Bradwell engineer dedicates 20 years to Corvette restoration

Mr Carr, from Bradwell, bought his 1963 Corvette Stingray back in 1983. At a price of £3,800 - and at that time costing more than the mortgage on his home - Mr Carr knew it was a steep investment.

But the years of love he has piled into the vehicle, and the number of turned heads he got while on the road, have been more than worth it.

Albert Carr's 1963 Corvette in Gorleston. (Image: Simon Finlay / Adrian Flux)After nearly two decades of being on the road, Mr Carr took his Chevy out of service in 2000 to convert the cylinder heads to run on unleaded petrol. However, what followed, was a 23-year mission to fully renovate the American muscle car classic.

Stripping the car down to its chassis, Mr Carr, a retired marine engineer, has renovated just about everything on his Corvette, even down to the window fixings.

Plugging away in his garage on evenings and weekends he has dedicated 23 years to getting the gem back to its former glory.

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Albert Carr stripped his American muscle car down to its chassis to fully restore it. (Image: Albert Carr)Mr Carr, 77, said: "Sometimes I think if I'd have known just how much work the car would have been over the years I wouldn't have bought it. 

"But then I think about it and it makes no difference. I just love it.

"The first time I saw the car, it was a Sunday morning. The bloke who owned it then asked if I wanted to take it for a spin.

"And the rest is history.

"I'd never had a bank loan before, but I couldn't turn it down. The bank manager said if I had passed on it, he would have bought it."

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Albert Carr gave the American classic a new paint job and LED lights in the rear. (Image: Simon Finlay / Adrian Flux)Mr Carr first took the car on a trip to Cromer and realised the attention it received from onlookers, an aspect which doesn't sit well with everyone in the Carr household, near Great Yarmouth.

"My wife doesn't like the attention it gets sometimes," he said. "If it's parked up and people are leaning in to take a look, she'll keep on walking. 

"But she appreciates how much I love it."

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Albert Carr inside his 1963 Corvette. (Image: James Weeds)After getting it back on the road last year, Mr Carr brought his Corvette to the Wheels Festival in Great Yarmouth where it was a big hit. 

He added: "Many people said it was their favourite car on display, and I'm looking forward to showing it off again this summer."