Up next in 10
CORVETTE TODAY #232 - Dave Kindig Returns To Talk About The CF1 Roadster
0 views
Jul 12, 2025
Dave Kindig from MotorTrend TV's "Bitchin' Rides" makes his return to CORVETTE TODAY to talk about his CF1 Roadster. Dave joins your CORVETTE TODAY host, Steve Garrett, to talk about this custom-made cars that are based on the original 1953 Corvette. Dave talks about his he got the idea for this car, how its built, what you get with each Roadster and the time it takes to build them from start to finish. Dave is a fan favorite on CORVETTE TODAY and he doesn't disappoint on this episode either. Be sure to check out this fun and exciting episode of CORVETTE TODAY with Dave Kindig!
View Video Transcript
0:00
[Music] Welcome to Corvette Today, the show that
0:06
talks about everything Corvette with your host Steve Garrett, lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum,
0:13
president of the Corvette Club of Kansas City, Missouri, and radio disc jockey at the number one radio station in Kansas
0:20
City for over 45 years. Here's Steve Garrett.
0:28
Thanks for listening and watching Corvette Today, the show that talks about everything Corvette and the only
0:33
current podcast dedicated to Corvette. I'm your host, Steve Garrett. I appreciate you tuning in. Corvette Today
0:39
is brought to you by Wheelcraft. Want to dress up your Corvette with bright chrome or black chrome wheels? Visit
0:44
wheelcraft.com and learn about their advanced PVD chrome finishing. They can refinish your wheels or offer a wheel
0:50
exchange for most models, and it comes with a 5-year warranty. Visit wheelcraft.com today or call them at
0:57
833-84-5334. You can listen to Corvette Today on all
1:02
podcast platforms. You can also listen on your smart device. Just say, "Hey Google," or "Alexa, play the podcast
1:09
called Corvette and you're connected." And be sure to visit the Corvette Today website. It's corvette.com.
1:15
You can access everything there, including the Corvette Today merchandise store. You can also join our Corvette
1:21
Today Facebook group there as well. Also, make sure you sign up for the Corvette Today emails, notifications,
1:26
and updates at corvette.k.page. And if you like YouTube, be sure to
1:32
subscribe to our Corvette Today YouTube channel. See all Corvette Today episodes on YouTube as well. And be sure to
1:38
patronize our flagship sponsors of Corvette Today, mid-engine Corvette forum.com, the forum that focuses on the
1:45
new mid-engine C8 Corvette. Meet a lot of fellow Corvette enthusiasts like yourself at midengine Corvette
1:50
forum.com. Soul Performance Products developed and manufactured in the United States. The Soul Performance Products
1:57
exhaust portfolio has been tailored to elevate the experience of the world's most exciting sports cars, including the
2:04
latest generation of the Corvette. Soul Performance Products at sulp.com,
2:09
the official performance exhaust of Corvette today. Aerolari wheels, a true forged wheel with over 20 unique styles
2:16
to choose from for your C8 and widebody versions of the C7, C6, and C5 Corvette.
2:22
It's an amazing value starting at only 23.88 for a set of four fully forged
2:27
wheels. And use the promo code CT111 and get $100 off your purchase. Visit
2:33
aerolari.com. That's a r o l r i.com. and use the promo code CT111 for your
2:41
$100 discount. Sioka Corvettes. If you're a Corvette enthusiast, and I know you are since you're listening and
2:47
watching Corvette today, then you need to know about Sioka Corvette. They're based in Atlantic City, where you can
2:52
find over 100 new and pre-owned vets on the lot and inbound. Seioca also ships Corvettes all over the country,
2:58
customordered to your specifications. They're staffed with experienced pros who can answer all your questions. So
3:04
don't compromise. Visit seiocorvette.com. That's ciocorvette.com
3:10
and find out more. Chevrolet together. Let's drive E5 Wheels. E5 Wheels is a
3:16
passionate and dedicated wheel company that serves only Corvette. They make spun forged wheels for your C8, C7, and
3:23
C6 Corvette. With the best fitment in the industry, E5 Wheels ensures your wheels complement the aesthetics and
3:29
functionality while optimizing the performance of your Corvette. Visit e5wheels.com or call them at 3059647429.
3:39
And a shout out to Canadian Corvette Forum and Corvette Forum welcoming Corvette enthusiasts from around the
3:45
world. My guest on Corvette Today is a repeat guest and a great friend to the show. He was actually on Corvette Today
3:52
number 44 way back in February of 2021. He's got one of the most popular shows
3:57
on Motor Trend TV with and Riot. Dave Kindig makes his return to Corvette today to talk about his CF1 roadsters.
4:05
Dave, welcome back to the show, buddy. Uh, Steve, thanks for having me again. I can't believe I got invited back. I
4:10
thought for sure you guys would never let me. No, buddy. You're you're a friend of the show. Anytime you can be on, we will
4:16
love to have you on. Dave, let's talk about the CF1 Roadsters that you're building. Tell me the story about how
4:22
you came up with the idea for these roadsters. Well, you know, as a hot rod builder and being in business this year
4:27
25 years, you know, it was always kind of a dream to have something that would be just maybe a little bit easier to put
4:32
together because, you know, we build a lot of one-off cars, right? But doing a turnkey, you know, most
4:37
everybody that's been in the business for as long as I have has found out that building products is a lot easier to
4:43
keep a business open and to make money. Of course, you know, everybody's got end goal is to try and make money to stay in business. And so by developing products
4:51
such as my patented door handles, the flat spoilers for this first series of Camaros, you know, this was always kind
4:56
of a thing that I wanted to build a turnkey car. And I've always had a love for America's sports car. Certainly, you
5:03
know, the 1953 Corvette was just an icon. Yeah. And certainly for a car builder and having all of those lines and being
5:10
able to get creative with it and change the profile of the car to make it something that was still appealing to
5:16
more generations than just the guys from the ' 50s. Yeah. And so really that's kind of the foot that I started out on with the CF1
5:23
creation. You know, just trying to build something I could get creative with. We could perfect and finish the car faster.
5:29
It has all of the performance, the styling, all of the things that are telltale for a convenient design car,
5:34
but it's something you can get a lot quicker than, you know, a lot of the one-off builds. Absolutely right. Talk to me about
5:40
specs, buddy, because these are really, really great cars. I know that you've done differently with the doors. The
5:46
bodies are carbon fiber, which speaks to me. Talk to me about all that kind of stuff. Yeah, you know, so again, the
5:52
1953 Corvette was basically the idea that I wanted to kind of follow a lot of the trends and a lot of the styling
5:59
cues, but of course, I wanted to make that to where people our size in the 2000s actually would fit in the car. I
6:04
think if you were over 5'8 back in 1953, you really couldn't fit in a Corvette, right? So basically the products
6:11
themselves I'm really wanted to have something with proof that we've put together already with other builds knowing that like a roadster shop
6:17
chassis works very well. A wing and filter engine works very well. GM performance transmissions carbon fiber
6:24
obviously is a great product to use as a main material for a body and I wanted to do something that was again cutting edge
6:30
and would stand out. And so with those things in mind, working with some of the best companies in the countries for the
6:35
components, we basically put together a C7 suspension, carbon fiber 53 styled
6:41
body, but actually fits a 6'5 250lb guy. Big air conditioning from Vintage Air.
6:46
We've got Dakota Digital Gauges. Again, products that we know what to expect and how they work and how they can be
6:52
reliable so that somebody from generations from now can still get in the car and enjoy it.
6:57
That's really cool. Now, I know the doors are 4 in longer and you drop the seat pans down to accommodate people
7:02
that are in the 21st century, didn't you? Yeah. So, you know, the CF1 is a stock wheelbase for a 53 Corvette. But what
7:10
we've done is we've done a 3-in in the front just behind the front wheels. We took 3 in out and pie cut that to the
7:17
back wheel well. Basically given a wedge to the whole body. So, we've dropped the whole thing down. So, it's now it's been
7:22
sectioned. We've channeled it basically by setting the body and the floor over the top of the frame rails, moving the
7:28
frame rails from the roadster shop. My chassis will not fit another C1 Corvette. My chassis is basically built
7:34
to the floors that we modified by moving the two frame rails inward towards the fixed drive line because it is independent rear suspension. We moved
7:41
the outer frame rails out into the rocker area and that allowed us to drop the seats down 4 in. With the stock
7:46
wheelbase, we pulled the cabin back and because it's tubbed all the way up to the top of the body for the back wheels,
7:52
there's nowhere to put a convertible top to fold down into the boot. So, we got rid of the boot and basically open that up for electronics with the stereo
7:58
system, the push button E brake, the batteries located behind the seats. And what this has done is allowed us to
8:03
basically get another 4 in of stretch, 4 in of length to the back, 4 in down between the frame rails on the new floor
8:10
section, and then we also kicked the toeboard forward 2 in. Wow. So, with all of those movements and
8:15
then of course chopping the windshield down about three inches, which is kind of seems silly when you're trying to set somebody down into a car that's already
8:21
challenging, but we wanted that style, too. You know, we wanted it smooth and sleek and it really worked out.
8:26
And speaking of windshields, everything else on the car is custom built like the headlights, the tail lights, the
8:31
bumpers, even the windshield is custom built, isn't it? Yeah. So, we actually have a foundry here in Utah. State Foundry is the
8:37
company. We've been using them for years. We basically 3D printed our patterns after designing them on Solid
8:42
Works and we used our Stratus MC450 and basically printed all of the patterns. We basically have treated those. They're
8:49
all set up to where they can be sandcasted and we basically take them out to the foundry. They make us four or five windshields at a time, the
8:56
headlight rings, the bumperetses, all of the cove trim all the way around the windows, the windshield frame.
9:01
Basically, in a nutshell, between the body and everything else on that car, the headlights, tail lights, everything,
9:06
there's literally four pieces that are for a reproduction or an original 53 or C1 Corvette. And that is the glove box
9:13
door, the grill surround, which we modify heavily, which is just an aftermarket grill surround you can pretty much buy from any supplier. And
9:20
then also the bezel around the speedo and the bezel around the passenger side of the dash trim where the little speaker pieces. Everything else entirely
9:27
on that car is handbuilt. That's amazing. Now each owner gets to pick his body color and you mix that
9:32
personally there at Kinda Designs and they pick their interior which is done by Justin at JS Custom Interiors. Isn't
9:38
that right? Yeah. It's a huge advantage. So the Hot Rod Shop here, we were basically a full turnkey shop. We've got the dyno here.
9:44
We do electronics, the body, the paint, the assembly, the preassembly, all of the fabrication for the exhaust systems.
9:49
Each one of those cars is hand fit. And a real advantage is having the upholstery shop here. And Justin and I,
9:54
I think our first job together was 28 or 29 years ago. So, we've known each other longer than we've actually been in
9:59
business. Wow. And so, the ability to communicate back and forth, be creative, and to put stuff
10:05
together and how well we work together. It's just a great friendship. And certainly, he's a talent beyond. Yeah. What that advantage is for me is that I
10:11
can do a rendering and I can develop colors based on the thousands of swatches of leather that he has the
10:17
samples over there. And then, of course, I'm very passionate about designing colors for each of these cars and making sure that they're all unique. And I love
10:24
designing colors. I'm part of Sickens, which is where my modern classic paint line comes, which is part of the big
10:29
family of Axon Nobel. Basically, yeah, we build all of the colors up. We basically'll formulate them and then
10:35
they're also available later on for other customers to be able to use those cars, but these guys are getting the first issues. And that's what I'm so
10:41
passionate about is designing something that won't be like any other CF1 or any other car. That's fantastic. Yeah, I love it. And
10:47
talk to me about the engine because the engine is built by your friend in mind, Ken Langenfelter. Oh, Ken's a sweetheart, isn't he? Oh my
10:54
gosh. He's actually been a huge part of my success with the CF1s. As a matter of fact, not only has he built the engines,
11:00
but years and years ago, he introduced me to Doug Graph, which was CRC Corvettes, and that's who's building the
11:06
bodies. But back to the engines, Ken builds not just the engines for the CF1s, but he builds most all of the
11:11
engines that you see in all of my builds because he knows how to put something together that's going to last. Oh, yeah. It has a great heritage. They treat us
11:17
well. They're quick to get the stuff done. I always want to be able to rely on my suppliers and Ling and Puffer
11:24
Performance has always been their number one. Definitely. Well, buddy, let's take our first break. When we come back, we're going to talk about the build process
11:30
for the CF1s. Dave Kig is back on Corvette today. That's coming up next. We all know that wheels make the car.
11:36
Wheelcraft's PVD chrome finish in bright chrome or black chrome will take your Corvette to new levels, and it comes
11:42
with a 5-year warranty. Durability is defining feature of the Wheelcraft finish. Their PBD chrome is superior to
11:49
traditional chrome with a finish that is brake dust resistant and cleans effortlessly with soap and water. Wheelcraft offers factory wheel exchange
11:56
for select C4 through C8 models. Or they can apply the PVD finish to your current wheels. No matter what generation you
12:02
own, Wheelcraft will transform the look of your Corvette. With every Corvette comes a unique story, and Wheelcraft has
12:08
embraced his idea. When you purchase your new set of wheels, you receive a lifetime membership to the Wheelcraft pit crew, granting you access to your
12:15
own page on Wheelcraft's website, where you can post pictures and tell your Corvette story. Visit our website at
12:21
wheelcraft.com or call 833639-4231. Arrive in style with Wheelcraft. Hey
12:28
honey, are you awake? M I am now. I can't sleep. Since turning 50, I keep
12:34
dreaming of a red door and a blue door. Somehow knowing there are only choices for retirement.
12:39
Okay. Through the red door, we outlive our money. We have to rely on our kids. We're stuck on a fixed income. It's
12:45
terrifying. Yeah, that would suck. But through the blue door, our money outlives us. We retire on our terms. Our
12:52
kids stay our kids, not our caretakers. We make work optional. Yes, that's much better. That's what I
12:58
want, too. But what do we do? We call True Wealth and Company at 913-6538783.
13:05
They specialize in helping successful people make work optional. They're our fiduciary blue door personal wealth
13:10
managers. Hey, where are you going? It's 3:00 a.m. I can't sleep. I'm going to check out
13:15
True Wealth & Company online at retirewithtr.com. That blue door is going to be our retirement.
13:20
9136538783. Visit us online at retirewithtr.com. Investment advice offer through company
13:26
LLC, a registered investment adviser in the state of Kansas. Rev up your ride with the ultimate upgrade. The Radiator Grill Store is
13:33
your go-to destination for top-notch C8 Corvette Stingray, Z06, and -ray
13:39
accessories. Elevate your style with custom painted engine bay covers, sleek front splitters, and side skirts that
13:46
scream sophistication. Keep your C8 protected with premium radiator grill
13:51
screens. Stand out from the crowd at car shows and beyond. Use code CT10 for an
13:57
exclusive 10% discount off your total purchase at radiatorstore.com.
14:02
Don't miss out on turning heads. Upgrade your Corvette today.
14:08
You're listening and watching Corvette Today with Steve Garrett. Thanks for checking out Corvette Today
14:14
on podcast and YouTube. It's the only current podcast dedicated to Corvette. Corvette Today is brought to you by
14:20
Wheelcraft. You want your Corvette looking its best, don't you? will dress it up with bright chrome or black chrome
14:25
wheels. Visit wheelcraft.com and learn about their advanced PVD chrome finishing. They can refinish your wheels
14:31
or do a wheel exchange and you get a 5-year warranty, too. So, visit wheelcraft.com today or give them a call
14:38
833-639-4231. I'm your host, Steve Garrett. With me is
14:43
the world famous Dave Kindig from and Rides on Motor Trend TV. We are talking about the CF1 roadsters. In the
14:50
second segment, we're going to talk about the build process. Dave, each one of these CF1s are one-offs. That means
14:56
no two cars will ever be alike. Isn't that correct? Yeah. I mean, I really try and strive to
15:01
make sure that each car has a unique theme and color combination so that it's unmistakable. I don't want number one's
15:07
car getting confused with number 45. You know, I want each one of them to be able to stand alone and have something that
15:14
is very close to the owner's heart. And certainly working with the clients, I've had so much fun being able to be
15:19
creative, coming up with interior, exterior combinations that the colors will stand out, look very unique, very
15:25
high-end, and be timeless. Yeah. And of course, that goes beyond just the color combinations from interior
15:31
exterior paint and upholstery. I do a lot of first issue or one-off wheels. I've done some different patterns for
15:37
the interiors, different colors of gauge faces. The options are endless. But the idea was is to build something that
15:43
could be obtained very quickly in comparison to a full resto mod build of any kind. I like to make my cars what I
15:50
call valet proof where anybody can get in the car and not screw it up by starting it and moving it. You know, I want people to be able to drive these
15:55
cars and enjoy them. Originally, Dave, all the bodies were done in carbon fiber inhouse, weren't
16:00
they? Are they still done in carbon fiber? Yeah, so they are all in carbon fiber and actually they're built actually in
16:06
Tacoma, Washington at Doug Graph's place. Okay. Okay, that's our manufacturer for the bodies. He does a wonderful job.
16:11
He's got some wonderful guys up there working for him, you know, improving. As we move along, we find a little bit of
16:17
weaknesses here and there in the molds and we were able to remanufacture those or do the repairs and keep the production moving along. So, I literally
16:23
get a body every 5 to 6 weeks. Wow, that's pretty cool. Now, when a customer commits to buying a CF1, walk
16:29
me through the whole process. What happens after that? So basically once somebody wants to purchase one of the
16:35
CF1s, we get a deposit that locks up the number in their name. Once we get close to starting to buy a chassis, the body,
16:41
the engines, that kind of stuff, we'll get another deposit. And typically by then, we've already kind of gone through and started talking about what color
16:47
combination we want to do, presenting ideas. You know, within 5 minutes of talking to somebody, typically I'm
16:52
driving that car in my mind up and down the street. I know exactly what it looks like with the wheels, the stance, the
16:58
colors. So I get very passionate about that. We've actually done so much improvements on these cars since the
17:04
first couple that were done. You know, being able to streamline and increase the productivity on these cars. My goal
17:09
this year is to finish 12 of those vehicles. Wow. By being able to do that, we basically get somebody signed up for that car. We
17:15
know exactly what colors we're doing it. We have all of the parts basically sitting on their shelf ready to go. And as we get it through about half the
17:21
build, we take another deposit. The third deposit is typically when the car is in assembly. And the last deposits
17:26
when they give me the thumbs up, they've drove the car, they love it, and I set up shipping or take it to them myself. Wow, that's pretty cool. Now, once
17:33
everything has all been decided, how long does it usually take for a CF1 to be built? That's the beauty of it. Uninterrupted
17:39
is about three and a half months. Wow, that's not bad. I was thinking you were going to say eight or nine months. It's awesome.
17:46
No, an average build for like a resto mod, I'm doing a 58 resto mod right now on an Art Morrison frame with a
17:51
Linganfelter Eliminator 427 as well. And that car in particular, it'll take about a year. That's our average build time is
17:58
about 12 months. Maybe sometimes if they're a little bit more crazy like Kevin Hart's Challenger, you might be sitting 13, 14 months. But we want to
18:04
make sure that we're building in the quality of a car that not only looks good in a car collection, but is the one car you'd pull out of there and take it
18:10
for a ride and go and enjoy it. So again, we're just really trying to make sure that we're taking care of the customer and giving them everything they
18:16
want and then some. Fantastic. Well, buddy, let's take our final break. When we come back, we're going to talk about some of the extra
18:22
stuff that comes with the CF Roadster. That's coming up next with Dave Kig here on Corvette Today.
18:29
Are you ready for a better insurance policy without the Corvette tax? With agreed value protection, the value of
18:35
your collector vehicle will never change. Plus, you'll save money. Get a quick quote at ncm insurance.com.
18:42
The National Corvette Restore Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. 50 years of affirming and
18:49
promoting the preservation and restoration of the Corvette. 50 years as the foremost Corvette collector car
18:55
organization for building value with its prestigious awards. Have you ever considered joining NCS? Over 70,000
19:02
people have. We're so much more than just the nuts and bolts. The NCRS flight judging program can and often does
19:08
increase the value of American sports car by researching and publishing the leading tech manuals and judging guides
19:14
for the 1953 through 2007 Corvettes by training the best judges and by hosting
19:19
local, regional, and national judging events. And when you join, you'll get award-winning magazines like Corvette
19:25
Restore and Driveline all throughout the year. Joining is simple and easy. Just go to ncrs.org
19:32
and sign up. There are NCRS chapters all throughout the US and all around the world. Chances are there's a local
19:37
chapter near you. So join NCS today at ncs.org.
19:42
We come for the Corvettes. We stay for the friendships made along the way. When you want to buy a Corvette or any
19:48
Chevrolet for that matter, get yours from Hendrick Chevrolet Shauny Mission located in Kansas City. Hendrick
19:53
Chevrolet is the largest Corvette dealership and showroom in the Midwest. With a knowledgeable sales staff and
19:58
Corvette sales specialists on hand, they'll help you build the Corvette of your dreams. And they ship nationwide.
20:04
With Corvette certified master mechanics on site and a huge parts department with over $24,000 parts and $2 million in
20:11
inventory, Hendrickk Chevrolet is well equipped to take care of your every need. From sales to service to collision
20:17
repair, Hendrickk Chevrolet has you covered. Visit chevyusa.com or call 913-3841550.
20:24
Vetfinders.com is the internet's original Corvette classified ads website with classified ads starting at just
20:31
$25. And every ad runs until your Corvette is sold. If you're in the
20:36
market for a Corvette, vetfinders.com has over 500 Corvettes for sale from all around the USA and Canada and covering
20:43
all eight generations. Visit vetfinders.com, the internet's destination for buying and selling
20:49
Corvettes. That's vefinders.com.
20:54
[Music] And now back to Corvette Today with your host and my husband, Steve Garrett.
21:03
Thanks again for listening and watching Corvette Today, the show that talks about everything Corvette. Corvette
21:08
Today is brought to you by Wheelcraft. You want your Corvette looking its best. We'll dress it up with bright chrome or
21:14
black chrome wheels. Visit wheelcraft.com and learn about their advanced PVD chrome finishing. They can
21:19
refinish your wheels or do a wheel exchange. And you get a 5-year warranty, too. So, visit wheelcraft.com today or
21:26
give him a call 833-639-4231. I'm your host, Steve Garrett. With me is
21:32
Dave Kick from and Rides. We are talking about the CF1 Corvettes that he is building that are just absolutely
21:38
fantastic. Dave, let's talk more about the CF1 here. Yes. What else comes with the car when you
21:44
buy a Roadster? Well, you know, when you buy one of the CF1 Roadsters, all of the cars come with a built-in CEKC 2 amp
21:51
trickle charger. I think it's always important to be able to make sure that the car's battery is up. So, when you get that that little sparkle in your eye
21:56
to pull the car out and go use it, which hopefully they do a lot, the car's got a battery that actually is not need to be
22:02
jumped. I think that's very important. Another thing that we do is we've had a great experience with California car cover. Every one of these cars come with
22:09
one of their car covers. It's the beautiful black. It's almost like a t-shirt material. Wow. Does not scratch our finishes. our cars
22:15
get finished out. Most all of them have left here with PPF on the lower edges, the backside of the wheel wells, as well
22:20
as a full ceramic coating over the whole car. We just want to make sure that people are able to get in the car, not have to clean it and polish it all the
22:26
time because it's fragile. The bottom of the cars are literally done with the thought of being able to show it off to your friends in your car collection if
22:33
it's up on a lift, but more importantly, be able to drive it and not have to go back and repaint half of the car after you touched it. Mhm.
22:38
The cars have a German rocker shoots on the bottom of the car, powder coated chassis, full stainless polished exhaust, full polished stainless brake
22:45
lines and fuel lines. Suspension's all detailed and painted. A lot of people, unless you've seen one of these cars in
22:50
person, they don't realize how much work's actually gone into these. There's not a piece of cast aluminum or steel on
22:56
this car that's not been deburred and polished down before painted. So, every part of this car is detailed as if it's a show car, but it truly is meant to be
23:03
driven. That's cool. These CF1s have been all over the place. You've had them at SEMA, at Barrett Jackson. Where else have
23:09
these cars been showcased? Oh jeez. They've been at multiple shows, both indooroutdoors. I've actually got
23:14
one on tour right now, number six, which is the first Cabriolet, which is our second body style. Basically, I mean,
23:19
they've been at Barrett Jackson. They've been at Mikum. They've been at Ottoas, World of Wheels, and you name it. Good
23:25
guys shows, they've been everywhere. Wow. They've been wellreceived. They're just, like I say, when you see one of these
23:30
driving through the show grounds or down the road, it is awe inspiring. I mean, it literally will stop you in your tracks. If you don't know what you're
23:35
looking at, you're like, "Wow, what is that?" Oh, yeah. As a matter of fact, that's exactly what I did. I was at Mikum CMI
23:42
last year and saw one of the CF1s. Talk to me more about that one. That was a really cool spec.
23:47
So, that was number five, and I built that for some very good friends, Don and Terry, which were going to build some more cars. They were actually investing
23:53
in some big commercial properties, and so they unloaded a couple of the cars out of their collection. That one in particular, they was like, "You know
23:58
what? We want to do a Cabriolet next." So, the Roadster went up on the chopping block. I was very happy with the results. That was in January of 24.
24:05
Number five, you ready for this? Broke the bank at $770,000, which is considerably more than what I
24:11
sold the car for. Wow, that's amazing. Yeah, we were very happy with that. You own one of them, don't you?
24:17
Yeah. So, I've got number three. And number three, you know, I won't sell somebody if it's not proven to work. And
24:23
so, number three, you might have seen the episode. I actually, and some people probably have a different opinion of this, but I don't really care. And that
24:29
is that I did mine electric. I did it with two firepower 301 motors from Switzerland. Wow.
24:34
These are basically the motors they put in the Formula E race cars. I put two of those on a billet aluminum 5.5 to1 gear
24:40
ratio box in place of the rear center section. This is an 800 volt 60 kW hours. It is putting out 580 horsepower
24:47
but turned all the way up is 3650T-lbs of torque. Wow. And it was the torque that I was all
24:53
about. It will darn near stop your heart if it hooked up as well as it could. Man, I'd love to get in that off the
24:58
line, buddy. That would be awesome. It's crazy this car. So, it's funny is I actually
25:04
ran it down at Chandler, Arizona, Bradford Racing School the beginning of last year doing test and tune. I did
25:09
about 60 maybe 70 laps and by the time I got done I got out and my hands were shaking and Ryan that was on the
25:15
computer doing the parameters and stuff. He goes, "What do you think?" And I was like, "As fast as I ever wanted to go, man." Cuz I'm race car trained. I've run
25:20
my Ferrari. I've run Ford Racing School. I've done a lot of tracking. Yeah. And I I was like, "Man, adrenaline
25:25
messes me up." He goes, "I got a confession." I said, "What's that?" He says, "I only had you up to 38%." Oh my gosh, that's amazing.
25:32
And I was like, "Oh, baby." We're finishing up the actual retail package on these things and trying to figure out
25:38
if I'm going to continue to offer them in an electric version. Like I say, I've had great success with this one. We just
25:43
got to make sure that the nuts and bolts and the timing and everything else is a smart move for me as far as a business. Yeah. But yeah, that's number three. And if it
25:50
doesn't work, I can always put it back to a V8. Yeah, that's true. So, where are some of the others? What have been some of your favorite builds for these CF1s?
25:56
Oh, every single one of them. I mean, do you have kids? Which kids your favorite? Exactly. Exactly.
26:01
You know what's so funny is every time I finish one, it's going to be my next favorite. Number 16 is going to be a beautiful car. I've sold 29 of these so
26:08
far. Wow. We have number 17, number 18 are in full production in the body shop right now. In fact, 17 just came out of the body
26:13
shop and it's going over for assembly. We're picking up the chassis this weekend out of Southern California where I have the chassis powder coated by one
26:19
of the best powder coers in the business. Basically, that car will go together. We'll have it together in about a month and a half. And number 17
26:25
will be finishing out well before SEMA. Number 18 is actually the second car for the same couple. So it's a his and hers
26:31
team, both Cabriolets. Wow. Which is the second body style. There's two different body styles right now. There's the Roadster which has no
26:37
exterior door handles, no wipers. Basically no windows on the sides, no top. And that is the fulltime roadsters.
26:43
The second version is the cabriolets which have a liftoff carbon fiber top which is cloth covered. Has an Alcantara
26:48
headliner on the inside and chrome riddle around the perimeter. It's got a little taller windshield. It has side glass, door handles, wipers, and
26:54
defrost. That's the second body style. Those are the Chevrolets. And then the third body style is actually, you ready
26:59
for this? I'm going to give you guys the sneak peek. Don't tell anybody I told you. It is a Nomad wagon version.
27:05
Wow, that sounds amazing. So, it will not have a tailgate. Yeah, it's going to be a beautiful car. I've
27:10
done some renderings. I've got a couple of them already likely sold that'll change from either Cabriolets or Roadsters to the wagon. And then one
27:17
last little spoiler here. I'm going to do a version of a fastback. Wow, that sounds fantastic. And a little
27:24
bit off the beaten path here, I've got to congratulate you. You have won the Nobel Prize of Hot Rodding. You won the
27:30
Riddler Award. Talk to me about the award and the car that won that award. Oh, thank you, Steve. Yeah, so that is
27:36
actually it's a great story. So, I met a gentleman by the name of Dave Maxwell, and Dave wanted me to build him a car to
27:42
compete at Detroit Autoama and compete for the Riddler. I said, "Man, I'd be honored." cuz you know I've been in the
27:47
business at that time about a little over 20 years and I've never had the opportunity to build a car. I've designed a couple that have been great
27:53
eights for other companies but over the last decade I've stopped designing for anybody else. It's just been me because we're so busy. Yeah.
27:59
I said cool. What kind of car do you want to build? He goes I have no idea. I was like okay. He says I'm sure you got
28:05
some ideas. Well, it just so happened I was in the midst of designing up the CF1s. We were already working on the molds and the plug car. And I had some
28:11
of the renderings basically of like what if we did a wagon version? What if we did a fastback? And so I'd already been
28:16
kind of playing around with some ideas. So I went in and did this rendering and I took it back to him a couple weeks later because I was doing appearances at the World of Wheels shows and so forth
28:23
in Pittsburgh and Chicago. And I showed it to him. He goes, "Man, this is really cool. Dave, do you think a fiberglass car can win the Riddler, though?" I
28:29
said, "Well, I'm not going to build it out of fiberglass. I'm going to build it all out of aluminum." And he says, "Okay."
28:36
He basically gave me the go-ahhead to build whatever I want and make sure that we felt good about going to the very top
28:41
and checking off every box. So literally we built the entire car out of flat sheets of 4x10 aluminum.
28:47
Wow. We built a monocco. We ended up not putting a chassis under the car. We actually ended up building it into a
28:52
unibody. Wow. Which basically the skin on the outside, the skin on the bottom side, and it's sandwiched between 3/8 aluminum, what
28:59
they call a monco. Mhm. And that basically uses the backbone of the V12 LS based V12 out of
29:05
Australia that we put in there that we took all of the webbing off the side of the block when we designed the castings
29:11
with Racecraft out of Australia. Wow. The suspension is all based on the new F1 and Indie car suspension. It's a
29:17
single lateral coilover. Okay. Both front and rear. The rear one's actually in the rear luggage and the front one's in the nose cone in front of
29:23
the V12. There is no accessory drive. It's in the bell housing. The suspension's mounted off of the oil pan
29:29
and off of the nose cone in the front, man. And it is just incredible the amount of work and time that my guys put in over a
29:35
four and a half year period. And the people we worked with to build this car, the only thing that looks like it came out of the box and went in that car is
29:41
the computer system that's under the dash to run the engine. Wow. So, it's all CAN bus and that literally
29:46
is the only thing that looks like it came out of the box. So, everything else is custom built. So cool. That is so cool. Buddy, thank
29:52
you so much for taking the time to be back on Corvette today. Let's not make it three years from the next one, okay?
29:59
Absolutely not. I look forward to the next time. And congratulations, Steve. You do a wonderful job doing what you're doing, and I hope you're living your
30:05
dream like I am. Thanks again for listening and watching Corvette Today. And be sure to tell your family, friends, and other Corvette
30:11
enthusiasts about the Corvette Today Show. And thanks to our sponsors, Wheelcraft. Want to dress up your
30:16
Corvette with bright chrome or black chrome wheels? Visit wheelcraft.com to learn about their advanced PVD chrome
30:22
finishing. They can refinish your wheels or offer a wheel exchange for most models and it comes with a 5-year
30:27
warranty. Visit wheelcraft.com today or call 833639-4231.
30:34
Soul performance products at sulp.com. The official performance exhaust of
30:39
Corvette today. Seioa Corvette at ciocorvette.com.
30:44
E5 wheels at e5wheels.com. True company at retirewithtr.com.
30:51
Also, Aerolari wheels. Get $100 off your purchase with the new promo code CT111
30:56
at aerolari.com. And Hendrick Chevrolet in Kansas City at cheviusa.com.
31:03
Thanks for checking out Corvette Today on podcast and YouTube. If you'd like to contact Steve with ideas for Corvette
31:10
today, you can email him at stevegared djgmail.com. Garrett has two Rs and two T's. That's
31:17
stevegared djgmail.com. Also, sign up for email notifications at
31:23
corvettetoday. CK.page. Follow Steve and the show on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,
31:31
LinkedIn, and threads at Steve Garrett DJ. Thanks again for listening and
31:36
watching Corvette Today. [Music]
#Classic Vehicles
#Custom & Performance Vehicles
#Online Media