Test track day at Mantorp Park 2024 with the 1972 Corvette C3

The long-awaited day had finally arrived. Project Corvette C3 was given the chance to stretch its legs at Mantorp Park during the Corvette Club’s track day with KM 2024. The test day started calmly with a few careful laps to get a feel for the steering, brakes, chassis, and the car’s overall behavior on the track. At the same time, full concentration was needed to monitor the gauges, warning lights, and engine temperature. Everything worked as it should, and with no incidents the speed was gradually increased, still with plenty of caution. Back in the pits, there was a short break to catch some breath and go through the car to see if anything had come loose after the first laps. Since everything was in place, it was just a matter of recharging for stage two of the test drive.

Out on the track again, the pace was raised slightly and the car was pushed a bit harder on the straights. It quickly became clear that the unmodified gearbox created too large a gap between third and fourth gear, which limited performance during track driving. A five-speed gearbox with better ratios and a more suitable rpm drop would be ideal for both acceleration and drivability. In the next phase, the pace was increased further and the car continued to perform well, but now the tires started to make themselves noticed – grip was beginning to fade here and there in the corners. To counter this, more modern racing tires or more track-oriented tires would be a solution, but that would sacrifice some of the classic character, so it remains an open question to consider before the 2025 season.

Unfortunately, the final session ended with the charge warning light coming on and the oil pressure gauge dropping to zero. In that moment, it felt really bad and thoughts immediately turned to costly engine repairs for 2025. Back home, the hood was removed and the cause turned out to be a broken alternator belt that had stopped the charging. Now it is important to ensure that the correct belt is fitted, that the belt tension is right, and that the pulleys are perfectly aligned. A compression test has also been carried out and shows correct values for the engine, so everything indicates that there should be no major setbacks for the Corvette project going forward.