1969 Big Block C3 was a BFGoodrich Poster Car
If this wild C3 Corvette looks familiar, that's because it was probably hanging on your wall as a kid.
Dreams Do Come True
Like every one of us, Frank Lastorino grew up with plenty of car posters on his wall. He would stare at these amazing machines and dream of owning something like them one day. But unlike most of us, Lastorino grew up and bought himself one of those very poster cars he admired as a child, as he recalled to Super Chevy.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
Poster Child
That car was a wicked blue C3 Corvette that once appeared on a memorable promo poster from tire producer BFGoodrich in the early '90s. So if this car looks kinda familiar, that's probably because you too had this poster hanging on your wall.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Opportunity Knocks
That unique color and car stuck in Lastorino's mind for years. So when he found out that the 'Vette was up for sale via internet auction, he knew that he had to have it.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Jump at the Chance
“I always remembered the blue Corvette in the BFGoodrich ads,” Lastorino recalled, “because it was everywhere. Just about every car magazine from the early ’90s had a big ad featuring that beautiful Corvette. When it came up for sale I simply had to have it.”
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Big Block Discovery
After confirming that this was indeed the BFGoodrich poster car, Lastorino dug a little deeper into the car's history. It was then that he learned that it started off life as a 427/400 tri-power car with a 4-speed Muncie and 3.70 gears.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Financial Decisions
The Corvette was not, however, originally painted blue. It left the factory in Monaco Orange, and it stayed that way until BFGoodrich actually purchased the car, because it was cheaper to buy it than paint it blue and then back to orange.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Paint and Mods
The tire maker then shipped the car to California Street Rods in Huntington Beach, California for the paint job and modifications. Those included items like the L88-style hood, chrome side pipes, and Plexiglas headlight covers.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Road Racer
The crew was going for a road race kind of look, so they capped off the design with timeless American Racing Torq-Thrust D wheels. And of course, BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Whirlwind Tour
The promotional Corvette was obviously a hit, winding up not just on posters, but on all sorts of promotional materials. It also traveled the country, making stops at tire dealers and a host of car shows.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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Restoring a Legend
After BFG got their money's worth out of the 'Vette, it was time to move on. But the next owner shockingly painted it red. Thankfully, Lastorino has since restored the car to its original promotional condition. And now, we can all gawk over it, just like we did 20+ years ago.
Photos Courtesy of Super Chevy.
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