MERLIN 522CI, TWIN WHIPPLE SUPERCHARGERS, 6 SPEED, DISPLAYED AT VETTE MUSEUM

Description

This stunning 1974 Corvette really doesn't qualify as a Corvette any longer. Extensively and expensively modified, it now packs more than 1350 horsepower thanks to a twin-supercharged big block and the list of suspension, brake, and interior modifications takes up several pages. In the world of C3 Corvettes, this might be the most awesome of all.There's a reported $260,000 in the build of this car, and one look at the impossibly deep, glossy surfaces on the bodywork, that figure becomes easier to believe. For the most part, it's still recognizable as a Corvette roadster, complete with dramatic swooping fender lines, but with the addition of a custom ground-effects kit and a rear wing, not to mention that cowl-induction hood with the blowers hanging out, it takes on a far more sinister look. The black paint is show-worthy with an impossibly deep gloss and excellent panel fit that doesn't come cheap on a Corvette like this. The body mods are seamlessly integrated into the bodywork and the blown engine sticking up through the hood is intimidating as hell. The tail is slightly extended thanks to a custom end cap and the fenders were widened to handle fatter rubber on trick 3-piece HRE wheels. Subtle it ain't, but it definitely has an appeal that is hard to resist.The totally custom interior has a lot of neat details that are the hallmark of the best builds. The seats are leather-wrapped Recaros that probably cost as much as a year's worth of payments on a Hyundai, and the rest of the interior was dressed in black to match. Everything is new, including the carpets and door panels, and even the gauges were custom-built just for this car so they look OEM but the tach has a 7800 RPM redline and the speedometer goes to 250 MPH. Yow! The T-handle shifter is linked to a 6-speed manual transmission, and it includes such niceties as power windows, a tilt/telescope steering column, and A/C, which you'll probably never use but is nice to have nonetheless. Twin roll hoops behind the seats are functional as well as cool-looking, but eat up the space where the top would ordinarily live, so this car is fair-weather only.OK, now for the good stuff. The engine is a 522 cubic inch Merlin V8 topped with a pair of Whipple superchargers, fuel injection, and a set of Merlin aluminum heads. Stuffed full of good stuff like JE aluminum pistons, an Isky camshaft, Eagle rods, the World Products block is robust enough to handle the 1350 horsepower it's putting out. Everything under (and sticking through) the hood is either polished aluminum or chrome so it's beautiful as well as functional. It's more than just a horsepower factory, though, because the suspension is augmented with VB&P upgrades, composite springs, and upgraded shocks. A giant 4-inch exhaust system was custom fabricated just for this car then completely Jet-Hot coated for durability and heat control, not to mention a spectacular soundtrack. Custom-made HRE 3-piece wheels are reported to be the largest ever created for a C3 Corvette, with the rear wheels alone (they're about a foot wide) costing more than $10,000 to create. This car is a show-stopper, no question about that. Given the level of workmanship and the sheer audacity of the build, we have little reason to doubt the massive pile of cash it required to build, and that means this 'Vette is one of the biggest bargains in the showroom. Call today!