July 2021 • by Tony Thacker • Photos Michael Holden Presented by MicksPaint.com USAutomotive.co.uk

With gas prices in UK, at the time of writing, approaching two UK pounds per liter a gallon costs almost $10. That makes driving any kind of American V-8-powered car an expensive proposition. Nevertheless, die-hard enthusiasts such as Adam Chodosh are not about to give up on their passion.  

Adam is the son of Bernie Chodosh a long-time British hot rodder and road racer campaigning a somewhat controversial ’59 Vette that for a while sported a black n’ flame paint job that some of the sanctioning bodies frowned upon. The car is now painted gold.

Although Adam shares a modified ’58 Corvette with his brother Simeon he wanted his own slice of American pie and by chance opened an email in father Bernie’s inbox with the “C3 Racecar Project” subject line. Adam preceded to the chase the car down, eventually making the long journey from London to the Scottish borders before doing a deal on this wide-bodied, big-block Vette.

The paperwork with the car indicates that it was built in the 80’s by East-Coast racer John Carpenter from North Carolina—one of those guys who was meticulous enough to keep and record expenses on paint cans, nuts, bolts and race gas. It ran in SCCA and SVRA events before eventually ending up in the UK.

Inspiration for the new project destined to run in FIA homologated events came while Adam was researching significant C3 Corvettes and discovered the Heinz Thomson #5 Corvette that ran at Sebring in 1972-73. “It just sat right and looked mean” he says.

The likes of John Greenwood’s stars and stripes C3 had been copied several times and Adam wanted something “striking, period and sexy.”  Although #5 is a roadster and this Vette is a coupe, Adam went to great lengths to make the car look period correct including the IMSA-style mirror stalk, Le Mans headlamp conversion, Cibié fogs, door lights and custom front splitter.

Power from the 396 is north of 500 bhp generated with the help of TRW pistons, Crower rods and a 750 cfm Holley double pumper mated to a custom stainless exhaust system. There are, in fact, two exhaust setups, short 4-inch open headers that exit in line with the side mirror and ‘silenced’ long side pipes with heat shields that just squeeze the 7.4-litre beast close enough to necessary noise limits for on track action.

The car has a fully FIA compliant Roll Over Protection System which allows for an endurance 125-litre (33 US gallons) fuel tank to sit close to the rear axle to aide with traction. The cockpit is tight but Mr. Carpenter must have been pretty tall, as the floor has been recessed to allow for added headroom with a helmet.

The FIA suspension guidelines allow for limited upgrade beyond poly bushes, heavy-duty anti-roll bars and aside from new brakes all round and a new master cylinder, the car remains almost stock, albeit with period-correct high-performance add-ons.

The imposing wide body of this C3 allows for 8.5 x 15 front wheels and 10 x 15 rears shod with massive Goodyear Bluestreak 8.00-15 racing tires. For the road, wait… road? Yes… this car runs 235/60/15s up front and 275/60/15s in back.

It took Adam two years and five submissions to obtain the illusive FIA certificate making the car eligible for almost every major European race event, including Le Mans. The initial focus however was to do some testing, support his father Bernie with his new racing series known as ‘Bernie’s V8s and Historic Outlaws,’ and have some fun. 

“It is nice that the car is road registered too so we can show it,” said Adam. “The enjoyment is always in the chase for me and with a young family and a line of cars including Corvette Go-Karts for my son, waiting to be restored, I have plenty to keep me busy.” 

For more info on the racing series visit: https://www.msvracing.com

For more info on Bernie’s V8s go to: https://berniesv8s.com