C4 Corvette Sport Rod

To be honest I'm not sure what to call this. A friend gave me a rolling C4 chassis to use to fit a Kellison J5 coupe body that I have to. While fitting the body I became concerned about having proper clearance over the engine. I went to Craigs list to find a complete C4. The first listing I came across was for a 1984 C4. It was complete, but the interior and exterior were completely trashed. I offered $700 for it sight unseen and it was accepted. When I went to pick it up I was surprised to find out that it was a running car. I drove it onto my trailer and took it home.

I stripped the car down and it struck me that it would be fun and CHEAP to fabricate a tubular skeleton that would attach to the C4 chassis and drive it like that. I think the result is part Locost, Rat Rod, Hot Rod, and Exoskeleton car. I plan to drive it on the street.

Here are a few pictures of the start of the build. Keep in mind that I'm not done with bracing. I'm also trying to decide whether to keep the roll bar angled or change it to vertical.

This is for fun so I will be building it a slow pace. I'm recovering from a couple of recent heart attacks and will be taking it easy.

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I liked the suggestion in the other thread about relocating the radiator. It'll move a bunch of visual weight off of the very front of the car. Speaking of weight, I'd be interested in seeing how the weight distribution looks how it sits as well as cross weights. Very cool project.

Not just visual weight, but actual overhanging weight. Then you could lop off the nose of the car and tie the "rails" together, that would lighten and stiffen up the car further.

"I had a couple heart attacks, I'm going to make something out of a fast corvette... you know, because I'm taking it easy"

Thats how I read it, kudos sir.

So much win in that garage construction: exterior, interior, lighting, and collection of ... stuff!

jmc14 wrote: [URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/exovette34rearmockup_zps60d38eb6.jpg.html][/URL]

Thanks for your comments and input. I agree that the front overhang is a lot. In front of the radiator is a pretty large shroud. On the Vette the air is ducted from below the bumper and up into the shroud then through the radiator. I believe the shroud can be removed and the front frame rails shortened considerably and still retain the stock radiator mounts. I understand about relocating the radiator to the rear but for the sake of simplicity keeping it in the stock location makes sense. I will look at it both ways then decide. (The front frame rails will be tied together.)

I will post weights when I finish. I have racing scales and can get accurate total, cross, rear, and corner weights.

I have 3 extra sets of C4 suspension and a set of C5 suspension laying around. When I'm done with this I may build a dedicated Exoskeleton frame for the Corvette parts. Projects keep me happy.

The replacement fuel cell and brackets arrive on Wed. I hope to get more work done later in the week. In the meant time I'm golfing and fishing with my 9 year old grandson. Having fun.

I plan on following this one very closely!

Did you lay the windshield posts back or is that their original position? Does the possibility exist to keep the original windshield in place without the stock body?

In reply to Woody:

I think he cut the windshield frame down as its so raked back from the factory egress would be difficult with door bars welded on. I've been daydreaming about doing something like this for a while, I think I'd likely maintain the factory roll hoop windshield and targa top(stiffness and shade), and build a set of skeleton doors for it using the stock hinges and latches.

In reply to Kenny_McCormic:

That's kinda what I'm thinking.

The windshield angle is stock. Kenny is correct in that I cut off the top portion of the windshield frame. I shortened it by several inches.

I seriously considered keeping the factory roll hoop, windshield and Targa top. I also looked at using the door skins fixed to the side bars or to a light weight frame and use the factory hinges. In the end I decided that I wanted a simple, minimal sports car with a Speedster style windshield. I may end up cutting the windshield posts further.

The factory hoop, is very heavy and I didn't like the look with it attached. The Targa top is very heavy too. though I may use the skin as the cover for the rear deck. I think that they way the roll bar is braced both front and back and to the side impact bars along with what I will end up doing at the cowl will stiffen the car up nicely. It certainly is possible to build this as Kenny describes. There are a lot of options.

Here are a few pics with the factory roll hoop.

I'm moving the battery location into a bin that is located behind the passenger seat. I'll use a 12 dry cell that is very small and light. The mounting location is very low.

The stock windshield puts the top edge pretty close to the occupants head. In this pic the posts are already cut down. The Targa top mounts pretty much level with the factory roll hoop. I just didn't like the look and the stock windshield impedes getting in and out. Like I said, I wanted a minimalist look. Just my preference.

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jmc14 wrote: To be honest I'm not sure what to call this.

Fun?

check out a later c4 radiator, it is much less vertical than yours.

I have one important question, how do you wear gold chains with no skin?

This was the epitome of awesome before Frieburger left Hot Rod. Go grab the November 2010 issue of Hot Rod Magazine, as it is quite relevant to your interests.

Thank you for your comments and information.

-I wasn't aware that later C4's had the radiator at a different angle. I'll check that out. Thanks for the info.

-It's a good thing that gold is heavy enough to not blow around in the wind.

-When I had the body stripped off I did a search for a C4 with out a body. I found the Hot Rod project on line. My project certainly starts out the same. It will be fun to see how it performs with the frame stiffened and coil overs.

I've been busy with family matters and my sons racing. I hope to get another full day in on the project early next week. I'm looking forward to that.

i'll try to get you a shot of my radiator today

So that's the stock wheelbase???

I actually like the proportions as it sits. The lack of rear overhang looks great. Maybe some sort of rear diffuser/belly pan to tidy it up a bit, but damn, do I like where this is headed.

I need to make one of these. That is all.

Where's the fuel tank going?

Thanks for the comments and thanks for offering to post a picture of the later model radiators.

I'm trying HARD to get another day to work on the car. I'am hoping that it is this week.

The stock wheelbase is 96.2 inches.

I ordered an inexpensive plastic fuel cell with mounting hardware. It is mounting on the flat area behind the seats. Directly behind the seats are 2 deep compartments with locking lids. These are for storage. I am going to mount a light weight dry cell car battery in the compartment behind the driver. The fuel tank will mount behind the storage compartments. There will be diagonal bracing to the rear of the roll bar. The fuel cell will be under the bracing.

Having fun.

I'll save the googleing,for those unaware the stock tank sits on the rear bumper brackets.

You've likely already seen it, but this article may be enlightening (no pun intended)...

http://www.hotrod.com/projectbuild/hrdp_1011_corvette_hack_track_test/

Thanks Kenny for posting the pic of the fuel tank. My rear roll bar supports bolt into the frame where the extension for the fuel tank and bumper bolted into.

Thanks Michael for the hotrod project heads up. I have seen it as I found it when researching this project. I think that it will be interesting to see how the car performs once the frame is stiffened up, its lowered, and it has coil overs with springs to match the new weight.

For the past 5 weeks my 9 year old grandson has been with me. We've been golfing, fishing, and spending time at our family lake camp. He lives quite a distance from me so I've been enjoying every moment with him. He left yesterday to spend the rest of the summer with his Uncle and Aunt in Madagascar.

Today I got back to my project. It doesn't look like I did much but I removed the stock dash and most of the wiring. I've decided to either convert the engine to a carb or switch it out for a 350hp 602 crate engine that I have. Considering the stock engine, when new, was only around 200 hp the 602 would be a big improvement.

Im going to make a simple dash and install a set of Autometer Phantom gauges that I have.  I'll run new wiring and use an aftermarket fuse box.

I trued up and redid some of the tubing so that everything is level and square.  There will be a diagonal brace in the roll bar and I didn't get the passenger side bar installed that ties the roll bar to the side impact bars.

I'll make up oval, modified race car, style bumpers. I'm considering cutting down the stock hood to fit the shape of the front tubular supports. Or, maybe cutting it down so that it only covers the radiator. There will be a black aluminum shroud to cover the sides of the radiator shroud. The hood would close down over it. I may use the Targa top, cut to fit, to cover the fuel tank. Though I'm leaning to leaving the fuel tank exposed and just make an aluminum rear cover that the license plate and tail lights would mount to.

Having fun [URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/c4blastrear8-7-2014_zpsef4d6ecb.jpg.html][/URL] [URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/c4blast34rear8-7-2014_zps6877ea44.jpg.html][/URL][URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/c4blastside8-7-2014_zpsf7c59cf3.jpg.html][/URL[URL=http://s1143.photobucket.com/user/jmcbigbelly/media/c4blastfront8-7-2014_zpsf34d173d.jpg.html][/URL]