Ken Sungela

The roadstershop has come out with a C2 chassis. Their design appears to have set a new standard for aftermarket C2 chassis. C6 geometry but using tubed control arms to make the coil overs more upright, splinned front sway bar to increase tire clearance, etc. Go to their website for all the details.
The base price of $16.5K is with a straight rear axle. As shown below is over $26K and doesn't include brakes or rotors! Looks to be the best chassis yet...and the most expensive....you get what you pay for.

I was going with the SRIII for my car until I saw this. But not sure I'm willing to double my chassis cost for my project.

John McGraw

SRIII can offer the same C6 front and rear suspension, with your choice of rear end center section for about half the money. I do not agree with the statement that the roadster shop chassis sets the standard, except for high price. If you get what you pay for in this chassis, then your get way more than you pay for in the SRIII, Jamison, or Streetshop chassis. Not trying to start an argument, just don't see the additional value in this chassis, and I have looked at their stuff for some time now.


Here is my latest SRIII chassis. C6 suspension geometry moved way in for big tires, and Winters Quickchange rear. I could not wait on Billy any longer to get his chassis to market, and bought another SRIII.
I only have about $26K in this chassis, including powder coating, tires, wheels, brakes, engine, and transmission. About all I lack is the driveshaft, but I am going to order that this week.



Regards, John McGraw

Rzepka_r

Just one thing to mention, I can't see enough close pictures on their site, but the write-ups and some of the photos appear to explain/show that ALL welds on the chassis are TIG...

I personally really like the SRIII chassis and if I do another, SRIII will, most likely, be my choice...

If you are comparing, keep in mind TIG welding everything would add a significant amount of labor over MIG welding..

I think Mike TIG welded Rich's (Split Personality) SRIII chassis and I'm sure that should have cost a pretty penny above the normal chassis price..

Does anyone "need" a TIG welded chassis? There are some critical suspension components/other where the answer should be yes.. Every weld being TIG, however, is a personal choice, MIG welds can look extremely nice, but a well done TIG is exceptional looking.

Roadstershop is probably marketing their chassis to the crowd that is willing to pay for every weld looking like jewerly..

Just mentioning this as something to keep in mind, that might explain some of the higher cost..

Thanks,
Rich

uxojerry

I spend a lot of time on lateral-g and pro-touring forums where there are a few Corvette fans. Ive looked at all of the custom chassis from Roadster Shop, Schwartz, etc. In many ways the custom chassis offered on those forums are different than the offerings common on this forum.

Most builds on the other forums do not use a custom chassis, only custom sub-frames. A custom chassis on the other forums is used generally on the high end builds. Many of the high end builds do not go with an irs but use a custom axle from Strange or Currie.

Most Corvette builds do use a custom chassis and most use an irs. A nice build on this forum can cost sub-$100k if the work is done by the car owner. Most custom chassis with irs builds on the other forums are high end, $200k-$250k.

The other forum custom chassis are very nice, but more expensive than the offerings on this forum. I fell in love with the other forum chassis options myself. A cold hard look at the facts brought me back to reality.

I have read one thread where an owner had $100k in a build before motor, and had to switch from an LS9 to an LS3. Spend too much on a chassis and you might have to cut costs later. Id much rather have more motor, than jewel quality welds on steel that nobody will see, lol.

65LS6C4

Very happy with my SRIII

John McGraw

Rich,

I had Mike TIG weld my last chassis, and it added less than $1K up-charge. This chassis is going to be a daily driver, and the aesthetics were not as important. Mike's MIG welds look damn nice to start with. His workmanship is first class.
I am not knocking the Roadster shop chassis, I just think it is just way overpriced.


Regards, John McGraw

ranger9812

I recently had a bad experience with a Street Shop chassis (serial #033) not fitting under my C3. I know this is a C1/C2 thread, but since I see some of you have been dealing with these resto-mods for several years, I need to pick your collective brain.

Does anyone have an idea of approximately when s/n 033 might have been built, and more importantly, does anyone here recall hearing about early production problems from Street Shop around this time frame?

I'm not trying to dig on Tray, and I know he's got a great reputation for building a quality product. I'm just trying to figure out if he had early production problems that just landed in my lap.

Thanks.

-Eli

PS--> My other project is a 63 convertible going onto an SRIII chassis with C6 suspension and Viper rear. It's too early to know if the chassis is good yet, but man does it look cool!

dcaggiani

Eli:
I have a Street Shop that was delivered to me September of this year for my C2 project. needless to say, these chassis are not a direct bolt on and will require some finesse to fit. In my case that meant fabricating new radiator supports because the chassis was short by about an inch. Also, the gas tank neck is not completely centered. The bumper brackets had to be modified to fit.

Dan

Rzepka_r

Hi Eli,

Like Dan's chassis, mine had some issues as well - my largest being basic clearance and engine/transmission positioning...

I thought a custom chassis, ordered for an LSx and TKO-600, would have had mounting locations such that the engine and transmission would fit without body contact AND have appropriate u-joint angles..

It also surprised me how many "shims" or custom spacers (there was no way I was going to use a stack of shims this large) were needed in-order to get the front end alignment (camber) close to resonable..

In my case all the main body mounting locations were perfect, but the core support required new holes further rearward - opposite of Dan's problem.. My battery tray wouldn't mount either, it was too far forward by about 1/2"

My body wasn't pieced together, it was 100% original except for the front lower valance panel and the right side corner - each replaced because of poor previous repairs for minor issues.. Additionally, I made my body dolly to dimensions in the manuals and my body fit perfect, including the core support..

In the end, everything wasn't anything I couldn't work with - it is a custom car build that will require lots of custom parts, that's all part of the fun and creativity - I just didn't expect the items I explained above, since it was a custom chassis for the exact purpose of what I was doing with it..

I had heard tons of great things about Mike and SRIII, but I didn't want to cut the rear floor of my body.. At the time of my purchase and planning, people hadn't started using C5/C6 rears that much, so it was cutting for tube placement only and, for my first build, it seemed like that might have been adding more work..

If I build another, I'll be cutting the rear floor, using a C5/C6 rear and giving Mike a call for a chassis!

Let us know what your problems are and maybe we can have some ideas to get things working..

Take Care,
Rich

tyoneal

Does anyone have any opinion of the Art Morrison Chassis that are made for the C2?

Carr @ Carr's Customs has used the SRIII and the Speed Shop Chassis and with the cars they have put together the Art Morrison Quality is very consistent. Followed by Speed Shop as far as the ones they use most often. The do work with SRIII as well depending on what the customer wants and the intended use of the car.

http://www.carrscorvettesandcustoms.com

I was going to have him give me a hand with the "Gulf Grand Sport", however, I have a convertible tub that I was looking for a chassis for it, and that was their recommendation.

http://www.artmorrison.com/homepage2.php

http://www.artmorrison.com/2006cat/17.pdf

http://www.artmorrison.com/2006cat/18.pdf

I do believe that they offer "Bolt on" Chassis as well.

Ty

Ken Sungela

I looked at many chassis manufacturers for C2 a few months ago before deciding on SRIII. Things may have changed, but I don't think Art M. makes a bolt on C2 chassis. I asked them about building one, but they referred me to The Street Shop. A.M. bends the square tubing for The Street Shop chassis. I prefer the look of the square tubing, but would have kicked myself if I had problems with the S.S. chassis after input from Rich and others.
Good luck,
Ken

TheSaint

dcaggiani. Sent you a PM

tyoneal

There is also the Chassis from Schwartz that can be made for the C2. I know he has been very successful driving his own products in competition and evidently can put a heck of a nice suspension and chassis.

http://schwartzperformance.com

I know at one time several years ago he was dealing with C2 Chassis. Before I decided to go the Grand Sport route I was planning to go with one of his chassis.

A number of years ago he built a Cadillac that he road raced against far lighter and faster cars and he could beat them using his self engineered Chassis/suspension.

It was really impressive.

Enjoy,

Ty

https://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp...w=1018&bih=517

jkinton

Bumping this thread.

I recently purchased a non-numbers matching 65 convertible to restomod. and I am in the process of selecting a chassis.

What is the current thinking regarding C2 restomod chassis builders?

Thanks!

John