October 2010 Under Construction

1965 Chevy Corvette
Early Influence
Everyone's got a childhood idol, but few get to work with them for 40 years like Steve Malone did. Growing up in a small town in Ohio, it's not too hard to keep tabs on what's going on. Steve noticed a handful of what he would later identify as Corvettes in the local mechanic's lot. Still very young, his parents didn't want him venturing out too far on his bicycle, so he would pedal down to the shop as fast as he could to fake a close-by trip, but end up at Frank Duff's shop. Duff and his work quickly became the focus of Steve's life. He spent as much time spying on Duff's work as he could. Steve was endlessly grateful that Duff obliged his visits and even took the time to answer the hundreds of questions an eager 10-year-old might ask. It would be a long time before Steve could afford a car like the ones Duff had! When he was 16, Steve worked at the local Chevy dealership through his high school's vocational program, and got to work on Corvettes as they came off the truck.

Now, 40 years later, he calls Duff his friend. He also has picked up a '65 Corvette and grabs Duff's advice as he did decades ago. Duff doesn't have the collection of Corvettes he used to, but he has a plethora of parts that have really helped Steve out getting his car to perfect stock condition. Steve hopes to give his own kids the positive attitude he got from Duff to encourage them to follow their dreams like he did. He looks forward to loaning out his second-gen Vette to his brother and sister-in-law, as well as his kids when they're old enough.

By The Numbers
1965 Chevy Corvette
Steve Malone, 52 • Pataskala, OH
523 hp, 497 lb-ft of torque