C7 Corvette Body Kits History (Part 6 in the Series): The C7 Era
In this blog post, the C7 Corvette Body Kit History, we will take a look at some of the different types of body kits available for the Corvette model years of 2014 – 2019. Some of the Corvette C7 ground effects can include products like C7 Side Skirts and Rocker Panels, Front Splitter, and Bumpers, as well as C7 Corvette Widebody Kits. As you will see, there is a wide variety of Corvette Body Kits for the C7 Corvette.
So as you will learn, the 7th generation Corvette (C7) has many options for Corvette owners to personalize their cars with a wide variety of body kits.
The seventh-generation Corvette was produced from 2014 to 2019. In 2015, Chevrolet introduced the Corvette C7 Stingray Z06. This model featured a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine with 650 horsepower. The C7 saw both the ZO6 and Grand Sport models. The big news for 2017 was, of course, the reintroduction of the Grand Sport.
Since the 2014 Corvette C7 was released in 2013, many different Corvette body kits have become available to allow owners to give their cars a wide variety of new looks. Owners of the 2014-2019 model year Corvettes can choose from full-body kits, wide-body kits, rear-body kits, hoods, carbon fiber pieces, custom grills, trunk spoilers, and even fender flares. The C7 Corvette Body Kits History will explain the various options available.
The C7 Corvette Body Kit History is a reprint of an article that ran in the October 2018 issue of Vette Vues Magazine by Corvette historian Wayne Ellwood. You can find links to the other parts of the Body Kit Series at the end of this blog post.
The newest Corvette was barely on the market before ten companies lined up to offer significant visual advances on the stock model. Hennessey, Lingenfelter, and Callaway have all placed their bets in the horsepower game.
These days, even more models are emerging to attract sophisticated aftermarket customers. TS Designs has its widebody variant introduced at SEMA.
Callaway has their shooting brake. Jeff Nowicki is offering his Concept 7 version. Customizing cars and developing full-build spin-off models is a major component of the worldwide automotive industry.
THE START POINT – ADD-ON COMPONENTS
There is a growing trend for eye-popping wraps….amusing cartoon images, advertising logos, matte finishes, etc. These are all an evolution of earlier applications for a vinyl film.
The use of film for window tinting has been around since the C3 era and has been an expanding market ever since. This latest application allows the owner to reflect more fully on their personal life view through their car. However, it is still in just early stages, no telling where this trend will go.
Vinyl Wraps for Corvettes
Another product that is gaining popularity is the vertical-opening (or Lambo) door system. There are maybe four primary manufacturing companies. And there are many more installation companies. These are often confused, as the installation companies tend to imply certain product excellence for whatever kit they are promoting.
Most manufacturers are smaller agile companies that can produce a wide range of models for different cars using computer-based systems. The installers are normally custom or mechanical shops. Their role is often critical to a customer’s satisfaction.
C7 CORVETTE BODY KITS: THE VERTICAL DOORS
Some custom touches are perennial. They are not linked to any one era. But this is most obvious in examining the C5, C6, and C7 era cars.
While the engines themselves may change from year to year and with a model, the dress-up theme is quick to adapt. This particular theme is included here, but not in previous blogs, simply to make sure every taste gets some exposure.
ENGINE DRESS-UP BODY KITS FOR THE C7
Another item common to all Corvette customizations since the C3 era is rear window replacement systems. From the late C3 Corvettes through to C7, there have been companies that manufacture replacement systems that offer a new style option. Obviously, however, rear hatch replacements are often the product of short-run production companies, as the market is relatively small.
REAR HATCH REPLACEMENT SYSTEMS
An oddball item that will not get much traction with “customizers” but does prove attractive to both real and street racers is the roll bar and/or harness bars. These are not often seen at car shows, but RPM Motorsport presented its new roll bar design at this year’s SEMA. Because the Corvette offers some rather tight confines, the design is critical to installation and preserving storage space.
ROLL BARS AND SAFETY ITEMS
But now we come to the question of how to characterize the more complex types of pf custom cars.
The traditional “custom” car is built by (or for) an individual customer, generally for occasional show and light-duty street use. Commonly, this would involve one or more add-ons and possibly paint or engine work. Moving upscale,
Such customs can get quite elegant, involving a more aggressive application of purchased panels (flares), suspension systems, and/or pre-packaged items (stereo systems, seats, engines, etc.). These are followed by the fully modified vehicles that are either designed to move a stock Corvette up the ladder in terms of “quality and/or performance” (Lingenfelter, Callaway) or a full custom designed to be sold as a turnkey car or to live the life of an exclusive show car.
In looking at the C7 Corvette Body Kits, starting with the first category of customs, the use of basic add-ons, one combination with a long history is the application is the use of wider wheels and tires.
Obviously, there are far too many variants to isolate just one or two trend-makers. But adding fender flares and an air lift system to the equation makes for a definite classification as an entry-level custom.
Everyone will recognize that applying fender flares and airlifts has become a mandatory combination at all levels of customization.
“AERO” Edition by International Aero Products
Designed by ABBES Design, this C7 featured a full suite of aero add-ons. International Aero Product is the thrust behind the project, but actual construction was by MRT Engineered Performance. The car is called the “AERO” Edition. The wheels on the car were designed in consultation with Jo Coddington (wife of the late Boyd Coddington) and were scheduled for an upholstery upgrade at their office in Bellflower(CA).
SC7 Wide Body Conversion by Stance Craft
The SC7 wide-body conversion by Stance Craft features a full set of fenders, skirts, splitters, and bumper extensions. The most notable feature of the body kit is that it is designed so that the distance/gap between the tire and the bottom edge of the fender is the same as a stock C7 Stingray. It was designed this way so the customer could keep a stock ride height and not worry about scraping, or they could put a lowering kit.
Aero Add-ons, Flares, and Air Lift
Of course, there are C7 Corvette Body Kits, and then there are kits. Companies that produce carbon fiber and offer higher-end packages (which require more sophisticated installations and a full paint) are priced upscale. Other kits are designed to be “applied” to the existing body and can be painted separately…or applied in a clear-coated carbon fiber finish.
Many companies are offering quite sophisticated kits. Several companies tend to focus on race image as these transmit a more “performance” image. Full customs, while always intriguing, are favored by people interested in pure design. For example, companies active during the C7 era included Competition Carbon, Ivan Tampi, and many others.
Competition Carbon
Another new entrant to the field of custom panels for the Stingray C7 is Khoa Nguyen, a designer and manufacturer linked to Signature Wheels and with manufacturing facilities in Taiwan (China).
The front-end body kit comprises one piece for the front and fenders and (optional) a hood with a large opening for any enhanced engine add-ons. In addition, there are minor panels for the rear bumper and a rear splitter.
All-in-all, it is difficult to offer much detail as the whole thing is fairly new, and the owner’s response seems limited to one Corvette Forum member who indicates he is very good. Service from Khoa in respect of the signature wheels he has ordered.
Ivan Tampi
Ivan Tamp began working on his C7 Corvette Stingray designs in 2014. His dream was a curvaceous C7 conversion called the XIK Widebody kit. (Initials are a play on the expression “it’s sick.”)
The massive, bulging fenders make an impressive visual statement, as do several upgrades to the exterior, with extensive use of carbon fiber. So much so that it is nearly unrecognizable as a Corvette, with the look of a European exotic.
The first body conversion had fifteen main components: front and rear splitters, vents, overlays, and bezels. The interior includes cover pieces for the dash, console, door panels, suede-style Alcantara, and leather upholstery. The rolling stock is much meatier than the factory, with Kompression Wheels’ Murci Twisted, measuring 20×10 up front and 21×14 in the rear, wrapped with Pirelli rubber (285/25/20 fronts, 355/25/21 rears).
Over the following years, Ivan evolved his ideas and developed more panels, producing different effects.
R1 MOTORSPORTS
Located in Chatsworth (CA), R1 Motorsports specializes in custom exhaust systems for exotics but is also a full-service race shop. At SEMA, they brought this C7 with body panels by Karbonwerx.
TS DESIGNS
TS Designs is responsible for developing the design and coordinating the work of several teams to develop this widebody C7 for Forgiato. Finished in what Forgiato describes as an “Aston Martin blue paint job,” the C7 parade car was a bit hit.
It is fitted with a wide body kit that adds several inches on both ends of the ride. This is to make space for the deep-dish Forgiato Maglia-ECL cut-spoke wheels (21 inches at the front and 22 inches at the back). These are in a two-tone shade that matches the rest of the build.
Other touches include the reworked rear diffuser and the new front grille that works together with a carbon fiber lip spoiler.
GEIGER GMBh
Geiger Cars, a Munich-based US car specialist, has been developing custom body kits for the Corvette for many years. For the C7, Geiger clearly indicates that their custom body kit is not only for show. Their claims for improved performance include the improved aero effects from the body kit and improvements to the engine.
For the body kit, the carbon fiber lip reduces lift over the front axle, while the small flaps on either edge help to reduce turbulence around the front wheel arches. The kit even includes an undertray below the front bumper, contributing to the flat-bottom effect.
In fact, every visual update installed on the car has a way of channeling, creating downforce, from the side skirts to the underbody diffuser and the prominent rear spoiler. They also managed to squeeze some serious amount of grunt from the stock package.
Geiger boosted the V8 6.2-liter all the way to 730 Hp and 944 Nm (696 lb-ft) of torque, creating one raw Stingray in the process. To further assist in the performance category, the lowered Corvette’s suspension was tweaked for better handling and grip.
And, just for fun, you can have a 94 Decibel sport exhaust system with valve control to make the experience even more… lively…. for an additional €4,900 ($5,485).
LINGENFELTER C7 WIDEBODY
Lingenfelter Performance Engineering now offers a C7 Corvette with wide-body styling and a supercharger performance package that provides an enhanced appearance and increases the LT1 engine’s performance to 624 horsepower. The new widebody package reflects the company’s extensive Corvette expertise. “It’s a special edition for Corvette owners that desire a unique look with more power than the factory C7 while remaining well under the Z06 price point.”
Distinctive exterior restyling features include a carbon fiber extractor hood, splitter, and rockers combined with a widebody kit that flares the rear quarter panels two inches on each side to accommodate larger 20-inch Forgeline Wheels mounted on 335/25ZR20 Continental Extreme Contact EW tires. The Lingenfelter wide body package performance enhancements ramp up C7’s LT1 output to 624 horsepower with 600 lbs.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm, courtesy of an Edelbrock E-Force TVS2300 supercharger, Kooks headers, and a CORSA Performance cat-back exhaust system.
CALLAWAY SPORTWAGON
The Callaway C7 Sportwagon came about during a session with Reeves Callaway, designer Paul Deutschman, Pete (Callaway, son of Reeves), and Mike Zoner, managing director of Callaway Cars).
“Paul came up with the idea of entering into the shooting brake realm by extending the back of the car,” according to Reeves. That was back in 2013.
This item would be carbon fiber since Callaway makes carbon-fiber pieces for all kinds of applications, from cars to spacecraft. So, when they finally had a window, they started building their own shooting brake.
The design has many advantages over the back half of the stock C7 Z06. It’s an aerodynamic improvement, a slight weight-neutral (within a pound of the stock ZO6), and a volume improvement. And it is plug-and-play: It bolts right on the same hardware, the same latch point, the same gasket, everything.
EQUUS AUTOMOBILES
Equus Automotive Inc. was an American automaker from Rochester Hills (MI). The company was registered in the US state of Georgia on August 6, 2009. One office was established in Auburn Hills (MI).
The company appears to have closed its doors six to seven years later. The first car (the Equus Bass 770) was introduced in 2013, looking very much like a beefed-up Mustang.
The second car, which looked like a C7 Corvette, followed shortly after that. A significant effort was made to gain some recognition in Europe….probably based on a more upscale pricing strategy. The founder and owner of the brand were Bassam Abdallah.
The cars were made of aluminum and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic panels. The C7-style vehicle sat on an unspecified aluminum chassis.
The supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine was a modified Corvette engine from General Motors, developing 640 hp / 649 hp (477 kW) at 6500 rpm and showing a maximum torque of 605 lb.-ft. (820 Nm) at 3800 rpm. The car was rear-wheel drive, had a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, and displayed an empty weight of 1650 kg. Acceleration from 0-100 km / h was listed as 3.4 seconds, and it was claimed to reach a top speed of 320 km / h.
As we conclude the C7 Corvette Body Kits, we want to include here a few more design elements.
Photo credits: KGP Photography, Geiger GmbH, Callaway, Lingenfelter, W Ellwood, and unidentified others from social media.
Are you planning to customize or restore your 2014-2019 C7 Corvette? If so, you will find that there is a plentiful selection of body kits, frames, fenders, hoods, door panels, Carbon Fiber, Carbon Flash, Front Splitter, Wickerbill, Side Winglets, Side Skirts, Rocker Panels, trunk spoilers, brakes, dash, console, engine, exhaust, heater, ignition, distributor, lights, lamps, wheels, tires, weatherstrip, windshield, wipers, and much more available for you. Whether you are hoping to restore, modify, or personalize your classic Corvette, you can count on the C7 body kits to assist you in your endeavor.
For acquiring the necessary Corvette parts, Vette Vues Magazine is an ideal resource. This magazine is packed with ads from suppliers specializing in the exact parts you are looking for. On top of that, Corvette Parts for Sale Classified Ads also offer an excellent chance of getting your hands on what you need for your project. Previous owners of Corvettes might have spare parts that you can purchase, including the matching numbers parts. Don’t wait any longer and subscribe now to start receiving the magazine at your home, office, or shop each month!
If you are searching for a specialist to work on your Corvette, look no further than Vette Vues CORVETTE CUSTOM AND RESTORATION SHOPS LIST. Our directory is divided by state, and these companies have been thoroughly vetted by car enthusiasts and show participants. Whether you are aiming to add a few flourishes to your car or make a more substantial upgrade, you will be able to find what you need on this list.
Here are the other Corvette Body Kit Articles:
- C1 Body Kits
- C2 Body Kits
- C3 Body Kits
- C4 Body Kits
- C5 Corvette Body Kits
- C6 Corvette Body Kits
- C7 Corvette Body Kits
We are also starting a new series of looking back at the custom Corvettes at SEMA over the years. Our first year in the series in Corvettes at SEMA 2013 Overview and Photos.
Are you looking for someone to work on your Corvette? We have compiled a list of Corvette Custom and Restoration Shops. This page is not intended to endorse these companies. Many of them come from show boards at car shows and others are readers and social media followers submissions.
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