First published in the July 2026 issue of Street Machine

GROUSE GARAGE
1978 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

“Like many car guys, I’m somewhat addicted to searching Facebook Marketplace, auctions, and groups, just looking at what’s out there and thinking about the things I would do to something I don’t own.

“A couple of years ago, my trigger finger got the better of me and I bid $8000 on a pretty neat-looking C3 Corvette. With a few days to go, I was the highest bidder, and then I got sidetracked by life and forgot all about it.

“Ten minutes before auction end, I got a reminder that I was still the highest bidder. I watched the auction wind down to zero, and then realised I had bought a car I had never seen or thought about owning before!

“The seller, from regional Urana in NSW, was a champion and delivered the car to my door in Sydney for a small fee. I discovered I had a complete, original, matching-numbers, running and driving, left-hand-drive, 350 Chev-powered Corvette.

“So, what does a car nut do with that? I proceeded to blow the thing completely apart – a full nut-and-bolt disassembly, because I am obsessive with things like that.

“So far, I have restored the frame and all suspension components, rebuilt the brakes, added a new fuel tank and lines, welded in new steel floors (yes, fibreglass Corvettes have steel floors), and most recently, I’ve dropped in a built LS1 and 4L60E trans.

“Once the car’s running and driving again, I will replace all of the red interior with new leather, give it a full respray, and cruise the coast like it’s So-Cal in the 80s. I can’t wait!”

Keep up to date with the build on Grouse Garage’s YouTube channel.

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