Even after it sat untouched for 50 years, the 1963 Corvette recently pulled out of a forlorn Delaware County garage practically still smelled of raw power and speed.

It was the life savings and first big dream of Henry “Hank” Wendt, a Ridley Township High School graduate who in 2013 passed away at the age of 71, though it certainly was not the last.

Wendt quickly left his handcrafted “cobra killer” and ill-fated aspirations of the NHRA Nationals for the thrill of boat racing on the Jersey Shore, for which he became a legend.

The story of his long-forgotten, Corvette hot rod was revived in a Super Chevy feature by Scotty Lachenauer, thanks to the fond memories of friend and racing partner Mike Conte and others.

“Hank Wendt was a blue-collar guy with a black-and-white-checkered dream,” the article said. “The 20-something Pennsylvania native worked days as a union pipefitter in and around the Greater Philadelphia area, but spent his evenings hanging out with his gearhead best buds at Chuck’s Flying ‘A’ gas station in nearby Swarthmore.”

The Corvette was bought new from Dick Barone Chevrolet in Springfield, and today, “with just 17,000 miles on the odometer, this period-perfect racer is a time capsule of early-1960s hot rodding.”

Click here to read more of the story of this long-dormant Corvette from Super Chevy.