| Page Title |
| C4 Corvette Chassis |
 | |  | |  | |  |
| 1957 Corvette RestoMod Project - Page 3 The Frame and the Professionals A performance car is only as good as its foundation - the frame. If the frame is whacked out, the car will never ride or handle correctly. That's why I chose a professional to modify my frame. There are other ways to go, for instance have a frame made for you. Newman Car Creations does make frames for the 1955-57 Chevy Bel Air - and they will even put the chassis together with power train, suspension and steering for you. But when it comes to Corvettes, be very careful of who you choose to make a frame for you. Some shops say they have the best, most modern capabilities. But look beyond the hype, ask many different people questions, do your research, and then make a qualified decision. Or you'll have to live with an expensive boat anchor. |
| This frame I bought on eBay. But, when I drove it to Newman's and it was sandblasted, it proved unusable. It seems this frame had severely rusted on the bottom (maybe setting in the mud somewhere back east) in an earlier life. And someone tried to fix it by cutting off the bottom half of each main frame rail and welding in new pieces. Unfortunately, they also welded the rear rails to the back cross-member crooked! |
| Both rear frame rails were skewed to the passenger's side. If I tried to put a performance street car on top of this mess, it could prove very dangerous - for me! Also, the X-member in the middle had severe rust pitting that could only be seen after blasting all of the old paint off. Lastly, some rust had eaten through the outer frame rails just in front of the rear "humps". That's never a good sign. For the power I'm going to have in this car, I needed a better foundation than this frame could give me. The frame is not completely unusable though. Someone putting together a stock C1 (first generation Corvettes from 1953-1962) could easily fix this frame and use it. In fact, it recently sold to a guy who needed the front frame rail forks for his project. |
| Newman Car Creations cuts off the front frame rails and welds in new ones. Also new motor mounts for any engine you choose, upper shock mounts and core support are also part of the front-end treatment. This is a picture of a C1 frame that recently received the Paul Newman touch. |
| This C1 frame is calibrated and attached to Newman's proprietary jig before any cutting or welding happens. This ensures the frame is of good quality and that the modifications are perfectly engineered every time. |
| Paul Newman of Newman Car Creations and his beautiful 1960 Corvette resto-rod. |
| Before any work was performed on my frame, Paul sat down with me and helped me understand how the frame would be modified. He also walked me through the options available from Newman Car Creations. This kind of one-on-one service really separates his work from the rest. My project will have a 1999 Corvette (not Camaro) LS1 engine and a Tremec T56 manual transmission. The LS1 is a crate engine, which means it does not have any miles on it. I purchased it from a private party in Phoenix, AZ. He bought it from GM Surplus - and yes, the numbers do check out. With this information, Newman can weld in the correct motor and transmission mounts for a seamless transfer of new power and handling for my dream car. So, WHERE'S MY FRAME? |
| The good frame, already completed, is on the bottom. The old unusable frame sits on top. No chances were taken with freight companies, I hauled both frames home to Phoenix in the back of pickup truck. Now the real work begins! |
| Pictured left is a chassis for the C2 era of Corvette - the Sting Ray. The frame is hand-made by Newman Car Creations and can be purchased with all the C4 suspension pieces shown here. Note the cast aluminum torque arm attached to the rear differential housing and the X-member. This proprietary piece from Newman keeps the rear axle housing in place under load. |
| Pictured above is the frame Newman exhibits at car shows and is tailored to fit Tri-Five Chevy's from 1955 to 1957. Beautiful! |
| Above left is a C5 chassis project Paul and his staff were working on when I picked up my completed frame in early February 2009. On the right are some of the proprietary cast aluminum pieces Newman Car Creations uses to build their incomparable high-performance chassis. |
1957 Corvette RestoMod