seems like yesterday, growing up in the amazing 80's and being a big car guy, seeing Lingenfelter and Reeves partner up on the Callaway Sledgehammer. I remember it so well. I just saw a picture of him from back then, so many memories. I cant believe he passed and he was 75. wow.
@@redtesta my father had a callaway car. I was born in 85' and can't remember what car it was but my dad did talk about every now and then. I hope your'e doing well and driving something fun. 😀
I am a German and I was a car mechanic at the time. For us Germans, American cars were just LOL. No power, no brakes, no steering. Back then, a Camaro IROC-Z was competing in the German touring car championship and it was dead last. Then the Callaway Corvette came to Germany, not the sledgehammer but a 400-500hp version (still insane at the time) and one of the big German car magazines took it to the Hockenheim Ring. It directly blew the track record for road legal cars. That was the point when I stopped laughing about US cars.
American cars are a shit ton cooler tho and I am from Germany too. Own a '88 Firebird. No German car will ever get as much attention as old american cars do
As someone who’s actually been to Callaway to install Solidworks CAD modeling back in ‘98. The Sledgehammer was iconic and top speed king for nearly 20 years, you muppets. Reeves and his team were class acts. Fantastic documentary, well done. 👏
As someone who’s actually been to Calloway to install a faucet back in ‘92. This place was a dump. Reeves and his team were very not nice to me….that man is lying.
This car was an absolute legend that even most so called "car guys" might not have heard of. While most have heard of a Callaway Corvette the Sledgehammer was the Godfather of speed. A true testament to American engineering. Thank you for making such a comprehensive (and compact) documentary about an American legend, Reeves Callaway.
I went over to see Reeves and drive the Sledgehammer in Old Lyme, CT for some British and European car magazines in the autumn of 1989. Engine control electronics were fairly rudimentary in those days and it was a grunting beast on the road that felt happiest on full throttle. It also still had test instruments and cables hanging off the interior. The speed record of 254.76mph took place at the TRRL in Ohio, the only test area in the US with a long enough 'runway'.
Reeves gave me my first big break into professional motorsports when I was hired in (at 21yrs old) to work on the Aston Martin Group C engine program. I will never forget Reeves and just how down to earth and cool he was. So many projects we worked on while I was there. I was able to work on the engine rebuild for the Sledgehammer with two of my roommates that also worked at Callaway. I will never forget riding shotgun in Das Hammer on a run up I-95 @ 185mph. It happened so fast that it was terrifying. We had just completed a complete redo on the car removing test equipment and refining the installation and creature comforts. We actually installed an adjustable regulator for adjustable boost in the center console. Flash forward, I spoke with Reeves about a year before he passed after he visited the GM Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, Mi. I currently work on the Cadillac LMDh Engine Program and largely owe my motorsports career to him. He was a true Gentleman and visionary. GOD SPEED, Reeves! I look forward to seeing you again one day! Your friend, Brent Pierce
See where the veyron lacked the top speed apparently the callaway lacked the refinement HOWEVER being a anologue driver i don't mind less buttons more feel and im happy a car should not always be packed away behind electronics and equipment. And im saying this as a Veyron fan.
Always heard the names Callaway and lingenfelter involved with corvettes but never knew they had mixed history like this. Awesome story. Its cool to see these were just guys starting in their garage, just like me
I've actually SEEN the Sledgehammer, which still blows my mind. I just didnt realize what it was at the time because i was just a kid lol. Then ten years later reading the original C&D article about it...that was incredible.
When you consider 1) the primitive state of engine management in the 1980's, 2) how badly all the manufacturers were struggling to deal with emissions regs and 3) the tiny operation Callaway was at the rime, the Callaway Corvette was a pretty big accomplishment. The Sledgehammer was on another level altogether. Consider that it was the year 2000 before Gil de Ferran set the closed course oval record of 241.428 mph, and that was in an Indy Car! RIP Reeves Callaway and Gil de Ferran...
Sledgehammer was a beast.. complete beast. THe beast of the motor credit need to go to john lingenfelter. That was the guy always winning the Car & Driver open modified car challenges. He was a beast and his cars were the fastest. He was the main not only consulting on the engine, he is the one that drove the callaway to that top speed record. The only cars in 1985 touching the corvette "all around" from acceleration and handling was the porsche 911 turbo, the TR, the under rated HP of the grand national. The 911 was boosted and starting cost was around $85k. The vette's competitor was the 944 turbo. Actually the C4's dominated the racing scene so much, they were kicked out of the Escort Series. They were 29-0 vs the turbo 944. They then created the all corvette "challenge series". The C4 Vettes were dominant in the 80's and into the 90's for sure. (fyi my stock 85 vette ran 13.90's in the quarter roughly and 0-60 around 5.3 documented (carlsbad and LB terminal island) With 3.73 gears , exhaust and a traco chip it ran 13.2's . She weighed 3180 lbs on the scales sans the targa top and quarter tank of gas. (side note: The ultimate ssc ran a corvette motor :) ) Rest in peace Mr. Callaway AND John Lingenfelter.
I'm curious how your stock 85 vette was running half a second faster 0 to 60 and more than half a second faster in the quarter than every other one on the planet?
What an impressive video! A real story with meaningful historical significance, obvious attention to detail along with top notch production. Fantastic job!
I completely agree that was absolutely a epic moment!! Just truly epic , brings back and lots of memories and I still do have an old VHS player with family vhs tapes one day I'm going to hook it up and watch those old time family moments it will be all so epic
Corvette Callaway Turbo Sledgehammer cd 0.260 area sq/m 1.791 area sq/ft 19.28, but use 19.4, 267 mph Max speed , 825.34 aero drag+34.65 tire and weight drag= 859.99 HP req'd at sea level. You wouldn't go to a 256 mph average party on an Ohio proving ground with less than 900 net flywheel hp. "I know what I'm doing" Reeves C, RIP.
MY FIRST JOB WAS AT A CORVETTE SHOP AT 14 YRS OLD WORKING DURING THE SUMMERS AND BREAKS FROM SCHOOL. WORKED THERE FOR 4 YEARS AND SAW ALL SORTS OF COOL CARS. WE HAD 2 CALLAWAYS COME THROUGH. A SILVER TWIN TURBO AND A LIGHT BLUISH COLORED ONE THAT WAS FULLY BUILT. I DETAILED THE CARS AND HELPED IN THE PAINT BOOTH BUT ALSO DO SIMPLE, MEDIAL TASKS. FIRST EVER RADIATOR SWAP IVE EVER DONE WAS ON A BUICK T TYPE. ALSO GOT TO DRIVE SEVERAL OF THESE CARS. JUST A QUICK DRIVE AROUND THE SHOP FROM FRONT TO BACK SO NEVER ANYTHING FAST. DROVE A RT 10 VIPER THERE TOO. ILL NEVER FORGET CALLAWAY AND WISH THEY CONTINUED ON LIKE HENNESSEY DID.
Every dirt track to every drag strip in America chevy power domination. Anytime people want to put down chevy i tell them go to ur local dirt track ask the racers what powers there cars. It always about 99% GM lol!! I grew up in a little upstate NY town fonda- Fultonville home of the fonda speedway one of the oldest dirt tracks in American still racing today. Been dominated by GM power since the beginning still is today. Read ur comment just reminded me of myself someone that actually knows something haha
@@walkthnyt2000 twin turbo LS engines are capable of power in the 4 digits on pump gas. Just because nobody was crazy enough to produce them doesn't mean the ls isn't more capable than the sbc.
I remember reading about the Sledgehammer when I was a teenager. I couldn't believe that car went that fast. Awesome video. Thx for the trip down memory lane.
I met and spoke to Reeves for quite a while at Corvettes @ Carlisle years ago. He was so great! He took the time to discuss suspension design and what he felt was one of the best upgrades for the C5 Vette - the seats. Great documentary. I knew a lot about his cars and saw the Sledgehammer in person at Carlisle as well. Way ahead of their time.
Exactly. The original version of the Veyron was never actually the world's fastest production car - it topped out at 253 M.P.H. The super sport version was what finally went faster than the Sledgehammer in 2009.
Don't forget the astonishing 1.5+ billion dollars in R&D costs incurred by VW that lead to the Veyron's creation! Ferdinand Piech had his ego dented to such an extent by the *Peugeot WM P88* LeMans racer (that funnily enough achieved a top speed of 252mph/405 kph using a TT V6) that he gave the team at VW the ultimatum of building a faster car regardless of what the cost to the company was. And that lead to the Veyron 16.4 reaching a top speed of 253mph/407kph! 😂
@@m.cigledy6769the problem is that only 1 Sledgehammer was set up to go at that speed, Which doesn't make it a production car by many list's standards. The Veyron is a production car. The Sledgehammer does make it into the street car lists since it is an emissions complaint road legal vehicle. Those are two different lists.
I've been saying this for years. An old chevy 350 at modern boost levels will run with anything built today. I've gotten 27mpg on the highway, and regularly get 25 in my 96 C4. Last road trip, my 3.5 v6 infiniti got 22mpg.
@@DJAizakku I think they may have put together 2 of them, but I may be wrong. It was technically OFFERED, but it wasn't really advertised or even known about. That and the price tag was enough to keep it from real production.
I visited Callaways shop many times while stationed in CT. Met Reeves, Mike etc. And was able to see the Slegdehammer a couple of times. They had a engine on an engine stand supposedly a duplicatef it. Incredible shop and accomplishments'. RIP Reeves.
I first remember reading about the Sledgehammer in Playboy of all places. I was like 13-14 sneaking away dads dirty mag... If memory serves the article was titled "fire in the belly". I was absolutely mesmerized. Funny, I remember that car and the article and not the centerfold.
My mazdaspeed protege came with a callaway induction system, and looked the name up leaned so much about this man’s history so glad others are finding out his cars and his story
I remember that C&D article. Loved it. This was one of the cars I loved in the 80’s. Funny that Ligenfelter who worked with Reeves also had a top dog Corvette. I had that issue too. It went up Against other tuners and won. Took on a particularly hairy Gen 2 Viper, which was my favorite car in the 90’s. I miss those days. Honorable mention is the King Snake, which sadly was totaled. 777hp NA Viper which was nasty at the time. I would have loved to see what Reeves Callaway and John Ligenfelter could have done with today’s tech. Too bad both legends are gone.
Im glad i watched this video doc. I remember getting these issues of C&D, R&T etc. back them in Middle School. The 288 GTO is still my Favorite. For the longest I thought Callaway and Lingerfilter was battling each other on whos better.
TT Ford GTs have held the standing mile world record since 2011 and the current king is M2K MOTORSPORTS @ 300.4 mph in the mile. No "hypercar" is close.
You are confusing tuner racecars with production cars that has 5,000 more requirements to meet for road legality both in all 48-homeland states and internationally. Might as well give that record to Tasca with 341 in the 1000 ft. Edit: The Calloway Sledgehammer did pass actual road legal and production requirements (not as strict as today but back then)
@@barath4545 The Ford GT IS a production car , capable of 200+ mph right off the showroom floor. The mk2 Texas mile gt is the fastest street legal car in the world . Oh and Tasca was clocked at 339.1 mph at Bradenton Fl this spring. There that should clear up any confusion you might have had , your welcome.
@@tylerking27 Bugatti made 270 Veyrons in 6 years and 500 Chirons in over 7 years. If 510 cars in 5 years isn’t “production” because of numbers, then the Veyron and Chiron aren’t production either.
I had a corvette game on my old macintosh, you could select different versions of the c4 corvette including a standard, ZR1, twin turbo, and the sledgehammer. Lots of fun jumping it over Lombard St in San Francisco in the sledgehammer at full speed😂 you could also turn down gravity and really fly.
_OKAY ... I'm 12mins 10secs in and I have to be brutally honest about this vid, so here goes..._ _I am subbed to just about every automotive driven channel and This is impeccably done! I'm serious... the only thing that disappoints me about is it that I only have 9mins and 49secs left! Honestly I'm proud to be one of the early(ish) enthusiast to stumble across SpecM. Please Keep It Up and I Thank You._ ✅LIKED ✅SUBBED
Thank you for this video. I have read these story only in one magazine. The 1988 dezember Hot Hot magazine. The lingenfelter callaway sledgehammer was one of the Hot Hod of the Year cars !!
Radwood 2022 had 3 of these beasts on display…3! Anyone who went to that event was in the presence of godly greatness and I wonder how many knew how insane these cars were.
My dad grew up in old Lyme Connecticut (where callaway is based) and saw the sledgehammer a few times when growing up. He told me you could hear it well before you saw it
I used to work at an off-shoot of United Cutlery in Sevierville TN. My boss, David, was a Vette nut! The scariest one I rode in was a 95’, I think. I’m not sure which package from Callaway it had added to it, but it was based on a Grand Sport “skunk” Z15, I think. His son, Jake, took me out in it one day. From exit 407 (Sevierville) to exit 402 (Midway Rd), we got to over 200 mph, and used ~ 1/8th of a tank of gas doing it. I don’t know what scared me more, the thought of a tire blowing out, or the fact that I was riding with a ~ 20 year old rich kid and I was unsure of his experience behind the wheel! But, he did fine, and the car was rock solid. I’ve owned a 74’ Z28 with a decently built 396, a 150 shot, and a rock crusher 4 spd ( that was actually my first car in 1988…thanks Dad! ), to a last of the runs 08’ Trailblazer SS with the 400hp/400ftlbs 6 liter. Mine was the 2 wheel drive version, 1SS package, with that awesome limited black granite metallic paint, it had that twin turbo kit on it that had the turbos out back (I forget now who made it), HP tuners tune, it had the best GM brakes I’ve ever felt, and I’ve owned only GM products for myself my whole life (minus one 93’ Escort GT, in the limited Iris package, okay call it pink I don’t care I was 21 and single and the girls LOVED it, but that was my stereo competition car, so cut me a break and hey it was a pretty quick little car). That SUV was mean, I never got beat on the street with those crazy enough to try it. After I wanted to do more to it I knew I needed to sale it or end up dead. Anyway, I’ve known some speed in my life. Hell, I’ve rode in a friend’s Bullet bass boat that we hit 118 mph in it! But I’m here to tell you, that Vette was hands down the most amazing experience with speed I’ve ever had!
Cool videos man i like your visual style. Slightly off topic but i reckon you could do good trip simulation videos, especially for things like dxm and pcp, dph and maybe even datura 😅
This was excellent. I remember reading those magazines when I was a kid. The white Corvette also pulled 1 g on the skid pad which was crazy for the 80’s. Thanks for the memories!
Thanks for making this. I was really sad when Reeves passed away. I remember seeing a Callaway at the Chevy dealership very well engineered. The only thing that I would ask that doesn’t make sense is that I’ve always heard and read at the time that the sledgehammer had the DN 4+3 wich was available at the time the ZF would be later before it was sold However since you mentioned that they respond quickly please confirm this😅
Absolutely superb presentation ! I thought I already knew most if not outright everything about the legendary and indeed groundbreaking Corvette Sledgehammer, but this phenomenal and quite captivating documentary style clip still taught me some more about it. Very well done ! May Mister Reeves Callaway and John Lingenfelter rest in peace and may they be blessed, their legacies certainly live on, two absolute American pioneers of high performance automotive engineering and icons of speed. 🇺🇸🫡🙏🏼
Awesome documentary video! Many thanks! I'm not sure if you were adapting a "Kung Fury" theme to this video, but that's the feeling took away from it. Shows my age I guess. And yes R.I.P Reeves Callaway, you will never be forgotten!
Sorry I know this is about the Callaway cars and I have loved their cars but it's so cool that Reeves actually raced in formula Vee which was made so anyone could get into racing all you needed was a VW beetle to strip down and use for the race car. I wish things were still like that so it was easy to get into racing for not a lot of money.
Reeves Callaway was disqualified from the FV National Championship in 1973, after failing post race inspection. ( No turbos were involved). The car flipping in the front of the pack at the start was Denny Ura, a friend and competitor of mine. I beat Callaway earlier that year at Nelson Ledges, in my first National, at age 22. I also know the person who owns "Sledgehammer", now.
Before the vhs tap went in on the intro I knew it was gonna be the Callaway Corvette. I was a little kid in the early 90s. My uncle was pretty wealthy and he had bought one of these cars just to race in. He had no mechanical experience whatsoever, giving it to my dad because he’s a mechanic. He taught me everything I remember as a kid sitting behind the steering wheel when I was little kid my imagination going wild fueled my ambition for racing it throughout my life. By the time I was seven years old my dad wrecked the car he had gotten drunk, ran off the road and ran that car into a huge ditch 😢
Before I watched this video, I had a feeling he was going to be talking about the callaway. I remember reading about it in a corvette book in a library way back then. The specs on this thing was bananas so i dismissed it as theoretical or cap
Very good video, well worth the watch for petrol heads. I knew about Callaway and Lingenfelter, but only knew about the AMG "Sledgehammer" (watch Chris Harris on a factory tour and test).
It’s not a surprise to me, I owned a 1966 Mustang 2+2GT k code with 4 speed. It had a 140 mph speedo and I had it buried racing a 70 or 71 Chevelle SS 454 on the Long Beach (710) freeway around 1 in the a.m.!
R.I.P Callaway 😢🕊️🕊️🕊️
seems like yesterday, growing up in the amazing 80's and being a big car guy, seeing Lingenfelter and Reeves partner up on the Callaway Sledgehammer. I remember it so well. I just saw a picture of him from back then, so many memories. I cant believe he passed and he was 75. wow.
@@redtesta my father had a callaway car. I was born in 85' and can't remember what car it was but my dad did talk about every now and then. I hope your'e doing well and driving something fun. 😀
@@redtestaqqww😂😂
Gone but not forgotten.
Dammit it seems like yesterday
I am a German and I was a car mechanic at the time. For us Germans, American cars were just LOL. No power, no brakes, no steering. Back then, a Camaro IROC-Z was competing in the German touring car championship and it was dead last. Then the Callaway Corvette came to Germany, not the sledgehammer but a 400-500hp version (still insane at the time) and one of the big German car magazines took it to the Hockenheim Ring. It directly blew the track record for road legal cars. That was the point when I stopped laughing about US cars.
*brakes
yes, but the 255 is still slower than the German Autobahn Record from 1938 which was about 268 mph.
@@epultimastWhat car exactly set that record?
American cars are a shit ton cooler tho and I am from Germany too. Own a '88 Firebird. No German car will ever get as much attention as old american cars do
German LOL
As someone who’s actually been to Callaway to install Solidworks CAD modeling back in ‘98. The Sledgehammer was iconic and top speed king for nearly 20 years, you muppets. Reeves and his team were class acts. Fantastic documentary, well done. 👏
Who you calling Muppet’s you Fraggle!
As someone who’s actually been to Calloway to install a faucet back in ‘92. This place was a dump. Reeves and his team were very not nice to me….that man is lying.
SOLIDWORKS...I love that app. (Why the hell does Autocorrect capitalize the whole word?)
God bless you 🙏❤️
The fact you mentioned solidworks makes me believe you.
Managed to get my hands on that software as a kid in 2003.
This car was an absolute legend that even most so called "car guys" might not have heard of. While most have heard of a Callaway Corvette the Sledgehammer was the Godfather of speed. A true testament to American engineering. Thank you for making such a comprehensive (and compact) documentary about an American legend, Reeves Callaway.
I went over to see Reeves and drive the Sledgehammer in Old Lyme, CT for some British and European car magazines in the autumn of 1989. Engine control electronics were fairly rudimentary in those days and it was a grunting beast on the road that felt happiest on full throttle. It also still had test instruments and cables hanging off the interior. The speed record of 254.76mph took place at the TRRL in Ohio, the only test area in the US with a long enough 'runway'.
Reeves gave me my first big break into professional motorsports when I was hired in (at 21yrs old) to work on the Aston Martin Group C engine program. I will never forget Reeves and just how down to earth and cool he was. So many projects we worked on while I was there. I was able to work on the engine rebuild for the Sledgehammer with two of my roommates that also worked at Callaway. I will never forget riding shotgun in Das Hammer on a run up I-95 @ 185mph. It happened so fast that it was terrifying. We had just completed a complete redo on the car removing test equipment and refining the installation and creature comforts. We actually installed an adjustable regulator for adjustable boost in the center console. Flash forward, I spoke with Reeves about a year before he passed after he visited the GM Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, Mi. I currently work on the Cadillac LMDh Engine Program and largely owe my motorsports career to him. He was a true Gentleman and visionary. GOD SPEED, Reeves! I look forward to seeing you again one day! Your friend, Brent Pierce
See where the veyron lacked the top speed apparently the callaway lacked the refinement HOWEVER being a anologue driver i don't mind less buttons more feel and im happy a car should not always be packed away behind electronics and equipment. And im saying this as a Veyron fan.
The Cadillac program is making a huge statement, congratulations on your accomplishment, you have lived the dream sir!
Always heard the names Callaway and lingenfelter involved with corvettes but never knew they had mixed history like this. Awesome story. Its cool to see these were just guys starting in their garage, just like me
Growing up I had two posters in my room. Ferrari f40. And the sledgehammer
I have a scale model of the Sledgehammer, including the blue interior 😅
i had a poster of pam anderson, you dorks.
@@krusher74😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣👍🏿🤚🏿.
@krusher74
We had girls in high school that looked like Pam Anderson.
As did I. Still have them. Huge F40 poster and magenta Callaway C4. Ferrari still looks and sounds better 😀
I've actually SEEN the Sledgehammer, which still blows my mind. I just didnt realize what it was at the time because i was just a kid lol. Then ten years later reading the original C&D article about it...that was incredible.
where
When you consider 1) the primitive state of engine management in the 1980's, 2) how badly all the manufacturers were struggling to deal with emissions regs and 3) the tiny operation Callaway was at the rime, the Callaway Corvette was a pretty big accomplishment.
The Sledgehammer was on another level altogether. Consider that it was the year 2000 before Gil de Ferran set the closed course oval record of 241.428 mph, and that was in an Indy Car!
RIP Reeves Callaway and Gil de Ferran...
That's a really cool piece of history that I didn't know, thanks for making the video, truly! 🙏🏻
Some next level production on these videos, great work and keep it up !!
Sledgehammer was a beast.. complete beast. THe beast of the motor credit need to go to john lingenfelter. That was the guy always winning the Car & Driver open modified car challenges. He was a beast and his cars were the fastest. He was the main not only consulting on the engine, he is the one that drove the callaway to that top speed record. The only cars in 1985 touching the corvette "all around" from acceleration and handling was the porsche 911 turbo, the TR, the under rated HP of the grand national. The 911 was boosted and starting cost was around $85k. The vette's competitor was the 944 turbo. Actually the C4's dominated the racing scene so much, they were kicked out of the Escort Series. They were 29-0 vs the turbo 944. They then created the all corvette "challenge series". The C4 Vettes were dominant in the 80's and into the 90's for sure. (fyi my stock 85 vette ran 13.90's in the quarter roughly and 0-60 around 5.3 documented (carlsbad and LB terminal island) With 3.73 gears , exhaust and a traco chip it ran 13.2's . She weighed 3180 lbs on the scales sans the targa top and quarter tank of gas. (side note: The ultimate ssc ran a corvette motor :) ) Rest in peace Mr. Callaway AND John Lingenfelter.
@@redtesta absolutely awesome input and great info. I love seeing comments like this that expand even further into history
I'm curious how your stock 85 vette was running half a second faster 0 to 60 and more than half a second faster in the quarter than every other one on the planet?
What an impressive video! A real story with meaningful historical significance, obvious attention to detail along with top notch production. Fantastic job!
Thank you very much!
Using the Need For Speed II menu music in the very beginning! Nice touch! 🔥🔥
When they pulled the vhs tape out 🙌🏿😂😂😂😂😂 I damn near died lol ain’t seen one of dem in forever
I completely agree that was absolutely a epic moment!! Just truly epic , brings back and lots of memories and I still do have an old VHS player with family vhs tapes one day I'm going to hook it up and watch those old time family moments it will be all so epic
For the era, just the fact that stock Corvettes could achieve 160 plus mph was impressive in and of itself.
c4's were ugly but they had a bloody good drag co-efficient.
@@Mrx1080beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I happen to find the later c4 vettes with the updated front end to be good looking cars
@@Full_Otto_Bismarcksame. Grew up idolising that design.
in of itself
Corvette Callaway Turbo Sledgehammer
cd 0.260
area sq/m 1.791
area sq/ft 19.28, but use 19.4, 267 mph Max speed , 825.34 aero drag+34.65 tire and weight drag= 859.99 HP req'd at sea level. You wouldn't go to a 256 mph average party on an Ohio proving ground with less than 900 net flywheel hp.
"I know what I'm doing" Reeves C, RIP.
Great Instructional Documentary, as a C4 Coupe Corvette Owner, I appreciate the History.
I love how rich Corvette car history is. So many stories and a really great community!
MY FIRST JOB WAS AT A CORVETTE SHOP AT 14 YRS OLD WORKING DURING THE SUMMERS AND BREAKS FROM SCHOOL. WORKED THERE FOR 4 YEARS AND SAW ALL SORTS OF COOL CARS. WE HAD 2 CALLAWAYS COME THROUGH. A SILVER TWIN TURBO AND A LIGHT BLUISH COLORED ONE THAT WAS FULLY BUILT. I DETAILED THE CARS AND HELPED IN THE PAINT BOOTH BUT ALSO DO SIMPLE, MEDIAL TASKS. FIRST EVER RADIATOR SWAP IVE EVER DONE WAS ON A BUICK T TYPE. ALSO GOT TO DRIVE SEVERAL OF THESE CARS. JUST A QUICK DRIVE AROUND THE SHOP FROM FRONT TO BACK SO NEVER ANYTHING FAST. DROVE A RT 10 VIPER THERE TOO. ILL NEVER FORGET CALLAWAY
AND WISH THEY CONTINUED ON LIKE HENNESSEY DID.
Great little documentary on Mr. Callaway. Absolutely awesome.
Forgot all about Callaway Corvettes, thank you so much for bringing back this legendary outfit to my memory. Great documentary!!
…and using a SBC, I’m surprised there’s not haters in the comments. After all it is the engine with more wins in all history.
Ill send some hate, from Florida, since no one else is.
Every dirt track to every drag strip in America chevy power domination. Anytime people want to put down chevy i tell them go to ur local dirt track ask the racers what powers there cars. It always about 99% GM lol!!
I grew up in a little upstate NY town fonda- Fultonville home of the fonda speedway one of the oldest dirt tracks in American still racing today. Been dominated by GM power since the beginning still is today.
Read ur comment just reminded me of myself someone that actually knows something haha
So true. SBC architecture has been tossed aside for the LS. You can barely give one away. Yet I’ve never seen an LS run 255 mph.
@@walkthnyt2000Hennessey Venom, and the mentioned SSC Ultimate Aero
@@walkthnyt2000 twin turbo LS engines are capable of power in the 4 digits on pump gas. Just because nobody was crazy enough to produce them doesn't mean the ls isn't more capable than the sbc.
Nice vid, glad to be included in!
Coming across your B2K videos was like finding gold. I truly appreciate you sir!
I remember reading about the Sledgehammer when I was a teenager. I couldn't believe that car went that fast. Awesome video. Thx for the trip down memory lane.
The Sledgehammer was the first thing that came to my mind !!! Whooohooo 😁
Your videos are just incredible, well done 👍
Thank you very much for this video! Great content, and such a great story behind a legend and legendary car. Keep it coming!
I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of days with Reeves, and his teem at a racetrack . Such a great man. My condolences to his family.
Wow 30min response email.... Class act.
I met and spoke to Reeves for quite a while at Corvettes @ Carlisle years ago. He was so great! He took the time to discuss suspension design and what he felt was one of the best upgrades for the C5 Vette - the seats. Great documentary. I knew a lot about his cars and saw the Sledgehammer in person at Carlisle as well. Way ahead of their time.
Callaway Sledgehammer? Haven’t seen the reveal yet!
Awesome. I loved reading about the Sledgehammer in Car & Driver, Motortrend and Road & Track. Either the deep dives or crazy comparison tests.
There was an article about it in Hot Rod Magazine in the late 1980s
Fantastic documentary. Thank you for reminding me about Mr. Callaway, and his awesome cars.
This honestly one of the coolest ways to introduce a car without saying anything
Amazing documentary, so much hidden history that's waiting to be uncovered. Congrats for such a great vid, and kudos.
It took a Veyron more than 20 years later to beat it and for so much more money. Only 20 lbs. of boost. That is nothing today. What an accomplishment.
Exactly. The original version of the Veyron was never actually the world's fastest production car - it topped out at 253 M.P.H. The super sport version was what finally went faster than the Sledgehammer in 2009.
Don't forget the astonishing 1.5+ billion dollars in R&D costs incurred by VW that lead to the Veyron's creation! Ferdinand Piech had his ego dented to such an extent by the *Peugeot WM P88* LeMans racer (that funnily enough achieved a top speed of 252mph/405 kph using a TT V6) that he gave the team at VW the ultimatum of building a faster car regardless of what the cost to the company was. And that lead to the Veyron 16.4 reaching a top speed of 253mph/407kph! 😂
@@m.cigledy6769the problem is that only 1 Sledgehammer was set up to go at that speed, Which doesn't make it a production car by many list's standards. The Veyron is a production car. The Sledgehammer does make it into the street car lists since it is an emissions complaint road legal vehicle. Those are two different lists.
I've been saying this for years. An old chevy 350 at modern boost levels will run with anything built today. I've gotten 27mpg on the highway, and regularly get 25 in my 96 C4. Last road trip, my 3.5 v6 infiniti got 22mpg.
@@DJAizakku I think they may have put together 2 of them, but I may be wrong. It was technically OFFERED, but it wasn't really advertised or even known about. That and the price tag was enough to keep it from real production.
I visited Callaways shop many times while stationed in CT. Met Reeves, Mike etc. And was able to see the Slegdehammer a couple of times. They had a engine on an engine stand supposedly a duplicatef it. Incredible shop and accomplishments'. RIP Reeves.
0:39 Corvette sledge hammer...
I first remember reading about the Sledgehammer in Playboy of all places. I was like 13-14 sneaking away dads dirty mag... If memory serves the article was titled
"fire in the belly". I was absolutely mesmerized. Funny, I remember that car and the article and not the centerfold.
Callaway didnt die God need someone to build his car for Earnhardt to drive him around in r.i.p to the legends who going fill those shoes
@@kellytolliver2390 underrated comment
My mazdaspeed protege came with a callaway induction system, and looked the name up leaned so much about this man’s history so glad others are finding out his cars and his story
Thorough documentary. Well done.
Thank you kindly sir for this information and please continue with your development of this channel.
I remember hearing about Callaway turbo kits back then but didn't know about the Sledge Hammer project....Awesome achievement👍
Awesome times back n the day. I still miss the Saturday morning cartoons. Cool content
I remember that C&D article. Loved it. This was one of the cars I loved in the 80’s. Funny that Ligenfelter who worked with Reeves also had a top dog Corvette. I had that issue too. It went up Against other tuners and won. Took on a particularly hairy Gen 2 Viper, which was my favorite car in the 90’s.
I miss those days.
Honorable mention is the King Snake, which sadly was totaled. 777hp NA Viper which was nasty at the time.
I would have loved to see what Reeves Callaway and John Ligenfelter could have done with today’s tech. Too bad both legends are gone.
Great video! I remember reading the article about the Sledgehammer setting the top speed record when I was in school.
Im glad i watched this video doc. I remember getting these issues of C&D, R&T etc. back them in Middle School. The 288 GTO is still my Favorite. For the longest I thought Callaway and Lingerfilter was battling each other on whos better.
a really outstanding video, lots of stuff I had no idea about. Keep up the good work!
Much appreciated!
This was a great video. Looking forward to seeing more of your work!
TT Ford GTs have held the standing mile world record since 2011 and the current king is M2K MOTORSPORTS @ 300.4 mph in the mile. No "hypercar" is close.
The GT is one of my fav cars of all time. Those TT builds are phenomenal.
You are confusing tuner racecars with production cars that has 5,000 more requirements to meet for road legality both in all 48-homeland states and internationally.
Might as well give that record to Tasca with 341 in the 1000 ft.
Edit: The Calloway Sledgehammer did pass actual road legal and production requirements (not as strict as today but back then)
@@barath4545only 510 over 5 years and that is considered production?
@@barath4545 The Ford GT IS a production car , capable of 200+ mph right off the showroom floor. The mk2 Texas mile gt is the fastest street legal car in the world . Oh and Tasca was clocked at 339.1 mph at Bradenton Fl this spring. There that should clear up any confusion you might have had , your welcome.
@@tylerking27 Bugatti made 270 Veyrons in 6 years and 500 Chirons in over 7 years.
If 510 cars in 5 years isn’t “production” because of numbers, then the Veyron and Chiron aren’t production either.
I remember seeing this monster in all the Car Magazines!!! Absolute LEGEND 💯
Rest in peace Sir thank you for all the memories 🙏
I had a corvette game on my old macintosh, you could select different versions of the c4 corvette including a standard, ZR1, twin turbo, and the sledgehammer. Lots of fun jumping it over Lombard St in San Francisco in the sledgehammer at full speed😂 you could also turn down gravity and really fly.
Great video. Thank you Callaway for the sledgehammer R.I.P
Without seeing a second of this video, my thoughts: Sledgehammer Corvette
Same. I recognized it from the thumbnail too
@@milesromanus7041 me too lol it screams lt1
Great video bud. Good work, your channel deserves success and I don't throw those around.
Twin turbo small blocks are peak
I used to live by this shop in Oakland that had a 1983 Callaway 944.
Dude, killer video content. Thanks for highlighting this legend.
Just got educated thank you very much. The commentary and dialogue was first class.
_OKAY ... I'm 12mins 10secs in and I have to be brutally honest about this vid, so here goes..._
_I am subbed to just about every automotive driven channel and This is impeccably done! I'm serious... the only thing that disappoints me about is it that I only have 9mins and 49secs left! Honestly I'm proud to be one of the early(ish) enthusiast to stumble across SpecM. Please Keep It Up and I Thank You._
✅LIKED
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Thank you for this video.
I have read these story only in one magazine.
The 1988 dezember
Hot Hot magazine.
The lingenfelter callaway sledgehammer was one of the
Hot Hod of the Year
cars !!
I really appreciateem like this. A dream to come to life is amazing to witness.
Radwood 2022 had 3 of these beasts on display…3! Anyone who went to that event was in the presence of godly greatness and I wonder how many knew how insane these cars were.
My dad grew up in old Lyme Connecticut (where callaway is based) and saw the sledgehammer a few times when growing up. He told me you could hear it well before you saw it
Excellent summary of the history of this iconic one off.
Now Callaway needs to make a speedtail version of the _new_ ZR1 Corvette and make 1500 hsprs and try to break 290
Yes but a C4 corvette...
This is a great idea! Even with the same drivetrain, they'd be able to get a crazy top speed with a low drag setup. A speed tail would look great too.
Great video! What a legend. May he rest in speed!!!
I used to work at an off-shoot of United Cutlery in Sevierville TN. My boss, David, was a Vette nut! The scariest one I rode in was a 95’, I think. I’m not sure which package from Callaway it had added to it, but it was based on a Grand Sport “skunk” Z15, I think. His son, Jake, took me out in it one day. From exit 407 (Sevierville) to exit 402 (Midway Rd), we got to over 200 mph, and used ~ 1/8th of a tank of gas doing it. I don’t know what scared me more, the thought of a tire blowing out, or the fact that I was riding with a ~ 20 year old rich kid and I was unsure of his experience behind the wheel! But, he did fine, and the car was rock solid.
I’ve owned a 74’ Z28 with a decently built 396, a 150 shot, and a rock crusher 4 spd ( that was actually my first car in 1988…thanks Dad! ), to a last of the runs 08’ Trailblazer SS with the 400hp/400ftlbs 6 liter. Mine was the 2 wheel drive version, 1SS package, with that awesome limited black granite metallic paint, it had that twin turbo kit on it that had the turbos out back (I forget now who made it), HP tuners tune, it had the best GM brakes I’ve ever felt, and I’ve owned only GM products for myself my whole life (minus one 93’ Escort GT, in the limited Iris package, okay call it pink I don’t care I was 21 and single and the girls LOVED it, but that was my stereo competition car, so cut me a break and hey it was a pretty quick little car). That SUV was mean, I never got beat on the street with those crazy enough to try it. After I wanted to do more to it I knew I needed to sale it or end up dead. Anyway, I’ve known some speed in my life. Hell, I’ve rode in a friend’s Bullet bass boat that we hit 118 mph in it! But I’m here to tell you, that Vette was hands down the most amazing experience with speed I’ve ever had!
Cool videos man i like your visual style. Slightly off topic but i reckon you could do good trip simulation videos, especially for things like dxm and pcp, dph and maybe even datura 😅
Amazing story thank you.
Rest in peace mr Callaway 🙏
Love me some Callaway but it's a modified production car. 😎🏁
Man, these videos are well done
This is amazing quality, can't wait to see what comes next! :D
This was excellent. I remember reading those magazines when I was a kid. The white Corvette also pulled 1 g on the skid pad which was crazy for the 80’s. Thanks for the memories!
A Callaway was the "Turbo Vette" Sir Mix a Lot was talking about in Baby got Back.
Thank you!
If you put proper aero on an Aerobody, you would have an absolutely insane racecar.
I can still remember that time and Car well. Callaway R.I.P ❤. 😮
Thanks for making this. I was really sad when Reeves passed away. I remember seeing a Callaway at the Chevy dealership very well engineered. The only thing that I would ask that doesn’t make sense is that I’ve always heard and read at the time that the sledgehammer had the DN 4+3 wich was available at the time the ZF would be later before it was sold However since you mentioned that they respond quickly please confirm this😅
Spec M you are Dope! R.I.P. Mr Calloway……..Much Respect 👊🏾
Rest in Perfect peace Reeves Callaway 🙏🙏🙏❤ thank you for the cars, the power the speed and the ❤
Something I always have wanted in a very big way... sledgehammer!
Absolutely superb presentation !
I thought I already knew most if not outright everything about the legendary and indeed groundbreaking Corvette Sledgehammer, but this phenomenal and quite captivating documentary style clip still taught me some more about it.
Very well done !
May Mister Reeves Callaway and John Lingenfelter rest in peace and may they be blessed,
their legacies certainly live on, two absolute American pioneers of high performance automotive engineering and icons of speed.
🇺🇸🫡🙏🏼
Awesome documentary video! Many thanks! I'm not sure if you were adapting a "Kung Fury" theme to this video, but that's the feeling took away from it. Shows my age I guess. And yes R.I.P Reeves Callaway, you will never be forgotten!
I like that you used the NFS2 outro music even just for a few seconds.
You used the OG Need for Speed music. Awesome.
Amazing work on this video! I have known about this shortly after it took place, being a Corvette fan all my life.
Sorry I know this is about the Callaway cars and I have loved their cars but it's so cool that Reeves actually raced in formula Vee which was made so anyone could get into racing all you needed was a VW beetle to strip down and use for the race car. I wish things were still like that so it was easy to get into racing for not a lot of money.
Reeves Callaway was disqualified from the FV National Championship in 1973, after failing post race inspection. ( No turbos were involved). The car flipping in the front of the pack at the start was Denny Ura, a friend and competitor of mine. I beat Callaway earlier that year at Nelson Ledges, in my first National, at age 22. I also know the person who owns "Sledgehammer", now.
Callaway! Someone can say that name...and it's one of the few things that makes my eyes open from a dead sleep!
Nice job on the documentary 👏
What if I told you that I already know about all of this and am shocked that the younger generations don't.
Before the vhs tap went in on the intro I knew it was gonna be the Callaway Corvette. I was a little kid in the early 90s. My uncle was pretty wealthy and he had bought one of these cars just to race in. He had no mechanical experience whatsoever, giving it to my dad because he’s a mechanic. He taught me everything I remember as a kid sitting behind the steering wheel when I was little kid my imagination going wild fueled my ambition for racing it throughout my life. By the time I was seven years old my dad wrecked the car he had gotten drunk, ran off the road and ran that car into a huge ditch 😢
What a waste
Way before its time. They were one of the first ppl to really figure out turbochargering
Need For Speed 2 intro music is on point!
A true legendary car from my youth.
Nicely done video! Appreciate it much. 👍🏼
One of my favorite cars of all time
Before I watched this video, I had a feeling he was going to be talking about the callaway. I remember reading about it in a corvette book in a library way back then. The specs on this thing was bananas so i dismissed it as theoretical or cap
Very good video, well worth the watch for petrol heads. I knew about Callaway and Lingenfelter, but only knew about the AMG "Sledgehammer" (watch Chris Harris on a factory tour and test).
Great car, fantastic documentary mate. Top stuff 💪🏻
It’s not a surprise to me, I owned a 1966 Mustang 2+2GT k code with 4 speed. It had a 140 mph speedo and I had it buried racing a 70 or 71 Chevelle SS 454 on the Long Beach (710) freeway around 1 in the a.m.!
Big UP ! Mr.Calloway......Legend
Cool to learn it was inspired on the Alfetta GTV with twin turbo Busso
That nfs 2 menu theme was a nice touch to this video.