CORBRETTA is born!

Norm 88GT · Post by **Norm 88GT** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:02 pm

wicked, I think most mufflers are chambered. If I cut two inches off the end I'd probably be closing off a backing plate and restricting the exhaust flow.

The gas lines are hard until halfway back then their plastic. Must be for ease during assembly.

A few hours here and there...

Norm

scott91gtz · Post by **scott91gtz** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:23 pm

norm... this is friekin crazy... hats off to you an keep up the good work!

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:47 pm

Norm, I only asked about the clutch as it's got a torque tube covering the drive shaft, so it looks to me you can't just drop a u-joint out and pull the trans off the back. More like detach motor pull it forward to get to the stuff.... Oh well just thinking in my head too much as always!

Norm 88GT · Post by **Norm 88GT** » Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:21 pm

The Corvette service manuals are available online at Fred Beans website. If your so inquired.

Which brings me to another thought since were in this area. Aluminum flywheel is about $500 and there are complaints about chatter due to the power pulses of the V8 at low speeds. I thought a whole kit but they run about $1K. Since my car will be lighter than stock I probably go OE grip level along with not planning on habging out at the drag strip all day. Probably do road course stuff instead. So big power is not as important as reliable power. Then I thought I could retain some drivability buy just lightening the stock flywheel. Your thoughts to those have done it?

Norm

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 7:04 pm

What kind of power are you expecting out of this motor? I don't think you need a big investment in clutch stuff unless you are going to be putting down some serious numbers. A fresh clutch that's a little more grippier would be a happy medium. Anything really radical and grippy would likely have chatter in stop and go driving... I'd stay with stock fly wheel and invest $$ else where....

Norm 88GT · Post by **Norm 88GT** » Tue Apr 11, 2006 9:15 pm

My Clutch Masters with 6 pucks had a nice engagement and gripped well. But when I tore everything apart after a few thousand miles of highway use it looked like it was half gone. OE stuff is pretty good and will probably follow your advice.

I was thinking that the reason that the back half of the C5's fuel lines are plastic was for disconnecting lower the rear end to get at the clutch.

Norm

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 12:13 am

Ya I figure the Corvette is going to have a pretty good clutch stock. I think you'd have to push a ton of power (100-150hp more) before you have to worry. (but don't have any knowledge to back it up). I'd inspect the stock stuff, if it's worn badly, slap new in there and call it good. If they have a z06 clutch parts oem availble that are a bit beefer, you could do that too.

Norm 88GT · Post by **Norm 88GT** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:53 pm

...and I did as Isaac said and stopped by Mallett Cars, yes the infamous Chuck Mallett and his gang, and picked up a Z06 clutch assembly broken in and ready to install with 3K miles on it for $250. Best deal going as the autoparts want double that for inferior parts. I picked a few other replacement parts too.

Stopped by the dealership for a new clutch slave and Friday pick a new/used bell housing.

One of the techs there said the C5 rolling gear weighs about 2K lbs.

What was cool was seeing about Soltices getting their LS2s. They just got their first Sky in this week.

Norm

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 3:11 pm

With that humongous motor in front it looks like Norm will have the first two seater V8 Beretta...

IsaacHayes · Post by **IsaacHayes** » Wed Apr 12, 2006 6:06 pm

Those solitices with v8's are the only ones that I'm interested in. Until stock they put at least a v6 in there. I just hate 4cyl sound. Too bad they didn't make them mid-engine like the fieros.

I've thought about making mine a two seater. But I'd keep the front seats and it wouldn't be v8.

Norm 88GT · Post by **Norm 88GT** » Sat Apr 15, 2006 11:57 pm

I installed the Z06 clutch and new bell housing an bolted all back together. I lowered the chasis down on it after cutting it up some more to make accomodations. I had to cut a little more around the exhaust tubing over the differential but it is about as low on the chasis is going to get as it is resting on the rails. The shifter is bolted in stock C5 place and could be move forward if need too. It will depend where the C5 dash board resides.

What I'll probably do as you see in one of the pics showing the rear side view is use the stock rail that I cut from the donor as it would be too time consuming to replicate. The front looks a little more straight forward than the rear. The rear, as seen in the pics is pretty low and with the adapters come up an inch or two. This can be done with the bolt that goes through the monoleaf spring. Remember that the upper control arms are not mounted so the hubs are not in their stock place. Once the upper control arms are attach, a better representation of the wheel placement inside the wheel wells will be seen.

Once the upper control arms are mounted the inside can be started.

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TexanBerettaGT · Post by **TexanBerettaGT** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:51 am

Mmm mmm mmm. Unreal man it looks great.

rweatherford · Post by **rweatherford** » Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:45 pm

OOohhhh yea..... Now where do the passengers go.... It's hard to drive when you are sitting on a 5 gallon bucket.

zach82 · Post by **zach82** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:31 am

He'll have to bolt down a passenger's bucket to match the one on the driver's side

Looking good Norm, I'm truly amazed how fast you're getting this thing together.

Norm 88GT · Post by **Norm 88GT** » Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:32 am

The gas tanks from the donor will be used in very close to the same position as C5. I think the passenger seat might end up a shelf depending on the level of sound deadening. This used on a number of sports where the area behind the driver's seat is not functional for passenger accomdations.

I don't want it with weight distribution of a mid-engine, bias to the rear. But it would make the rear hang out a little easier.

Norm

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