The loud roar of an LS engine inside the body of a 1988 Corvette echoes off a storage container in Cal Poly’s Research Development Center. The car is a project built entirely by Cal Poly students in the Performance Automotive Communications, Engineering and Design club, also known as PACED.
The club was founded by mechanical engineering senior Jake Larson, who now serves as a senior advisor after stepping down to make way for a new generation of leaders. The idea first came to him during his freshman year.
“At about two in the morning in my dorm room, I just had this idea…we should do a production car,” Larson said. “ This is our 1988 Corvette that we’re working on. It’s kind of an American Frankenstein.”
The Corvette is a patchwork of parts, combining components from multiple manufacturers, including Volvo twin turbos, a Dodge transmission and a Ford differential. The project began as a way for Larson and his co-founders, including Parker Bladow, to explore aftermarket car building outside of Cal Poly Racing.
For mechanical engineering junior and the club’s principal engineer, Johnny Bray, the process has been a hands-on learning experience.
“It was kind of just a learn-by-build-it thing,” he said. “It really helps put you in situations where you don’t know what the outcome’s going to be, especially when you’re putting things in a car they were never meant for.”
PACED operates as an instructionally related activity, allowing students to design, fabricate and install performance modifications on the Corvette, to eventually display it at the 2026 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show on November 3rd through 6th. The club also uses its workspace to store tools, parts and promotional materials.
Made up of more than 20 active members across majors including engineering, business and first-time builders, the club emphasizes accessibility and teaching. About 10 to 15 members attend work sessions, where everyone contributes across roles.
Current president and mechanical engineering junior Kalev Vaska said his goals are to expand membership and continue building ambitious projects.
“It’s a really interesting challenge,” he said. “We’ve got limited tools, limited space, limited time and money. But there’s no experience required; everyone learns by doing.”
Outside of weekend work sessions, members spend time in the classroom designing, planning and securing sponsorships. Networking has played a key role in the club’s growth, including connections made at events like motorsport festivals like Gridlife Laguna Seca.
“Just going out to shows and networking has really been our biggest driver of funding outside of Cal Poly,” Larson said.
Sponsors such as Radium Auto Engineering and Summit Racing have contributed parts, while Cal Poly Engineering remains the club’s largest supporter, helping provide tools and resources.
From late-night ideas to full-day build sessions, PACED members are turning lessons into horsepower, one spark at a time.