mod@tech

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica powered by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Built on a 1975 Corvette frame with a D&D Grand Sport body, this replica also features road-racing suspension items, power windows, upgraded climate controls, Grand Sport replica seats, Halibrand-style wheels and more. Finished in bright blue with white and red accents, this Grand Sport replica comes from the selling dealer with a clear Massachusetts title for a 1975 Corvette.

This 2005 build was completed by Dean Hoskins of D&D Corvette in Akron, Ohio, who installed this D&D Grand Sport body kit and refinished it in Brilliant Blue metallic in 1963 Grand Sport #003 livery. Features include clear headlight covers, external transmission cooler, custom taillights, dual rearview mirrors and more. A full walk-around video can be seen on the auction page.

A set of 15-inch Vintage Wheels Halibrand-style replica wheels with knock-off center caps is wrapped in 26.50 x 8-inch (front) and 26.50 x 10-inch (rear) Goodyear Vintage Blue Streak Special tires.

The replica Grand Sport seats are upholstered in blue vinyl. Features include an ididit tilt steering column hooked to a manual quick-ratio steering box, Vintage Air climate controls, Grant steering wheel with walnut rim, roll bar with headrests, and trunk-mounted battery.

The instrument panel features AutoMeter Ultra-Lite gauges including a 160-mph speedometer, 10,000-rpm tachometer and readouts for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. The odometer reads 1,200 miles, but the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

Power is provided by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine offering a reported 502 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission equipped with a high-performance clutch and pressure plate, plus Lakewood bellhousing scatter shield. Engine features include aluminum intake, Quick Fuel Technology 850-cfm Black Diamond carburetor, aluminum Griffin radiator with a SPAL electric fan, and Hooker Super Competition headers. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a rebuilt 3.55:1 Positraction rear.

The sandblasted and powder-coated chassis of this Grand Sport replica was sourced from a 1975 Corvette. Features include chassis reinforcements, Gymkhana front springs, SPC Performance adjustable upper control arms, 1.25-inch front stabilizer bar, and VBP suspension items and much more. Braking is provided by new manual discs with red powder-coated VBP calipers and new pads. Exhaust exits via side pipes.

The auction for this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica ends on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica powered by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Built on a 1975 Corvette frame with a D&D Grand Sport body, this replica also features road-racing suspension items, power windows, upgraded climate controls, Grand Sport replica seats, Halibrand-style wheels and more. Finished in bright blue with white and red accents, this Grand Sport replica comes from the selling dealer with a clear Massachusetts title for a 1975 Corvette.

This 2005 build was completed by Dean Hoskins of D&D Corvette in Akron, Ohio, who installed this D&D Grand Sport body kit and refinished it in Brilliant Blue metallic in 1963 Grand Sport #003 livery. Features include clear headlight covers, external transmission cooler, custom taillights, dual rearview mirrors and more. A full walk-around video can be seen on the auction page.

A set of 15-inch Vintage Wheels Halibrand-style replica wheels with knock-off center caps is wrapped in 26.50 x 8-inch (front) and 26.50 x 10-inch (rear) Goodyear Vintage Blue Streak Special tires.

The replica Grand Sport seats are upholstered in blue vinyl. Features include an ididit tilt steering column hooked to a manual quick-ratio steering box, Vintage Air climate controls, Grant steering wheel with walnut rim, roll bar with headrests, and trunk-mounted battery.

The instrument panel features AutoMeter Ultra-Lite gauges including a 160-mph speedometer, 10,000-rpm tachometer and readouts for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. The odometer reads 1,200 miles, but the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

Power is provided by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine offering a reported 502 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission equipped with a high-performance clutch and pressure plate, plus Lakewood bellhousing scatter shield. Engine features include aluminum intake, Quick Fuel Technology 850-cfm Black Diamond carburetor, aluminum Griffin radiator with a SPAL electric fan, and Hooker Super Competition headers. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a rebuilt 3.55:1 Positraction rear.

The sandblasted and powder-coated chassis of this Grand Sport replica was sourced from a 1975 Corvette. Features include chassis reinforcements, Gymkhana front springs, SPC Performance adjustable upper control arms, 1.25-inch front stabilizer bar, and VBP suspension items and much more. Braking is provided by new manual discs with red powder-coated VBP calipers and new pads. Exhaust exits via side pipes.

The auction for this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica ends on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica powered by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission. Built on a 1975 Corvette frame with a D&D Grand Sport body, this replica also features road-racing suspension items, power windows, upgraded climate controls, Grand Sport replica seats, Halibrand-style wheels and more. Finished in bright blue with white and red accents, this Grand Sport replica comes from the selling dealer with a clear Massachusetts title for a 1975 Corvette.

This 2005 build was completed by Dean Hoskins of D&D Corvette in Akron, Ohio, who installed this D&D Grand Sport body kit and refinished it in Brilliant Blue metallic in 1963 Grand Sport #003 livery. Features include clear headlight covers, external transmission cooler, custom taillights, dual rearview mirrors and more. A full walk-around video can be seen on the auction page.

A set of 15-inch Vintage Wheels Halibrand-style replica wheels with knock-off center caps is wrapped in 26.50 x 8-inch (front) and 26.50 x 10-inch (rear) Goodyear Vintage Blue Streak Special tires.

The replica Grand Sport seats are upholstered in blue vinyl. Features include an ididit tilt steering column hooked to a manual quick-ratio steering box, Vintage Air climate controls, Grant steering wheel with walnut rim, roll bar with headrests, and trunk-mounted battery.

The instrument panel features AutoMeter Ultra-Lite gauges including a 160-mph speedometer, 10,000-rpm tachometer and readouts for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil pressure and voltage. The odometer reads 1,200 miles, but the true mileage on this vehicle is unknown.

Power is provided by a 502ci ZZ502 crate engine offering a reported 502 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The engine is paired with a TREMEC TKO-600 five-speed manual transmission equipped with a high-performance clutch and pressure plate, plus Lakewood bellhousing scatter shield. Engine features include aluminum intake, Quick Fuel Technology 850-cfm Black Diamond carburetor, aluminum Griffin radiator with a SPAL electric fan, and Hooker Super Competition headers. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a rebuilt 3.55:1 Positraction rear.

The sandblasted and powder-coated chassis of this Grand Sport replica was sourced from a 1975 Corvette. Features include chassis reinforcements, Gymkhana front springs, SPC Performance adjustable upper control arms, 1.25-inch front stabilizer bar, and VBP suspension items and much more. Braking is provided by new manual discs with red powder-coated VBP calipers and new pads. Exhaust exits via side pipes.

The auction for this 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport replica ends on Thursday, April 20, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. (PDT)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery

Porsche’s first sports cars had aluminum body panels, but it was nature’s own lightweight material that made their iconic shape possible.

The Porsche 356 had bodywork where the panels were hammered and hand-rolled into shape, and a wooden frame model was used to ensure everything lined up.

That frame still exists, and is in relatively good condition. It’s at the Porsche Automuseum in Gmünd, Austria, where the first Porsche production cars were completed before manufacturing moved to Stuttgart, Germany.

The frame is sometimes called Holzklopfmodell, which is German for “hammered wooden frame,” but the frame itself wasn’t hammered. Rather, it served as a model the factory workers used for shaping and fitting of the aluminum body panels. It was a time-consuming process that sometimes required multiple attempts to get a door or fender to perfectly fit the frame, which was the exact shape of a 356 body. The process took at least 90 hours, according to Porsche.

Handmade bodywork was primarily a feature of the earliest Austrian-built Porsches. Starting in 1948, Porsche built 52 cars in Gmünd, including 44 coupes and eight convertibles, plus between eight and 10 super light (SL) bodies that were completed by Porsche’s racing department in Stuttgart between 1951 and 1952.

When production shifted to Germany in 1949, Porsche switched to steel bodies and mechanized manufacturing processes, leaving hand-formed aluminum for specials like the 16 lightweight 356 America Roadsters. A new wooden frame eventually replaced the original.

Because steel is much harder than aluminum, Porsche started using presses to manufacture body panels, which also allowed it to produce cars at a faster rate. Today, the 356 wood frame remains as a reminder of the automaker’s early days.

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com

Porsche’s first sports cars had aluminum body panels, but it was nature’s own lightweight material that made their iconic shape possible.

The Porsche 356 had bodywork where the panels were hammered and hand-rolled into shape, and a wooden frame model was used to ensure everything lined up.

That frame still exists, and is in relatively good condition. It’s at the Porsche Automuseum in Gmünd, Austria, where the first Porsche production cars were completed before manufacturing moved to Stuttgart, Germany.

The frame is sometimes called Holzklopfmodell, which is German for “hammered wooden frame,” but the frame itself wasn’t hammered. Rather, it served as a model the factory workers used for shaping and fitting of the aluminum body panels. It was a time-consuming process that sometimes required multiple attempts to get a door or fender to perfectly fit the frame, which was the exact shape of a 356 body. The process took at least 90 hours, according to Porsche.

Handmade bodywork was primarily a feature of the earliest Austrian-built Porsches. Starting in 1948, Porsche built 52 cars in Gmünd, including 44 coupes and eight convertibles, plus between eight and 10 super light (SL) bodies that were completed by Porsche’s racing department in Stuttgart between 1951 and 1952.

When production shifted to Germany in 1949, Porsche switched to steel bodies and mechanized manufacturing processes, leaving hand-formed aluminum for specials like the 16 lightweight 356 America Roadsters. A new wooden frame eventually replaced the original.

Because steel is much harder than aluminum, Porsche started using presses to manufacture body panels, which also allowed it to produce cars at a faster rate. Today, the 356 wood frame remains as a reminder of the automaker’s early days.

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com

Porsche’s first sports cars had aluminum body panels, but it was nature’s own lightweight material that made their iconic shape possible.

The Porsche 356 had bodywork where the panels were hammered and hand-rolled into shape, and a wooden frame model was used to ensure everything lined up.

That frame still exists, and is in relatively good condition. It’s at the Porsche Automuseum in Gmünd, Austria, where the first Porsche production cars were completed before manufacturing moved to Stuttgart, Germany.

The frame is sometimes called Holzklopfmodell, which is German for “hammered wooden frame,” but the frame itself wasn’t hammered. Rather, it served as a model the factory workers used for shaping and fitting of the aluminum body panels. It was a time-consuming process that sometimes required multiple attempts to get a door or fender to perfectly fit the frame, which was the exact shape of a 356 body. The process took at least 90 hours, according to Porsche.

Handmade bodywork was primarily a feature of the earliest Austrian-built Porsches. Starting in 1948, Porsche built 52 cars in Gmünd, including 44 coupes and eight convertibles, plus between eight and 10 super light (SL) bodies that were completed by Porsche’s racing department in Stuttgart between 1951 and 1952.

When production shifted to Germany in 1949, Porsche switched to steel bodies and mechanized manufacturing processes, leaving hand-formed aluminum for specials like the 16 lightweight 356 America Roadsters. A new wooden frame eventually replaced the original.

Because steel is much harder than aluminum, Porsche started using presses to manufacture body panels, which also allowed it to produce cars at a faster rate. Today, the 356 wood frame remains as a reminder of the automaker’s early days.

This article was originally published by Motor Authority, an editorial partner of ClassicCars.com