2002 Z06 Corvette - Powerfully Customized

For many Corvette lovers, their idea of perfection is a stock Vette, brimming with cutting-edge technology as developed by the Corvette Team (and before it, Chevrolet Engineering).

But for some, a stock Corvette is simply a blank canvas for their ideas and creativity. That includes this C5 Z06, which owner Corry Tsang customized.

A look at cars-for-sale listings revealed a 14,000-mile, one-owner '02 Z06. "It had both the looks and the power behind it," Tsang says of the car, which he bought after a testdrive.

Tsang then brainstormed about how to enhance the Z's performance and appearance. But the engine and body weren't the only places he looked.

As for the LS6, Tsang had a well-known specialist boost its output well above the factory 405 horsepower. But Cartek, in Garwood, New Jersey, did more than throw parts at it. "[Cartek owner] Julio Hormilla's great tuning skills have brought my car to another level of reliable performance," Tsang says of the shop's work, which included adding a ProCharger D-1SC supercharger and a Cartek Flip Drive system to the LS6. Running at nine pounds of boost, the blown engine makes an impressive 590 rwhp.

But it was a mathematically challenged wheel-widening company that caused the biggest headaches. As Tsang explains, "I contacted a company in California who said they could widen my rear wheels for me. When I got them back, their offset was off by an inch." To make matters worse, that shop soon was out of business. "I tried to contact them, but nobody answered their phone, and their website was down."

Tsang soon found wheel-widening help closer to home, at Rennen International in New York. "I went down there, and they were able to help me out, and everything turned out good," he says of the 19x14-inch Ronal rear wheels, which wear massive Pirelli P-Zero 355s. (For comparison's sake, a stock ZR1 wears 335mm Michelins.)

As for the body, there's not much of the original one left now that Tsang has added a VIS carbon-fiber heat-extractor hood; Lewis Five Motorsports front fender flares, rear quarters and carbon-fiber splash guards; RK Sport front canards and side skirts; an ACI rear spoiler; and JW Motoring's LED lighting products. Alliance Auto Body in Mine Hill, New Jersey, made the body-panel swaps look as smooth as a factory install, then coated it all in two-stage DuPont Torch Red paint. (The lone exception is the hood, which D.A.S. in Hackettstown, New Jersey, color matched while leaving some carbon accents showing). Lux Motorwerks also installed the hinges for the GT Factory vertical doors.

Once complete, Tsang's '02 Z06 was much more of an eye-catcher than it had been previously. "The car has an aggressive stance--it turns heads everywhere I drive," he says. "It's definitely an attention-getter."

Its performance is an attention-getter too. "Five-hundred ninety rear-wheel horsepower will snap your head back, and you'll be over 100 mph before you know it," Tsang says. "And with the lowered stock Z06 suspension, I've achieved the look I wanted while still retaining driveability. That's what I was aiming for."

If you're aiming for a Vette with performance and style beyond what's stock, Tsang has some sound advice, especially when it comes to selecting shops to do the work you can't do yourself. "Find as many reputable local sources as you can--ones that will work closely with you to achieve your goals and not just theirs," he says. "Be prepared to spend triple the amount that you'll ever dream of budgeting to begin with." Do that, and you just might end up with a Corvette as powerfully customized as this one.