By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, BringaTrailer.com

If you’ve taken to fiddling with your suspension setup and ride height, you probably have one of three goals in mind: comfort, performance handling or aesthetics. As modern and mature car enthusiasts, we generally take a critical view of the latter approach if it’s all about “the show” and not “the go.”

So when we saw this C3 Corvette with some radical suspension work on BringaTrailer.com’s online auctions, we weren’t surprised to find a few naysayers. And even though the Corvette is a sports car for all intents and purposes, I’m sorta into the look, and it reminded me, that sometimes we all just need to chill out.

The setup consists of replacement stock coil springs with some coil removed, and 15 x 5-inch wheels with 185/15 tires up front. The rear retains its mono-leaf, but 15 x 7-inch wheels and 255/70r15 tires were installed. Correct-looking American Racing Torq Thrust VN309 TT O wheels were used, and the seller reports that the outside tire sidewalls were shaved for a clean appearance.

I think we’ll all agree that the suspension modifications on this Corvette haven’t made it any faster. Taking the moral high ground, you could make the argument that the Corvette is now slower around corners, rides worse and is generally a bit less safe. Most folks will advise against cutting coil springs for any reason as well. But honestly, where’s the fun in all that?

Now I’m not advising you to start slicing and dicing a valuable car, but other than the cut springs, the setup on this car is actually not bad. The owner reports that the front wheels don’t rub, even at full lock, and that the all the modifications could be undone for about $100.

For me personally, I also think this a pretty slick look for an otherwise standard C3. The drop in the front end has made the car quite aggressive looking and aerodynamic, while the rear even looks like it’ll hook nicely at a stoplight. Sure, it’s not right for the road course or autocross circuit, but I’m all about this thing as a mean street machine. It reminds me of all the period customs I saw while paging through my dad’s Hot Rod magazines from the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Back in those days, guys weren’t worried about internet experts trash talking their methods online. They modified their cars for speed, and making a statement on America’s best cruising boulevards and highways, and for that reason, I like this ’Vette a whole lot.

Suspension aside, this is one bad C3. It boasts a 383 stroker under the hood, hooked to a Muncie M21 four-speed with 3.73 gears out back. It’s also finished in a unique color, Steel City Gray, which looks different depending on angle and lighting.

Currently, the C3 has a high bid of $16,000 with two days remaining in the auction. Check it out here at BringaTrailer.com.