Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You have the cutest baby I've ever seen. Being different is OK. You're not weird, you're unique.
We've all had one of these comments thrown in our direction at one time or another, or we've said them ourselves in order to weasel out of an uncomfortable situation. Obviously, your friend's baby is ugly; beauty is in the eyes of a third party; and if you wear overalls to school, you're a strange cat.
So when I heard of Mike Bosco, his Corvette, and his "dare to be different" attitude, I was flat out frightened. I was expecting a stretch limo, or something with the inspiration from the film, "Corvette Fever."
Much to my surprise, this '63 tri-power car is different in all the right ways, and I ain't slingin' bull. Sitting pretty on Air Ride Shockwave adjustable bags, this beauty rides better than a C6 and has the power to match. Complete with a Borg Warner T-10 4-speed manual transmission, Flaming River rack and pinion steering, seven-way power seats, CD player, and Sirius satellite radio, Mike has proven that you can achieve all the luxuries of modern technology while cruising in a convertible from 45 years ago.
The custom, adjustable suspension system under this Vette is the one feature Mike is most proud of. Direct from Air Ride Technologies, four-corner ride sensors monitor air pressure all the way around to maintain a steady, balanced composure through any possible changes in air pressure. He has three different ride heights at his fingertips: from low and slow to Interstate high.
Powered by a 427ci big-block with triplicate Holleys (1,250-cfm total), Mike romped down the quarter-mile at Englishtown in a 12.26 at 112 mph. Charlie Weston of Piscataway, New Jersey, was the brainchild behind all the performance parts, from the .030-inch-over GM block to the TRW pistons, and Edelbrock cylinder heads.
On all four corners sit Budnik Cobalt wheels (17x8 front, 18x9.5 back) and Goodyear F1 Eagle tires (255/17R front, 255/18R back). Mike was hip to the awful ride quality associated with these cars, so Job 1 was to first and foremost, remedy the lack of suspension. "An air bag suspension was my answer to that problem. I fabbed everything to work the way I needed it. The biggest challenge was coordinating all the ride sensors and suspension," he told us.
Having a beautiful car to drive is well and good, but owning a beautiful car that you can put serious miles on is even better. Mike and his son, Mike Jr., beat on this car through Jersey and can still stand up straight when they get out. Anyone who can say that after stepping out of a '60s-era hot rod, has accomplished something spectacular.