I have a red 98 C5 6-speed convertible <img src="graemlins/corvette.gif" border="0" alt="[Corvette]" /> (no red icon?) with a blackwing intake and flowmasters. Everything else is stock. In my opinion, a stock C5 is not hugely faster than other fast factory or slightly modified cars, and it doesn't corner with absolute confidence. The Flowmasters sound great, except for a resonance at about 2500rpm (I try to cruise at 2000rpm). The suspension is stock (but high) and adjustible.

I live in the socialist state of California, with it's rules and regulations, so I have to consider smog rules, etc. I'm thinking of coilovers, thick swaybars, supercharger with intercooler or 383/427, nitrous, big brakes, an effective rollbar, and the fattest tires and wheels I can find.

My thinking is, I'd like to lower the car, but if I have to align it, etc, I might as well buy an $1,800 coilover kit.

I'd like to add drilled rotors so I don't have a rotor warping problem, but I might as well go to bigger brakes/calipers etc.

Any experience with these mods? Is this an effective way to go?

Thanks for the advice...

 

so if you lower it for free and have to get a $50 alignment you would just go ahead and buy some $1800 coilovers???? odd. I would talk to some of the sponsors, namely MMS. They're in your area and can build whatever, emmissions legal and everything. Baer makes great braking systems including a stock size Eradispeed set that is pretty affordable compared to buying all new 14+", 6-piston stuff. id call MMS.


Ryan

 

Well if you got money to drop for a big brake setup($6K), coilovers($1.5K), SC or Stroker($10-20K), plus other bolt-on goodies, then you got everything you need. Call MMS and they'll hook you up.

Enjoy!

 

Thanks guys. Your feedback is exactly why I posted my questions and plans. I didn't mention that I would do this over time. As The Underdog said, it doesn't make sense to spend money lowering stock suspension when coilovers are being considered. I don't yet know if coilovers are the right thing yet.

I'll call MMS, and plan my mods and avoid the well-known impulse buy and bolt-on process.

Thanks

 

If you're going to do the upgrades incrementally then the best thing to do i start with the the free or nearly free stuff and then add aftermarket exhaust and intake systems.....but since you already have the lattler two you can move on to other stuff like suspension and brakes. Some free or nearly free stuff to do:

1. Lower car (free using stock adjusting bolts).
2. Throttle body-by-pass ($3 for 3 ft of 1/4 coolent hose).
3. Paint calipers ($4 for a can of Hi-Temp Dupli-Color).

Other stuff you can do fairly cheap and can be done at home:
4. Z06 sway bars(~$300)
5. Bilstein Shocks(~$300....and if you decide to do coilovers you probably can get about half of your money back depending on milage).
6. If you have the Base Suspension(FE3) then i'd upgrade to ethier 2001 Z51 or Z06 Leaf Springs (~$300 for a set of used one in good shape, againif you go coilovers you proably can get most of you money back on this one).


Past that pretty much everything else is going to be expensive. I don't know what your budget's like but most big mods are going to revolve around how much $$$ you can spend. Everything i have done to my car has been done over a period of two years and i still have plans to do more.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me, i'll be glad to help.

 

So this raises some questions for me...

>1. Lower car (free using stock adjusting bolts).

Isn't an alignment required? Is the rear very adjustable? Does any amount of lowering require alignment?

> 2. Throttle body-by-pass ($3 for 3 ft of 1/4 coolent hose).

Does this really make a difference? I had read it was worth 3-5hp, which would be 2-3hp at the wheels, which would be hard to notice.
...

> Other stuff you can do fairly cheap and can be done at home:
> 4. Z06 sway bars(~$300)

I haven't figured the sway bar thing yet. Z06, T1, Hotchkis... I don't know what the best would be, and how it would act with coilovers.

> 5. Bilstein Shocks(~$300....and if you decide to do coilovers you probably can get about half of your money back depending on milage).

I do have adjustible shocks, it's pretty nifty when going from bumpy freeway to smooth curvy roads. Is there a coilover that retains adjustible shocks?

> 6. If you have the Base Suspension(FE3) then i'd upgrade to ethier 2001 Z51 or Z06 Leaf Springs (~$300 for a set of used one in good shape, againif you go coilovers you proably can get most of you money back on this one).

What makes me think I want to go with coilovers is how jittery the car is over bumps in hard cornering. I think it's because the leaf transfers bumps to the opposite wheel, making the end of the car skip sideways. Wouldn't stiffer leafs make it worse?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[quote]1. Lower car (free using stock adjusting bolts).

Isn't an alignment required? Is the rear very adjustable? Does any amount of lowering require alignment?
<hr></blockquote>

Both the front and the rear are adjustable. If you have the base suspension i wouldn't drop the car any more then 1/2" maybe 3/4" max, without getting better shocks(Bilstiens). If you only go 1/2" then an alignment isn't really necesary. But if you go more then an 1" AND your car is a daily driver then i'd say get an alignment. FWIW i lowered mine over 1 1/2" and never got an alignment and that was almost two years ago. The car drives stright and the tires look new. But keep in mind my car isn't a daily driver (i only put about 4K miles a year it).

[quote]2. Throttle body-by-pass ($3 for 3 ft of 1/4 coolent hose).

Does this really make a difference? I had read it was worth 3-5hp, which would be 2-3hp at the wheels, which would be hard to notice.
<hr></blockquote>

Not even 2-3 rwhp. You'd be lucky if you even get 1 rwhp on a stock motor. The main purpose behind the TB-by-pass is to keep the engine coolent from heating the TB, thus keeping the air entering the intake as close to outside temp as possible. This really is benifital for H/C cars and even more so for S/C cars.


[quote]4. Z06 sway bars(~$300)

I haven't figured the sway bar thing yet. Z06, T1, Hotchkis... I don't know what the best would be, and how it would act with coilovers.<hr></blockquote>

This would all depend on what you want to do with your car: road race, drag race, or just street/strip use. If you want to do an occational road race while maintaining streetability then i'd go with the Z06 bars with the coilovers. Hotchkis bars are just a fraction larger then the Z06 bars but to me it wasn't worth the $550+.

[quote]5. Bilstein Shocks(~$300....and if you decide to do coilovers you probably can get about half of your money back depending on milage).

I do have adjustible shocks, it's pretty nifty when going from bumpy freeway to smooth curvy roads. Is there a coilover that retains adjustible shocks?<hr></blockquote>

When you say adjustable are you referring to the F45 suspension? If so, as far as i know there are no coilovers that work with the F45 controls. However there are adjustable coilovers, the kind you have to get under the car at each wheel to adjust.

[quote]6. If you have the Base Suspension(FE3) then i'd upgrade to ethier 2001 Z51 or Z06 Leaf Springs (~$300 for a set of used one in good shape, again if you go coilovers you proably can get most of you money back on this one).

What makes me think I want to go with coilovers is how jittery the car is over bumps in hard cornering. I think it's because the leaf transfers bumps to the opposite wheel, making the end of the car skip sideways. Wouldn't stiffer leafs make it worse?<hr></blockquote>

Again, it all depends on what you want to do with your car. If you want to do some serious road racing then the T1 setup is the way to go (the stiffest of them all). If you want to do some drag racing then you'd want to stay with some soft springs like base suspension. But since you want to go with coilovers i wouldn't spend too much money in this area (ie. The T1 setup). Z06 setup would be suffecent for an occational road race or autocross or drag race.

[ January 08, 2002: Message edited by: 97C5ENVY ]</p>

 

Thank you. Sounds like good advice. <img src="graemlins/gr_hail.gif" border="0" alt="[hail]" />

 

Before you decide on buying anything you should know we have a large group of C5 owners in your area who have been modding C5's for years. E-mail me and I will let you know where we are going to be so you can see these cars and meet the people who Mod them. This way you can see the Mods, Cars and talk to the guys that have first hand experience with them. It may just save you some money. <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0">

vetterdstr <img src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

[ January 14, 2002: Message edited by: vetterdstr ]</p>

 

[quote]Originally posted by vetterdstr:
<strong>Before you decide on buying anything you should know we have a large group of C5 owners in your area who have been modding C5's for years. E-mail me and I will let you know where we are going to be so you can see these cars and meet the people who Mod them. This way you can see the Mods, Cars and talk to the guys that have first hand experience with them. It may just save you some money. <img src="gr_images/icons/wink.gif" border="0">

vetterdstr <img src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

[ January 14, 2002: Message edited by: vetterdstr ]</strong><hr></blockquote>

Vetterdstr, fancy seeing you here. <img src="gr_stretch.gif" border="0">