Killer Corvette: Paul Gragg’s Supercharged 1964 Pro Street Corvette

A project car can have a solid plan, but one decision can take it in a totally new direction and make it something special. Paul Gragg had intentions of turning his 1964 Corvette into a race car when he started the build, but the final product is so much more. Gragg’s Corvette tuned into a wild Pro Street car that’s equal parts show and go.

Gragg’s build started with an original 1964 Corvette, so this isn’t a rack of tubes that had an aftermarket fiberglass body hung on it. The Corvette’s body has been stretched seven inches in the front, and five inches in the rear. The door handles have been shaved and replaced with electric power latches. Gragg also removed the vent windows and replaced them with a one-piece power slide unit on each side. The House of Kolor black paint was shot by Gragg himself at his home shop.

“I like Pro Street cars, so it was a no-brainer to build the car this way. I thought it would be more fun to have a car that I could drive on the street, versus just having an all-out race car. The engine was designed to run on pump gas and we used a twin disk clutch in the Lenco to make it easier to drive,” Gragg explains.

The first thing you notice about the Corvette is the 632 cubic-inch Dart-based engine that’s under the hood. The Dart block is topped off with a set of Dart Big M 410 cylinder heads, a Hogan’s Racing Manifolds sheet metal intake, and a billet 14-71 BDS supercharger. This combo makes an estimated 1,750 horsepower, but that wasn’t enough for Gragg, so he added a 500-horsepower nitrous system for good measure. A Holleyhttps://www.holley.com/ EFI system controls the engine.

 

The big rat motor is backed by a Lenco ST1200 four-speed transmission and Mark Williams 9” fabricated rearend that’s filled with 4.10 gears. A custom 4-link rear suspension was implemented to work with the chromoly tube chassis. The Corvette rides on a set of WELD wheels and is brought to a stop by Wilwood brakes.

“My favorite part of the car is the engine and transmission. It’s cool to have a car like this that’s such a good driver. We drive it to local car shows every weekend and cruise-ins as well. It was never intended to be an ISCA finalist, but somehow, we made it. It drives like a go-kart, but has good manners on the street. It’s pretty touchy to drive with that much power, it will smoke the tires in any gear,” Gragg states.

Paul Gragg’s Corvette is everything a Pro Street car should be and so much more. The car’s in-your-face engine, body modifications, and drivability are cool, but the fact that Gragg built almost the entire car himself makes it that much better.

About the author

Brian Wagner

Spending his childhood at different race tracks around Ohio with his family’s 1967 Nova, Brian developed a true love for drag racing. Brian enjoys anything loud, fast, and fun.
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