Dave Kindig Brings Bitchin’ C1 Corvette Customs to SEMA 2021

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Dave Kindig C1 Corvette Illustration

Designed by Bitchin’ Rides‘ Dave Kindig, ’53 Corvette customs feature Lingenfelter LS7s, bodies by Doug’s Performance Corvette.

Corvettes and the SEMA Show are a match made in motoring heaven. America’s sports car has long been the foundation for many a custom build, while SEMA’s been the place to go insane with such builds. Not to mention being a showcase for Chevrolet to show-off their latest and greatest, such as when the 2023 Z06 turned up for SEMA 2021 Reveal Monday.

The new Z06 wasn’t alone, though. Among the many customs seen Monday night, a pair of “bitchin'” custom ’53 Corvettes accompanied the LT6-powered monster to the stage. Both were done by none other than Dave Kindig, owner of Kindig-It Design and star of MotorTrend TV’s Bitchin’ Rides.

Dave Kindig 1953 Corvette

A collaboration with paint manufacturer AzkoNobel Refinish for their Modern Classikk paint line, Kindig’s Corvettes began with bodies by Lakewood, Washington’s Doug’s Performance Corvette (formerly Classic Reflection Coachworks). The smooth lines begin with the headlights and grille, then continue all the way to the rear. The wraparound windshield is chopped to emphasize the “bitchin’-ness” of each ‘Vette. Oh! And the best part of these bodies? They’re made of carbon fiber.

Dave Kindig 1953 Corvette

From there, each Corvette body received a chassis from Roadster Shop, guaranteeing maximum performance on the street or, if desired, the track. Speaking of performance, though, under the hood lives a Lingenfelter Performance LS7. Though power figures are hard to come by for these specific builds, Lingenfelter’s most brutal LS7, the Eliminator Spec R, delivers 820 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.

Dave Kindig 1953 Corvette

After all the performance comes the paint booth. Each Corvette wears a specific shade from AzkoNobel Refinish’s Modern Classikk palette. One is in “No Strings White.” The other is an unknown shade of silver. Both are capped off with a pair of massive wheels mounted within low-profile tires, ensuring burnout contests will last about a minute or two at most.

Dave Kindig 1953 Corvette

Both “bitchin'” Corvettes exemplify the spirit of SEMA: custom rides that are truly one-of-a-kind. If there’s any platform perfect for showing off paint products, the Corvette is perfect for the task at hand.

Photos: Newspress USA, Twitter/AzkoNobel Refinish

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Cameron Aubernon's path to automotive journalism began in the early New '10s. Back then, a friend of hers thought she was an independent fashion blogger.

Aubernon wasn't, so she became one, covering fashion in her own way for the next few years.

From there, she's written for: Louisville.com/Louisville Magazine, Insider Louisville, The Voice-Tribune/The Voice, TOPS Louisville, Jeffersontown Magazine, Dispatches Europe, The Truth About Cars, Automotive News, Yahoo Autos, RideApart, Hagerty, and Street Trucks.

Aubernon also served as the editor-in-chief of a short-lived online society publication in Louisville, Kentucky, interned at the city's NPR affiliate, WFPL-FM, and was the de facto publicist-in-residence for a communal art space near the University of Louisville.

Aubernon is a member of the International Motor Press Association, and the Washington Automotive Press Association.


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