LEGENDARY - Rod Saboury's latest '63 Corvette is Over The Top Cool!

Legendary is not a word we take lightly at RPM Mag.

There’s no doubt that Rod Saboury’s most recent build will follow suit with his past work and be recognized at the top level of our sport, but when you’ve been instrumental in putting massive movements in car culture on the map; such as street car drag racing and Pro Street, both of which still thrive today, and building race winning, record setting, show stopping combinations using naturally aspirated, blown and turbo combinations, in our book you qualify as a legend. Rod himself is as humble as they come,

but in the world of wild cars and big horsepower he is the real deal, and being the mover and shaker that he is, he keeps bringing new work to the table, like this incredible Pro Street 1963 split window Corvette. And he doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon (pun intended).

One thing you need to understand, Rod Saboury’s cars are not like most others. Chances are they can hit the street and turn heads or the track to set records – Rod builds everything to the max! You won’t find hollow blowers, mild motors, or gimmicks on them, and although this particular build has everything

it needs to run a number, admittedly, chances are it won’t ever see the strip; “I have always loved split window Corvettes and even though I’ve had many, this one is a combination of all my cars in one. It’s too nice to race, I just plan on driving it as much as I can on the street,” Rod explained. It’s hard to tell the story of one of Saboury’s builds without telling his story, so that’s where we’ll start.

Since the tender age of 14, Rod has been into anything with an engine, starting on motorcycles and then moving on to go-carts. His first car, a ’55 Mercury that he got from his Grandfather, was

Story: George Pich

Photos: David Gates

a 312, 3 speed column shift and Rod quickly installed a floor shift and three 2 barrel carbs. The natural progression was to race and by 1970 Saboury hit the dragstrip seriously with his brand new 1969 Z/28 decked out in full Super Stock/J race trim. On top of winning a Summer Nationals racing it, rumors are that Rod went to his Prom in the car! By the 1980s, with the Pro Street movement gaining serious momentum, Saboury rebuilt

the Camaro to suit and won multiple awards at the Street Machine Nationals. After selling the car, he was able to buy it back over 30 years later, make some upgrades and still drives it today. By the 1990s, Rod had sunk his teeth into another project, fast street car drags. Most any avid fan of street car drag racing will be familiar with The Fastest Street Car shootouts, and that is where Rod cut his teeth with his 1957 Corvette, first packing a naturally aspirated single Dom-

Rod Saboury’s latest split window Corvette build has everything a Pro Street car should have; killer paint, big power, towering induction, EFI and everything needed to either cruise the streets or hit the strip. While Rod says that because the car is just so nice it won’t be raced, it wouldn’t take much to make a hit or two.

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There’s probably more race to this build than street given the Bickel tube chassis, strut front and 4-link coilover rear suspension, wheelie bar, wing, dual chutes and zoomie exhaust.

inator 632 and then a split dominator N/A 796-incher. While Rod took a number of event wins in the ’57, it was his 1953 Vette that made some serious noise. Racing the car in NMCA Outlaw Street, Rod was the first in the 6-second zone on DOT tires and also won the 1998 World Championship. It was a real 2,800-pound 1953 Corvette converted into an outlaw street car complete with all working street legal equipment and a massive 800+ inch mill.

The next summit to conquer was turbocharging. Ok, that doesn’t seem too difficult to any of our under 40 readers, but we’re talking 1999 folks, turbos were only scratching the surface of mainstream drag racing, and most people couldn’t get any sort of consistency out of them. In 1999 Rod built a twin turbo Firebird to run in Pro Street.

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With just a 388ci small block and twin 76mm turbos the Firebird set both ends of the record with a 6.77ET and 206MPH in that same year, which was way before anyone was laying down those numbers in a turbo car. The nitrous guys thought it was some type of black magic voodoo. This car was almost unbeatable,” Saboury added.

Of course, there were many more Rod Saboury street, strip and show stories from there, including the incredible twin turbo street legal 6-second ’63 split window Corvette that graced the cover of RPM Magazine back in 2008. With that car, after setting multiple records, Saboury travelled to Canada to run against the UK’s fastest street car, Andy Frost’s Red Victor 1 Vauxhall and Canada’s

The factory style trim, chrome bumpers and original lights are all part of giving the Corvette that original look, not to mention street cred.

fastest street car, Boo King’s Nuclear Banana Camaro, only to be rained out. More builds would follow, though, each as unique as the one before it.

And here we are today. As Rod said earlier, this 1963 Corvette represents something from all of his past projects, and that’s pretty special when you’ve built as many as he has… and in true fashion, this car has a unique story behind it, too.

First off, this Corvette was never meant to be a street car, sort of. While it is a stock 1963 production Corvette body with original VIN number and trim tags, it was originally built by

Rad Rides by Troy as a static display to sit in a restaurant lobby. It was never meant to be driven, let alone built into the world class car it is today, but a year after taking on the project Saboury is touring the streets with serious horsepower at

his command, open zoomies, leather seats and power windows!

Custom candy paint is by Rad Rides by Troy and graphics are by Bob Thrash. This is a street car, so expect every single light and item of street equipment to work exactly

as it should, but maybe, just maybe the open zoomies will cause a problem while heading home on a late Saturday night. The original style chrome bumpers, lights and trim work are mixed with a custom rear wing, dual ’chutes and mono

Rod and Tina Saboury have definitely become legends in street machines and street car drag racing, in fact, they helped shape them both into what they have become today.

Rod Saboury 6 second 1/4 mile - Shakedown running in promod category

wheelie bar.

The full tube chassis is an 8.50 certified Jerry Bickel piece with Strange struts up front and 4-link/coilover setup with wishbone out back. Strange also controls braking on all four corners.

The race prepped Keith Black 512 Hemi with KB heads was reworked for street duty by Mike Janis and boasts a Crower billet crank, Pro Mod aluminum rods and Arias pistons… like we said, don’t expect lame parts in a Rod Saboury build, and that includes the induction! Being one of the pioneers in Pro Street (which were essentially over-the-top builds based on Pro Stock and Pro Mod drag cars), Rod went with a towering, attention-getting package true to the genre that includes a 14-71 Littlefield blower with Mike Janis carbon hat. Of course, everything had to be converted from alcohol to run 110 race gas for the street and the package is controlled by a FAST XFI system.

This Corvette was never meant to be a street car...sort of...

What looks to an ex-alcohol funny car 512 Keith Black Hemi with Keith Black cylinder heads was reworked for the street by Mike Janis. A Crower billet crank, Pro Mod aluminum rods and Arias pistons rotate inside, while a 14-71 huffer with Janis carbon hat sit atop the creation. A FAST XFI system controls the beast.

The Corvette interior is not overdone in any way and once again has more race influence than street. First off, you’re sitting beside a 4-speed Lenco with dual disc clutch and surrounded by a cage!

Rod and Tina Saboury’s Blown Hemi Pro Street 1963 Corvette

Chassis Type & Mods:

Full tube chassis by Jerry Bickel. 8.50 certified. Suspension: Custom tubular control arms, Strange struts and rack and pinion steering up front. Strange coilovers and 4-link with wishbone in rear. Strange 4 wheel disc brakes.

Body & Paint:

Stock 1963 Corvette body with original VIN and trim tags and hinged doors. Custom candy paint by Rad Rides by Troy and graphics by Bob Thrash.

Engine:

512 Keith Black Hemi with Keith Black cylinder heads reworked for the street by Mike Janis. Crower billet crank, Pro Mod aluminum rods and Arias pistons.

Induction & Fuel Delivery:

Mike Janis carbon fiber hat. Converted from alcohol to 110 racing gas for the street. FAST XFI. Aeromotive fuel pump system with FAST fittings and equipment.

Power Adder: 14-71 Littlefield blower.

Electronics: FAST XFI engine management. MSD 7AL-2 Plus and XS Power Voltage Stepdown Modules. MSD Super Conductor plug wires.

Transmission:

Lenco 4-speed, dual disc clutch.

Rear Differential: 9-inch Ford, Strange 35 spline axles, 4.10 gear with spool.

Other Important Vehicle Information:

Open Zoomie headers. C&R custom aluminum radiator, 16 volt XS Battery, Bux Customs leather seats. Originally built by Rad Rides by Troy as a static display car to sit in a restaurant lobby and never intended to be driven.

Thanks to:

Special thanks to Legacy Innovations, XS Batteries and Wayne Waldman for all their help to make this one of my all-time favorite cars.

A 4-speed Lenco with dual disc clutch sends power rearward to the braced 9-inch housing with Strange 35 spline axles, 4.10 gear and spool. Rod has a knack for just the right

and the engine bay of this Corvette is no exception – it’s built with hardcore parts, is meticulously clean and well detailed but by no means overly blingy, in fact, it looks more

mix

race ready than anything else. The interior, in our opinion, is another home run. RPM MAG was built on race and street and we see a solid mix of both inside Rod’s latest

Miramichi World Street

Race event 30 mile mandatory cruise; returning to the track

split window. First off, it’s got a full cage and 3 pedals with a Lenco 4-speeed in full view, which is very cool! Next has to be the dash panel. It’s not original but somehow looks like it should be there – a difficult thing to accomplish. Of course, it’s filled with a complete array of Ultra-Lite carbon fiber series gauges and a simple 6-switch panel. Mixing some style and comfort in for good measure, Rod had the low back buckets and door panels covered in gray

leather, but aside from that the only creature comfort would be the power windows. Electronics, including the FAST XFI system, MSD 7AL-2 Plus box and XS Power Voltage Stepdown Modules are mounted to the passenger side firewall. Oh, and one last thing, Rod is always sure to have a pair of earplugs hanging from the rear view mirror. There are not many people that see over 26 national magazine covers, including 2 RPM MAG covers, but as long as Rod

Gauges and switches have been expertly installed in a custom dash that, if the 1963 Corvette were built today, could be factory installed…it just fits in that well. The only hint of luxury is the power windows and leather clad minimalist bucket seats and door panels. The factory style visors are a cool touch, too. Electronics are neatly affixed to the passenger firewall.

LEGENDARY BUILDS

This is just a small example of Rod Saboury’s impact on street car drag racing and street machines. From left to right: His first race car was a 1969 Z28 purchased new. Rod eventually built it into an award winning Pro Street ride when he was done racing it. The ’53 Corvette was the first street car in the 6-second zone on DOT tires. With 800+ inches of naturally aspirated power, the original bodied car had full working street equipment. The small block twin turbo ’99 Firebird set the world of Pro Street drags on fire when Rod took both ends of the record with a 6.77ET and 206MPH. Not only did this add a huge “boost” to successfully running turbochargers in drag racing, but it had the nitrous crews looking for what type of black magic was up Saboury’s sleeve. Then there’s the stunning burgundy twin turbo true street split window 1963 Vette that could drive for hours and bang off 6-second ETs. Rod made the haul to Canada with it to defends USA only to have the event rained out, but not before he made the cover or RPM MAG and the event T-shirt! Finally, Rod’s latest project, an ex-Super Stocker Corvette that he plans to race and street drive with a mild (by Saboury standards) 700+ HP small block.

and Tina Saboury keep building killer race and street machines, we’ll keep telling the world about them. They, along with builds like this 1963 Pro Street Corvette, are the stuff legends are made of. So what’s next for Rod? “I bought a ’66 Corvette Super Stock car that I’m putting a

700+hp small block in. I am going to race it some, hoping to run in the low 9s but I am also going to drive it on the street as well. I’m still roofing by trade but will always be working on some cool car! Hey, there’s worse things you could do, right?”

RPM