Horses For Harmony '59 Chev Corvette Fund Raiser
Just Cars Editor: August 2020 Update
We have been in contact with the NSW Department of FairTrading and they have advised the following:
An Administrator has been appointed. They are currently reviewing the charities financial position. The Art Union authority has been revoked which means that the raffle will not be conducted.
Once the position of the charity has been finalised, the charity will either continue or be liquidated.
If the charity is liquidated the liquidator will issue refunds depending on the amount funds available.
Just Cars Editor: February 2020 Update.
It appears this customer is having difficulties completing their draw.
If you have purchased a ticket & want a refund or to know the extent of your rights then we suggest you contact your local Consumer Affairs Department.
NSW: https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/
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ACT: https://www.accesscanberra.act.gov.au/app/answers/detail/a_id/2270/~/fair-trading-for-consumers
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The car you see here is a long way removed from both how it was originally and its condition when owner Scott Bartle of Horses For Harmony decided to have it remade.
It may look like a showpony, but this beast is a true galloper.
Yes, you can actually win this gorgeous '59 Corvette Art Union, drawn in August. Horses For Harmony offer tickets for JUST $10
Thoroughbred? Showpony? Galloper? All these equine analogies are wasted on a Corvette, right? You’re probably thinking these terms would be much better suited for a Mustang, hmmm?
Well, yes. Normally, such terms would be best suited to Ford’s Pony Car, but in this instance, the connection between a Corvette and a Horse makes sense. Read on to find out why…
Classic American
The car you see here is a long way removed from both how it was originally and its condition when owner Scott Bartle of Horses For Harmony decided to have it remade.
As a little history lesson, Chevrolet had introduced the Corvette in 1953 as an all-American alternative to British sports cars that had proliferated in the US after World War II.
While it had the sports car looks, the debut Corvette hardly had the performance to match, with its 235ci six-cylinder engine and Powerglide auto transmission. By American standards, the first year Corvette was crude in terms of build quality and appointments, too.
By 1959, though, the Corvette had found its feet and was running strong. Engines were now exclusively V8s (in a range of power outputs) and manual transmissions standard. Its only real domestic competitor, Ford’s Thunderbird, had gone bigger in 1958, leaving the Corvette alone in its field and becoming more of a thoroughbred and less of a showpony with each year.
Old and New. . . and Mike
Scott fell in love with that classic late ‘50s Corvette look and wanted one for himself. Based in WA at the time, Scott also wanted a more powerful and reliable drivetrain to make his ‘Vette a trouble-free proposition for regular driving, as well as one that could get up and go when he gave it the spurs.
A Corvette was arguably one of the better options for such a combination, as its body-on-frame design made such a conversion easy.
Searching for a combination of new and old to fulfill his needs, Scott found those searches invariably led him to the US, where such restomod-style conversions were much more commonplace and usually involved more than just a simple engine upgrade; adding larger brakes, improved suspension, plusher interiors and, in many cases, a whole new chassis.
This quest started in the first years of the new millennium, so the internet wasn’t truly your friend back then. As such, Scott scoured US car magazines and spent a small fortune on overseas phone calls to various builders and specialists in the ‘States, trying to work out who knew their stuff and could best bring his vision to life.
Ultimately, Scott settled on SRIII Motorsports, based in New Lenox, Illinois. Mike Stockdale of SRIII impressed Scott with his knowledge of the ‘Vette and his use of running gear from the then current C5 version (1997 – 2004) in restomod conversions over there.
The initial plan was for SRIII to build an all-new chassis to suit C5 Corvette running gear and a ’59 body that Scott would source from other providers. However, as discussions evolved, it became clear that Scott would get a better result if he handed the entire project over to Mike to build to turnkey spec.
Biting the bullet in early-2004, SRIII Motorsports was entrusted with the project that covered familiar ground in all bar one area: Scott wanted his modern classic ‘Vette to be right-hand drive. This was a unique request in SRIII’s history and caused a few head-scratching moments, but Mike and his team were keen to make it happen.
Wide Body
Recognising that the thousands of hours GM had put into developing and fine-tuning the C5 Corvette’s suspension were unlikely to be bettered, SRIII Motorsports decided to make the ’59 Corvette body fit the C5 Corvette’s wider track, rather than the other way around.
While it sounds simple enough, making this a reality involved widening the rear quarter panels by a full two inches on each side.
From most angles, the extra flesh in the rump is unnoticeable and it’s only when you see Scott’s car alongside a factory ’59 Corvette that the differences become apparent. These differences include replacing the exhaust exits in the rear bumper with LED brake lights, as there have been multiple changes to the back end.
As the frame on the donor car was in bad shape and limited options for modern additions, an all-new chassis was fabricated by SRIII, to which the C5 independent front and rear suspension components were fitted. This ‘Stage III’ tube-frame chassis from SRIII also allowed for the Tremec six-speed manual transmission to be attached directly to the diff, as per the factory C5 ‘Vette, to even out the weight distribution.
Making this transaxle set-up work meant more fiberglass fabrication on the ’59 body, producing a longer transmission tunnel. But with most of the changes at the rear, the result is that there’s actually a bit more legroom than if the gearbox was in its usual place.
This change also meant the fuel tank would need relocating, or in this case, complete replacement, with a fuel cell fabricated to fill the spare wheel well, while the battery, along with an amp and subwoofers for an Alpine sound system, sits under the convertible top housing.
Beyond the tunnel change and those widened rear guards, the body is essentially stock, with a notable omission being the fuel filler flap on the near side and inclusions being small air vents just ahead of the rear wheels.
Seen from the front, the only giveaway to this ‘Vette being more than what is seems is the wider tyres visible below that brightly-chromed grille and front bumper.
Strong Heart
Driving this blue thoroughbred is a GM LS2 6.0-litre V8 which, unlike like the rest of the running gear, actually comes from a newer C6 Corvette. Matched to a bellhousing, flywheel and clutch from a C5, this engine produces 400hp (almost 300kW) and 500Nm in factory form - more than enough grunt for Scott. The only additions were a cold air intake, BBK coated exhaust headers, stainless steel exhaust system and custom engine cover fabricated by SRIII.
As this engine was being used in E-Series HSV Commodores and Maloos at the time, Scott assured SRIII Motorsports that an RHD conversion could work and took comfort from the fact there’d be local knowledge to help if anything went wrong once the finished car arrived here. The Tremec 6-speed was also being used in HSVs at the time, so parts and local service knowledge would be available here, too.
SRIII found the whole RHD thing a little weird, but they pulled it off, assisted in part by an HSV steering rack, matched to a Flaming River column and topped with a Billet Specialties Vintec steering wheel that picks up on the wheels.
Wheel Woes. . .and the Blues
While the new chassis and widened rear guards solved many problems in making old meet new, finding the right wheels wasn’t one of them. In fact, Scott tried multiple options after the first choice of classic-look rims with knock-off hubs wouldn’t fit the wheel openings. Eventually, a set of 18-inch Billet Specialties alloys were found that had both the look and fit required – 18 x 8 at the front and 18 x 10 at the rear. To these, Scott added Corvette centre caps and wrapped them in Michelin Pilot Sport A/S rubber. Visible behind these rims are C5 Corvette cross-drilled and slotted brake rotors, with red-painted calipers for contrast.
After all the massaging and remoulding of the fiberglass body, it was time for paint. As the body came to SRIII, it was in primer, so Scott had a free hit with the paint choice, selecting Electron Blue, a C5 Corvette factory colour, with Pearl White for the coves.
Hours spent preparing the body for paint paid off, as it looks stunning and sparkles just as much as the re-chromed bumpers and brightwork.
This bold colour scheme was replicated inside, with Arctic White ‘Ultra Leather’ used throughout, highlighted with blue carpets and door arm rests. The seats are from a C5 Corvette; cut-down, re-padded and re-trimmed to suit, with blue piping and detailing added, while blue seat belts are the finishing touch.
For this part of the build, Scott chose Mark’s Custom Auto Interiors on Mike Stockdale’s recommendation. Located in New Lenox like SRIII, it made liaising on the delivery and fitting of parts easier.
While the gauges have modern faces, they’re largely as per 1959, but oddities in the interior – at least in 1959 terms! – include the centrally-mounted handbrake, engine push-button starter, Vintage Air air con switches, Alpine head unit and power window switches.
The blue and white theme extends to the boot, too, with pleated white leather trim lining the sides and a blue fabric cover for the new fuel tank, augmented with Corvette logos
Four Year Ride
When Scott says this car was the most extensive build SRIII Motorsports had ever undertaken, it’s not hard to believe. Four years in the making, the time, effort and quality of this build is apparent even in the images and Scott says it looks better in the flesh. And while it’s currently valued at $150,000, Scott says the car cost significantly more to build.
Completed in 2008, Scott’s ’59 Corvette restomod was a trophy winner in the US before it came down under. Here in Australia, those winning ways continued, with a People’s Choice and second in the Street Machine Show Car class at the WA Hot Rod Show in 2009.
More recently, Scott’s Corvette has won People’s Choice awards at the Como Rotary Car Show and Corvettes of WA gatherings in 2013, with the silverware continuing after Scott and the car relocated to New South Wales in 2015.
Times change, though, as do priorities, so when Scott saw an opportunity this year for his ‘Vette to help out a charity that’s close to his heart, he knew what to do.
Can you see yourself continuing this thoroughbred’s winning ways? All it takes is $10 and you’ll be helping a worthy charity in the process. See the breakout for more details and maybe you could be adding this stunner to your stable!
Win this ‘Vette!
To raise important funds for Horses for Harmony, Scott is donating his treasured Corvette to the charity.
Immaculately maintained, the car looks just as good now as it did when it was built more than a decade ago. With its classic looks, this ‘Vette is eye candy personified, while its modern drivetrain means it’s a gem in traffic and will embarrass many newer vehicles on the highway.
The added bonus is the RHD configuration, which makes it safer and more practical for use in Australia.
Want to pick up a $150K Corvette for just $10? Go to the https://www.horsesforharmony.org/- and purchase a raffle ticket for your chance to win.
The car comes with a number of extras, including coverage of registration (NSW) and insurance costs, transportation costs to the winner’s location, a car spa package and photoshoot, to name a few.
There’s also a bonus prize of $10,000 in silver coins for those whom purchase 5 tickets or more
Photos: Jordan Leist
About Horses for Harmony
Horses for Harmony is a charity that treats people suffering a range of physical, emotional, cognitive and psychological disorders by bringing them into contact with horses.
Known as Equine Assisted Therapy (‘EAT’ for short), it may sound unusual, but it’s really an extension of the ‘therapy animal’ treatment you may have heard of for people with anxiety and similar health issues, and is really a formalized extension of the sense of calm and happiness that can come from having a pet.
EAT covers a range of treatments involving horses and has been a recognized form of treatment for physical health issues since the 1960s and mental health issues since the 1990s.
In those years, EAT has been used by medical professionals to treat a range of ailments, from autism, ADD/ADHD and Asperger’s Syndrome, to depression, PTSD and even substance abuse.
EAT treatments don’t specifically involve riding horses - although that’s certainly done - and can be as simple as feeding or grooming horses. This is known as Equine Assisted Activities (EAA) and can be just as beneficial.
Find out more at: https://www.horsesforharmony.org/
