(Words and photos by Kaleb Kelley) – Most of you have heard of the RideTech 48-Hour Camaro that RideTech Suspension built back in 2011. They took a restored 1967 Camaro and made it a completely road capable road and track monster. The car has done well for them in racing events all around the country and has definitely created quite the buzz. Now that they’ve released new suspension systems for Corvettes, they decided to do another 48-hour build to show off those new parts. Let me introduce you to the 48-hour Corvette.

Now saying you will build a stock car into a race car in a few days is one thing, but what does it really take to do that? Thankfully, RideTech has provided a full recipe book of specs on their website that lists everything that has gone into this car. It is still hard to imagine that large of a transformation in that short of a time, but RideTech has now done it twice.

For the Camaro build, they went with a Lingenfelter LS3, but this time they’ve stepped up to the bad boy LS7. The LS7 is one of my favorite of GM’s LS-series because of its fat torque curve and the 7,100rpm redline from GM. The stock LS7 only managed 500hp, but Lingenfelter’s built 427 pushes a monstrous 630 horsepower and 570 lb-ft of torque. They’ve done this by upgrading nearly everything internally, CNC ported and polished heads, bumped the compression up half a point, and the list goes on. This motor is no joke, but I guess that’s why it costs 21 grand. RideTech decided to go to Holley for the engine management with their Holley EFI Dominator ECU, harnesses, and sensors. They also installed MSD’s Atomic Air Force intake which looks pretty killer and is supposed to make some substantial power gains.

A strong engine is nothing without a proper drivetrain. Bowler Transmissions supplied the 6-speed manual for this application. Specifically, it is their Stage II Prepped T-56 Magnum which seems to be a popular choice in the world of ProTouring. Centerforce provided their DYAD clutch set which is a multi-disc design that is supposed to engage incredibly smooth.

The rear end situation is a combo of factory parts and beefed aftermarket components. Using a stock center section, posi unit, and 3.55 gears,  the crew added Tom’s billet inner and outer stubs along with Dynotech half-shafts.

Of course RideTech is all about the suspension, so they went with their Stage 3 coilover system for their halo car. This includes their tubular strong arms, new spindles, new steering arms, new steering linkage and their coilovers in the front. When you move to the back they have their custom trailing arms, repositioned camber links, coilovers and more. The whole setup is pretty sweet from the look of it, but I cannot wait to see it really work. Be sure to go to their website to see more details.

Making the car corner is only half the battle. Proper stopping power is a huge part of laying down winning lap times. The Corvettes brakes are made by Baer brakes and look as good as they work. The rotors are 13-inches in diameter and are 2-piece, drilled, slotted, and zinc-plated in both the front and the rear. The calipers are the top of the line 6P 6-piston weather & dust sealed unit. This is called their 13” Pro+ system which is specifically made for RideTech’s TruTurn system.

Wheels can change the entire look of a car, but they’re also important in racing because a good lightweight wheel can reduce your unsprung weight. There are a few companies out there making lightweight forged wheels similar to this right now, but Forgeline got into the game early and have been cornering the market ever since. The 48-Hour has wide 18×10 wheels on all four corners in Forgeline’s GT3C concave style. The jealousy many of you may feel for the ability to fit this wide of a wheel may be building up now, but just wait. Thanks to these wide wheels, they’re fitting 315/30R18 Falken Azenis RT615K tires all around. I know the struggle of being able to fit a wide enough tire in the wheel wells of a classic car, but thankfully the C3 fits plenty wheel and tire with RideTech’s suspension.

All of those wheels, tires, and great components cannot work to their potential unless the car is aligned properly and for this build the crew used the versatile and amazingly budget minded QuickTrick alignment system. Designed for the enthusiast and home wrench in mind, this is a unique device that allows you to accurately set all of the specific alignment aspects of your car with incredible accuracy. You can literally use this thing in your home shop, at the track, or wherever else you want. The QuickTrick system has really become an invaluable piece in the toolboxes of many pro touring enthusiasts.

The interior is more finished than I was expecting before I saw it. I was expecting wires laying everywhere and pieces hardly attached, but there was none of that. One of my favorite parts of the interior is the set of Kirkey race seats with RideTech’s logo embossed in the center. It is the little things that really give a car its character.

Racepak supplied the data recorder and all of that good stuff, but Classic Instruments stepped up with a set of one-off custom gauges for this car. They carry into the center console to give you every reading you would need when taking a car to its limits. The 48-Hour theme goes throughout the car will you will see the logo on the Momo steering wheel, dash, etc.

Not only is this a relatively bare bones look of the car should not fool you. This ride has everything you would want to cruise around in it. It has a sound system from Kicker Audio with their Hideaway sub and small 4×6 coaxial speakers hooked to the portable Bluetooth amp. Right above the Kicker controller, you’ll see a simple Vintage Air controller for the ice cold A/C that is just a twist of a knob away.

Unique touches are what makes a car special and RideTech has definitely made sure this car is special. My two favorite pieces on the car are the black side vents the killer racecar inspired headlights. Not only do they look good, but they have a set of projectors inside that will light up your world.

I could just go on and on about how much I like that car the more that I look at it, but I’ll let the pictures do the talking. Look for the RideTech 48-Hour Corvette at an event near you! Also check out the blog for the car at 48HourCorvette.com and my website ClassicsDaily.net