Rod Saboury’s ’63 Split-Window Corvette

Rod Saboury loves fast company and has the quarter-mile resume to prove it. His accomplishments include the first NMCA Outlaw street car (a ’53 Vette) to run in the 6s at 200 mph on DOT tires. In 1998 he won the NMCA World Championship title. His record demonstrates a consistent theme—fast, hot-looking, and well-engineered Chevrolets.

Today, he’s blended that heritage into his latest project, an LS6-powered Pro Street ’63 spilt-window that can be driven everywhere. But don’t mistake this awesome Vette for an overnight success. Rod planned the look and engineering of this ’63 for two decades before he ever touched it with a wrench.

As Rod puts it, “a Pro Street car is all about stance,” so that’s where he began his efforts. To get the car in the weeds, he removed the stock front control arms and added a set of custom-made tubular pieces swinging Mustang II dropped spindles. This put the front half of the car 7 inches lower than stock. To refine the steering geometry, Rod contacted Chassis Works and installed a narrowed rack-and-pinion steering unit. Out back, Rod installed a narrowed 9-inch with 4.10 gears, added a four-link system, and bolted it to a 2x3-inch frame section. Shifting duties have been assigned to a Richmond five-speed gearbox. Since the Pro Street look demands huge tires, he chose a pair of Budnik 15x14 rims wrapped with Mickey Thompson 21.5x33 Sportsman Pro rubber. Up front, he installed a set of Budnik 15x4 wheels with Mickey Thompson front runners.

To muscle the split-window Vette, Rod selected a Scoggin-Dickey–supplied Gen III LS6 engine. Bow-Tie faithful will recognize this powerplant from the impressive Corvette Z06. But Rod can leave no performance stone unturned, so he contracted Cal Nicholson to wring the LS6 a little tighter and net even more power. To give the powerplant that Pro Street sound he installed a full set of 2-½-inch Flowmaster mufflers. But the low stance dictated a specially designed exhaust system to negotiate the path out back. To do that, Rod invested over 60 hours to clear the way between the Corvette’s undercarriage, suspension, and close proximity to the ground.

Rod and his wife Martina have a blast driving the ’63 on weekends. A high-tech drivetrain in a vintage body is the perfect blend. The fuel-injected LS6 also makes lots of horsepower and gets about 22 mpg. Where else can you find this kind of style combined with excellent mileage and street manners?