1963 Chevrolet Corvette Asteroid
Specifications
Built by: Bob Nordskog, Don Ferrara, and George Barris of Barris Kustoms
Configuration: Longitudinal front-engine
Engine: V8
Displacement: 5.77L/352 cu. in.
Horsepower: 400 at 6,500 RPM
Torque: 430 ft/lbs
Max RPM: 6,500 RPM
Transmission: 4-speed manual
A Little History
The car was originally purchased in 1962 by a man named Bob Nordskog. Nordskog was a mechanical engineer by trade, and a renowned mid-century speed boat racer later in life.When Chevrolet introduced the second-generation Corvette for the 1963 model year, Nordskog immediately ordered a Stingray sans paint. The car was then delivered to Barris Kustoms to get customized body work by George Barris himself. Barris created the original body and copper color scheme of the Asteroid, but Nordskog soon had it repainted to match his fleet of race boats. After a handful of owners, the Asteroid was purchased by Randy Koettel, owner of Desert Autosports, who had it restored back to its original sparkly gold appearance in 2013.
Who is George Barris?
George is the co-founder and owner of Barris Kustoms, located in Hollywood, CA. After originally opening in 1945, nearly 20 years later, he was privately commissioned to create the body of the Asteroid.
The Customizations
The Asteroid has many custom-made body features, all created by Barris. He revised then elongated the nose of the car, which led to headlights hidden behind a custom grille. The extension of the nose required the headlights to be lowered and tucked away. Last, he eliminated the factory split-window, elongated the rear, and replaced the taillights with lower, customs. The interior was actually stitched by Nordskog’s brother-in-law, Don Ferrara. The engine was built by Nordskog himself, inside Nordskog Industries.
Did you know?
The Asteroid won the top awards for a show car at the 1963 Long Beach Motorama and the 1963 Mickey Thompson Auto, Boat & Speed Show. We currently have the trophy presented at the Mickey Thompson Show that was presented to Bob Nordskog!
The car is currently displayed exactly the same way it was during both 1963 shows- two sets of tires, and the cloud-like cotton.
The Asteroid is actually louder than our 2003 Ferrari Enzo!
