Record-setting, championship-winning “Rebel Corvette” heads to auction -
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In the late 1960s, it was possible to walk into a local Chevrolet dealership, write a (substantial) check, and order up a factory lightweight Corvette, purpose-built for racing. In the early 1970s, perhaps the most famous of these Corvettes were the American-flag liveried cars of the John Greenwood team, but serving as a counterpoint was a Corvette owned by Floridian Orlando Costanzo, painted in a daring Confederate flag motif. This underdog “Rebel Corvette” would set speed records, capture the IMSA GTO Championship and be immortalized in plastic by model maker Revell; and on January 18, it will be offered to the public by Barrett-Jackson as part of its Scottsdale, Arizona, sale.
Available as a Regular Production Option (RPO) since the 1967 model year, the L88 engine option for the Corvette also required checking a few more boxes. To get the 430-horsepower, aluminum-head V-8, buyers also needed to order the C48 heater and defroster delete (which saved weight); the M22 heavy-duty transmission with close-ratio gearing; the K66 transistorized ignition (minus shielding, because radio interference wasn’t an issue); the J50 power-boosted brake system; the J56 heavy-duty brake calipers with semi-metallic pads and a proportioning valve; the F41 suspension (which came with stiffer springs, larger shock absorbers, a larger front anti-roll bar and a rear anti-roll bar); and a G81 Positraction rear end with 3.70:1 standard gearing (though other final drive ratios could be ordered).
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