The SEMA Show this year brought us exciting news from the automotive aftermarket fabrication industry. We relished at all the beautiful Corvettes displayed, but wondered if we would find a cool Corvette story to bring to our readers.
Suddenly, as we turned a corner, a black beauty stared at us and stopped us in our tracks. It sure looked like a 1958 C1 in unbelievable perfect condition, in fact, “too” perfect, but we were fooled. This beauty is none other than a 2008 Corvette C6, and the company behind this marvel is CRCoachworks (CRC).
While still catching our breath, we had the opportunity of meeting Doug Graf, chief engineer and the brain behind CRC, and Julie Stacy, one smart cookie. No, we are not kidding. That is exactly what her title states on her business card, and one smart Corvette knowledgeable cookie she proved to be!
Julie transported us through the journey that started 15 years ago. “This was my dad’s retirement project,” she stated. “In 2001, dad (Graf) bought a 2001 Corvette, drove it around the block and then drove it home and took half of the car apart. He filled the holes with putty and pieced it together with a stock 1962 body.” We laughed. After all, who goes and buys a new Corvette, drives it around the block and brings it back home to take it apart. “True story,” said Julie, “and that was the first car developed.”
“Dad enlisted the help of a division of Boeing called Phantom Works,” said Julie. Phantom Works focuses on people involved in the research, development, and prototyping of advanced technologies. “They scanned the half of the car and put it into a CAD program where they could morph it to fit the larger chassis. Then we had molds made from that, and now we produce the cars,” Julie stated.
“We debuted at SEMA in 2004, and the whole family was here to support dad’s big project. We thought he might sell a car or two. To our amazement, we ended up with 43 orders, with no shop and no place to fill this demand,” Julie added.
We thought we could sell one or two cars and build them out of the garage. To our amazement, we ended up with 43 orders! -Julie Stacy, CRCoachworks
It took approximately three years for CRC to develop that first car, and they have been doing it ever since. But we still wondered, how did this all start?
Julie stated that when she was in high-school her dad was always tinkering with cars. She used to call it the after-school project. “One day dad purchased a 1993 Corvette that was wrecked and put a 1962 stock body around it. It was just for fun, and he and my mom would drive it on the coast and go to car shows for vacations. The car got a lot of attention. It looked like a 1962 but peeking inside and under the hood you knew it was not a ’62, and that is how the CRC concept was born.”
“The way we work,” Julie added, “is the customer provides the donor car. Any 1998 to 2013 Corvette convertible, so either a C5 or C6. Most customers do not have one, so that is where I come in and help them find the car. They ship the donor car to us, and we manufacture and install the body panels. We can do 1958 to 1962, and now we have added the 1967 model.”
The 1958 to 1962 models can be built on the 1998 to 2004 C5 and 2005 to 2013 C6. The new 1967 model can be built on any C6 Corvette. Also, all donor cars must be convertibles.
Julie also emphasized that the CRC concept is not a fiberglass body kit for shops or customers to install. All the panels are manufactured and installed in-house by Graf’s expert hands. CRC does not alter the engine, running gear, safety features, transmission, or electronics in the vehicle. The Corvette will perform just as it did before the “retro” fit. An affordable initial deposit guarantees your name on the build list. From the time the donor vehicle arrives, it takes approximately eight to 10 weeks for completion.
So, if you are looking for the modern and unparalleled performance of a new Corvette, but still love the look of a timeless classic, a Retro-Vette from CRC is the way to go. Go ahead and call, email, or visit CRC’s newly redesigned website for pricing, options, photos, videos, FAQs, and more.