 350 crate engine.
The main part of the project was repainting the Corvette in custom colors. The goal was to give the overall appearance of a full-size Hot Wheels car, a car that is fun to look at and drive! Custom C2 Corvettes can be controversial, as changing a C2 Corvette from original can hurt it’s collector car market value. However, this 1964 Corvette did not have it’s original engine any longer, and the exterior and interior had been changed from their original colors as well. This allowed for some freedom of expression to build a custom Corvette with a new paint job all it’s own.
This custom Corvette video features disassembling the corvette, repairing the fiberglass body, and a bit of Corvette C2 history. The V8 Speed and Resto Shop paint department repaints the Corvette in Ermine White, then lays out the 3 color custom stripe design. We mask off the stripes and custom paint the Corvette in our downdraft Blowtherm paint booth, and spray a final clear coat.
Our team had so much fun with this 1964 Corvette that we even built a 1:64th scale Hot Wheels version to match the full size car!
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop is as full service custom and restoration shop, complete with a full fabrication shop, body shop, paint shop, interior shop, and mechanical departments. We perform stock restorations and complete custom builds, and everything inbetween. LS Swaps, custom body mods, modern driveline swaps, custom interior, custom consoles, high quality custom paint, and dyno tuning are all available. Contact the V8 Speed and Resto Shop today to see how we can make your custom, restomod, pro-touring, street rod, or performance truck build come to life!
817 S. Main Street
Red Bud, IL 62278
314.783.8325
https://www.v8speedshop.com/contact-us
#customcorvette #v8speedandresto #corvetterestoration
817 S. MAIN STREET – RED BUD, IL 62278
Ed Tillrock is an amazing artist, hot rodder, and a great friend of all of us at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. This month, Ed’s outstanding work is featured on the cover – and inside – the latest CARtoons Magazine! CARtoons is part of the DNA of so many of us who grew up with the passion for cool cars, so it’s great to see Ed’s work in the mix. CARtoons Publisher Marc Methot is also a buddy of ours, and we’re honored to be able to call both of these talented car-guys friends. Our advice is to pick up the latest issue and subscribe to CARtoons as soon as you can so you don’t miss it! And if you’re reading this in the future, CARtoons usually has some back issues in-stock, but there’s no guarantee!
BELOW: Ed Tillrock as a guest on the V8 Radio Podcast
#CARtoons #edtillrock #hotrodart
Restoring classic cars is often like archeology, and V8 Speed and Resto Shop team member Mike Bess just had an Indiana Jones moment! The city of Kimmswick Missouri Historical Society had a historic travel trunk in their possession, brought to the USA by Theodore Kimm from Germany before he founded the town. The problem was that it was locked.. with no key. Read the story of how Mike Bess called upon his trove of historic artifacts to gain access to the mystery trunk!
A couple of years ago, the Kimmswick Historical Society purchased a travel trunk from the estate of a long-time Kimmswick resident. The KHS really wanted to own this trunk because it was the trunk that Theodore Kimm (the founder of Kimmswick) traveled with when he immigrated to St. Louis from Germany in approximately 1835. We now owned the trunk, but there was one problem… we could not locate a key to unlock the trunk. We knew it had to be one of those old-time long, skinny keys. The word went out to family and friends, and we must have tried 1,000++ keys. We put the key search on pause, and removed the pins from the hinges. We were “certain” that the trunk had to contain important travel documents, or Mr. Kimm’s journal, or something else as equally exciting. No such luck. The previous owner had stored several blankets in the trunk. We continued our search for the key. Perseverance pays off. Two weeks ago, a gentleman visited our Burgess-How Log Cabin. Nadine Garland told him the story and he asked to see the trunk. She brought him to the Museum and he spent a while examining and measuring the lock. He said that if he didn’t have a key, he could make one. Yesterday, Mike Bess returned to the Museum with the KEY!!!! KHS members are very happy because now we can freshen up the trunk and display it properly. Thank you Mike Bess! You are the Best.
#historic #kimmswick
We sincerely hope you are able to enjoy all the freedoms afforded to you this 4th Of July, including taking a ride in a cool car!
#4thofjuly #independenceday #v8speedandresto
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop was tasked with returning this red and white 1966 Corvette 4-speed roadster back to the road! It’s a factory air conditioned car, powered by a small block 327, and has been in storage for years. We’re looking forward to hearing it come alive!
Calling all Trans Am fans! Buckle up, because V8 Speed and Resto Shop is taking a classic 1977 Firebird and turning it into a pro-touring monster. This isn’t your average T-Top Trans Am – it’s a non-T-Top model that’s about to receive a complete overhaul.
The centerpiece of this transformation is a brand new LS3 V8 engine. This beast pumps out a whopping 530 horsepower, a far cry from the original engine’s output. To handle all that extra power, the shop is also installing a 4L70E overdrive transmission.
But it’s not just about straight-line speed. V8 Speed and Resto knows that a pro-touring car needs to handle corners like a dream. That’s why they’re outfitting this Trans Am with a Global West suspension system. This upgrade will ensure precise handling and confidence-inspiring grip. YearOne 17″ wheels complete the look for any Trans Am!
Comfort is also important, even for a car built for performance. The shop isn’t forgetting about everyday usability. They’re installing a Vintage Air A/C system to keep things cool on those hot summer days.
To keep the driver informed, the classic instrument cluster is being replaced with a modern Dakota Digital gauge setup. This will provide all the essential information in a clear and stylish way.
This cool hot rod pickup came to the V8 Speed and Resto Shop in need of some maintenance and upgrades. It’s powered by a traditional multi-carbed flathead Ford V8, and has cool traditional hot rod elements all over. The owner loves to drive it, but is concerned with some possible low oil pressure issues, steering clearances, exhaust volume, and ride quality. We’ll address all those in the photos below!
