Corvette Modifications Primer : A few
things to consider if you wish to modify your Corvette for
High Performance.
So you want to modify your C6 or C5 Corvette for high
performance. Here are some things that you should consider
first.
What is your driving style? Are you a drag racer?
Autocross? Road racer? Weekend warrior? Show car? Stoplight
to stoplight? Or simply highway fun? Or a combination of
all or some of these choices?
How you drive and enjoy your Corvette will directly
determine what modification you should make to your
Corvette.
Nothing is free. Every modification you make to your stock
Corvette will involve some kind of compromise. You are not
going to make 800 rear wheel horsepower and get 30 miles
per gallon with a whisper quiet exhaust as well as drive
and idle like stock. That is not going to happen.
The trick is to be totally honest with yourself and decide
what compromises you can live with and which ones you
cannot. For example, if you want to achieve 500rwhp
naturally aspirated, expect a big cam with a loping idle.
Expect to lose some fuel efficiency. Expect your Corvette
to not drive like stock.
You can start with simple bolt-ons like an aftermarket air
filter, long tube headers and cat-back exhaust system. The
next logical step is a camshaft only upgrade or heads and
camshaft. Along with the bolt-ons, you can be comfortably
at the 425-450rwhp range, all naturally aspirated. Or you
could bypass the bolt-ons and simply have a supercharger or
twin turbocharger system installed. An alternative to
bolt-on might be rear gears (along with a stall converter
for the automatics). Gears can also compliment your other
modifications.
It all depends on what you wish to achieve.
As you increase the stock Corvette from it's 300-340rwhp
(C5-C6) or 435rwhp (C6 Z06) to circa 550rwhp on the stock
bottom end, expect to have to upgrade other aspects of your
drivetrain, cooling and suspension. Remember, nothing is
free.
Beyond 550rwhp, we strongly recommend a forged engine as
you will be on borrowed time. At this point, your
clutch/stall converter will have to be upgraded along with
torque tube connectors, transmission and differential.
Cooling must be addressed as well as the always overlooked
and often forgotten bulletproof fuel system. At this point,
methanol injection for boosted applications is almost
mandatory. Suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres should also
be seriously addressed, along with additional safety
systems like a 6 point or better rollcage and so on. A
Corvette that is very fast is no fun if it also does not
handle and stop.
High performance is not a cheap hobby and it is best to be
very aware of this fact going in so you do not encounter
any surprises.
But no matter what your budget, we can tailor a system to
suit your current and future needs. So please drop us a
line or give us a call to discuss your Generation 5 & 6
Corvette high performance needs.