Wrenches and Rides Tackles a 1971 Corvette with Help from Summit Racing

Brian Hofmeister and Jeff Helmreich run a cool YouTube channel called Workshop Addict. These two lucky so-and-sos get to test and review the latest hand tools, power tools, and shop equipment for home and professional use.

Brian and Jeff also like to tinker with cars, so they’ve created a new YouTube channel called Wrenches and Rides to document their projects and review automotive-specific tools and other products. These guys know their way around a car, and build them like you would in your home shop. They also encounter the same problems and surprises anyone working on an old car does.

The first major Wrenches and Rides project is a 1971 Corvette with the base 270 horsepower 350 and a Muncie four-speed. The car was presented as an untouched survivor. The goal was to fix what needed fixing and add some oomph in the form of a 383 cubic inch stroker small block. But as you’ll see in the build videos, Brian and Jeff found a few surprises, including a rebuilt engine and a cracked clutch disc. Sound familiar?

Summit Racing is helping Brian and Jeff with tech advice and parts. We’ll be posting periodic updates on the Wrenches and Rides Corvette. We’ll also post parts combos that you owners of early C3s can use as a blueprint to upgrade your cars.

Right now, the 350 is out of the car and at the machine shop for some block prep. When it gets back to Wrenches and Rides headquarters, Brian and Jeff will begin the rebuild with an Eagle forged rotating assembly and a Trick Flow Top End Kit. They also took advantage of the empty engine bay to replace the creaky, vague factory power steering with a Borgeson kit (BRG-999032) that features a modern Delphi 600 12.7:1 ratio box for crisp, precise steering.

Take a couple minutes and check out the Corvette project at Wrenches and Rides. And if you love tools (and we know you do) don’t forget to visit Workshop Addict and get the straight scoop on the latest gear.

Wrenches and Rides

Workshop Addict