Homebuilt to Race – Nick Weber’s 1960 Corvette
It’s amazing how a first impression can plant itself so firmly in our memories. Nick Weber fell in love with the curves and styling of a 1960 Corvette 20 years ago when he was just 12 years old and found a ’60 model languishing in a backyard while working with his dad on a construction project.
Two decades later, Nick purchased a 1960 Corvette body sight unseen to build into a street car with serious AutoCross capabilities (or maybe it should be the other way around). He even had to sell a wicked-cool pro-touring ’69 Chevelle he built to fund the new project.
Nick started on the chassis by laying out several feet of round tube on his garage floor. The front suspension is from a C6 Z06 Corvette and incorporates splined sway bars from Speedway Motors and a steering rack from Sweet Manufacturing. The rear suspension is based on cantilever geometry with a set of RideTech coil-overs that are accessible through the finished trunk. A Hammerhead 12-bolt rearend is capped with Z06 four-piston calipers and a set of 18×12.5-inch Forgeline Rebel wheels wrapped in 335/30 BFGoodrich Rivals.
For power, Nick chose a 427c.i. LS7 topped with a FAST intake and a BTR Stage 4 cam for increased lift and duration. To ensure solid lubrication during hard cornering and acceleration, Nick added an ARE Dry Sump oiling system. Gear changes are handled with a Bowler-prepped T56 Magnum and a Mantic twin-clutch setup.
Like the chassis, Nick designed and built all of the panels in the custom interior before sending them to Mike Lippincott to cover in striking red hides. The donor C7 seats were also wrapped in leather and augmented with G-Force safety harnesses. Since Nick plans to drive the wheels off his Vette, the seats are equipped with heat and air, plus a Vintage Air system was tucked up under the dash. Other modern touches include push-button door handles, a keyless ignition system and Dakota Digital instrumentation.
After building the entire chassis and interior, it made sense for Nick to do all the body and paint work, too. The badges and rear bumpers were removed and smoothed over and Nick designed a custom front spoiler and pinched the front bumper openings. Functional heat extractors were crafted and the rockers were stretched down to hide the side exhaust. When all the mods were done, Nick sprayed the ’glass with BASF black and a ruby red.
Nick finished his 1960 Corvette in May of 2019 and showed up at Goodguys inaugural Great American Nationals event in York with more than 6,000 miles on the clock. Then, he proceeded to tear up the AutoCross track, having a blast and even racing into the Steel Shootout event. We’re looking forward to seeing Nick on the course next year with more seat time and a lot more miles.
Photos by Todd Ryden & Damon Lee
