The 1974 Corvette C3 “Glasser” Sportwagon: A Bold WWII-Inspired Custom Build

Reimagined Relic - There’s a special kind of energy in machines that refuse to disappear quietly, especially when their second lives come from pure creativity rather than factory-correct restoration. The 1974 Chevrolet Corvette C3 Sportwagon known as the “Glasser” belongs in that rare category. It didn’t emerge from a high-budget shop or a carefully curated museum plan—it began as a wreck on the verge of being scrapped, only to be reborn through imagination, wartime aviation influence, and the unmistakable spirit of gasser drag cars. In today’s world of digital precision, the Glasser feels like a reminder that bold ideas still matter.

The 1974 Corvette C3 “Glasser” Sportwagon crafted by Paul and Keith Ray, finished in olive green paint and accented with hand-crafted nose art and jagged front teeth, pays direct tribute to WWII fighter planes. (Picture from: LSXMag)

Its story stretches back to the 1980s, when the car belonged to Augie Giovanni. After wrecking it and getting only as far as primer during repairs, he eventually sold it to finance other builds. Decades later, in September 2016, Paul Ray stumbled across photos of the battered Corvette through a friend. What he saw was a true basket case—far too gone to restore in any traditional sense. Instead of letting it head to the crusher, he bought it, and with his son Keith, committed to building something entirely different. Beginning March 4th, 2017, and working continuously through August 8th of the same year, the father-son duo transformed the disassembled Vette in just six months, an astonishing pace considering its condition.

The 1974 Corvette C3 “Glasser” Sportwagon crafted by Paul and Keith Ray uses torpedo-style side pipes to intensify its WWII fighter-plane theme, giving the car a sense of motion even at rest. (Picture from: FrontANdRearEndSwap in Facebook)

What emerged was a sportwagon conversion that instantly signaled its intentions through its exterior. The olive green paint, the hand-crafted “nose art,” and the jagged teeth along the front pay direct tribute to WWII fighter planes. Even the roof was reimagined as a pseudo-canopy, with blacked-out panels and painted window lines that mimic aircraft glazing. Torpedo-style side pipes amplify that theme, adding a sense of motion even when the car sits still. While the design can appear ungainly or even shocking at first glance, it leans fully into its fighter-plane personality rather than trying to blend in.

The olive green color of the 1974 Corvette C3 “Glasser” Sportwagon, accented with hand-crafted nose art and jagged front teeth, draws direct inspiration from WWII fighter planes. (Picture from: LSXMag)

The rear carries the same bold approach. Instead of stock Corvette lights, the Rays installed 1961 Ford Galaxie taillights—an unconventional choice that gives the back end a jet-engine vibe, even though the wartime planes inspiring the build used propellers rather than turbines. These taillights, along with the wagon conversion, set the Glasser apart visually while anchoring it firmly in its chosen stylistic universe. Protruding side exhausts and large tires push the car toward hot-rod territory, bridging the gap between military aesthetics and mid-century American performance culture.

The 1974 Corvette C3 “Glasser” Sportwagon roof was reimagined as a pseudo-canopy, with blacked-out panels and painted window lines that mimic aircraft glazing. (Picture from: LSXMag)

Underneath, the Rays reinforced that connection by replacing the Corvette’s independent front suspension with a primitive beam axle, giving the car the raised stance typical of gasser drag cars. Moon disc caps on the rear wheels complete the period-correct look. The name “Glasser” itself plays on this crossover—part “gasser,” part nod to the Corvette’s fiberglass body. The deeper influence comes from the history of nose art: unofficial, expressive, emotional, and often created with whatever materials were available. It allowed WWII crews to assert individuality in uniformed environments, and its folk-art qualities mirror the personal, handmade nature of the Rays’ build. | Ub0D61MfNcY |

In the end, the Glasser stands as a labor of passion rather than polish. It may look awkward in everyday life, but it embodies the belief that even the most hopeless cars can become something meaningful if given vision and effort. Paul and Keith Ray didn’t resurrect the Vette by restoring it—they revived it by reimagining it. Their six-month build turned a wrecked Corvette with a fragmented past into a roadworthy expression of creativity, history, and father-son collaboration. In that way, the Glasser is more than a strange custom; it’s proof that forgotten machines can still find new purpose when someone sees potential where others see scrap. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LSXMAG | BLACKTOP OUTLAW IN FACEBOOK | FRONT AND REAR END SWAP IN FACEBOOK |  QUIRKYRIDES IN X ]

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