2024 DON RIDLER MEMORIAL AWARD WINNER

1953 Corvette Custom “TwelveAir”

DESIGNED & BUILT BY KINDIG-IT DESIGN

On Display At Events Throughout 2024

Come Check Out The 1953 Corvette Custom “TwelveAir”

Check out the events to see where the TwelveAir will be on display.

If you’re interested in having the TwelveAir at your event – contact us today (412) 850-8025

*Note*: The TwelveAir schedule is subject to change. (ie. Some outdoor events are weather dependent.)

Kindig-It Design 25th Anniversary Party – June 8Th
Iowa Good Guys – July 5th-7th
Syracuse Nationals – July 19th – July 21st
Iron City Car Cruise – Pittsburgh, PA – Hometown – August 17th
Triple Crown of Rodding – September 6th-7th
Texas Good Guys – September 27th-29th
SEMA – November 5th-8th
Arizona Good Guys – November 22nd-24th

1953 Corvette Custom “TwelveAir” Specs

Body

The overall design is inspired by our CF1 production cars and the 1953 GM Motorama Corvair concept car. Although it might resemble our carbon fiber production cars, The Kindig CF1, not a single part had been taken off the shelf from those cars, as well as many of the proportions and shapes like the wheel wells are different as well. We tried to create something completely different. We wanted to do everything we possibly could one-off specifically for this project. The body was fabricated using a buck and was done in three pieces: the top/outer shell hand-formed out of 3003 aluminum, the floor/bottom done in the same way, with a reinforced structure made of thicker 6061 sheet metal that is sandwiched together to create a monocoque/unibody. The only other separate pieces to the body are the doors and the hood. No donor car was used; it was all designed and built from the ground up in-house.

Engine / Exhaust

The engine is a custom-ordered cast aluminum LS-based V12 called a V12LS from the Australian-based company Race Cast Engineering. It is currently tuned down to roughly 650 hp and nearly identical torque. The engine is capable of far more, but this output is more than enough for us taking it show to show for now.

The exhaust was built in-house with a stainless 3-into-2-into-1 collector style headers with a 3-inch stainless that has the augers integrated in place of a muffler. The tip was built into the body. Race Cast also casted a piece we designed that we call the nose cone. The nose cone is attached to the front of the engine and houses the rack and pinion steering, the pass-through for the engine cooling, and some suspension components like the sway bar and the front spring. A modified automatic C7 transaxle was used. The torque tube was extended, and the housing was replaced with one that was thicker and more structurally sound.

Suspension

The suspension is inspired by F1 and Indy car suspension but utilizes only one spring mounted horizontally. The front suspension has an A-arm on top that connects to the nose cone, an H-arm that connects to the reinforced oil pan, push rods, and a sway bar that is two pieces that are coupled in the middle. The rear suspension is very similar with the pushrod design, the sway bar, single spring, and the lower H-arm connecting to the transaxle housing… But the top differs by resembling more of a traditional cantilever setup and the upper components are the only suspension components that are actually attached to the body as they bolt to the inner reinforced structure. Due to the push rods and the unique sway bar, the spring is able to act similar to two separate springs as each side moves. The drivetrain is bolted to that inner structure, making it an integral part of the car’s load-bearing structure.

Wheels

Evod was responsible for machining the wheels. 19×8 front, 20×12 rear. They are a monolug, 5-spoke design and utilize a proprietary design Dave came up with to hide all the hardware. They were chromed by Ogden Chrome. Diamond Back Classics shaved the Michelin Pilot Sport tires. Wilwood Aero6 front, Aero4 rear that were painted to match the engine with chrome Twelvair logos.

Interior

Most of the interior is 3D printed and wrapped in a Sienna-colored leather. The dash coves/pods were inspired by early Corvettes, while the center console and overall cockpit feel took inspiration from later Corvettes. The one-off aluminum steering wheel takes inspiration from both the squared shape of the C8 but takes the overall styling from the C1. The gauge cluster has white gold inlaid with diamonds for the markings. The upper rear suspension components are hidden within the faux luggage in the rear. The top of the luggage can be opened to reveal the components. All the custom polycarbonate and trim are all perfectly flush with the painted body. The taillights are automated to pop up with the control unit in the center console to reveal the plug-in for the battery tender and the fuel filler.

Paint

Our body and paint team finished every surface to the same degree top to bottom, even areas hidden by the drivetrain that aren’t even visible. The color is Modern Classikk “Infrared”, and the accent color found throughout the interior, engine, drivetrain, etc., is a custom mix called “Sagebrushed,” which is a satin bronze color.

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1105 Pittsburgh St Cheswick, Pennsylvania 15024
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