1964 Chevy Corvette Griot’s Garage Muscle Machine of the Year Finalist
When Prince wrote the lyrics to “Little Red Corvette” decades ago, he probably didn’t have Jane Thurmond’s 1964 Chevy Corvette in mind. However, if he had ever seen her car speeding around an AutoCross course, he’d have been happy to claim it as inspiration.
Jane and her husband Greg operate GTS Customs, a Corvette specialty shop in Simi Valley, California. They found the car more than 20 years ago as just a shell, with no driveline or interior. This made it a perfect candidate for a performance-minded custom build, which was worked on as time allowed.
The Vette was initially built as a show-focused custom, which is evident in the crisp body modifications and the intense PPG Victory Red paint that earned the car its nickname, Scarlett. GTS widened the rear quarter panels to accept larger rear wheels, replaced the stock door handles with C5 pieces, installed C3 side mirrors, and painted the front and rear bumpers black.
Even with its showy flair, the car was always a capable performer thanks to the Newman Car Creations chassis that features C4 front and rear suspension components. After being on the road a while, Jane was introduced to AutoCross racing and has been hooked on the cone-carving competition for the past decade. The car has evolved to deliver even better track performance and now features a custom cantilever transverse shock mount system for the rear suspension by GTS Customs, plus 14-inch Baer brakes with six-piston calipers, and 18×10.5-inch Forgeline wheels with Yokohama tires.
Power comes from a 416c.i. LS3 that produces 600 horsepower, thanks to AFR heads and an MSD induction system. Corvette side pipes control the exhaust gases while the engine’s power flows through a Tremec T56 six-speed manual transmission.
In the all-business interior, AutoMeter gauges fill the stock, leather-wrapped dash. Corbeau seats are augmented with five-point G-Force harnesses, while the steering wheel and column come from Flaming River.
Jane and Scarlett continue to prove their abilities on track, and she has even had the opportunity to race against husband Greg in his ’65 Corvette. The two cars also appeared together on the cover of Vette magazine. As Jane puts it, this little red 1964 Chevy Corvette has proven to be much more than just flashy transportation or a fast performer.
“This car has literally changed my life,” Jane says. “What started as driving a little red car around some cones ultimately changed how I feel about myself, how I communicate, how I can inspire other people. I went from blogging about my experiences to becoming a sponsored racer and motorsports lifestyle journalist for K&N, a professional performance driving instructor, and a host for the High Octane Hustle podcast.”
Photos by Terry Lysak
