Sexy One

Harold’s Hotrods’ Carte Blanche Creation.

- John Gilbert

It seems any time there’s a hard-luck story about a man experiencing marital misfortunes and there’s a Corvette involved the Corvette always seems to end up changing hands. Take, for example, the 1961 Corvette convertible John Bartholomew of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, found minus engine and transmission, with nothing left under its hood but traces of a disastrous fire. “It was a 30-year search for the perfect restomod project.” John has always been a fan of early Corvette styling so when he ran across this 1961 Corvette caught in the cross hairs of a divorce he jumped at the opportunity to buy it.

The previous owner held onto the Vette for 20 years without any real movement toward restoration, and then in John’s hands the burned-out hulk sat for six more years while he collected parts. It was beginning to look like this 1961 Corvette was never going to be a whole car again.

Then, one weekend John went as a spectator to the Southwest Street Rod Nationals in Oklahoma City, and ran across a few examples of show cars built by Harold’s Hotrods and decided they’d be the right shop to commission with the build. The decision to use an AME (Art Morrison Enterprises) chassis for the Vette’s foundation was unanimous. Harold’s

Hotrods’ past experiences with excellent fit and finish, plus great customer service combined with John visiting Art and Craig Morrison at their Washington state manufacturing site made it a no brainer. Harold Clay, owner of Harold’s Hotrods, stated, “A Morrison is the only chassis we’ll use.”