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.