Who can forget the “Last of the V-8 Interceptors” careening through the post-apocalyptic hellscape of Mad Max? Or how about the blown Ramcharger that Texas Ranger Chuck Norris hammered in Lone Wolf McQuade? Then there’s Jake Elwood’s drawbridge-jumping Bluesmobile. We could go on, but the point is, high-speed law-enforcement vehicles are—and always have been—way cool.
That partly explains why Deputy Carlos Alemar of the Riverside County (Calif.) Sheriff’s Office and his son Zach went to such lengths on the buildup of their 2007 Corvette. The car started out as a shabby-looking C6 in need of some TLC, but became a turbocharged titan ready to chase down scofflaws and miscreants. Well, not exactly.
Deputy Alemar actually serves on the department’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), whose purpose is to assist the community with issues related to homelessness through education and outreach. The Corvette isn’t connected with that program, but Alemar displays it at promotional and recruiting events for the RSO, as well as for DUI awareness, along with bringing attention to the dangers of street racing. “We strive to use the Corvette as a way to bridge the gap between law enforcement and youth,” he says.
In addition, he and Zach have worked together on cars since his son was only 18 months old. Zach is now 19, and as he grew older, he taught his father the virtues of new technology for performance upgrades.
Initially the father-and-son team planned for the Corvette to be a daily driver, but after Zach experienced a “mishap” on a patch of ice, they decided to purchase the damaged car back from the insurance company for a rebuild using ZR1 carbon-fiber fenders. As often happens, the project soon began to expand in scope. Carlos already had a relationship with Hastings Piston Rings from a previous project car, and the company was looking for a suitable display vehicle for the 2023 Specialty Equipment Market Association, or SEMA, show (which is where we first encountered the nearly completed C6).
As word of this project Corvette spread, thanks in part to the support of Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, project “NOTAZR1” (note the vanity license plate) was underway. Soon, a number of other aftermarket companies stepped up with various performance upgrades.
“Zach and I fully built the engine at Munoz Performance Heads, with the close guidance of Albert Munoz and Rigo Hernandez,” Carlos says. At that shop, the 364-ci LS2’s displacement was bumped up to 369 cubes. Also, the bottom end was built to withstand forced induction with CP-Carrillo pistons, SCAT rods and crank, and a compression ratio of 9.5:1. A Texas Speed Stage 2 Turbo Cam was slipped into place to actuate the valvetrain.
The aftermarket supercharger previously installed on the car was replaced with a Garrett G-series turbocharger running as much as 27 pounds of boost. This unit is complemented with blow-off valves and other hardware courtesy of Turbosmart’s Richard Andresen. The throttle body is a Nick Williams 102mm unit, and extra fuel is supplied by Bosch 210-pound injectors.
A Holley Terminator X Max ECU tuned by Ndubisi “Bisi” Ezerioha of Bisimoto Engineering in Ontario, California, optimizes the delivery of air, fuel, and spark. The finished engine is topped with a custom sheet-metal intake, which supplies both maximum airflow and a drag-race-ready look.
Turbosmart’s Andresen also connected Carlos and Zach with Pedder’s Coilovers, which supplied adjustable coil-over shocks and sway-bar end links. For surefooted braking, Wilwood provided one of its famous “big brake” kits, in this case using six-piston front and rear calipers with 14- and 13-inch rotors, respectively.
The transmission is still a Tremec T56 six-speed, but it features upgraded internals, as does the differential. Also, Alex Nochez at Action Clutch supplied a twin-disc unit, an aluminum flywheel, and a hydraulic throw-out bearing. A Tick Performance Short Shifter snicks through the gears.
To create the commanding presence expected of a law-enforcement vehicle, the Alemars personally installed ZR1-spec carbon-fiber fenders and bumpers, along with a raw carbon hood. The car has a parachute in the rear, as well as a fully custom drag wing fabricated from aluminum.
Weld Wheels supplied a set of Laguna rims with a bead-lock setup in the rear, while Toyo Tires made sure the car could hook up decisively with Proxes R888R tires (295/30-19) up front and meaty Proxes TQ drag radials (345/40-17) out back.
The C6’s, er, arresting livery was applied by Richard Menor from Twisted Images Ink in Highland, who was able to recreate a Riverside County Sheriff’s Office patrol-vehicle insignia. Momo safety restraints and a race-inspired steering wheel are fitting additions to the cockpit.
As with any project of this magnitude and level of performance, the Alemars encountered a few bumps in the road along the way.
“Wiring was challenging,” Carlos admits. “Luckily for us, Holley came to the rescue with their components because we were able to eliminate a lot of OEM wiring.”
Fitting the inner fenders was no simple task, either, in particular getting the front fenders, bumper, and hood to align. The Alemars used a lot of tape and created a square front end during assembly, to maintain a visual reference of where the parts needed to be. The inner fender was then held in place by a GM two-part combo of panel bond as a way to monitor sagging or shifting. A tape template with markings showed upper, lower, swoop, and taper points, keeping things in check.
Even Mrs. Alemar got involved, making the build a true family affair. “She helped me align the rear fenders, install the engine harness, and fish the ECU wires inside the car,” says Carlos of wife Melissa.
The fuel system posed some difficulty as well, as it was changed from a return-less system to a traditional setup. Both tanks were dropped, and custom return and feed lines were made by Zach Whetstone and the late Cliff Whetstone at G and J Aircraft in Ontario. The Magnafuel fuel pump, pre-filter, and post-filter are now housed under the rear where the OEM mufflers used to be mounted. Lastly, all of the hard lines were replaced with PTFE lines from Vibrant Performance. Both tanks now feed at an equal rate.
Once the car was ready for photography, we jokingly asked Carlos if he would bring along some fellow deputies and their armored SWAT vehicles, or maybe even a helicopter. Never did we dream that he would do just that. The Rescue 9 chopper landing at the sheriff’s training facility and then hovering overhead really lent an element of drama to the resulting photography.
Even more excitement was furnished by a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ owned by Pete Kyababachian, a longtime friend of Carlos’s. We staged a high-speed takedown and “arrest” of Kyababachian and his 770-horsepower V-12 Lambo, which was handily outmatched by the 1,100-hp turbo Corvette. He was even a good sport about pretending to be handcuffed. (Visit our website, corvette-mag.com, to see the full photo shoot.)
Carlos also amply demonstrated the Corvette’s capabilities, frying the hides on the roads of the RSO training center. The car can get a little squirrelly on the launch, but once the tires hook up, it takes off like a shot. As Zach puts it, “Even when merely easing into the throttle, it feels like it is doing everything it can to move you from point A to B as rapidly as possible. The car is truly a monster, ready to devour anything in its path.”
No surprise, then, that at various community event and car shows, NOTAZR1—which has full working lights as well as a siren—has been well received by enthusiastic spectators of all ages. “Love the build,” and “Dude, it’s Sergeant Cross from Need for Speed” are among the more popular comments.
And while this black-and-white C6 doesn’t currently prowl the streets of Riverside County, that doesn’t stop some of Carlos Alemar’s fellow deputies from dreaming about doing just that. As one of them inquired not long after the car was finished, “Can I take it 10-8 [on patrol]?”
Criminals, you’ve been warned.
