The team removed the original cowl vent and blended the side-body seam into the fiberglass to give the body a one-piece appearance. They also reshaped the upper rear body section, removing about 2-1/2 inches—mainly around the rear quarter-panels—to make room for the larger rear wheel openings needed for the 20×12 rear wheels. New inner fender panels were fabricated to clear the oversized wheel-and-tire package at all four corners, and the rear tubs are equally substantial. The grille and headlights remain stock, but at Alloway’s they fabricated the front and rear bumpers, except for the original center bar in the rear bumper. The panel below the front grille, which maintains the iconic C1 13-vertical “tooth” look, was reworked for the much-lower ride height, with about 3 inches removed and the shape revised. Alloway’s is especially known for its body- and paintwork, and with more than 95 percent of the shop’s hot rods finished in black, there is no place to hide flaws. Coated in PPG Alloway Black—9700 black topped with 2002 clear—this 1954 Corvette is exceptionally clean and precise. (Don’t believe me, just look down the side of one of Alloway’s black hot rods—ruler straight.)

Power comes from a Chevy 496ci V-8 based on an iron block, machined and assembled by Jeff Taylor Performance. It now uses aluminum cylinder heads and a custom Hogan Industries fuel-injection system controlled by a Holley Sniper ECU, along with an MSD distributor and Taylor custom plug wires. An AC Delco battery supplies the power and a Powermaster starter spins it over. Exhaust flows through custom stainless headers built by Barillaro Speed (Mikey and Jimmy), mandrel-bent stainless tubing, and Borla Pro XS mufflers. The TREMEC TKX five-speed, sourced from American Powertrain, works with a Centerforce clutch and pressure plate and a Chevy flywheel. The shifter is a modified stock C2 (yes, C2) unit adapted to the TKX. Goddard Machine and Design machined the matching valve covers, multiple air cleaners, and the Wilwood master cylinder cap.

Underneath is an Art Morrison Enterprises chassis, modified in typical Alloway fashion to meet the shop’s needs. It also uses AME dropped spindles, a Detroit Speed rack-and-pinion, and Wilwood 13-inch rotors with six-piston calipers at all four corners, plus a Wilwood dual-reservoir master cylinder. Coilover shocks sit at each corner, while the rear suspension combines an AME four-link and Panhard bar with a GearFX 9-inch rear end and axles carrying 4.88 gears. (We call this gearing stoplight-to-stoplight gears.) The Billet Specialties wheels feature an exclusive Alloway ET-style design. These highly polished, large-window mag-style wheels measure 17×7 in front and 20×12 in back and wear Pirelli tires with buffed sidewalls, sized 225/45R17 front and 315/45R20 rear.

Inside, the 1954 Corvette keeps a largely stock look, though nearly everything has been upgraded. The cabin is trimmed in matte-finish burgundy Mulberry leather from Moore and Giles, paired with matching Daytona-weave carpeting, all stitched by Steve Holcomb of Pro Auto Custom Interiors. The dash retains its stock layout but adds Classic Instruments gauges and Vintage Air A/C; Vintage Air also supplied the big-block Chevy Front Runner system. An Ididit steering column supports a cut-down stock C1 Corvette wheel from Corvette Central, and Glen Shabbas handled the wiring using a custom loom.

There’s no mistaking Alloway’s signature style, and this 1954 Corvette makes that clear.