Post by ferrari512s on Feb 10, 2014 21:59:06 GMT -5
The Corvette Asteroid - By Barris Kustoms
The Asteroid was a dream of famous boat racer and entrepreneur Bob Nordskog. Nordskog combined his engineering expertise with the creative vision of George Barris to produce a show piece like the world had ever seen. The Asteroid was intended to be a "show" and "go" car. The car had two different configurations that could be changed within minutes. With its highly modified 352 cubic inch small block the Asteroid could run the quarter mile in the low 12 second range. It also won to the top award for show car at the prestigious Long Beach Motorama and the 1963 Mickey Thompson Auto Boat and Speed show.
The original owner, Bob Nordskog, was a well-known boat racer and an entrepreneur that loved speed.
He built a dual purpose show/race car that was out of this world called "Asteroid."
This car was delivered to Barris Kustoms in 1963 with 10 miles on the odometer. The body was radically transformed and finished off with an extreme metallic paint job.
Bob Nordskog's boat competition center built the motor and Nordskog's brother-in-law, Don Ferrara, built the very trick custom interior.
The car won the top award at several major car shows including the 1963 Long Beach Motorama and the 1963 Mickey Thompson Auto Boat Speed Show.
It was just as fierce at the race track as well. Nordskog would drive the car to the track on street tires, switch it over to track mode with American Racing mags and uncork the side pipes on the custom multi-piece exhaust system.
It ran 12.20 in the quarter mile at 118mph, which was pretty fast for a street car in 1963.
At one track, it was photographed for the cover of the Jan & Dean single Drag City. Jan & Dean are pictured taking off the side pipe for track mode.
It has only 12,000 actual miles from new.
Bob Nordskog passed away in 1992 and the car sat for several more years in the possession of the Nordskog family.
This vehicle has gone through a vigorous and extensive no-expense-spared restoration to take it back to exactly how it looked when legendary George Barris from Barris Kustoms originally made the vehicle.
It is a one-of-a-kind.
This vehicle has gone through a vigorous and extensive no-expense-spared restoration to take it back to exactly how it looked when legendary George Barris from Barris Kustoms originally made the vehicle.
It is a one-of-a-kind.
Reposted from:
www.barrett-jackson.com/application/onlinesubmission/lotdetails.aspx?ln=5024&aid=525
Custom Corvette built by Barris Kustoms
Each August Corvettes at Carlisle features some of the best Corvettes in the country. Thousands of patrons flock to eastern Pennsylvania to overdose on all things Corvette.
One of the main attractions this year will be a rarely seen 1963 Corvette coupe which was modified by custom car guru, George Barris just after it was delivered new.
George Barris is widely considered to be the king of custom cars. His notable creations include the original Batmobile (which recently sold for $4.2 million), the Munsters’ Koach, and Black Beauty from the original Green Hornet series among numerous other famous customs.
This C2 which would become known as “Asteroid” was special ordered by a speedboat racer named Bob Nordskog. Delivered initially as a paint delete car, it was sent straight to George Barris’ Barris Kustoms in California. There the brand new Sting Ray underwent a nose job which added an extended proboscis incorporating headlights tucked behind the front grille. Custom chrome headers leave the body prominently aft of the front wheels and flow rearward. The famous split window was removed and the rear tail panel was filled. The rear wheel well were enlarged so as to incorporate some fat wheels and tires.
The exterior wore a dazzling metallic copper finish and inspired the Asteriod name. The interior was swathed pearl white Naughahyde with copper accents throughout to compliment the exterior paint.
Motivation came via 352 cubic inch V8 sporting 13:1 compression which breathed through six chrome Stromburg 97 carburetors. Miles of matching gold and chrome filled the engine compartment.
“The Asteroid was built by a true automotive icon and legend in George Barris.” noted Corvettes at Carlisle event manager Lance Miller. “He made up some of the most creative automotive masterpieces in history and, fortunately for us, he restyled an amazingly vibrant and quite wild ’63 Corvette for Bob Nordskog.” Miller continued that “this Corvette is being carefully restored back to its original state as the Asteroid once was in ’63 and we’re excited to unveil it for the first time since the mid-’60s for our Corvettes at Carlisle attendees. This will be one custom Corvette that you won’t want to miss, as a matter of fact you WON’T be able to miss it – be sure to come see what I’m talking about!”
Reposted from:
www.corvetteblogger.com/2013/02/15/1963-custom-corvette-built-by-george-barris-to-be-shown-at-carlisle/
Asteroid Corvette Further Images ...
Legendary auto customizer George Barris of Barris Kustom Industries is known for his trend-setting designs and work for the movie industries, and one of his creations, the “Asteroid” 1963 Corvette, will come up for auction early in 2014 at Barrett-Jackson‘s Scottsdale event, scheduled to be held January 12-19, 2014.
barris2Hemmings Motor News says that the car was originally built for powerboat racer and airline equipment magnate Bob Nordskog of Nordskog Industries and was crafted from a ’63 Stingray that was delivered without paint – it was slated right from the get-go to be a Barris creation.
Barris, to his credit, designed one of the most unique Kustom Corvettes you’ll ever lay eyes on. The nose was revised, headlamps hidden behind a reshaped custom grille, and a wicked header/sidepipe configuration was fabricated that popped right through the front fenders. A one-piece rear window was installed along with the metallic copper paint that inspired the Asteroid nickname.
There’s also a 352-cube (350 crank with 327 block) V8 engine with a six-pack of Stromberg 97′s that pumps out 400 horsepower and 430 pound feet on an engine dyno. The car showed up on the cover of Jan and Dean’s Drag City LP along with appearances in Hot Rod and Popular Hot Rodding magazines.
The car was just restored by co-owners Lance Miller of Carlisle Events and Randy Koettel of Desert Autosport and showed up this past summer for Corvettes of Carlisle.
More Asteriod Corvette Images? Sure, why not!
The original look of the Corvette Asteroid.
The original look of the Corvette Asteroid.
The revised look of the Asteroid
As seen at one of the auto shows
BOB "IRON MAN" NORDSKOG
www.nordskogpublishing.com/nordskog_bob.shtml
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Photos: Leonard Wiggins via Hemmings Motor News
Hot Wheels 1963 Corvette!
Well of course Mattel decided to add a 1963 Corvette to their line-up of die-cast cars. It's not the Barris Kustom Asteroid but its the actual Corvette released by GM. It took them awhile though but in 1980 Hot Wheels unveiled the Split Window '63!
How many times did they release this? Too many times to keep track of. So with the help of wikia you can check for yourself to see which one is your favorite.
hotwheels.wikia.com/wiki/Split_Window_%2763
Here are some pictures of this Hot Wheels stunning beauty...
Mattel has released this Corvette and changed the name several times. The reason is unknown and will remain a mystery! Here are the names Wikia has been able to keep track of...
Split Window '63
Corvette Split Window
'63 Corvette
'63 Stingray
1963 Corvette
'63 Split Window
63 Split Window Corvette
'63 Vette
Corvette 1963
'63 Chevy Corvette
Sources
Images Courtesy of Google..
Images Courtesy of Google..