Corvette Grand Sport

While Leach built the body, Weiner labored over the drivetrain and chassis. The engine is a 427 built to the L88 specs by Racing Head Service, cranked up to pump out 550 horsepower. To that he added a Richmond 5-speed with a Centerforce clutch. Most of the suspension parts were '84-'85 vintage, taking advantage of newer technology. By a stroke of luck, Weiner found a complete Corvette suspension in an advertising throw-away. "Some guy was re-building an Opel GT and figured out the Corvette's suspension was too big for the car. I gave him $400 and spent a lot of evenings cleaning up the aluminum so it looked like brand new."


In 1992, Weiner trailered the now-complete rolling chassis to Milan for the body drop. He found the springs for the coilovers to be a bit too soft, which the manufacturer Aldan corrected with a new set. There were some other hurdles to overcome in the wiring as well, but he eventually sorted that out as well.


Weiner's Grand Sport re-creation made its debut at the 1994 Joliet, Illinois Corvettes Unlimited Show. In addition to car shows, together they did some vintage racing at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. "I didn't do it to win," Weiner says. "It was for me. I just wanted to see what it was like to drive on one of the great road courses in a Grand Sport."


That glorious experience almost ended abruptly in a moment of inattention. "I lost concentration at that sharp, first right hander and came in way too hot," he says with a wince. "But the car drove itself right around the corner-it's way more capable than me. It's the most rewarding car I've ever driven. Lean on the throttle in Second gear, and you can feel front lift just like a dragster instead of road-course racer. The originals always ran light on front end."


On the street, Weiner is not above baiting other cars. "At 80 or 90 mph, the car is just starting to wake up. I drop a gear and drive right away from them," he smiles. "It's a wolf in wolf's clothing." And unlike the original Grand Sport, this wolf isn't a rare and endangered species.

Resource
Mid America, 1519 East First Avenue, Milan, IL 61264, 309-787-5119