Anyone following the C8 -> C2 conversion on YouTube?

I'm not sure what to think. Guy got a C8, decided to put a C2 body kit on it.
Link to vid

Apparently he was kind of hedging his bets about making cuts, but then he got his other C8 so he's going for it now.

This is all happening in his driveway. 

And there's more!   Other cars at 5:41....
 

Well, it's worse than I expected. And that's saying something. 
 

Mid engine, mid wheel sports car

Looks like some real top notch fabrication!

I'm all for spending my kids' inheritance on a car, but that would just piss them off that I did.

Maybe he'll pull it all together in the end, but it certainly looks a mess now.

Is he having fun?  Good for him!

This is amusing. 
 

Well considering that the C8 looks like it was designed by 20 designers with each working on 20 different parts of the car without ever noticing what the others were doing with another 20 junior execs breathing over their shoulders, if he can blend it all in, it will be a big improvement. The C8 is over stylized and there is such a thing as too many lines. The thing looks like a Transformer.

In reply to Indy - Guy :

Right. Some of his other stuff looks decent from 20 feet, at least. 

And I am not one to knock someone who is getting out there and trying something, but man, I just don't see how he's going to pull it off to make it look good. Here's hoping. 

This is dumb. I'd rather see an attempt to recreate one of the XP mid engine show cars that heralded the coming of the mid-engine Corvette. Why must people try to graft the old into the new? Corvettes are forward looking cars in both design and execution. Sure some designs stayed around a while (looking at you C3), but that was more a matter of finances and budget constraints in the era of emissions legislation than anything else. This is no better than the guys, and it's always guys, putting C1 bodies on C5s.

And I know where I come from. My background is in art and my senior thesis was a critique of 100 years of American automotive styling.

I wish he'd put a 69/70/71 body on a 78/79/80 car...

stroker said:

I wish he'd put a 69/70/71 body on a 78/79/80 car...

I always thought that would be easy and a great project to backdate a disco era Vette into a better looking chrome bumper.  According to thecorvetteben on YouTube though, it's not that easy.  I trust his judgment since he's pulled apart and stitched together dozens of C3's.

Well... I watched part of one episode.  It's his car and he's free to do whatever he wants with it. But I don't feel compelled to watch him do it.

A 401 CJ said:

stroker said:

I wish he'd put a 69/70/71 body on a 78/79/80 car...

I always thought that would be easy and a great project to backdate a disco era Vette into a better looking chrome bumper.  According to thecorvetteben on YouTube though, it's not that easy.  I trust his judgment since he's pulled apart and stitched together dozens of C3's.

Hot Rod Garage did it, I believe.

Well I can use that when I over eat and need to vomit.

That is HORRIBLE, car selection, execution, everything. I have so many questions about how he has the cash to get the cars, the cash to modify them and such little skill.   

vwcorvette (Forum Supporter) said: This is no better than the guys, and it's always guys, putting C1 bodies on C5s.

And I know where I come from. My background is in art and my senior thesis was a critique of 100 years of American automotive styling.

While I agree with you... that is the beauty of the automotive industry and hobby. There is something for everybody. The stuff I build may not be to everybody's tastes (or budget), but that doesn't make it any more or less right / wrong than this guy. 

I don't have a problem with ugly E36 M3. I may not (and dont) like it, but thats my opinion. Where I have a HUGE problem is people passing hack work off as good work (looking at you, YouTube in general), and E36 M3 work in general. While some things may not be done to my style preference, if the work is done well I will be the first to show it respect. If it's crap work however.... its crap work. No matter how many internet fanbois are jerkin off to it. 

wearymicrobe said:

Well I can use that when I over eat and need to vomit.

 

That is HORRIBLE, car selection, execution, everything. I have so many questions about how he has the cash to get the cars, the cash to modify them and such little skill.   

Maybe he's especially good at something else like surgery or stock trading. Plenty of rich (and non-rich) people with no automotive skills.

I think it's pretty dumb and ugly, but I still prefer it to all the rich-guys who just buy a $$$$$$ car and then drop it off at a shop and give them $$$$$$ more to modify it or make it 1000 horsepower or whatever....

All that said, I think C8s are stylistic hack-jobs in stock form, so I couldn't care less if someone hacks one up. 

In reply to A 401 CJ :

I bought my C3 from Corvette Ben.  Nice guy.  

In reply to irish44j (Forum Supporter) :

I think VolvoHeretic said it best that it basically looks like it was designed by people using microscopes into their part of the project and no one stood back and looked at the finished project and was like "yes this is coming together as planned".

case in point, ol boy points out in one video how it has the rear wheel eyebrow arches of the C2. I'd never seen that before, but someone put some thought into that. However, someone else overdid the rest of it back that to where you'd never notice that detail unless you happened to be slowly, meticulously carving apart your own C8 with a kitchen knife. Pros and cons.

I really hope this turns out to be one of those "you don't want to watch them making the sausage" sort of things. 

It takes all kinds of people to make a world.  He's having fun legally, so more power to him.  

In communications with Strother MacMinn he repeated that it takes no more money to make a good looking car than a bad one. So why make the bad one? 

What I expect it to happen the first time the car gets taken up to speed

Hilarity ensues

Well...a year later and he's still at it.