VIN 194379S712159

Car Year:	1969
Car's approximate birthday:	January 7, 1969
Owner:	Scott Ebay: motoexotica
City:	St Louis
State:	Missouri
Country:	United States
Purchase date:	Undefined
Status:	Current Owner
State:	Project Car
Exterior:	980 Riverside Gold
Interior:	Std Black (Vinyl)	(39.59%)
Softtop:	Other Color
Wheels:	Other Color
Delivery Dealer Zone:	Unknown
Delivery Dealer Code:	Unknown
Options:	RPO	Option	Percentage Sold [%]	Sales Price [$]
	19437	Base Corvette Sport Coupe (300hp)	57.09%	4,781.00
	A82	Headrests	100.00%	17.95
	A85	Custom Shoulder Belts (std with coupe)	58.64%	42.15
	Total		0.000000049987482% (1 Cars)	4,841.10
Factory job nr.:	Unknown
Export Car:	Non Export Car
Car history:
This 1969 Chevrolet Corvette has been transformed into the amazing Can Am car you see today. The car is street legal and track capable. It is running on high octane gas. In October of 1972 this car was sold to V. V. Cooke Chevrolet in Louisville, Kentucky. V. V. Cooke was a well-known dealer that was involved in road racing Corvettes in the late '60s and early '70s. The dealership purchased the car in order to build an eye-popping, heart-stopping show car. To begin with, the original body was replaced with a complete Eckler's Can-Am II kit. Consisting of radically widened and reshaped front and rear body sections that flow together via aerodynamic door pods, a wild custom hood, and one-of-a-kind tops, the exterior's aggressive looks are a perfect match for what's in the engine bay. When V. V. Cooke built the showpiece they installed an all-out race prepared big-block monster under the hood. Jim Minnick Racing Enterprises built the 460 Cu In power plant using a four-bolt main block and ZL1 internal components. After every component passed X-ray or Magnaflux inspection Minnick assembled the engine with great precision and care. Extensive porting and polishing, perfect balancing, and lots of custom touches all add up to incredible power and impressive durability. The drive train and chassis were set up to match the potent big-block's output. A blueprinted M22 and custom-balanced ZL1 clutch/pressure plate assembly help send the power back to the rear wheels. Koni shocks, heavy-duty front springs, a Daytona rear spring, urethane bushings, and large anti-sway bars fore and aft make sure the power reaches the ground. When originally built the car was fitted with huge custom mag wheels and finished in a wild blue and white paint scheme. V. V. Cooke made extensive use of it at custom car shows, rally races, club time trials, and other non-wheel-to-wheel competitions. In 1987 V. V. Cooke, Jr. decided to sell the car and contacted Bob Epperson to learn if he would be interested in buying it. Cooke and Epperson went back a long way together, and Epperson actually helped build the car and then drove it for Cooke's dealership. For understandable reasons Epperson had a great deal of affection for the car and agreed to buy it without hesitation. The car was completely intact and functional when Epperson took delivery, and he enjoyed it "as is" for the following eight years. Then in 1995 he decided to do some cosmetic restoration work. The Can-Am body was completely disassembled and stripped to the bare fiberglass. Jim Mayden sprayed the dazzling red hue and custom stripes according to a design Epperson came up with. All throughout his ownership of this unique Corvette, Epperson continued to compete with it. And after owning it for 12 years, and working on it and driving it for V. V. Cooke for another 12 years before that, he has a lot of great memories. "There are two on-track accomplishments that really stand out in my memory," says Epperson. "The first was an SCCA two-day event for race cars only. It was held on a one-mile course with some tight turns and I had fastest time of the event, beating out a Formula Ford and winning a beautiful champagne bucket. The second, called the Corvette/Porsche Challenge, was in Columbus, Ohio. Two hundred of the baddest Corvettes and Porsches showed up to compete on a quarter-mile banked track that went into a half-mile high-banked track. There were other L88s and big-motor Porsches, but none could beat us!" In addition to competing in the car Epperson has also actively shown it during the past few years, bringing home more than 100 trophies for his efforts. "My best memory of a show," he reports, "was getting picked out of 3,500 Corvettes in 1997 at the Mid America Fun Fest to go into the winner's circle." The exterior paint still holds a good shine. There are some minor nicks and spider cracks in the paint from age as to be expected. The rear hatch has an electric release and opens for storage. The wheels are in good shape and the tires have good tread life left on them. This Can Am Vette was built to be driven, but will surely win a trophy at the next car show. The car still shows well today and drives as strong as it ever has. The motor and power band are impressive to say the least. Clutch is strong, steering is tight. The interior still looks good with some minor wear to the original seats. There is no radio, but the exhaust note is shear music. Colors from the trim plate. December 5, 2008.
For Sale:	No
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