By Tommy Lee Byrd – Photography By The Author
When you’re a helicopter pilot who picks up astronauts after splashdown, it can be hard to find a new thrill. The adrenaline rush tends to fade when your daily job already provides excitement, but Rod Tinney of Burleson, Texas, discovered a fresh thrill with a one-of-a-kind 1968 Corvette monster called the ZRT. This five-year project involved extensive engineering and fabrication, resulting in a 200-mph-capable car packed with show car details both inside and out.
This isn’t Rod’s first rodeo with a 1968 Corvette. In fact, he owned a 427-powered C3 when it was new, and it gave him a thrill that only comes from plenty of torque and bias-ply tires. Unfortunately, he had to sell the car and has been longing for that feeling ever since. A few years ago, his research led him to B-Rod or Custom, a shop specializing in customized Corvettes. Larry Burchett and his son, P.J., are the founders of B-Rod or Custom, and they also run Vette Industries, which offers GM-licensed Corvette bodies and panels. They’ve been building custom Corvettes for years, mainly focusing on the C1 and C2 body styles when doing full builds at the shop. Larry always wanted to create a widened and restyled C3, and that dream matched perfectly with Rod’s vision of bringing back his big-block 1968 from years past.
As with all B-Rod or Custom Corvette builds, the foundation begins with a Street Shop chassis featuring 2×4-inch mandrel-bent framerails and suspension from a C7 Corvette. The front suspension features QA1 coilovers, rack-and-pinion steering, and a 1-inch sway bar. Out back is an independent rear suspension, highlighted by an 8.8 centersection from a Mustang Cobra, and fitted with another pair of QA1 coilovers. Braking power comes from carbon ceramic rotors, calipers, and pads from a 2019 Corvette ZR1, fed by an ABS Power Brake Systems master cylinder. Traction comes from Michelin Pilot Sport tires, measuring 285/35ZR19 up front and 345/30ZR20 out back. The wheels were designed by B-Rod or Custom and built by Forgeline to fit the proportions of this radical Corvette. Coming in at 19×10 and 20×13, the wheels replicate 2019 ZR1 wheels but include the necessary backspacing to give this car the ultimate stance.
Part of the recipe for the car’s dramatic look includes the widened body, which perfectly fits the new track width while paying homage to the iconic styling of the C3 Corvette and the aggressive stance of the C7 ZR1. This custom bodywork required a significant amount of engineering, starting with an illustration by Eric Brockmeyer. The B-Rod or Custom team hand-sculpted half of the body, then scanned it and created a mirror image for the other side. All the patterns were cut on a mill, after which the body plugs were painted, sanded, and buffed for a flawless pattern to build upon. The molds for the body were crafted using high-temperature materials, and the final product was assembled with pre-preg fiberglass. This type of fiberglass fabric, pre-impregnated with resin, provides a stronger structure and lighter weight. All of Vette Industries’ reproduction and custom body panels are made with pre-preg fiberglass, representing a significant upgrade compared to original Corvette bodies or most hand-laid or press-molded fiberglass parts on the market.
The roof and rear deck area are the only body parts that keep their original lines, but it might look like it has a lower roof profile because of the raised beltline to fit the wider body and more aggressive fender and quarter-panel profiles. The custom front splitter and rocker panels are left unpainted, showcasing the carbon-fiber construction. The grille panels are 3-D printed, and the projector headlights were sourced from Resto Mod Tech. After finalizing the body design, it was assembled, and the bodywork process began to prepare for paint. Larry and P.J., along with Randy Pratt, handled the bodywork, and then Pratt applied the PPG base/clear materials using Sebring Orange Tintcoat from, as you might guess, a 2019 Corvette ZR1.
Inside, the Corvette features beautiful leather upholstery by Steve Holcombs Pro Auto Custom Interiors. The original bucket seats were modified to include provisions for the Speedway Motors five-point harnesses. The tan leather resembles the original C3 Corvette color, but updated designs and custom stitching give the car a modern look. Rod grips a Billet Specialties steering wheel, attached to a Flaming River tilt steering column. The car offers many comfort features, including Vintage Air heat and A/C, Dakota Digital gauges, Nu-Relics power windows, a Kenwood stereo system, an XS Power battery, and an American Autowire harness to power these accessories.
Underhood is a supercharged LT5 engine, carefully fitted into the C3 chassis. This 6.2L engine features an aluminum block, forged steel crankshaft, and forged pistons, lubricated by a dry sump system. On top is an R2650 supercharger, which displaces 2.65 liters and produces 14 pounds of boost in stock form. Fuel is delivered to the LT5 via direct injection, along with a set of conventional port injectors for additional fuel. From the factory, the LT5 produces 755 hp, but with tuning adjustments we bet the engine in Rod’s restyled Corvette exceeds 800 hp.
Larry Burchett admits the most challenging part of the build was cramming the dry sump LT5 into the C3 chassis. The plumbing and wiring associated with the high-tech engine took up a lot of space, but Larry saved some space with a set of Street Shop headers. Flowing out of the headers is a pair of 3-inch stainless pipes, fit with ZR1 mufflers. The exhaust exits via four tailpipes that fit between the chrome rear bumpers inside a notched tail panel. Other custom details include a cowl induction system that runs through the coil cover at the rear of the engine and ZRT emblems on the engine cover. Behind the LT5 is a GM 8L90 eight-speed automatic transmission with a Lokar shifter. With a 0.65 overdrive ratio in Eighth gear and a 3.08:1 ring-and-pinion ratio, this Corvette is more than capable of extreme speed, and this pilot is ready to put it to the test.
With an impressive mix of custom body modifications, suspension upgrades, and massive horsepower, this car showcases show-winning details and proven competition performance. For Rod Tinney, it checks all the boxes and delivers the thrill he’s been after for years. MR
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