Found this while poking around the LS1 sight. Looks like a neat build, he's paying attention to the chassis very closely. Also had some articles about past GM Beretta concepts that were pretty cool.
https://ls1tech.com/forums/conversions-hybrids/1802676-chevy-beretta-ls1-t56-build-5.html
I'm always fascinated by the projects that people with no welding skills will take on.
I think I'd scope out an FJ Smith car before I tried this. I've thought about a Warren Johnson look Cutlass Supreme version of this for quite a while.
Streetwiseguy said:I've thought about a Warren Johnson look Cutlass Supreme version of this for quite a while.
Those were great looking cars!
Just stumbled on this while I was updating my thread the other day. Thats my build. Thanks for sharing!
All the mockup/bracing is getting cut out. Hoping to have a frame in it this winter if all goes well!
Ps, Im always fascinated by how quick people are to talk sh%€. I was actually Icar certified about 10 years ago. The mockup stages were done outside, with a 75' extension cord attached to a little lincoln 140c, with not enough metal prep. Thats all the heat it had. And it worked just fine for that application. Its a little different now that its in my garage. But thats ok.
I approve this build. I approve it good and hard.
Back when i used to hang out at the dragstrip (late 90s early 2000s) there were a lot of rwd small block berettas. Is there something about the chassis that makes it a good option, or is it just because they were a cheap light available 2 door gm?
BerettaLS said:Just stumbled on this while I was updating my thread the other day. Thats my build. Thanks for sharing!
All the mockup/bracing is getting cut out. Hoping to have a frame in it this winter if all goes well!
Ps, Im always fascinated by how quick people are to talk sh%€. I was actually Icar certified about 10 years ago. The mockup stages were done outside, with a 75' extension cord attached to a little lincoln 140c, with not enough metal prep. Thats all the heat it had. And it worked just fine for that application. Its a little different now that its in my garage. But thats ok.
Back about 12-15 years ago there was a guy putting an ls1 with c5 torque tube in a beretta, think on that forum he was norm88gt. He was local and it was neat but he got a ctsv and bailed on the beretta.
In reply to gearheadmb :
Believe it or not you could get full fiberglass beretta bodies back when, so those were popular to drape on a tube chassis.
I think light might be overselling it. I think it's just because it was always a cool shape that teased of untold 'coulda beens' and some people couldn't let it go and made it happen themselves. I still think they look cool.
Thanks! Its a fun project! They actually weigh about 2800/2900 on average. Im not sure why people choose them for drag cars. They were really aerodynamic for the time tho. I have seen quite a few home build drag cars online built from a steel car too. Back when I drag raced all the time, I actually saw a fiberglass drag beretta.. and years later I found out it was my friends dads car lol. They do still make fiberglass drag bodies and parts. I actually hated the body style of berettas when I got my first one. Now, I absolutely love them. Funny how that works..
Few years after that, I was at a historic race even with a local club I was involved with, we were doing auto cross in the parking lot and the historic race cars were on the real track. Happen to be an imsa beretta gtu racing, one of the slowest cars.. but still cool. Got to talk with the owner and sit in it. It was all fiberglass but the roof.
And Norm! I remember that car. Word really does get around! Its a small world. I wish he would have finished it. Turned it into a modern imsa style build with a wide body at worst case.. but he had his reasons to go another direction I guess. would have been way cool tho! If I ever do another crazy build like this, Id do something that requires a widebody I think. I have a soft spot for time attack cars.. A street rod shop I worked at we did the same, using a waldorf nomad body we built, shortened the tube and narrowed the c5 frame to make it work. A widebody waldorf nomad is what we should have done.. haha.
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