C5/C6 Chassis Build for my C2 1964 Corvette Roadster Resto Mod About to begin!!! by Vetterodder com

5 minute(s) of a 65 minute read

It was an anxious last couple of days to see whether or not the Roadster was coming home over the weekend. :ack:

Fortunately - the initial gremlins have been addressed and we were able to make the 200 mile journey with ZERO issues. :thumbs:

Here is a picture of my daughter and me in the Roadster preparing for the drive home:

and three hours later, here is the Roadster finally in my driveway!!
:woohoo:

The odometer has a bit over 400 miles on it now and we will spend the next few weeks getting acquainted and making adjustments as needed.

5-16-2013

I have spent some time working out the details in the past couple of months. First I will give you a quick run down of these items and then I will give you a summary of driveability / performance, etc...


1. CLUTCH - The biggest focus was on the clutch setup. I started out with a mechanical clutch where the geometry was not quite right making it a bear to operate. I took the plunge and had the clutch upgraded to a hydraulic set up and could not be happier.

2. Transmission - I have no issue with the TKO 5-speed. When the clutch set up was being installed, the mechanic noticed that the the builder had placed two shims at the mount pushing the tranny up against the tunnel where only a thin sheet of paper would fit. They removed 1 shim and the result was spectacular in the ride comfort as it took away a small vibration the car had originally.

3. Radiator - The Dewitts runs great in South Florida - even in traffic. The only change here was that the supplied Spahl fan was incredibly loud. I ordered the quiet version but to change it out was a bigger job than I thought as the fan was riveted to the cover plate of the radiator - the plate welded to the radiator itself. In order to change out a simple fan, the radiator was removed from the car, the welds cut, the rivets removed and replaced with bolts/nuts, a re-weld of the plate to the radiator and finally the 10 minute replacement of the fan. Now at least, if a fan goes bad, it is very easy to unbolt and replace.

4. Pulley System - The provided pulley system needed work as it squealed like a pig. Mike Coletta did a great job with what he got here and changed out the idler and used a shorter belt to compensate. As many will tell you, if you do a project like this, use the Vintage Frontrunner system if you want a trouble free install.

OK - so now, the ride:
1. Great handling
2. Great stopping power
3. Super dependable - The LS3 seems to be bullet proof
4. COMFORTABLE - I have gone out for 150 mile rides and always feel fine afterwards
5. It is the best of both worlds - classic design with great modern features

When I first got the car I was unsure about whether or not I made the right choice - but that was predicated by the fact that I had to deal with the gremlins mentioned above - which is quite normal for any project. The first few months I worried about what might break or what else I needed to deal with to get it perfect - OCD. In time as I addressed the gremlins I could finally appreciate what I really had in my possession.
This is the best riding Vintage Vette I have ever had the privilage to drive and own. It is as close as I could get to a full modern ride with classic design.

I have 430 HP with no modifications and for me it is plenty of power. On the highway, I can accelerate in fifth gear to pass others or change lanes with ease. The chassis - suspension set up allows me to accelerate from 0- 100 without any shaking/vibration that the original setup would suffer through. The 5-speed shifts very smoothly (like any modern car) and is a joy to run through the gears. On longer trips, the cruise control has been a great benefit to rest my right foot.

I was caught in the rain and the top was good but these cars were never really set up to keep the water completely out. - so be it. The a/c, heat and defrost have come in very handy.

NO REGRETS - this was the right choice for me.

What is next:
I will have the DSE headlight kit installed next week