63mako

Hi Guys. Well I have well over 600 Posts on the forum but never posted here. I am usually in the C3 tech and performance section since there isn't one for the C2. Here are some pics of the car. The first ones are before the last one is now during restoration.

Glenn's 67 BB Vert

Looks good to me before so what are you doing to it now??--Glenn

Cobra66

Cool Vette! Looks very much like one I was tracking on EBay during Spring of 2004. Might this be the same one?

I was interested, but never bid on it, and went for a more stock-appearing '64 coupe that I purchased in May of 2004 (see avatar). But I have to say, this one (or the one that looked like it) took me back to when I was in my early 20's and this car was just a few years old! Such mods were quite acceptable then before the "stock purists" began their (what I believe often to be myopic) influence on our hobby.

Keep us posted, hopefully with pics.

Jack60

I like it the way it was.

dejavu67

CRUISIN'-Nice Ride

Greenwood79

Come on over to www.makoshark2.com

Website for custom vettes. Folks will love it!!!!!!!!!!!!

Andy

63mako

I did too, the paint and interior were tired but frame, birdcage and body are perfect, I am building a 500 HP 383 stroker for it, The small base tripower will be replaced with a custom one off large base tripower setup I designed, the 150 HP nitrous will stay. The 4 speed will be replaced by a Keisler 5 speed. The rear suspension is getting a new HD 411 with fiberglass spring and rebuilt trailing arms. All suspension front and rear new W/ red Energy Susp. Poly Bushings and VBP sway bars, strut rods and rebuild parts. and a Southside Machine bright yellow IRS traction bar. The Brakes will be upgraded to a C3 setup with drilled and slotted rotors, Red Calipers, Kevlar pads and SS lines W/ Chrome dual master cylinder and line locks. The Centerline wheels were changed to Cragar SS W/ 3 bar spinners 15 x 12 rear, 15 x 8 front with 295 50 15 rear BFG Radial T/A's and 225 60 15 T/a's in the front. The paint is Corvette Torch Red W/ Lexus black pearl hood scoop and House of Kolor Fireball Flake in the first 3 clear coats. I am modifying a 58 grill and converting to round H4 Headlights. Interior I will keep the roll bar. everythink else is going to black W/ red accents. Black dash pads, red dash center, red console, Al Knock black door panels with red inserts, red armrests and red carpet. Have a set of Recaro buckets that fit with Bose headrest speakers to recover to match black with red inserts. Have collected all parts to complete except some interior stuff. Scored 928 and a silver at Chevy Vettefest Bowtie as it was. Will post progress but it will probably take another year plus to finish

63mako

That was me. Bidding went to $26,000. I don't think so. So I will keep it and build it the way I want. I went on the Bloomington Gold Road tour and had a lot of comments from the "Stock Purists" like " wow, how could anyone do that to a split window" and "What a waste of a good car" but there was a 63 fuelly red NCRS Top Flight car two cars away from me in the staging area and I had 25 people crowded around mine and no one near his so some of them like it! This car was originally built as a show car in 1972. I am trying to stay with that era mods except a few like the seats and 5 speed. NO BILLET!!

HYPER65

63mako, Thanks for sharing the pic's. That car looks awsome. When you stated you were restoring it, I was afraid you were going to do away with the flares. Glad to here you are keeping it cool. I'm glad to see that customs are making a comeback.

Jack60

Your 63mako was done right, very clean not wild, I like it alot.
I'm glad your not going back to stock, not that stock is bad, but the way your SWC was done is part of the history and should be persevered.

achapman

Andy,

I worked for John Silva when he was at Franklin Street, in Salem, Mass. I had just started high school and bought a totaled 65 Vert that needed a frame and front end. I bought a new frame for $400 and put one of Johnny's Mako Shark C2 front ends on my car. Johnny was an extremely tallented guy, and I learned a lot from him. One of his first custom cars was a 62 Ford Galaxy with a chopped top tht sat in his Franklin Street garage for many years. He refused to sell in, I guess it was his Muse..... I can tell you for a fact that the clay mockup of the Mako Shark front end sat in his garage for at least two years before he finished it. He started designing it just before the C3's came out and went by drawings and measurements in several of the car mags at the time. The first Mako Shark he made was a 69 Vette 427/435 that he bought as an insurance total. It was painted white on top and by the belt line it changed to dark metalic blue, he used this car to sell his Mako concept. I can also remember when he moved out of Franklin Street he sold all his Vette parts for $1,500...... I am sure that there was well over a half million dollars in parts at todays prices..... I can remember moving out several boxes of complete FI units with air units attached, as well as, C2 front buckets and motors that were take-offs for customers that wanted his C2 custom front ends. I counted over 55 rear ends for Vettes, as well as, over two dozen complete interiors, 15 hardtops for Verts, boxes of sidepipes, probably two dozen dash clusters with guages, and probably 35 four speeds, and a couple dozen orginal Vette shifters......

He had two different molds for C2 front ends, the Shark front end and another called a Riveria front end. He also made flaired wheel wells and duck tail spoilers for the C2. One of the nicest cars I ever saw him do was a 66 Vette Vert owned by Paul Dabois. This car had a stock front end, but flaired wheel wells, duck tail spoiler in the rear, and the hood was modified similar to the 65/66 BB hood except this bulge was round. The car was painted brown but with a flip/flop paint job, with flowers (remember it was the 60's) that was truely fascinating. The engine in this Vette was an over the counter Camero DZ 302 with the staggered two four barrels, hence the one off hood, and period Crager mags. I remember the car had a lot of chrome underneath and won first place at the Boston Rod and Custom show.

John was a extremely tallented guy, but a lousy businessman....

jrs 427

That definately spells performance. I could see cruz'n downtown in second gear with the headers open. It could only attract smiles and bring back memories of what the vettes were really purchased for. If you were closer I would definately have to take the inspection tour. Great ride !

Frankenvette 63

Nice ride! The Customs should attract more attention, they're rarer than the common Corvette, and one heck of a lot more fun!

63mako

Thanks! Most of these were converted back to stock bodies during restorations. The customs weren't worth much. This is the only one I have seen that has the whole body kit. I believe they were sold by Eckler's in the late 60"s early 70's but I don't have any history on it except a "Jerry Cooper worked on this 8-17-72" on the pass door under the door panel when I took it off. I think this dates the customization. But I like it and it has come a long way since I bought it in 2003 for $15,000 as a driver.

Sky65

Nice car.
You gotta love customs.

63mako

I looked at your corvette photoes. Awesome 65!! You gotta love customs too!

vettebuyer6369

WHAAAAAT??? You mean THIS John Silva??????

Greenwood79

achapman...

Andy..this has to be one of the best threads on CF in a LOOOOOOOOOONG time for us Custom guys. Love to hear about the works of John Silva. Their is a wealth of info at MS2
www.makoshark2.com
about these cars..all customs etc...I am andy76 on that site..look at the recent topics on the right hand side of the page...You'll love it. Keep the thread going here...C2's make such cool looking customs...

Personally, I drive a '79 Greenwood Widebody Daytona and love the customs.....Remember, guys like Zora loved Custom vettes.He worked with John Greenwood on the fender flare designs....If it wasn't for talents like his and his PULL within the industry..where would we be?

Andy

achapman

Andy..this has to be one of the best threads on CF in a LOOOOOOOOOONG time for us Custom guys. Love to hear about the works of John Silva.

Andy
About two years ago I saw "Motor" Burns. John worked for Motor just before he passed away. Motor thought John's wife had the original molds for the Mako in her barn in Ipswich, Mass. He gave me her phone number and I think I have it in some boxes at home. I will try and dig it out this weekend. It would be nice to find out where his molds went to. There is an interesting story about how the molds were "stolen" and turned up at John's shop.....

Vetbuyer 5863
Yup, one in the same.....

63mako

Hi Jack. Nice car . Customizing a C1 is in the same ballpark as a C2. The NCRS cars and the survivor cars have their place and I like them. I built my 72 to NCRS specs but there is nothing like a vette that has been tastfully modified. I got a buddy that has a 58. He has the old stromberg tripower setup on it. It was installed in the early 60's. He just can't bring himself to take it off even though he has found the correct intake and carb and everything else on it is correct with under 40,000 original miles. Very few of our cars went through life #s matching NCRS correct. Back in the 60's and early 70's they all had different wheels, intakes, headers ect. Customizing was the norm for these cars not the exception. Very few old school customs left and they still make a statement. These cars are as big of part of corvette history as the NCRS and Bloomington Gold cars are in my opinion.