What is it about the Chevrolet Corvette that makes grown men drool? For over 50 years, the icon of American Muscle has been the dream car for a majority of North American drivers. For John Wargo, his dream was a little different. Sure, he always wanted a Corvette, but he also wanted to shape that Corvette into his very own dream car.
Wargo convinced his wife that she would love driving the Corvette so he traded a custom 4x4 he had built for this 2000 Corvette convertible and went to work creating his own unique version of the car. Once the car was finished, though, Wargo's wife knew it was too much car for her so Wargo has taken to the driver's seat as the chauffeur in his wife's beautiful orange and white ride.
Over the course of two months, Wargo and his crew at The Custom Shop in Flanagan, FL drew up a rendering of what the car should look like, completely re-designing the stout platform. Using only the best parts possible, Wargo and his crew built a show-worthy car that can stand next to his past projects, which include a 938 Porsche, a Lamborghini Kit Car, a 2001 Trans-Am and Toyota Tundra.
On the performance side, Wargo left the stock LS1, eight-cylinder engine in place and went big with the add-ons. The Air Flow Research head, which was ported and polished, and a Meziere water pump make it run more efficiently. An intercooled Vortech Supercharger System combines with a Black Wing air filter, BBK 90mm throttle body and a Weiand Polished LS1 manifold to get maximum performance from the engine bay. The cams were upgraded with Crane Cam 600s, while an SLP Mass Air Flow sensor was added along with Vortech's intercooler and injectors.
Providing the spark for this Corvette are NGK Spark Plugs while the ignition wires and coil are courtesy of MSD Ignition. Mr. Gasket then stepped up with a Head Gasket while ARP studs keep everything bolted in place. The transmission was custom built by Bowler Transmissions and the final add-on was a Be Cool radiator. Royal Purple is the preferred choice for all engine fluids.
With all these modifications, Wargo estimates the horsepower at 680, with a maximum torque of 590 and top speed of 200mph. At Finish Line Performance Custom, the car was tuned to run 575rwhp.
For the exterior, Wargo started with a full Classic Design Concepts body kit and accented it with custom stainless mesh grills from The Custom Shop. Z06 Carbon fibre hood scoops were added and JSP carbon fibre spoilers complete the look. Hiding the interior from gawking viewers is a tint job from Film Technology. An RK Sport carbon fibre hood completes the body upgrades.
On the lighting side, Wargo custom built the headlights while Adjure LEDs with chrome covers from Mid America Motorworks let people know what's happening in the back. Also keeping this Vette shining at night are Adjure side marker lights, Street Glow LED interior and underbody lights and Radiantz LED turn signals. If all that lighting doesn't grab attention, then the custom paint job done by Wargo and his crew definitely does. The Vette was treated to a PPG Orange Pearl and White Pearl paint job while the subtle ghosting of the Chevy bow-tie, and real fire flames with naked women were added to the exterior design.
With the Vette looking sharper than all but a select few on the road, Wargo turned his attention underneath the car looking for the right pair of shoes. He settled on Weld EVO BC 10 wheels sized 19 x 9.5 inches in the front and 20 x 10.5 in the back. Michelin Pilot Sport tires were the chosen wrapper as Wargo had 275/35-19 added to the front and 295/30-20 in the rear. Of course, with all the added power in this Vette, Wargo knew he needed to upgrade its stopping power. So, in stepped Wilwood with two-piece, six-piston calipers and 14-inch rotors up front and two-piece, four-piston calipers squeezing 14-inch rotors in the rear. The lines for the brake system are courtesy of Earl's. Wargo also bumped up the suspension with KW Suspension's front and rear struts while a Hotchkis sway bar gives the Corvette its flatter cornering moves. Spent gases exit via a Corsa Performance exhaust that is complemented by a Corsa exhaust tip and a JBA header.
The audio was next on Wargo's list and a quick call to Sony resulted in the system you see on these pages. As timing would have it, Sony was looking for a custom convertible for the 2005 SEMA show and Wargo's Corvette fit the bill. The install is a virtual wish list of Sony products as Wargo started with a Sony XAV-A1 head unit that also handles DVD playing duties. Sony crossovers complement a five-amp system that includes two XM-SD51X subs, an XM-SD46X mid, an XM-SD51X mid-range and finally, an XMSD46X for the high frequencies. Visually, Wargo added an XVW-H65 in the rear while the front monitor is housed in the dash and another is mounted in the trunk. The sub box was a cool design as Wargo had it built into the rear bumper cover along with a Whistler radar detector. The sub box, made of custom fibreglass, houses four 10-inch XS-LD105 P5 subwoofers. Making noise is something this system is ready to handle thanks to 10 speakers littered throughout. The mid bass is handled by four 6.5-inch XS-D170S1s while the a pair of 6.5-inch XS-S160CXs take care of the mid-range. Finally, four one-inch XS-D170S1s act as the tweeters.
Wargo knew this Vette would need some extra love to handle all the work done, so he installed a Scosche battery under the hood and added a second Scosche battery in the rear. Scosche was also called upon for the front fuse holder, capacitor and distribution blocks. The final upgrade came in the form of MSD's 200 amp alternator. As if all this wasn't enough, Wargo then turned his attention to improving the interior of the bulked-up Vette. The shift knob was switched to a Razo version while MAM was called upon for a steering wheel, shift boot and e-brake boot, with MAM floor mats keeping things clean under foot. Faze Performance then stepped in to provide the gauges, gauge pod and gauge trim. Mid America Motorworks then came through by upholstering the seats in custom leather.
With over $100,000 spent in just seven weeks, Wargo takes special time to thank the many sponsors and people who made this Corvette a reality. They include: Sony, The Custom Shop, PPG Paint, Bowler Transmissions, RKSport, Vortech, Weld EVO, Wilwood Brakes, Michelin, Classic Design Concepts, SATA, Corsa, JBA, Weiand, US Chemical and Scosche. In addition to the sponsors listed in the story, Wargo also wants to thank Lebra, Venture Tape, Mother's, Custom Carbon Works, Custom Dynamics, Gardner-Wescott, McGuard, Badger, SLP, American Car Craft, JD Mueller Inc., and Street Video. Last, but definitely not least, Wargo thanks everyone at his Custom Shop for their work (Rich Lloyd, Darrin Fisher and Tom Battice) with a special thanks to his father Vern Wargo and his wife Kim, who was carrying their daughter Brianna at the time of the build in September of 2005.
This is one custom Corvette that pleases the eyes and the ears. When you see what Wargo and company have done to the Corvette, is it any wonder why the Vette is the dream of so many car enthusiasts?
Reprinted with permission by Performance Auto & Sound Magazine
