Homegrown: “Bad News” C3 Corvette 4×4 Lives Up to Its Name
Turns out, the E-Ray introduced this year isn’t the first four-wheel-drive Chevy Corvette to hit the streets: Bobby Smith of Milan, Michigan, beat GM to that punch nearly half a century ago! Dubbed ‘Bad News’ for obvious reasons, construction of this lofty Vette commenced in 1977 after Smith realized he couldn’t afford payments for the new Chevy Blazer he sought for on/off-road diversity.
No stranger to Corvettes, Smith joined that club with the purchase of a first-gen car in 1964. Several more Sting Rays followed. He’d proven so adept at fixing these plastic fantastics that he opened a shop focused on repairing and painting them in 1977.
[Welcome to Homegrown—a limited series about homebuilt cars and the ingenuity of their visionary creators. Do you know a car and builder that might fit the bill? Send us an email to tips@hagerty.com with the subject line HOMEGROWN. Read about more Homegrown creations here. —Ed.]
A damaged ’76 Corvette T-top served nicely as this Homegrown’s body donor. Smith found a rolled 1972 Jeep Wagoneer stashed in the weeds that he purchased for $500 to underpin his 4WD concoction.
Paring a foot from the Jeep’s wheelbase brought that dimension into conformity with the Sting Ray bodywork. The trimmed frame’s splice joint was reinforced with rectangular steel tubing. After sandblasting, the altered frame was resprayed black.
Luckily, both of the original vehicles’ track dimensions were within an inch. The fact that the fiberglass Sting Ray body features an internal steel framework eased the task of mating the two-seater with a 4WD chassis.
Inevitably though, there were issues. According to Smith, “In order to fit the original Jeep 360-cubic inch V-8 into the Corvette’s engine bay, I had to shift the entire powertrain—engine, transmission, transfer case—seven inches rearward. That in turn necessitated new driveshafts.” The Jeep’s power steering gear, semi-elliptic leaf springs, and rigid axles required no modification. The Corvette’s stock radiator fit perfectly and Smith built a transmission oil cooler from a refrigerator’s heat exchanger.
Inside, everything fit quite nicely. The only noticeable mod is the addition of a shift lever to operate the transfer case.
Cooper Evolution M/T off-road radials sized 35×12.50-14 and mounted to chrome steel wheels do an excellent job filling the fender wells. Sand dune excursions and splashing through Lake Michigan’s surf revealed the need for more power, prompting a major upgrade under the hood. In 1983, Smith replaced the humble Jeep V-8 with a 5.7-liter Corvette engine topped by a GMC 6-71 blower and a pair of Carter AFB carbs. “While it’s never been on a dyno, I’d estimate my max output is at least 550 horsepower,” Smith adds. The well-deserved Bad News label was subsequently added.
Since its engine upgrade, Bad News has traveled all over the US, briefly into Mexico, to Southern California, and north to Oregon. Smith exclaims, “We used Bad News like an ordinary family driver, taking it to both coasts and Daytona Beach at least a dozen times. It’s traveled from Key West up to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. My son and I even visited the White House on two separate trips.”
Lately, Smith has been sticking closer to home. Bad News is naturally a huge hit a Michigan car shows, brilliantly winding necks wherever it ventures.
Real life Hot Wheels without being a direct clone of a toy. It’s fun.
LOVE IT…WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A 4X4 350Z.
Had a buddy of mine (about 5 years older than the 15 year old me) who was a radical thinker. He had a clapped out C5 Blazer from the 70s and a Pinto of equal mechanical infirmity- measured and cut with an oxyacetylene torch and shortened the C5 frame by at least 2 feet and dropped the Pinto body on it. Nuts but it worked. Hard as hell to climb into as I can recall but made a real impression on big tires that stuck way outside the fenders. This same guy traded the remaining remnants of the Pinto and C5 for a T-Bucket without a motor- built the junkyard 289 engine in the bathtub of the duplex apartment he was living in in Hollywood Florida and drove the crap out of it- mostly sideways! He is no longer with us but missed for sure.
I recently had Bob do some drivetrain work on my 71 convertible. He’s a good dude that does great work at a fair price!
They also have a second Corvette 4×4 named ‘Good News’ that comes out occasionally. Bobby and his dad are great guys who really know their stuff, he works on my 1978 Silver Anniversary.
Sweet! And he left the alarm lock on the driver side fender. Attention to detail is always appreciated.
That is a Vet I could enjoy. Nice job!
Who could complain? He made it out of a smashed Corvette and a rolled jeep!
See below. It never fails.
Old phrase, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”.
This can also be applied to drug abuse, maybe this is both.
The phrase can also be applied to foolish and grouchy posts.
👍
There was a 4WD ‘Vette in Boulder, CO back in the ’70s. It was a bit more subtle than this one, no blower or flames.
proof positive some have all their taste in their mouth;
Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Watch yourself, seems humour is not allowed. (Canadian spelling)
I’m really glad you did this story. The builder definitely has skills. This actually broke the mold for me. Literally every car I’ve personally seen that was treated to the 4×4 conversion has been the product of a redneck with a case of beer, a cutting torch, an arc welder, and a rolled Chevy Blazer or Dodge Ramcharger, and a dead coupe.
nice work
Yeah to these custom 4×4’s. My neighbor has a 98 Camaro he put together on a GMC 2500 chassis 4×4 with a tilt nose and additional mods.
I had a couple Opel GTs and an old Jeep I wanted to do the same thing with.