TECH FRC - Lewis Five Motorsports

[TECH]
FRC
REFRESHER
COURSE
PART 1: WE PREPARE TO BREATHE
NEW LIFE INTO A ’99 HARDTOP, WITH A
LITTLE HELP FROM L5 MOTORSPORTS,
FORGELINE, AND NITTO
JAY HEATH WORDS | PHOTOS
T
he forward march of time is rarely
kind to those it tramples underfoot, be they flesh or fiberglass.
Along with the physical indignities
of the aging process—the loss of
outward luster, the deterioration of
vital substructures, the dulling of one’s “performance edge”—there’s a far more insidious development to contend with: the inexorable retreat of relevance. Today’s hero is tomorrow’s has-been, and so it has been since time
immemorial.
The upside to dealing with impending
senescence in the vehicular realm stems from
the ease with which automobiles—and particularly Corvettes—yield themselves to the process of creative rejuvenation. Remove a fastener here, pop a retaining tab there, and
pretty soon you’re well on your way to a fresh,
new look—no pills, unguents, or liposuction
cannulae required.
With that in mind, we decided it might be
instructive to take a not-quite-over-the-hill
Corvette and treat it to an aesthetic overhaul
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using an assortment of top-quality aftermarket
parts. While our test subject—a ’99 fixed-roof
coupe—was still in fine shape cosmetically and
mechanically, this onetime performance flagship was starting to look a little dowdy next to
newer offerings such as the Grand Sport, the
Z06, and the ZR1. Let’s examine the items we
selected to bring it up to date.
LEWIS FIVE MOTORSPORTS
BODY KIT
We’d featured cars equipped with Lewis
Five Motorsports hardware in the past, so we
were aware of the company’s reputation for
building Corvette body components that fit
properly and look great. For our FRC, we drew
liberally from L5’s parts arsenal, selecting a set
of flared front fenders and rear quarter-panels,
along with a quartet of matching fiberglass
splash guards. (The latter items are also available in genuine carbon.)
The fenders and quarters embolden the
C5’s looks considerably, while avoiding the
“tacked on” look that afflicts some competing
offerings. Up front, the additional ¾-inch of
width per side is subtle enough that it might
be missed by a casual observer. There’s no
overlooking the rear quarters, however, which
swell the car by 2 inches per side—enough
to swallow virtually any wheel/tire combo
one might choose to fit (more on that in a
moment).
For the truly committed, L5 also offers a full
wide-body kit that includes the aforementioned
bits, along with new front/rear fascias and side
rocker panels. We might take that step in the
future, but for now, the fenders, quarters, and
splash guards have our FRC on the path back
to head-turner status.
FORGELINE WHEELS
In keeping with our focus on top-shelf quality, we chose a set of Forgeline’s new CF3C
Concave forged wheels to fill out our FRC’s
newly tumescent fenders. Like the company’s
popular racing wheels, the five-spoke CF3C
uses a three-piece design that’s held together
with hidden stainless-steel ARP fasteners.
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Our ’99 FRC subject car, premakeover. Though undeniably
stylish, this 13-year-old C5
was beginning to show its age.
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A set of Lewis Five Motorsports flared front fenders and rear
quarter-panels (one of which is shown here, under the admiring gaze of car owner Greg Lovell) formed the centerpiece of our
refurb project. These parts arrived at VETTE HQ carefully packaged
and complete with installation instructions.
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To complement the L5 fenders, we chose Forgeline’s new CF3C
Concave wheels. Aside from their knockout styling, the CF3Cs
feature forged 6061 T6 aluminum construction, heat-treated rim
shells, stainless ARP fasteners, and plenty of clearance for aftermarket brake packages. Ours came in a standard brushed finish,
but a wide variety of color options are available.
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At a ZR1-spec 12 inches wide in the rear,
our stylish new rims overflowed the
confines of the stock C5 wheelwells. Fortunately, the L5 quarter-panels add a generous two inches of width to each side of the
car, which should provide plenty of space.
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As for the matter of wheel fitment, it’s
clear from this angle that the L5 quarters offer sufficient clearance for our fatterthan-stock Forgelines.
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In sizing our new rims, we thought it important to one-up the current crop of Corvette
supercars. Fortunately, the L5 rear quarters
provide sufficient clearance for wheels of up
to 12 inches in width—the same as on a new
ZR1. Since the CF3C’s modular nature makes
it fully customizable, we were able to specify
the precise size and offset required to occupy
the available space and clear the C6 Z06
brake conversion that was recently installed
on the car. You won’t get that from just any
old molded-aluminum rim. (We did stop short
of specifying race-style center locks, though
Forgeline offers them as an option.) Factor
in a wide range of available finishes, and the
3F3C is a superlative wheel choice for any
style- and performance-conscious Corvette
owner.
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Laying one of the new quarters over its factory counterpart provides a preliminary
view of the muscle-bound look to come. Though dramatic, the flared wheel opening
is nicely integrated with the factory body line.
Big, bold wheels demand big, bold
rubber—in this case a Nitto Invo
measuring a healthy 345/40ZR19 for
the rear (right). At left is the previously
installed 295/35ZR18, which looks positively puny by comparison.
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The fronts got an upgrade as well, from
a diminutive 255/40ZR17 (right) to a
more suitable 275/35ZR18. Although it’s
considered an ultra-high-performance tire,
the Invo carries an impressive 260 treadwear rating.
NITTO INVO TIRES
With our Forgelines spec’d out, it was time
to select a tire. Naturally, we elected to use the
widest rubber our new wheels would accommodate, in this case a 275/35-18 up front
and a steamroller-size 345/30ZR19 in the
rear. (For comparison’s sake, the ZR1 wears
285/30ZR19s and 335/25ZR20s, respectively.)
Nitto’s Invo is one of a handful of tires
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[TECH] FRC REFRESHER COURSE
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At 3⁄4-inch wider than stock, the L5
front fender (left) is notably subtler
than the aggressively flared rear quarter.
Since we were only adding 20mm of tire
width at each front corner, this modest
bulge was more than adequate.
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The final pieces in our body-modding
project, the front (shown) and rear
splash guards complement the appearance
of the other L5 parts and help keep road
grime off the sides of the car. Since we
weren’t bolting up the parts for this installment, Lovell simply held this one in place
long enough for us to snap a photo.
available in these sizes, and by far the most
affordable. It’s said to offer an ideal balance of
performance and ride comfort, which sounded
like a perfect fit for our mostly street-driven
FRC. It also has a wild-looking geometric tread
pattern that’s sure to further enliven the car’s
looks, especially from behind.
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Since the factory fenders were already off of the car at the time of our photo shoot,
Lovell laid one of the new L5 pieces in place to test its fit. While aftermarket body
panels typically require extensive sanding and refitting prior to installation, the L5 fender
dropped right on in out-of-the-box form.
As you can see, those outsize rear tires aren’t just for show. With a modified LS3
engine reposing in the engine bay, our FRC should have no trouble pushing its natty
new Nittos to their limits.
ÊSources
Now that you know a little more about the
individual elements, let’s take a closer look at
how the entire ensemble will come together on
our subject car. In a future issue, we’ll cover
the final installation and paint processes, and
unveil the finished product. VETTE
FORGELINE MOTORSPORTS
(800) 886-0093
www.forgeline.com
LEWIS FIVE MOTORSPORTS
(248) 763-9697
www.lewisfivemotorsports.com
NITTO TIRE
www.nittotire.com
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