LS1-KART : a brutally simple C5 corvette based build/hack

I started looking at the seats, sliders and brackets. I went with NRG seats (FRP310) I think, they were $400/pair shipped on amazon and included the side mounts. I bought sliders for drivers side, passenger side will be fixed. when I placed the drivers seat in the car on the planted brackets, I wasn't happy. 

the planted brackets set you way forward in the cockpit and are very flat. 

so, needless to say the drivers (especially) is now heavily modified. I wish I had just build them from scratch.

pics compare the passenger side (unmolested) to the drivers side that I modified to sit further back and at more of a rake. I ended up just lowering the back of the passengers, not bothering to move it further back. 

so much for the powder coated finish. I am out of flat black spray paint again, so it will be a day or two till I can drop the seats in and drive it again. now that seats will actually be restrained in the car and I have brake lights and the license plate mounted I will probably get out on the ole four laner and get her up to speed for the first time without the body.

Go_Gators said:

the front of the frame will stick out ~2" beyond the front tires. I will add a guard when I get around to the roll cage that will protrude forward at an angle to protect the radiator from cones and such...

Please?

In reply to Crackers :

close.

was able to get the drivers seat in without much trouble... passenger side isn't going as well.

In reply to Go_Gators:

Been lurking...

Car looks great!  Will you have a chance to put it on scales soon?  Do you plan to log book it?

In reply to STALIZE :

Haha, thanks. I do hope to weigh it before caging it, just depends on finding a set of scales. otherwise definitely when its done (caged) and I wont find driving it distances to get a set of scales. regarding a log book, I don't know.  I only half know what that really entails, as I have always just autocrossed, never done serious track stuff.

four bathroom scales and a piece of plywood! weigh each corner. nice progress on this one.

In reply to Agent98 :

my wife would kill me (of course she bought the fancy glass type) but that's not a bad idea. maybe put equal thickness wood under the other 3 corners and move it around... that assumes it can handle ~ 600lbs....

In reply to Go_Gators:

Our local SCCA club has scales that I've used on a number of occasions so you may check with your local region.  Ask some of your autocross or track day buddies and someone is bound to know someone who has scales and would be excited to see those results.

It would be great to see the weight prior to cage since so many cage configs could be installed.  Personally I'd love to see the total weight, but even better, a true corner weight to see how well those cars are balanced as-is.  It will still be front heavy, but probably not by much, and probably better balanced than when it was a complete car.

In reply to STALIZE :

I can confirm, as the equipment manager for our local SCCA chapter, we have no scales. I will have to ask around.

LOL.

I suspect weight as she sits is about 2600 lbs.  With cage about 2750.

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem:

I'm thinking less.  I had a 99 FRC years ago and weighed it before I started the project.  With very little fuel it was 3099.

I would think there is a fair amount of weight in the front bulkhead of those cars if he chooses to cut there, too.  He'll need to at least keep the square tube bar that supports the dash/column/upper front bulkhead in until the cage, though.

Right now would be the perfect time to weigh it if he can find scales because it's cut and not really personalized yet.

In reply to STALIZE :

i truly hope you are right. if this thing weighs 2600 now, by the time I am done with the cage its going to be way to close to 3k to call this a complete success.

a fellow autocrosser in my region has scales. He is graciously going to let me borrow them to get pre-cage numbers. so, I should have that data next week.

regarding the A-pillar/bulkhead, yea, that is beefy. it provides the only roll over protection for 'verts so its heavy duty for sure. at this time I have no intention of removing it. but, if my final weight is near 3k when I am done, then in the future its something I would have to consider.  

new license plate finally showed up!!   I also mounted the passenger seat yesterday. I ended up having to completely cut the bracket up. basically did the same modification I did to the drivers side.

I based my guesstimate on cletus McFarland s car with cage coming in at right at 2800 lbs.

I'm not super familiar with C5 rear suspension, but should those rear upper control arms have that much angle to them?

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

yea, that is my best data point too. but, figure he has a cage already (don't know any specs on his cage), he has a full AC system and dashboard. He also has a full front end.

I am hopeful for a 2400 ish number.

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

so, I noticed that with the front and rear when I put the car back on the ground last week.

no expert on camber curves, but it doesn't seem advantageous to me to have the lowers at horizontal  and uppers with that much downward angle. when the car was a complete car, the lowers  (front and rear) were essentially horizontal. after I let out as much lowering adjustment as possible on the monoleafs, they are basically horizontal again. so whatever GM engineered the curves to be, there are still.

Make sure your seat mounts are super robust.  In a wreck, that seat could take a lot of force and you sure don't want it breaking :)

i love the build!

Car looks great! Minimal overhangs is the best look. 

Ive got a few questions I’d like to ask you as I work on stripping my 01, but I don’t want to take up space here. Unfortunately my account won’t let me PM you. Could you PM me your email?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

In reply to Go_Gators:

Re:  borrowing scales.  Great to hear!

We've cut several Miatas and once they're gutted and cut they weight about 1,000 less and then we add back    cage, seats, belts, lights and they're complete again between 1700-1760 depending on config.

The FRC I mentioned above that was 3099 was a no option car so for you, that would be your starting point too, so if there is as much there as a Miata then you would cut down to about 2100-2200 and then add back about 500 lbs of everything else.

Lets see who's closest to current weight.  It looks like you've got replica wheels and some seats.  I'm going to guess 2300 currently 

In reply to STALIZE :

yea 'verts are more like 3450 in normal trim. i hope like hell your are right on with 2300. personally, i am thinking 2450.

the scales are in the trunk of my STX winning ZHP (won class for the first time in a couple years today)!!! 

i doubt i get the Kart on them tomorrow, but its a possibility.

In reply to Go_Gators:

Once they're stripped to the point yours is, what would be heavier between models and years besides, auto vs manual and wheel/tire choices?  

ZO6 had thinner glass if you're keeping the w/s, but that's very minor.

In reply to STALIZE :

to my knowledge, nothing. my understanding is that all non-z06 are structurally the same.