C5 Corvette re-body, DIY backyard built

Before you ask why.... Because I can, that’s why

*12/2/19 Update* design change.  the plans have evolved...topless, doorless roadster it is

Now that that's out of the way, let’s get started.

I bought a high mileage C5 FRC 6 speed manual a while back off Craigslist. The intent was to daily drive the car and use it as a project car since my current daily was too new and boring. I needed some excitement of sitting at the stop lights wondering if that smell, or that noise was coming from my car?! So here we go. Bought the car in Texas as the cheapest clean title FRC i could find online. I hopped on a cheap one-way flight and drove it back to Pennsylvania with little to no problems and a great platform to start with.

Fast forward after changing the wheels and tires, exhaust and almost all of the GM electronics that had failed through the last 2 decades I ended up with a fun daily driver that leaked rain water but was a blast to drive. I drove the car for almost a year and a half before the itch had started and I was yet again bored.

Here's where the fun starts....Ive been obsessing over kit cars for the past few years and the intent with this C5 was that if i wreck it or get bored it is the donor car for a Factory Five GTM car, Perfect! But as i look through builds and see in-person examples of "finished" kit cars I cant help but to feel like something is missing or lacking. In comes Vaydor!

For those who haven’t seen the Vaydor kit car build....google it, it’s awesome. Guy designs and builds his own cars in his garage and then sells them as kits or turn key cars.

This has inspired me, if this guy can do it, so can I!

So, I’m off to build my own car using my C5 as the platform. Im keeping it front engine and using the complete chassis of the C5 more or less in tact. I plan to make the body by hand and will use inspirations from the Lotus 311 and Vuhl and various other super car traits to make this my own.

I do not plan to use this thread not as a how-to or explain my methods because lets face it, I'm winging it. I plan to use this thread solely as a collection of progress pictures and updates to anyone interested.

Let’s get to it

I have a lot more pictures on my instagram account: @backyardwrenching

Here is the beginning, a fun yet boring, sun burnt daily driven, high mileage C5 FRC

You have my attention...

Forget exotic clones...Jeep cj5 baby

fast forward after a year and a half of driving the car as a stock Corvette....its time to start doing some surgery 

I cut the roof off and am doing a roofline swap to match that as close to an Aston Martin or front engine Ferrari as I can, here comes the Hyundai!

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

That's a Wrangler.

with the roofs cut off both cars, the Hyundai gets sent to the scrap yard and the transplant begins

Starting to look familiar yet??

Jump to present day (4/16/19) and there has been a lot of test fitting, roof on and off.

New wheels have been installed, 20" x 10" on all four corners.  No more staggered setup. I am using a square setup of 275/35/20 all around.

I saved the Hyundai doors.  I will be using all of the glass from the Tiburon except the rear hatch so I need to graft the Hyundai inner door window mechanisms into the new doors I will be making

I picked some headlights for mock-up.  These come off the 2018 Rav4

I do a lot of red neck engineering.  Here I am deciding on fender fitment and ground clearance

The corvette door hinges are way too wide and would make the new doors too thick.  Im using Subaru BRZ hinges to narrow the body width at the doors by 5" overall

Here is the fender and side skirt design I am trying to replicate

And here is where we sit today.  waiting on some nice weather to mock-up the body lines.  The roof is currently just sitting on the chassis and is not attached

Sweet honey barbeque this is awesome!

That escalated quickly....

What's the story with the Tiburon?  Looked like a complete car.

In reply to Run_Away :

It was mostly complete.  Bought it off Facebook for $300.  It was used by two people as a parts car for their Tiburons and then sat in a field for two years.  I only wanted the roof and doors so it got sent to the crusher.  If i had more room and patients I could have parted it out but it wasnt worth it in my eyes

Whoa.  

I'm excited to see where this goes, it looks like it's off to a good start.

You:  

"Hi, i'm new here.   I bought a C5 FRC and un-F'd the R."

Us:

"Hell yeah!"

What I love about this forum is how the average person would look at this and say "that guy just butchered his vette) and our crowd can see where he is going and says "Hell yeah"!

Now here's a man with a sawzall, a welder, and no sense of regret.

I like it.

Cutting up cars and grafting bits of tech?

Excited to see where this goes.  Definitely no turning back!

Awesome.

dherr said:

What I love about this forum is how the average person would look at this and say "that guy just butchered his vette) and our crowd can see where he is going and says "Hell yeah"!

If we're good at anything, it's enabling.

Looking good!  I'm following

Awesome! I had no idea how good the Tiburon roof line would look on a Vette. I would say you were a bit early buying the tires, as the longer the sit the worse they get. But if it keeps you motivated then more power to ya'!

Great project. Coachbuilding lives on. I was taken by how close the Tiburon door length matches the Vette. Medardo Fantuzzi would be proud of you, but now you need to duplicate it all in aluminum 

Disregard for sheet metal

Sawzall

LS motor

Corvette pieces

Frankenstein OEM parts basket

Hell yeah checks all of my favorite boxes!

In reply to TurnerX19 :

i did a lot of parking lot measurements of peoples cars before i picked the tiburon.  The Hyundai door length and cockpit width is identical to the C5 corvette except the rear B pillars need to be spread about 1/4"

Im also able to use all of the Tibruon door seal rubbers.  they arent molded so i can make them take any shape I want and only have to cut one of them and it lands in the perfect place that will be easy to glue back together