1964 Corvette Restomod: From Driver-Quality to Show-Stopper

What started as a request for a driver-quality paint job and a freshened-up engine bay quickly turned into a full-blown restomod project on this beautiful 1964 Chevrolet Corvette. As with many vintage restorations, once we began tearing into the car, hidden surprises dictated a new direction.

Uncovering the Foundation: Rusted Frame to Coilover Chassis

While disassembling the car, we discovered substantial rust in the original frame—enough to require a complete replacement. The owner opted for a modern, high-performance foundation with a Scott’s Hotrods 'n Customs coilover chassis, which gave us the perfect base to build a reliable, well-handling, modernized classic.

Power and Performance Upgrades

With the new chassis in place, the scope of the project expanded. We equipped the car with:

• Chevrolet Performance LS3 crate engine

• Tremec TKX 5-speed manual transmission

• US Radiator aluminum radiator with shroud and electric fan

• Vintage Air heat and A/C system

• Classic Instruments custom gauges

• American Autowire full wiring harness

• Holley EFI controller for reliable fuel management

• Custom 2.5" TIG-welded stainless exhaust with Magnaflow mufflers

• Schott custom wheels

Every part was carefully selected to ensure the car would not only perform well but also retain its vintage character.

Bodywork and Paint: Seven Layers Down

After stripping seven layers of old paint and primer, we uncovered extensive fiberglass damage—cracks, holes, and structural fatigue. Our team handled all the fiberglass repair and bodywork in-house to ensure it met our high standards before sending the car out for paint.

The Corvette was shipped to Dynamic Speed and Custom in Alabama, where it was sprayed with BASF Diamont basecoat and Glasurit clearcoat. The final cut and buff gave it the glass-like finish it deserved.

Underside Protection and Interior Comfort

We didn’t stop at good looks and performance. The matte black powder-coated chassis pairs with Raptor liner applied to the floor pans and wheel wells to protect against road debris and moisture. To keep things comfortable inside, we installed Hushmat sound and heat insulation on the firewall, toe boards, and transmission tunnel.

Finally, the car was sent to Speed and Design Hot Rod Interiors, where a custom interior completed the transformation.

A Corvette That Does It All

This ’64 Corvette now has it all—modern performance, vintage style, and attention to detail from top to bottom. The stance is perfect, the paint gleams, and it drives as good as it looks. It’s turned heads at every event it's attended, but most importantly, the owner was thrilled with the final product.