GUYS WHO KNOW THE CORVETTE MARKET

If you walk up to D & M Corvette’s big, black semi at a swap meet or show, you’re likely to wind up talking to a bunch of guys with hard-edged Chicago accents. Don’t expect to be sweet talked by them. They’ve seen the Corvette market soaring and they’ve seen it in the pits. But, unlike the fast talking TV pitchman, they’ll be honest with you!
If you’re interested in owning what you might describe as a “tuff ‘Vette,” you have probably come to the right place. With their straight-talking attitude, their combined years of knowledge and their overriding passion for cool cars, the crew at D & M Corvette Specialties is tough to beat.
Located in Downers Grove, Ill., D & M specializes in the sales, service and restoration of C1 through C6 Corvettes. Owner Dave Glass will tell you that 2008 started out a tough year. Glass is a car guy through and through and likes everything from classic glass to straight-axle gassers. His bread-and-butter late-model ‘Vette sales are taking it on the chin in today’s economy. Thankfully, the market for classic Corvettes is holding up well, as is the workload in D & M’s restoration shop.
D & M has built its reputation on 24 years of experience and growth. It now takes up a whole row of buildings on a main drag in Downer’s Grove. Each building in the complex is set up to handle a different aspect of the operation: parts, sales, body shop, fabrication work and service. There is also a boutique where Corvette collectibles are sold. And a ‘50s-style “malt shoppe.”

In addition to Corvette sales, service and repairs, D & M has expanded into servicing and selling gassers, street rods, muscle cars and classics. However, the main focus is still on America’s only sports car — the ‘Vette.
“There are no short cuts,” says Glass, who feels that perfection and performance count. “Our combined experience in body work, custom paint, service, restoration, fabrication, engineering and design exceeds 100 years.”
The type of work produced by body shop manager Peter Kramer and his team is aimed at the goal of perfection that Dave Glass has established for D & M. Scratches, collision repairs and custom paint work are done the “right” way, whether the body shop is working on someone’s daily driver or a collector’s prestigious investment-mobile. Kramer uses painstaking techniques and demands attention to detail. “There are no short cuts,” is his creed.
Restorer Cary Kuczkowski worked on a 1953 Corvette owned by General Motors, plus over 100 other award-winning cars. His experience is only surpassed by his love of cars. Kuczkowski was the youngest restorer to ever to receive a Duntof Award.
D & M also has its own vehicle fabricator, something you don’t find in every shop. Ken Macal offers customers a lot of experience and a track record of innovation. He combines attention to detail with the creativity needed to take a client’s vision and turn it into a uniquely customized Corvette.
The history of D & M began in 1984 and the company has grown into a large facility with a high-quality team doing what it knows and loves best — Corvettes and other great cars! The Western Chicago company‘s hard work and dedication is well known in the Corvette industry and the cars it has sold or restored have taken Gold Certification, Top Flight Awards and Gold Spinner Awards. “GM trusted us to restore its ‘53 ‘Vette,” says Dave Glass. “And other clients can trust us to handle their cars the same way, down to the last detail.
Dave can be contacted at: D & M Corvette, 1804 Ogden Ave, Downers Grove, IL 60515. Ph: (630) 968-0031.