C5 Corvette Seat Upgrade

I have a feeling this will not be my first seat change in this car. Over the years, I have found that being a lover of all thing GM means you need to upgrade seats. GM has done a very nice job recently, but anything pre-2010 could potentially have issues for you.
The C5 is a well known performance bargain, meaning you get what you pay for on track and behind the wheel. You are not paying for the seats…

My C5 Hardtop is no exception, having the standard seat, non-sport & non-Z06. I have been looking for a C6 or even C7 seat to drop in, as they bolt right up for the most part. For a car I drive just a little here and there and only in the summer, it’s tough to justify thousands in a seat. Either way, I found a Corbeau Evolution X on the marketplace this winter and couldn’t pass up the deal. Being just one of them, I am ok with that. Having the correct C5 mounting bracket, I was even more ok with it.
The Evolution X was specifically designed for the Corvette’s small floor pan. This being fixed back and overall solid, I thought for sure it would be a little rough for daily use.

The verdict is in! After installing and using this around town it is night and day. My longest drive of around 40 minutes did not offer me any soreness, but I could see it being rough on a long trip. I also was curious how much weight savings I would have. No motors, less junk; the weight savings are going to be huge. Check out my video below to see the final weigh in… Enjoy!

C5 Corvette Wheel Weight - Mythbusters!

As I sit here writing this, I am thinking I made a mistake. Maybe not a horrible mistake, but I feel misled. If you focus on the video I made below, you’ll realize that the C5 Corvette came with a wheel option that was marketed as ‘lightweight’. Of course I am referring to the overly expensive Magnesium Wheels. These were offered for almost every year the C5 was around and it still holds up. I personally think this is a great looking wheel.

They are a little tough to come by in nice shape, which can lead to issues as I found out. The good ones are still on the garage queens that never see sunlight, so good luck getting that set… As we discuss this and you watch the video though, you have to realize that Chevrolet made this an optional wheel that cost more money and what you actually get is just a look, not a weight savings. I spent a good amount of time compiling all of the wheels, a big scale, checking out tire weights, and just trying to be somewhat scientific. Well the results are in and I am going to have you watch below if you want to know what I found out. Enjoy!

Vette-Lights

Over the years, automotive light tech has grown, and grown, and gotten out of hand even. We have everything and anything well lit and low temperature as we move into the 2023 model year. If you look back though, many of the cars we love today had awful lighting. Take the old Impala for example; the headlights were probably one of the worst aspects of the car and there really isn’t a good solution around anymore. Case In Point

My Corvette is not much better. The flip-up headlights are pretty timeless and send us back to an era where this was amazingly cool. The problem is, the lighting output isn’t the greatest when comparing it to current automotive lighting. There are upgrades for the flip-ups, which is on my to-do list. For now though, we are going to focus on the tails and secondary lights.

Vette-Lights has a great selection of clean upgrades that plug right in and modernize your car. The first video I want to share here is all about the taillights. I have always been a fan of halo taillights and adding LED tech to the C5 just enhances an already sleek and timeless body design. Take a look below at this first video I have here, where we use the Halo Runners from Vette-Lights. I also take some time to compare all of their options. Super fun and well worth the price.

Another fun options which I added are the side markers and front turn signals. These are another easy to do mod that will really update your car and add some shiny new parts to your Corvette. Like everything at Vette-Lights, they have you covered with options, colors, and installs. I made these videos to help you out with the install process, so I hope this is something you find useful. If you have any questions, please reach out!

So It Begins...

As I write this up, I am sitting here as a first time Corvette owner. Never did I think I would be in this position. Mostly because a Corvette is such a ‘toy’ vehicle that isn’t very useful day to day, at least not to me with a normal job and a family. Looking back though, I realized that growing up my dad always had a Corvette in the garage and he still does.

The Corvette has always been my favorite car, starting around 1997 when the C5 came out. Before that, I was a kid who longed for a Viper. The C5 changed everything and made me rethink pricing, reliability, looks, and all the stuff that matters owning a car. The Z06 came out in 2001, being perfected in 2002 and really nothing has swayed me otherwise.

I had my fun with a SS Camaro for years - mostly because it was way more affordable than a Corvette and it somewhat blended in better. If you have been following along the Impala project, you’ll realize this is quite the change. A small, two-seat sports car replacing a massive four-door sedan. In the intro movie below, I go into my reasons and how I found this FRC. My favorite part, this was the first Corvette hardtop sold by GM since 1967. The Corvette that was sitting in my dad’s garage all those years growing up was a 1966 coupe - amazing how it comes somewhat full circle and I now have a 1999 Corvette Hardtop sitting in my own garage. Thanks for joining my Corvette journey!