Text by Dean Larson

Photos courtesy of Fred Wood

**Fred Wood's Dragon Motor Cars Roadster is currently for sale here on eBay. The starting bid is $25,000, and the auction closes at 2:00 p.m. on August 7.

Fred Wood’s Series II Dragon may not breathe actual flames, but we’re fairly certain this roadster is capable of loads of tire smoke and heat. As a retired ride and handling engineer for General Motors, Fred couldn’t help but divert from the instruction manual in a few places.

The Dragon Roadster is a Chevrolet-based component car consisting of a steel frame and fiberglass body. The frame has great geometry and achieves 48/52 weight distribution while only weighing 260 pounds. The fiberglass bodywork was designed to harken back to 1960s roadsters and has clear design cues from the Lister Knobbly and Scarab roadster. The Dragon is most often completed using the Corvette C4 as a donor for its LT1 engine, rear axle, steering and suspension components.

While the car is well designed and performs great, Fred Wood knew his 37-year engineering tenure at GM afforded him the experience to perfect the Dragon. Instead of the 300 hp LT1, Fred sourced a 360 cubic-inch Dart aluminum small block and topped it off with ACCEL fuel injection. The C4 suspension geometry was revised and fine-tuned on the track, and big 13-inch Brembo brake rotors were added up front.

Fred made many adjustments to the Dragon’s bodywork, giving the car a modernized look. A set of C6 Corvette Z06 wheels fit the car well, and accommodate larger brakes and tires sizes. The front bodywork was changed to Fred’s liking and the covered headlights were tossed in favor of a pair from a Mini Cooper. To match the updated headlights, taillights from an Audi TT were added. The profile of the Dragon was altered by streamlining the windshield and adding custom-built valences in the front and rear with matching side skirts.

Fred chose the Dragon because it was based off the 1990s Chevrolet components he had direct experience with at GM. Therefore, it seems like Fred’s final result is C4 mechanically, C3 in spirit and totally unleashed in performance.