Anthony McDowell has rebuilt collector cars for more than 30 years, but his latest venture of transforming late model Corvettes into replicas of a 1967 model is getting him the greatest attention.

His first customized Corvette, which he calls the Classic1, appeared on Horse Power Television. From that exposure he was contacted by Warner Brothers officials in Hollywood, Calif., to reproduce a replica of the “Mach 5” as a promo for the movie “Speed Racer.”

The car will be rolled onto the red carpet for the April 26 movie premiere and will be given away to a sweepstakes winner.

“The producers thought Classic1 would be the perfect candidate to represent the real life version of Speed Racer,” Mr. McDowell said.

Mr. McDowell, who owns Chattanooga Rod Design, was restoring a 1960 Chevrolet Impala for Jim Roberts when the 71-year-old Whitwell man saw the Classic1.

“Man, it just really did look good, so I got to talking to him about making me one,
” Mr. Roberts said. “It looked like something I had wanted for a long time.”

Mr. Roberts said he asked Mr. McDowell to put the Impala project on hold, and he
immediately went out and found a 2001 Corvette that should look like a 1967 by May.

Mr. McDowell said he can convert Corvettes from 1998 to 2004 into the Classic1 model for between $90,000 and $100,000.

“With that you get the dependability, safety and comfort of a late model car, but we
are giving people a style that will never go out of style,” he said. “Of all the Corvettes
ever built, the ’67 is the most sought after.”

Mr. McDowell said he is working on his fourth Classic1 conversion. He spent more than 3,000 hours working on his first conversion project, but since then he has cut that time down to about three months.

He said it is much more complicated than putting a ‘67 body onto a late model car because newer model Corvettes are larger than other older models.

He built molds and creates precise replicas, albeit slightly larger, of the classic 1967 model ’Vette.

“Due to he limited availability, the cars are expected to appreciate in value. They may prove to be a good investment,” he said.

For more information or to see the Classic1, visit www.67c5.com.

At a glance

* Company: Chattanooga Rod Design

* Location: 406 Highway 299, Wildwood, Ga.

* Web site: www.67c5.com