The Corvette Hunter. Tyler Greenblatt
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Corvette widow. We were just kids when we fell in love. You were the first girl I kissed, the first girl whose hand I held, and the first girl I went on a date with. I still remember that first date; we went fishing. I’m so happy that you came back into my life after all those years; you always held a special place in my heart. And I’m not done with you, yet.
There are a handful of Corvette guys out there who are considered the biggest and most knowledgeable when it comes to the buying, selling, restoring, and preserving of important Corvettes. But when it comes to the real high-end cars, the number one guy is Kevin Mackay. Kevin’s credibility, honesty, character, and knowledge is unmatched when it comes to collectible 1953 to 1972 Corvettes.
I met Kevin in 2007 at Barrett-Jackson when a mutual friend of ours, Joe Calcagno, pointed him out up on stage. I went up to him and his fiancée (at the time), Christina, and told him that I was a big fan of his and that I’d love to talk Corvettes with him. The next year, I saw him again at Bloomington Gold, where he asked if I’d like to drive his see-through L88. Of course I took him up on it. The car has no covers on the sidepipes because it’s meant for competition, and I got a second-degree burn on my leg stepping out of it! But it was not a bad memory at all, in fact, I don’t have any bad memories in the car world. Six months later, I did the same thing getting out of my competition 427 Cobra.
The biggest mistake that Kevin ever made was when I owed him $600. I finally saw him at Pebble Beach after a few years of owing him money, counted $600 out of my wallet, and handed it to him. It was funny, we made a big deal out of it, and he was happy. But afterward, I think he regretted collecting the money because the story of me owing him money was worth more to him than getting the money. Looking back, if he could do it over again, I think he would turn it down just for the fun of it.
The Corvette hobby is a small world, it’s an exciting world, and what makes it exciting with Kevin is that he knows where all the good stuff is and who’s got it. On his worst day, he’s one of the top guys in the hobby, if not the top guy. Kevin’s knowledge of individual components, numbers, stampings, and originality is incredible. He covers every aspect of restoring a Corvette from the beauty and presentation, to fit and finish, to the mechanicals and engine. He can look at a car, know its current value, where it should be, and how to get it there. There are a few guys in his class, but I think, objectively, that Kevin has the most all-around knowledge in the Corvette hobby. You might say that Kevin Mackay is the Mr. October of Corvettes.
I have three cars that Kevin has blessed: a 9,600-mile ’65 white on red leather coupe that’s untouched, unrestored, featured in the Bloomington Gold Great Hall, and achieved an NCRS Five-Star Bowtie award; a ’67 silver with black stinger car famously nicknamed 007 because those are the last three digits on the serial number; and another ’67 Marina Blue on blue car. I’ve enjoyed Kevin coming into my shop and telling me that these cars are the real deal. It makes me feel good as a collector and owner. Kevin has told me to stay away from a couple cars, too. He’s saved me a lot of money and heartache.
Being in the collector car hobby, I just enjoy being around people who have the knowledge that Kevin does. I’ve had an interest in cars since I was a child and being around guys who teach me and let me learn is fun for me. Knowledge is worth money. It’s valuable. Getting that knowledge from the best out there, not only Kevin, but the others on the top as well, is extremely valuable. Kevin’s a special guy, he’s a special guy to the hobby, and I’m glad he’s my friend.
Kevin Mackay officially opened Corvette Repair in 1985, renting a one-bay garage out of an auto repair shop in Valley Stream, New York. He didn’t know back then that there would soon be a need for high-end Corvette restorations and maintenance work. After receiving widespread praise for his first restoration, a 1965 Corvette coupe, he realized he had the talent to achieve award-winning results. In 1987, a new custom-built facility was officially opened where it currently sits today. It has been expanded over the years to meet the varying needs of scrupulous Corvette owners and collectors. Over the last 30 years, Kevin and his team of specialists have earned a world-class reputation for restoring many of the finest and most famous Corvettes to ever see the street or the track. Many have even been secret experimental cars hand-built by the father of Corvette himself, Zora Arkus-Duntov.
Today, Kevin’s passion and knowledge are unmatched in the Corvette hobby. Since its inception, Corvette Repair has been awarded 517 NCRS Top Flights, 198 Bloomington Gold awards, 139 Bloomington Gold Special Collection awards, 137 Triple Crown Diamond awards, 5 Bloomington Gold Great Hall awards, 113 Carlisle Chip’s Choice invitations, 21 NCRS Duntov awards, 28 Bloomington Gold Hall of Fame awards, 22 Bloomington Gold Benchmark awards, and 20 NCRS American Heritage awards. In addition to winning awards, Kevin is an NCRS Master Judge and Bloomington Gold Benchmark Judge. Corvettes restored by Corvette Repair have also won awards at such high-profile events as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance.
In 2010, the documentary, The Quest, was released, featuring Kevin as one of the principal narration speakers. Produced by filmmaker Michael Brown, the story followed Kevin and friend Lance Miller’s quest to return the legendary 1960 Briggs Cunningham #3 Corvette, which won its class at Le Mans in Corvette’s first attempt there, back to France for the 50th anniversary of its win.
In June 2012, Kevin was awarded one of the highest honors in the Corvette hobby by being inducted into the Great Hall, which consists of 50 individuals who have done incredible work to improve the Corvette and the hobby. In 2014, he was invited to be the Grand Marshall of the Corvette Homecoming in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Along with that invitation came the additional honor of being made an official Kentucky Colonel.
Kevin has been featured in numerous publications and is often spotted on television at auctions and giving interviews at car shows. He continues to take part in elite discussion panels and Q & A sessions at automotive events worldwide, and he teaches classes and seminars about classic Corvettes and their restoration. Although his work has been seen on more than 100 magazine covers and in numerous books and television shows, this is the first book entirely devoted to his life’s work and his unmatched passion for Corvette.
Publisher’s Note: In reporting history, the images required to tell the tale will vary greatly in quality, especially by modern photographic standards. While some images in this volume are not up to those digital standards, we have included them, as we feel they are an important element in telling the story.
HOW KEVIN MACKAY BECAME THE CORVETTE HUNTER
In 1981, Kevin Mackay purchased a 1965 Nassau Blue small-block Corvette coupe with the money he earned from selling his ’64 convertible. The 64,000-mile car was nearly complete and original, and would make an excellent starting point for a restoration. Living with his parents and working as a mechanic for the city of New York, he parked his new Corvette in the backyard and drove his parents’ station wagon to work. Even though he could have easily fixed up the Corvette and drove it, he wanted to give the car a 100-percent-perfect restoration. As a single guy living with his parents, he had plenty of time to invest the hours in making his car the best Corvette he possibly could.