Corvette Model Gallery
Mako Shark II
1965
Following the Mako Shark I show car of 1961, and carrying the styling theme further, the Mako Shark II was unveiled in 1965. There were 2 cars made. A non running "clay" car followed by a running prototype. Larry Shinoda executed Bill Mitchell's vision. The original non running clay car had a unique side exhaust and "MARK IV 396" lettering on the hood. The roof lifted for better access. The interiors feature an aircraft style square steering wheel and a huge array of gauges. The later running car had a more common round steering wheel and more stock looking seats. The paint scheme on both cars was a similar style to the previous Mako Shark. Dark top fading to a white bottom. This show car was the base for the Stingray design, launched in 1968. The shark era cars lasted from 1968 all the way up to 1982.
The model:
János Velics built this beautiful Mako Shark II with a lot of ingenuity.
Here are his comments about the build:
"The Mako Shark II - the model of the non-running „clay” model. I got an MPC 6359 Custom Corvette kit – rather much demolished and without instruction sheet. As I found out that parts are missing, other ones are wildly glued together and painted in impossible colors I went on a radical way: I saved only the body, the mold of passanger bay and seats. First I prepared the rear and middle section of body with steel wire and epoxy resin to hold together these after opening the doors. I bended hinges from wire for the doors and roof and fastened on body and doors. After cutting out the doors they can removed from hinge for further preparation of the inside upholstery. Then I built a chassis with a central beam along the car using the passenger bay as base. Simple bearings are fastened for axle and a plain underside is made of veneer. The missing vents on hood and the grid of side-pipes are made with credit card, the wheels and tires are resin castings, the dashboard is curved wood, the instruments are printed on computer and pressed from backside in the holes. (it's a pity that they are nearly not visible in the finished car) The rear louvers and the windscreen are deep formed plastic of soft drink bottles. The car is painted with Neolux automotive paint, blue-black with fading to white at bottom. The lettering is photoetched and the tire lettering are decals."
If you would like to contact János on this model his e-mail address is: velicsj@freemail.hu
Page updated 04/16/07