red04c5

Hi all,

So I'm a newbie to the forums, but I've been around corvettes for years. I sold my 96 collector's edition C4 in August of 2004 to pick up one of the last of the C5s. My wife, who is only 4' 11" has a hard time driving the C5 (it's a 6-spd and she has a hard time pushing the clutch all the way to the floor) and she has decided that since she doesn't like to drive mine, she wants one of her own.

The girl has exquisite taste (hey, she married me, right ) so after numerous magazines, car shows, and Intenet searches, she's decided that she wants a '63 split window with T-tops.

I'm relatively positive that I can't afford a real one, and I would want to get her something that is mechanically sound, so I was wondering if any of you guys (and gals) knew about any aftermarket C2 "kits" like the "new" all-steel '69 Camaro bodies Year One is selling from Dynacorn Industries.

Any help would be greatly appreciated because, as you know, when momma's happy, everybody's happy!

I'm all ears , and thanks in advance for your help!!

Tossin

Others will chime in here, but to my knowledge, there are no decent kits (if any at all) for midyears. You'd basically have to find a birdcage from a junked midyear...and then buy the rest of the components yourself.

T-tops on a midyear? Didn't happen from the factory.

magicv8

IMO the easiest way to ttop a c2 would be to buy a roadster and mod a snap on hardtop to have removeable c3 (or some other) ttops. Since it would all be work bench stuff and wouldn't alter the body strength, it should be doable. If you decide to do it, tell us and post pictures.

red04c5

I was afraid that there were no "turn-key" midyear kits. The T-tops were a compromise. I love hardtops, she likes convertables, so we agreed to T-tops because we thought it would look cool with the center brace running across the roof and a similar line down the back glass.

Please keep the comments coming.

What about a custom chassis (set up for C4 or C5 running gear) with aftermarket (or reproduction) body panels? Has anybody done anything like that?

Thanks

Islander21

No T-tops on C2s; reproductions, resto rods or otherwise, pretty much wiping them off your radar if the requirement holds. How about a nice C3???

red04c5

I love the shark styling (I'm a child of the 70's), but the wife wants a C2. Well, if no T-tops are available, then I guess we'll end up with a 'vert.

Regardless - I'd love to know how to do a "resto rod" that looks like a C2, runs like a C5, and doesn't cost as much as a C6 ZO6

Thanks for the help

Steve

Bob Schaefer

Welcome! You've got 99% of the battle won already......Mama wants a Vette! (I'm sure a lot of us are jealous!)

Are you sure a C2 roadster with the removable hardtop wouldn't do it for you? Or is it the C2 Coupe body style (my favorite) that appeals to you?

Good Luck!

Best Regards,
Bob S.

Islander21

I can help you out with the first and the second, don't know about the third (cost). Do a search for John McGraw or Rich Lagasse, they are both building resto rods and have lots of photos on their websites. They are using donor vette bodies mated to SRIII tube chassis with C4 or C5 suspensions and braking systems. Their drivetrains will be C6 LS2 engines mated to 6 speed auto trannies if I'm not mistaken. I'm building a 66 resto rod vert with C4 suspension on a Jamison's Custom Corvettes tube frame. I'll go the LS2 way but will mate it to a 5 speed instead. They will finish theirs way before I finish mine (I have a baby on the way!). Here is Rich's website:

http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c5/ric..._Project.shtml