2003 Widebody C5 in Millennium Yellow Goes Quick

Where our story begins

The owner of this bright yellow custom Vette, Jim Huber, confesses that he “wasn’t really a sports car guy growing up.” That's a huge admission to make when talking to auto enthusiasts who were raised on all things with a high horsepower rating. However, it turns out that Jim was just a late bloomer. “I was more into big cars, trucks, and SUVs that I could cruise with, and fit eight of my buddies in,” he remembers.

Living life in color

The love affair with speed began when he went to see a C5 Z06 that a friend of his was selling. “That car made me start looking at Corvettes in a different light,” says Huber. The universe is funny that way, in how a couple weeks later, he laid his eyes upon a 2003 Millennium Yellow C5 parked in front of a dealership. “I really liked the color and style, and before you know it, I was online looking to see what they wanted for the Corvette.”

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Happy wife, happy life

Being a sensible man, Huber did what anyone would do when you're unfamiliar with something but interested; he phoned someone who knew more than he did on the subject. With the help of John, his self-described car nut of a brother who had been building cars since his teens, they went and looked at the Corvette again. John loved the car and gave his blessing to Jim. Again, Jim, being a sensible man, discussed things with his better half before pulling the trigger on the sports car. After two days of a battle of wits and negotiations, Jim won out over his wife Barbara. 

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Enjoy it while it lasts

Once Huber had the car, he couldn't get enough of it. Living in the Maryland area between the ocean and mountains gave him the ability to just drive and drive and drive. Then came a day when Huber went to visit his brother John and happened to be the last one to arrive blocking his brother's car in the driveway. Jim tossed his brother the keys and let him know that he could drive the Vette if he needed to go out anywhere. Welp, John seized on the opportunity and returned after an hour with his performance review. “The car had plenty of power, but no launch and definitely needs a gear change to wake it up,” he said. Just like that, Jim began setting his C5 part from the pack. 

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The quest for power

Two weeks after that, the Huber brothers headed to East Coast Supercharging in New Jersey for a set of 3.73s to replace the 3.15 gears out back. The Vette also received a set of American Racing headers and a set of high-flow cats. Two months later, Jim returned and to ECS and added a supercharger underneath the hood for some much-needed boost. “When I got it back, it was like a different car,” says Huber. Now with the supercharger and final tune, the C5 was pushing out 550 rwhp. Three honeymoon years went by blissfully for Jim and his C5 until the creeping notion that there was more out there started to nag at his thoughts. 

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We're sure his wife is thrilled

 “I called Doug and Chris at ECS and they built a new engine (5.7L) using LS6 heads and forged internals, and they did whatever other voodoo they do as well,” says Huber. The power made a drastic jump from 550 to 834 hp and 694 lb-ft of torque. Then, over the course of the following months, he added other things like better tires, new wheels, a better suspension setup, and went through at least 15 exhaust systems trying to find the one for him. “I have boxes and boxes of parts that were installed for just weeks at a time … my brother calls it the land of misfit toys,” says Huber.

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even more power

Huber made another trip to ECS in 2011 after finally becoming tired of the automatic that came in the car. As things would have it, since the Vette was already there receiving a manual transmission swap, Jim decided to have them build an all-new supercharged LS2 to produce 856 hp and 707 lb-ft at the wheels with 22 lbs of boost. Jim added a second blow off valve and changed the exhaust system once more to a Corsa Touring setup to maximize on the new sound. 

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Changing up the gears

Two more years went by and Huber was once again hungry for more power, so a new stroked out 402ci LS2 short-block was built by Late Model Engines in Houston. The engine work was finished off by ECS with modified LS6 heads and a Paxton Novi 2000 Supercharger at 22 lbs of boost. The new powerplant was now good for 842 hp and 750 lb-ft. The car was then sent to County Corvettes in Pennsylvania for exterior upgrades. The car was torn down to the frame before receiving a new hood and flared fenders in the front and rear. The transmission is now a fully built ECS M6 transmission feeding an ECS stock differential with hardened output shafts and 3.73 gears. Petrol is moved through a Stage II fuel system. Underneath is an LG Motorsports coilover setup for suspension work. 

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Still more to come

“The car is an absolute blast to drive, and no matter where I travel, it always garners lots of attention and has been the start of many a good conversation,” says Jim.  “Because I drive the car so much, fighting the rock chips is always a battle. Even though I have Clear Bra on the rocker panels and front clip, I still get a lot of chips,” he says.  “I’ve had the car for a little over 10 years now, and I like it more today than the day I bought it,” he proudly states. As for what work will come next for the C5 Jim remarks "the interior is starting to show its age, so I have a feeling there’s another cash-ectomy coming in the near future.” Oh and his big brother John is very proud of Jim and the lengths he has gone to create an exceptional build. 

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