LS1-KART : a brutally simple C5 corvette based build/hack

In reply to Go_Gators:

I also agree Cleetus is annoying attention ho showcasing some extreme mods but Leroy deep in the 9's on drag strip is nothing to sneer at

I would suspect that you could install massive twin turbos on a bathroom sink and get it into the 9's. He's spending stupid money on a supposed Vette hack.

Or maybe not, could be that he's an OK guy doing what we all wish that we could do, just can't stand his YouTube persona. He's like the Kardashian of the Korvette Kart World, he's even got a tent set-up for selling swag!

In reply to Two_Tools_In_a_Tent:

Maybe true...he's definitely created a goofy persona but is laughing all the way to the bank with millions of you tube views. Plus much of his mods are donated from manufacturers because of the following he has built up. I agree he's not my cup of tea but he did a video some time back to respond to his haters claiming he was some goofy rich kid and he was pretty straightforward explaining method to his madness. He essentially admitted that much of his onscreen antics was an act.

she's alive again!!!

and just as angry.

I wanted to do a systems check before I start (selectively) removing wiring. systems check, SAT.

So much win right there!

That, right there, is my kind of crazy.

I am pretty pleased with how it sits on the stock bolts and monoleafs. I adjusted them as low as possible. frame chopping is next. just leaving enough in the front to slip the new be cool radiator in vertically and the rear will largely be determined by how far forward I can mount the mufflers.

Go_Gators wrote: I am pretty pleased with how it sits on the stock bolts and monoleafs. I adjusted them as low as possible. frame chopping is next. just leaving enough in the front to slip the new be cool radiator in vertically and the rear will largely be determined by how far forward I can mount the mufflers.

I'd consider a little bit of rake backwards with the radiator. Love what you're doing here (and YES, I keep checking CoPart for C5's now thanks to you )

Indy-Guy wrote:

Go_Gators wrote: I am pretty pleased with how it sits on the stock bolts and monoleafs. I adjusted them as low as possible. frame chopping is next. just leaving enough in the front to slip the new be cool radiator in vertically and the rear will largely be determined by how far forward I can mount the mufflers.

I'd consider a little bit of rake backwards with the radiator. Love what you're doing here (and YES, I keep checking CoPart for C5's now thanks to you )

sorry bud.

still need to play around with the new radiator. wanting for a 90deg intake elbow to come in, current plan is to run the intake directly towards the passenger side. then radiator butted up to it.

Awesome! Is there any way to get rid of the windscreen and go "Locost"? Seems like a huge wind funnel for that reverse flow of air.

Nomad wrote: Awesome! Is there any way to get rid of the windscreen and go "Locost"? Seems like a huge wind funnel for that reverse flow of air.

there will be some suction.. but wind shield stays. I want to street drive it without helmet. windshields are reqd for street legality and (atleast in my mind) its safer should there be a fire event...

Parts Sales update.... netted ~$1250 so far, total sales ~$1500. Still have the big ticket items (drivers seat, door, rear fascia) and a bunch of smalls that I need to list on ebay. I have local interest in the seat and a door. so that should put me near $2k.

I am starting to look at harness mounting. something I have never done. I want to go 6-point. I think bolt in for the lower attachments and wrap around for shoulder. Does any one see an issue with using the stock bolt hole on the outboard side and a thru hole in the trans tunnel (not sure how thick it is, but it feels as thick as the frame rail. Refer to blue arrows.

I assume the factory inside belts mount to the seat? Might want to look at something like this for the belt mounts. They mount to the stock seat or seat track, but you could do something like that. The seat mounting points will be stronger.

http://www.bkauto.com/R_9115_Lap_Belt_Mount_Kit_C5_p/r-9115.htm

If you are using a name brand seat mount and sliders, they usually will have belt mounting points built in.

yea, the floorboard is a thin sheet of aluminum, my thinking is that using the much thicker steel tunnel and outboard frame rail is better than anything that connects to the floorboard, unless I reinforce it...

If you're caging this, do you intend to use it for any sort of competition? Most safety rules are pretty clear on seat and harness mounting, for example FIA regs would have you mount the harness with backing plates, and the seats to crossbars from the sill to the tunnel like so:

Let me apoligize for my comment about your prices. Shipping and the Hassel therein make me not want to even Post Parts for sale and then A C4 Is NOT a C5, I would love to have a "5" and Honestly even though they My run again in the Future they are Junkers Today. That said. we cut up a 67-69 camaro almost every week for Parts for our round track Cars in the early 70's so really it helps prices down the line, altho I'd be 106 in 40 years and hopefully I'll be over this Car Stuff by then.

GTXVette wrote: Let me apoligize for my comment about your prices. Shipping and the Hassel therein make me not want to even Post Parts for sale and then A C4 Is NOT a C5, I would love to have a "5" and Honestly even though they My run again in the Future they are Junkers Today. That said. we cut up a 67-69 camaro almost every week for Parts for our round track Cars in the early 70's so really it helps prices down the line, altho I'd be 106 in 40 years and hopefully I'll be over this Car Stuff by then.

Ha, no worries. its been a hassle, but not too bad. if I can get rid of the big stuff quickly I (my wife) would be really happy. I think I have buyers for the last seat and a door and fender... crossing my fingers!

Since the gopro stuff was already out getting ready for the autocross Saturday (no not in the LS1-KART) I figured why not strap it to a bar on the back of the LS1-KART. just a quick trip around the neighborhood. enjoy. only one FedEx was nearly harmed, but why was he moving so fast anyway?

short LS1-KART ride

fiscal update... I made a big sale end of last week. my drivers door sold on ebay for $525. after shipping ($182) it and fees I made $340 off it! So, total sales thus far are $2180, netting $1800 profit. I still have tons of little stuff, going on ebay and passenger door and drivers seat. So (with time) making $3000 should be easily achievable.

Regarding money spent, total I am at $8400. over the weekend I ordered seating/brackets, lots of other purchases already mentioned too (steering q/r, 2-core radiator, ss brake lines, battery box, battery q/d, exhuast flange kit and hangers, etc). Yet to be bought includes pads/rotors, wheels/tires, harnesses, cage material, brake lights and a bunch of trips to the parts store for odds and ends.

So, I am almost 99% sure I am going to do the cage myself. I watched some youtube stuff over the weekend and I am fully in the trap of "if they can do it, so can I".... I already have all the basic metal tools and a Hobart mig. I found a tube bender and notcher on craigslist, hope to pick that up this week. then I am COMMITED.

I wont have time this week to get much done on the chassis, so what free I do get I am going to foucs on getting as many parts on ebay as possible, currently I have ~25 items. I think I can double that.

haven't spent much time in garage the past couple weeks, just an hour here or there. I have the tail end up in the air working on truncating the exhaust. as you see in the pic of the 'before' there is a lot of it. no pic, but I have one of the mufflers mocked up in the car at a 45 deg angle adjacent to the ABS module running lengthwise with the chassis. it basically sits were the existing piping turns down at a 45 deg angle after going over the diff. I think that is where I have settled on them going. I will lop off the tips and clean the pipes coming out of the mufflers.

With the configuration described above, I can remove about 4" of length out of the frame. I will also lop off the outboard sections of the traverse piece when I weld it back on to the shortened frame, resulting in boxed corners.

So from the back, at frame level you will see a boxed frame and (eventually) a set of 335s. should be a all business view.

Very cool!

Making progress on the rear of the kart. I reoriented the mufflers and moved them inside the frame rails and removed 4" of length from the frame. Still need to finish welding the frame corners and attach exhaust hangers to the mufflers and rear cross bar.

Parts sales has tapered off, the high demand pieces are gone! Almost all of my pieces are on ebay now. Only going to the post office a couple times a week.

But, sales has been enough to buy race seats and brackets, 6-point harnesses and a bunch of miscellaneous stuff from summit.

I like how you positioned the mufflers. Very efficient use of space and re-use of parts. Atta Boy!

So much thought and planning and great design going into this build, really. You're doing a wonderful job of it !