THE HISTORICAL EVOLUTION of C5 CORVETTE BODY KITS (PART 4 IN THE SERIES)
We are taking a look at the C5 Corvette body kits from 1997 to 2004. If you love Corvette, you’ll love this! Wayne Ellwood shares the evolution of customing the C5 Corvettes. See how designers have been customizing cars as long as there have been cars to customize. This will give you a better understanding of what went into designing these body kits, as well as how they changed from one year to the next. So as you decide what is the best body kit for the C5 Corvette, Check out these C5 Corvette body kits and find the one that best fits your personality.
- The history of Corvette C5 body kits
- Customizing Your C5 Ride
- Included are specific examples from the C5 Corvette Body Kit history
- Find out how custom shops turned to Corvette as their platform
- From extensive small-scale operations to whole-vehicle builds
- Whole-vehicle builds became an attractive proposition
THE HISTORY OF BODY KITS (PART 4): The C5 Era
by: Wayne Ellwood
Photo credits: Wittera, J Cafaro, J Caravaggio, E Descarries, Burt Greenwood, W Ellwood, Facebook, and others.
As the market evolved from C4 to C5, one thing stood out. Specifically, more custom shops turned to the Corvette as a platform for their ideas. And, they saw the development of whole-vehicle builds as an attractive proposition. The trend was not over-powering for the smaller shops, but it was clear that more people could afford a more comprehensive package, and this was reflected in the number of options on the market. At the same time, the extension of new production technologies was reaching smaller-scale operations, allowing smaller shops to create their own niche. This magic time would run well into the C6 era (with minor hiccups) through to the financial disaster of 2008.
Starting at the lower end of the scale, most car shows were still populated with individually owned cars that captured the owner’s spirit, with anything from little to no investment. Here are three examples that prove my point.
The new-for-1998 convertible in Fairway Green was an unusual standout in stock form. As one individual’s interpretation of personalization, the addition of the (factory) pewter wheels, a plus-one tire application, and a conservative lowering of the suspension served to create a near-custom look.
Two more examples include this orange C5 with a nice paint job and Callaway Double D exhaust tips as visible reminders that this car is not stock
Mark Demetry brought his custom “Tiger Shark” style C5 to the 2003 Carlisle event. The design was captivating for some and somewhat fishy for others. What was interesting was that he did the design and manufactured it himself. This is where customization started, and it’s still alive. Other “Tige Shark” customs were also popular, using the Tiger Shark rear bumper design and other personal touches, like vertical doors.
For the owner wishing to move further up the scale, their “next level” options were wide open. For example, Advanced Composite Products (ACP) offered a full aero body kit out of Harrisburg. Veteran racer Kerry Hitt is the owner and driving force behind ACP and made his kits available in fiberglass and carbon fiber.
Also, the Mallett brothers built a speed record car with a 453 HP C5 car and ACI aero kit. The car itself is an advertising plate for horsepower. The dress-up is designed to catch your attention….so, once again…a moderately priced aero kit and a paint job.
#MallettBrothers #Mallett #Callaway #CallawayDoubleD #AdvancedCompositeProducts #ACP
Moving one more step up the ladder, RED HEAT is a full custom built by one individual, using a full range of off-the-shelf custom pieces. It’s a 1998 Corvette that first appeared at the Detroit Autorama in 2008. The car was owned by Felix Sawyer, who lived in Detroit. The car reappeared year after year with more updates each year. Around 2014, the car switched ownership to Kevin Poole from Zion, IL. But it is still in the family. The basic LS1 engine has been treated to a Stage 3 Corvette Performance package, with Melrose headers, a Billy Boat exhaust, and other chrome dress-ups. The body still carries its R&I ground effects package, Lambo vertical doors, and an RKS carbon fiber hood from its early days. A rear wing and a Z06 front grille were installed by Vettestorations of Southfield (MI) many years ago. The graphics and tint packages are by NOTORIOUS TINTZ of Livonia. Gianna G3 Momentum 20-inch wheels add to the stance and visual impact. What’s most interesting about this car is that it is driven (sort of) daily but shows no signs of road rash.
#RedHeat #KevinPoole #Corvettecustom
The Greenwood big wing body kit was a full aero package with incredibly sophisticated features. Unfortunately, few people opted for this kit when they considered the price. That was a mistake on their part. If you were looking for a fully functional aero kit, this was the one to have.
#bigwing #Greenwood
For me, I’m in love with GM’s Tiger Shark concept. Body kits to replicate this design was available through several merchandisers and offered a significant upgrade to the visual appearance of the C5…but died out rather quickly.
#TigerShark #TigerSharkbyGM #TigerSharkcustoms #NationalCorvetteMuseum #CorvettesatCarlisle #verticaldoors #ncm
The idea that larger custom shops, or even race shops, would decide to offer full turnkey Corvettes is not new. But not a lot of these trial balloons have succeeded. Still, with ever-increasing affluence, more people seem to make an effort….and, with each cycle, there are more successes. Interestingly, in developing an overview of the C5 era, I found a relatively simple sequence of events illustrating how such ideas can evolve to varying degrees.
It might be speculative, but I saw a pattern in the links between John Cafaro, John Caravaggio, and American Sunroof Corporation (ASC). First, ASC developed the retractable top for GM’s Corvette ZR1 speedster (silver with yellow interior) in 1991. That car was rebuilt and repainted in black in 1994. When the C5 emerged, we saw the introduction of a speedster conceived by John Cafaro. There are two critical links here. The first and most obvious is the retractable top mechanism developed by ASC. These are not everyday items, and the upfront design work is by far the single most important barrier to developing a speedster-style vehicle. Six such tops were built. One top was used for the 1991 speedster, as noted. Four more found their way to subsequent cars, and one remains in stock with John Caravaggio.
The name John Caravaggio will be well-known by some, and he is, of course, the second major link in this story. John Caravaggio started his automotive business in Toronto (ON) in 1986. By the late 1980s, he began to focus almost exclusively on Corvettes. By 1999, his C5 Z06 convertible conversion caught the attention of John Cafaro. The two men talked and, coincidentally, a short time later (in 2000), the world saw the appearance of the first commercial speedster. John Caravaggio had developed all the essential parts for the body conversion, plus he looked after the acquisition of the speedster top. The car was then finally assembled in Michigan. All subsequent cars were built in Caravaggio’s shop to customer specifications.
It is worth mentioning a few other points. First, the speedster wasn’t conceived as a kit. Instead, the idea was more to develop a vehicle that dealers or other players could order as a custom-tailored Corvette. In the end, it had some success. John Cafaro credits John Caravaggio with bringing a new level of sophistication to the idea of such a unique vehicle. John was also the first shop to add new features like plated parts and carbon fiber to create a high-end feel in his cars…whether series-built or not.
Finally, the speedster was just the beginning of an ongoing friendship between the two men. They would talk from time to time and test each other with new ideas. Initially, it was clear that not much work had gone into developing an aftermarket system for C5. Recognizing the gap, John Caravaggio began producing specially modified Corvettes for his customers. For C5, he produced the C5 widebody kit, the C5 Z06 convertible conversion, and a Targa conversion for the Z06. The process continued into C6 with his Supercoupe and other C6 conversions. And that’s how one project created many more spin-offs.
That’s the basic pattern of how one project evolved over ten years and allowed numerous partners to bring many new products to market.
#Cafarospeedster #Cafarospoiler #CaravaggioC5widebody #CaravaggioZ06converetibleconversion #johncafaro
Several other builders favored the “European” style.
One of these enthusiasts was famed custom rod builder Dean “Dino” Arnold, who saw the potential for Sting Ray styling in the C5 platform. During the last part of the decade, Arnold contacted noted automotive designer Don Johnson, who had also served time as a member of GM’s design team. Johnson showed Arnold some sketches he’d drawn of a custom Vette, and they decided to develop the idea further. The 2002 Avelate C5 was born. The Avelate conversion was a comprehensive modification. The only stock exterior parts that were left on the Avelate were the door handles, mirrors, and lower valance.
Another German tuning company that goes by the name of Wittera released a wide body kit for the C5 coupe and Cabrio models. All the components are either carbon fiber or reinforced glass fiber. The parts are tempered in their form through heat treatment for extra strength. Besides the standard body kit parts, various variants and extras are offered. The Base package consists of inner and outer front fenders, door panels, front bumper, rocker panels, and a complete rear end. Finally, customers had the choice of two front bumpers.
The Geiger company (Geiger GmbH) continued producing a C5 widebody kit that sold well in that region. Of course, as with the C4, the European sensibility continued to show differences in style. But, when the second phase of customization hit, during the 2000s, things seemed to pick up…..the latest trends in air lift suspension certainly gave the Geiger kit a very contemporary look, not so far removed from the Caravaggio models. Still, sales in the USA were not large.
#DeansCustoms #DinosCustoms #Avelate
Possibly the very best of the full turnkey cars came from Callaway.
When Chevrolet produced the C5 Corvette with its greatly improved chassis and powertrain, it gave Callaway a chance to take an even greater step forward. The new C12 began with the core structure of Corvettes. In Europe, new Callaway pieces were assembled into a consolidated structure at Callaway’s Weingarten (Germany) facility. In North America, the cars were assembled at CHS in Montreal (QC), Canada. The new suspensions, upper and lower A-arms, were developed and hand fabricated by Munich, Germany’s IVM engineering. Coil-springs/adjustable were added and topped with twelve-inch disc brakes and 295/30ZR 19 Pirelli p-zero tires. Engines are built at Callaway’s Old Lyme (CT) facility.
Around this new chassis is custom bodywork designed by Canadian Paul Deutschman. These panels are made of fiberglass, carbon fiber, and Kevlar and are available in any of three models: a fixed-top couple, a hardtop with a removable central roof panel, and a convertible which also becomes the speedster model. Callaway also changes the Corvette interior to suit the new exterior. The standard seats are swapped for custom leather buckets made by Koenig. The dash, door panels, and center console also receive the leather treatment.
#CallawayFinelyEngineeredAutomobiles #CallawayC12 #Callaway #ReevesCallaway
THE “RETRO-VETTES”
Finally, the introduction of turnkey customs reached its zenith with the “modern retro” look from the late 1990s to the end of the 2000s. You’ll recognize these Corvettes as the product of companies like AAT, CRC, and Karl’s. It seemed that the retro Corvette might be a candidate for the predominant custom trend.
From their introduction, however, the “retro-Vettes” were niche items. In the beginning, they spawned a growth curve. Over the past 15 years, the use of modern chassis to create replicas of period Corvettes has proven to be a successful business proposition. This development was noted in the first article covering the C1 and C2 eras.
At this point, retro-Vettes are still being offered by companies like Advanced Automotive Technologies (AAT), but some others, like Classic Reflections Coachwork (CRC) and Karl’s Kustom Corvette, have closed. Total production statistics (over time) are not available to plot the growth and decline. However, it may be the case that there were just too many offerings. Today, individual shops will occasionally produce a “custom” using the same production processes, but the serial-built retro-rod may be a thing of the past.
#AdvancedAutomotiveTechnolgies #AAT #CorvetteSpecialty
SECOND WAVE OF CUSTOMIZING IN THE 2000s
As noted for the C4 era, the 2000s saw a new direction in customization for Corvettes. The “race” theme was most popular, with various “aero” devices being offered through numerous outlets. Also following the C4 trend, the 2000s saw a renewed appreciation for older cars. As a used car, the C5 Corvette represented a cheap platform for owners to exercise their imaginations…as a bonus, the chassis and suspension components were still mostly state of the art. The 2000s were ripe with new styling ideas based on the “aero” look and a general desire by owners to give their cars an “over-the-top” personality.
At the turn of the century, one of today’s leaders in this field was just getting a foothold in the USA and Europe. Today, we know Pandem (Rocket Bunny and Liberty Walk) as a leader in the customization field. Located in Kyoto (Japan), they opened their US offices and began marketing a wide variety of bolt-on components to both Japanese and European cars like Ferrari. However, once they came to Corvette, it was (again) a long uphill battle to gain acceptance for their bold and sometimes “gimmicky” offerings. But in the end, with a big push to bring owners a sense of family, using social media, they succeeded. The C5 was their big entry point.
#RocketBunny #LibertyWalk #LbertyWalkNation #Pandem
A Few More we Found
List of C5 Corvette Body Kits Search Terms
Hopefully, we have you started on your journey to find the perfect body kit for your Corvette. It is impossible to show you all that is available. So, we have compiled a list of C5 Corvette Body Kits and customizing parts available on the aftermarket for you to explore.
If you are searching for a wide body kit or parts here are some search terms to try:
- C5 Corvette wide body kit
- C5 wide body kit
- C5 Corvette wide body
- C5 widebody kit
- C5 Z06 widebody
- C5 wide body quarter panels
- C5 Z06 wide body kit
- 2004 Corvette wide body kit
- C5 Corvette wide body quarter panels
- C5 ZO6 widebody kit
- C5 Corvette Z06 wide body kit
- C5 wide body kit for sale
- C5 Corvette wide body conversion
- Wide body kit Corvette C5
- C5T widebody
If you are looking for a specific year try this:
- 1997 Corvette body kit
- 1998 Corvette body kit
- 1999 Corvette body kit
- 2000 Corvette body kit
- 2001 Corvette body kit
- 2002 Corvette body kit
- 2003 Corvette body kit
- 2004 Corvette body kit
- 1962 Corvette body kit for C5 chassis
Are you looking to change generations on your C5?
- C4 to C5 Corvette body kit
- C5 to C6 Corvette body kit
- C5 body kit for C4 Corvette
- C5 Corvette C1 body kit
- C5 Corvette retro body kit
If you are looking to have a ZO6, ZR1, or C5R kit try these search terms:
- C5 Z06 body kit
- C5 ZR1 body kit
- C5 Corvette ZR1 body kit
- C5 Corvette C5R body ki
- C5R body kit
Miscellaneous search terms:
- C5 Corvette kit car
- C5 Corvette RX7 body kit
- Corvette C5R body kit
- C5 Corvette ground effects
- C5 Corvette Ferrari body kit
- Corvette C5 body kit conversion
- C5 ground effects
- C5 Corvette lip kit
- C5 aero kit
- C5 Corvette ground effects kit
- C5 Corvette kit car body
- C5 RX7 body kit
- Chevrolet Corvette C5 body kit
- C5 Corvette body mods
- 2F C5 body kit
- C5 FD body kit
- C5 Corvette FD body kit
- C5 Corvette JDM body kit
- C5 Pandem kit
- Tiger Shark Corvette body kit
- C5 Tiger Shark body kit
- C5 Corvette Tiger Shark body kit
Here are the other Corvette Body Kit Articles:
If you are enjoying learning about the various body kits for Corvette check out the rest of our series with the links below and make sure to share with your friends.
- 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.
If you have never seen Vette Vues Magazine, check out our Issue Preview and see what our subscribers are enjoying each month.
If you are eager to begin restoring, modifying, or customizing your 1997-2004 C5 Corvette, you will find a great selection of body kits and components at your disposal. The list of parts includes but is not limited to: frames, fenders, hoods, door panels, air cleaners, brakes, dashboards, consoles, engines, exhausts, heaters, ignition distributors, lamps, lights, tires, wheels, weatherstrip, windshields, and wipers.
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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.
