Aftermarket re-creations of the Chevrolet Corvette – particularly the C3 era – are a dime a dozen. There were numerous companies trying to capitalize on the striking styling and obvious enthusiasm for Chevrolet’s marquee sports car, but some of that work simply felt like an exercise in cosmetic re-engineering rather than substantive improvements. The car shown here, a rare Corvette Duntov conversion, changes all of that with a variety of improvements intended to address the shortcomings of the Malaise era. Not many are around and this car listed here on Mecum.com appears to be in showroom condition.
Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find. The Duntov namesake is courtesy of Zora Arkus-Duntov, a Russian engineer who had a heavy hand in developing the Corvette into the performance car it is today. Hired by GM in the 1950s, Duntov was a racer at heart, and participated in numerous amateur racing circuits where he inevitably realized the various shortcomings and opportunity for improving the crop of sports cars at racers’ disposal. His work also influenced GM to pay closer attention to competitive motorsports events across the U.S. and Europe, which has shaped the evolution of the Corvette to the current day. When it came time to build his own version of the C3, the improvements were dramatic – including a widebody conversion that is clearly evident in this photo.
Unlike other companies that modified Corvettes, Duntov was an engineer’s engineer, and went deep into the recesses of the C3 to weed out the various weaknesses it left the factory with. The steering box was rebuilt for quicker, more linear response; the factory shocks were tossed in favor of custom-valved Bilsteins; the chassis was fortified and wider wheels and tires were added; and the most significant improvement of all was the fitment of a turbocharger, which significantly altered the performance of the standard 350 V8. The interior also benefited from a variety of improvements, along with upscale touches like wood trim and a custom plaque for the first owner.
The improvements to the engine were not as dramatic as one might expect, and although details are scarce, the upgrades supposedly didn’t go much further than the turbocharger (though that was plenty at the time.) The number most online references point to is 300 b.h.p., but armchair quarterbacks question whether this was possible with just a turbocharging kit as the only major tweak under hood. Still, there’s little reason to doubt a mind like Duntov didn’t look for the best balance of improvements against the backdrop of stock internals, so it seems likely this rare aftermarket build provides a transformative experience over a standard C3. Have you ever seen a Duntov Corvette in person?
Too much designed in junk on the body. Looks like every clear place in the body has something stuck in it. Didn’t think anyone disliked the original Corvette design that much.
The body venting hints of modern super cars but if the headlights had been left stock it might have given more pleasing look. Perhaps?
Teenage design team-
“Dude we need a wing on the back”
“Awesome and a big scoop on the hood”
” Yeah- we need brake scoops and big fender flares”
” And those LED lights under the frame rails”
An interesting piece of history. Awfull headlights and to much flash but the interior aint that bad. Can only love that speedo but will the car ever go that high. I love the design of the air box that keeps the inlet preheat system. Blow through or draw through design, i’m guessing draw through as that air box don’t look the part to be pressurised.would love to see a pic without it. Whom ever buy’s this will have something that will draw attention at the local car’s and coffee
Got an oil drain pan that looks like that air box.
IMO fashion should have function and function should be fashionable. I think we can all agree the demise of the malaise corvette was its anemic performance. And whoever put a 305 in a C3 should get a free one way ride in the space shuttle.
Frog: I would agree with you 100% regarding putting a 305 in anything, much less a Corvette, but unless I am missing something, there’s no indication that this thing has anything other than the factory 350.
Oldrodder,
I don’t think you missed anything. In my 55 years of driving I’ve only seen 2 C3s with 305s in them. Neither could spin the tires on dirt or gravel. Early 80s California C3s were mandated to have them.
Lots of interesting details here, but do I see a CB radio mic in the first shot of the transmission? If so, where is the antenna (lol)? Would have been nice to see a top-down pic too. An interesting piece of Corvette history for sure.
The flared fenders on these are like the Greenwood corvette race cars of the ‘70s only not as wide. The headlight and tail light treatment are from American custom industries and are not an improvement over stock. I don’t think Good Year has made those wing foot tires for 40 years so they must be original to the conversion. The velour interior looks like an old custom van, don’t come a knockin if this corvette’s a rockin style. They must have offered Zora a lot of money to put his name on these after his long career of making the corvette a world class sports car. I’ll pass.
300hp is a pretty easy build for a 350 chev without a turbo.
Running a turbo without an ecm and fuel injection is more trouble than it’s worth. Personally i dont like anything about it.
I find it hard to believe that Duntov would bless this abomination. To coin an old tired phrase from the sixties, it looks like it was beat with the ugly stick. One of the worst attempts at “customizing” a Vette that I’ve seen in a long while.
This is the Corvette version of Homer Simpson’s car design! Seriously, the original Corvette body of that era was iconic, it didn’t need the “improvements”. Chassis/engine/suspension improvements are one thing, but the body??!
Looks quite awful. An unmolested ’70-’72 is so much nicer!!
I really like the angularity of it and the rear end.. I never did like the back side of C3s all that much. The headlights should’ve been pop up though.. that would’ve completed the package for me.
What happens when Steeve Wonder is put in charge of styling!
The Duntov Vetts were built at American Custom Industries in Toledo Ohio. There were 86 built Most of them white or red and 1 black one. Remember that there were no convertible Vetts in 1980 There were very few factory body parts left in the construction. I believe that there are ties between ACI and Greenwood. At one time the building had the Greenwood name on it.
The flares look like variations of the ones used on the Greenwood IMSA Corvettes, and were used by other Corvette racers, including Jerry Thompson. To be competitive, they needed a way to allow a big jump in tire width, beyond what arched flares could provide. Those flares were a collaboration of Randy Wittine (GM Styling employee that worked on production Corvettes in the C3-C6 era, and race versions of those models), Jerry Palmer, also of GM Styling, and Arkus Duntov. The C3 shape, derived from Bill Mitchell’s styling exercises that Mitchell said were inspired by the shape of Mako sharks, hasn’t stood the test of time that the C2 Stingray has, but did have left front end aerodynamic lift than the C2. The add-ons on this car seem as dated as bell bottom patents and wide lapels of this era.
I used to deliver to ACI back then and thought they only made 36 of them and they were all white. ACI was supposed to build 200 of them for GM
I actually like it, and would have a blast in it. I’m no purist when it comes to classic cars.