To celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his channel, Cleetus McFarland has recreated his favorite car of all time, the original Bald Eagle Machine, and is giving it away to one lucky fan.
The project was a nod to the C7 Corvette that started it all, the car that took him from making random parking lot videos to building a massive YouTube empire. As he put it, “those first few videos with my C7, aka the Bald Eagle Machine, put me on the rocket ship to where we are today.”
The New Bald Eagle Machine
Instead of giving away his original, well-used base model, Cleetus decided to build a better version. The team found a pristine 2019 Corvette Grand Sport with only 2,800 miles on the clock.
“So, this is essentially a Z06 body, but with the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter instead of the factory supercharger because we are going to supercharge it,” Cleetus explained.
The Grand Sport was the perfect canvas, offering the aggressive widebody looks of a Z06 but with the correct LT1 engine for their planned ProCharger build.
A One-Of-A-Kind Supercharger
To replicate the original build, the car had to have a ProCharger. The company went above and beyond for the project, sending a special, one-of-a-kind “Freedom Edition” P1X head unit with a custom American flag graphic.
“Shoutout ProCharger for going above and beyond,” Cleetus said, clearly blown away by the unique piece. The plan was a simple, reliable bolt-on installation, keeping the engine internals stock to ensure the car would be a dependable cruiser for its new owner.
An Unexpected Piece Of History
The build hit a snag when the team discovered the new aluminum intake manifold in the ProCharger kit was for a C8’s LT2 engine, not their C7’s LT1. In a perfect twist of fate, Cleetus had saved a key part from his past.
“But turns out, as you see behind you, we have my OG C7 Procharger intake,” he announced. Instead of waiting for a new part, they decided to install the original intake manifold from the very first Bald Eagle Machine, making the recreation even more authentic and special.
Recreating A Legend
The final car is the perfect tribute. It combines the spirit and style of the original Bald Eagle Machine with the superior platform of a low-mileage Grand Sport.
By using a part from the car that started it all, Cleetus didn’t just build a replica; he’s passing on a piece of his channel‘s history to the next owner, all while adding $20,000 in cash to the grand prize. The winner will be announced tomorrow, August 15th.Â