Meet the Fleet – Muscle Cars: ’70 Corvette LT-1

• BODY: Auto World
• WHEELS: Vincent
• TIRES: Road Race Replicas

Of the 3 copies of the Auto World “C3” Corvette that I own, this bright yellow one was the first I ever bought, and it came into my collection as it was just getting started, as I was first getting into the slot car hobby in early 2020. I have always loved the looks of these cars, and they look especially good in “Daytona Yellow,” so when I saw this for sale it was an instant “buy it now.” This one came out of the package exceptionally fast, and it was also the first AW car I bought that came stock with RWL tires, so for the longest time I left it stock, running on the stock AW “Tuff Ones”-style wheels, until a few months in I could bear the monotony no longer and re-shoed it with a set of beautiful American Racing Torque Thrusts from Vincent (who calls them “Crager Sports”, but whatever).

To this day it still rides on the chassis it came on which, other than the wheels and axles needed to accommodate them, has not been modified in the slightest because it never needed to be! In this respect, it performs a lot like the real thing: fast and agile, pulling 370 HP from a high-end 350 small block. The LT1 was an expensive option for the Corvette and it was worth every penny: featuring a forged crankshaft, special rods, solid lifters and aluminum heads, each engine was internally balanced and assembled with the utmost care. Topped with a single 800cfm Holley carb, it was a wise investment for the Corvette buyer to get big block power with small block efficiency and weight, and on a road course these cars could run rings around their big-engined linemates.

Only 1,287 Corvette buyers opted for the LT-1 in 1970, and considering that they were available only with a 4-speed manual transmission, it was clear that this option was meant for performance enthusiasts who understood what they were paying for when they bought that upgrade. Sadly, this mighty Chevy “mouse” was only in production for 3 short years-1970-‘72-and available only in the Corvette and Camaro. Although I doubt I’ll ever own a ‘Vette myself, there’s no question that if I were shopping for one and money was no object, a 1970 LT-1 coupe is the one I would be after: for my money, it is the ultimate Corvette: maximum style, maximum performance.

This all figures nicely into The Lore for my tabletop version: wearing its factory original Daytona Yellow paint with black interior and very few weight-adding options other than a radio, this ’70 LT-1 is campaigned by Jim “Mongoose” Matheson, an experienced and seasoned driver born in Houston and transplanted to California in 1982 with his rare Corvette in tow. “The Pharoah” spends more time on the street than she does on the track; for a short time, Matheson used her as his daily driver, and while she’s not subjected to that kind of indignity any longer, she is frequently seen in and around the environs of the track, as Matheson’s Wardglenn zip code marks her as a local. Despite clocking nearly 75,000 miles, she’s had a thorough going-over and is kept in top form all the time. Fortunately, very little modification was needed, as the LT-1 was a near-race car right off the showroom floor. “The Pharoah” has won plenty of races but to date is still chasing a tournament title, but with so much performance on tap, that big trophy is surely in her future!