C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,581
Likes: 28
From: Spring, Texas
C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...?
I have come across two different C1s (described below with the limited details I have received) in my search to build a retro "driver". Ideally, I want an NOM or already modified C1 or C2 and preferably under $19K (cheaper = better so I can modify to my tastes). Do the body mounts align well, or is it just that a novice welder can retrofit the mounts with this combination?
Obviously I would research the car well (how it is and has been titled), test drive it thoroughly, visit my mechanic with it, etc. etc. but I am wondering if any of you have seen or have experience with this combination? Thanks.
1953 Corvette
- Runs and drives
- 87 Monte Carlo SS frame w/ 305 V8 & 4-speed auto trans
- Includes A/C, P/S, P/B & P/W
- Black primer with black top
- No information regarding interior (or possible lack thereof)
- Looks like it needs bumpers, paint job, and cosmetics
- $10K OBO
1954 Corvette Repilca (body)
- Looks good in pics
- Car runs and drives well according to ad
- 78 Olds Cutlass frame w/ 260 V8 & TH350
- Includes P/S & P/B
- $19K OBO
Obviously I would research the car well (how it is and has been titled), test drive it thoroughly, visit my mechanic with it, etc. etc. but I am wondering if any of you have seen or have experience with this combination? Thanks.
1953 Corvette
- Runs and drives
- 87 Monte Carlo SS frame w/ 305 V8 & 4-speed auto trans
- Includes A/C, P/S, P/B & P/W
- Black primer with black top
- No information regarding interior (or possible lack thereof)
- Looks like it needs bumpers, paint job, and cosmetics
- $10K OBO
1954 Corvette Repilca (body)
- Looks good in pics
- Car runs and drives well according to ad
- 78 Olds Cutlass frame w/ 260 V8 & TH350
- Includes P/S & P/B
- $19K OBO
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 3,025
Likes: 12
From: Pleasant Grove AL
Re: C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...? (SharkAttack)
I have seen some replica Vettes on more modern frames. You could tell they were replicas from 100'. There's really nothing wrong with the stock frame, it's good and stiff in comparison to a lot of more recent frames. There are complete front and rear suspension kits available, including one (front) that is a bolt on. I think if I were going to build a "retro driver", that I would stick with an original body and frame and modify what's there. I think you'd spend less money in the long run as well.
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 862
Likes: 2
Re: C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...? (62fuelie)
I agree with Ed. I saw a '57 replica that was pretty obvious. Maybe not at 100 ft, but certainly by 40 feet. Even at a cheap price, I would never feel right driving it. And the options for updating the suspensions (including steering) are plentiful on these old C1 frames.
- Mike
- Mike
Drifting
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,260
Likes: 5
From: Brandon FL
Re: C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...? (62fuelie)
The 53 on the Monte Carlo frame was for sale locally here in Tampa. I called to take a look at it the evening of the first day the car ran in the Tampa Tribune. It was already sold so for 10K it must have been decent. (I would think anyway)
Race Director
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 12,712
Likes: 2,271
Re: C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...? (joevette57)
The C1 was built on a 102" wheelbase chassis, and I don't think any other post war GM full framed car (eliminates Corvairs, Novas, Camaros, and Vegas)was built on anything less than about a 110" wheelbase chassis, so I don't think the end result would look right.
Duke
[Modified by SWCDuke, 7:43 PM 2/22/2002]
Duke
[Modified by SWCDuke, 7:43 PM 2/22/2002]
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 38,897
Likes: 1,926
From: Washington Michigan
Re: C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...? (andy63)
These cars aren't real 53's - they're replica kit-car bodies, designed to fit the "A/G"-body chassis. The molds for these bodies have been through many owners over the last 15 years, and they're normally just a body shell; the chrome, body hardware, and trim to finish them costs far more than the body. There's one locally that was built very nicely about ten years ago and properly-finished ($$$), but you can easily tell it's a replica.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,631
Likes: 14
From: Fountain Hills AZ
Re: C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...? (SharkAttack)
The owners probably realized that it costs as much to trim out a fake one as it would an original. Unless they were completely finished as you would want, forget it. If cost is a factor, the biggest bargains are cars that someone else has already completed. You can buy a $30,000 classic Vette for $30,000 but you might invest a total of $40,000 to make a $20,000 Vette into a $30,000 one :)
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 3,581
Likes: 28
From: Spring, Texas
Re: C1 on GM Mid-Size Frames...? (SharkAttack)
Thanks all. Just to clarify, I am looking for a genuine Corvette (no replicas or kits). The 53 body on the 87 Monte Carlo frame was advertised as real, but apparently it already sold (Sigh).
