1986 Chevrolet Corvette Restoration

Well. I've always wanted to build a car from scratch…

In fact, it's been one of my long-term goals for as long as I can remember. Every time I tried something new, or learned a new fabrication method, I'd think forward about how it would come in handy when I was working on a car. Then, out of nowhere, I was trawling Facebook marketplace in the backseat during a long drive and this C4 Corvette slides across my screen. 1986. 220,000 miles. It was a dream come true. I might not be able to build the car from scratch, but I could already tell I was going to have a lot of fun doing whatever needed to be done to the car with my own two hands. After a fair bit of negotiation, both with the seller and my (understandably) reluctant parents, just like that, I had bought my first car.

And whew, did I learn. From a busted radiator, rebuilding the fuel rail and intake, to a ground-up sound system build, this project has been a never-ending catalyst for learning. Most recently, a ton of body work along with a composite layup spoiler that I designed and FEA'd in SolidWorks drawing inspiration from the old Ferrari F40 body lines to create a truly one-of-a-kind corvette. Working on the suspension of this car primed me excellently for joining the Triton Baja team because the suspension was one of the least modeled subsystems. As much work as this car is and having to bicycle 5 miles to class when it's out of commission sure is a pain, it's an absolute joy to drive and the long hours spent on it are so rewarding I wouldn't give it up for the world.