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Pearl Driver

He started off with a 1969 Camaro SS convertible, which was followed by a 1976 Camaro coupe that was used extensively to tour around France, and then a 1975 Corvette C3.

Taking out a mortgage and raising a family intervened and the cars had to go, but once Barry’s mortgage was paid off, he went straight out and purchased a Corvette C5 convertible that clocked up a healthy mileage touring the continent. The C5 was followed by a Corvette C6 coupe, but this didn’t stay for long as Barry really wanted a C6 convertible and a car was purchased from Paul Cornish of Worcester.

“My last three Yanks were all sourced and purchased from Paul and we’ve since become good friends,” says Barry.

“I simply tell him what I’m looking for and he does the rest. The only thing was I didn’t like the colour very much, I’m not a huge lover of yellow.”

So why did he purchase a car in a colour he didn’t like? “I don’t know,” he laughs. “At the time there weren’t very many C6 convertibles to choose from in the UK, so I stuck with the colour.”

When Barry purchased his C6 (LS2 engine/auto transmission) there were one or two marks on the paintwork that he decided needed rectifying, so he took the car down to Scott and Brett Brocklehurst at Custom Exotics in Harlow, Essex, whom he’d got to know quite well, as they’d also completed some paintwork repairs on his C6 coupe. “I said to Scott that I wasn’t too keen on the colour and he suggested maybe changing it to a pearl,” explains Barry. “Just about the only yellow that I did have some affinity with was the Lamborghini Gallardo pearl yellow, and thus a plan was hatched!”

At the time the C6 convertible was only 18 months old, but nevertheless, all the panels were removed and the car was subsequently prepared and painted in pearl yellow, something that has dramatically improved the ‘wow’ factor as far as Barry is concerned.

“When I dropped by Custom Exotics’ workshop one day, I was quite shocked to see my car in a very dismantled state!” he laughs. Maybe it would have been much easier and less expensive simply to purchase another C6 convertible in a preferred colour of his choice? “Yes, but I wanted this C6 to be my own personal car and to put my own stamp on it,” he explains.

“Ever since I’ve owned the C6 both Scott and Brett, together with Corvette devotee Daren Parish and another good friend and Mustang owner Eddie Coe (from whose father Ted we both inherited our love of American cars) have all guided me in my quest for achieving exclusivity.”

While many hold originality to be sacrosanct, Barry has certainly transformed his stock C6 very tastefully into a real stunner which never fails to turn heads.

The stock alloy wheels have been replaced with a set of 20 inch Cray alloys that have black painted spokes with a highly polished natural finished rim, that blend in beautifully with the pearl paintwork. They are shod with Falken 305-25-ZR20 and 285-25-ZR20 tyres. The brake calipers have also been colour coded yellow.

Other modifications have been to retrim the seats, using much higher quality black leather than was stock and the seat squabs finished using yellow stitching. The colourful Chevrolet bow tie logo has also been embroidered into the headrests.

Likewise the centre console has been painted yellow, along with the switchgear binnacles on either side of the instrument cluster.

The engine bay has been colour coded with yellow fuel line covers, a carbon fibre plenum cover and chrome and carbon fibre K&N cold air induction system. All that remains now is to fit a carbon fibre rear diffuser and the car will be fully finished. It would have been perfect to have a registration number to include C6, but that had already been taken.

Barry is delighted with his personalised C6 convertible, it certainly stands out from the rest!

Words & Photography:  Paul Bussey