Now you can upgrade any '53-'62...
Now you can upgrade any '53-'62 Corvette with a Jim Meyer Racing Products chassis. The standard package is available with any engine and trans mounts, a core support, body mounts, and bumper-bracket mounts-all in their stock locations. This chassis has also been tubbed 4 inches at the rear and features Wilwood brakes.
Thanks to the aftermarket, there's never been a better time to build a custom first-generation Corvette. Assuming you have the means, there are myriad direct-fit bodies, custom chassis, crate motors, narrowed rearends, brake kits, steering columns, and wiring kits available--all ready to form the basis of your cutting-edge C1 project.
One of the first items you'll need is a good platform. That's where Jim Meyer Racing Products fits into the picture. JMRP was one of the first in the industry to offer a modern-component frame for the '53-'62 Corvette chassis, something it's been doing for more than 10 years now. The modern-component approach means you can have virtually any industry-standard option engineered into your chassis package at the time of purchase, allowing you to spec out anything from a basic driver to a full-on race car.
The basic chassis is no slouch. In fact, it's the only adjustable-stance chassis in the industry to provide nearly 4 inches of adjustability, allowing you to dial in the exact stance you desire. It comes complete with body mounts, a core-support mount, engine and trans mounts, and bumper-bracket mounts--all in their stock locations. Other notable features include an A-arm independent front suspension (IFS) with adjustable coilovers or an Air Ride Technologies ShockWave system; a quick-turn manual rack-and-pinion steering unit; 11-inch GM front disc brakes; a new, custom-width 9-inch rearend with Dutchman alloy axles; and urethane-bushed adjustable four-link rear control arms. Sway bars are optional, and all parts are also available separately.
The chassis' center tubular X-member has been redesigned at the rear, where it connects to the new through-frame front four-link crossmember for improved strength. The adjustable urethane-bushed four-link has also been redesigned and placed inboard of the chassis rails to allow a wider rear-tire option. An adjustable, urethane-bushed Panhard bar and a multihole coilover-bracket mount on top of the rearend housing allow for stance adjustment.
Meyer builds a completely new 9-inch rearend with every order. He starts with a new Currie center housing and 3-inch axle tubes, then adds outer flanges and Dutchman alloy axles to meet the desired width requirements. Optional housings include an Alston Fab9, a Winters V-8 quick-change, and a championship-style quick-change unit.
The chassis shown in the accompanying photos was heavily optioned with front and rear sway bars, Wilwood disc brakes at all corners, and a tubbed rear. This customer also specified -4 AN stainless steel brake-line plumbing with a proportioning valve, along with several other features we'll get to in a moment. At Jim Meyer Racing Products, they build it your way; all you have to do is ask.
 The same adjustable-stance...  The same adjustable-stance IFS in this chassis is also available as a separate bolt-in unit for a stock C1. It bolts to the original factory holes and can be installed in a weekend using basic hand tools. The front crossmember features 2x4x0.188-inch (wall) construction, with a three-position adjustable upper-coilover mount and a two-position lower mount. JMRP's 1018 steel, 3/4-inch-diameter, nickel-plated lower A-arm cross-shafts are some of the beefiest in the aftermarket. Bronze bushings are installed in the crossmember holes for easy cross-shaft removal. To eliminate telescoping road vibration through the steering, JMRP uses 90-durometer urethane bushings to isolate the lower shafts in the crossmember. |  Each IFS includes four threaded...  Each IFS includes four threaded holes in the upper A-arm tower for the upper coilover (or airbag) mount. Since there are two holes in the bracket, this arrangement gives you a three-position upper-mount adjustment. These three positions will provide about 3 inches of up-or-down adjustability. For extra strength, the mounting surface of the bracket is doubly thick where it mates to the upper tower. The bracket can be flipped for an additional inch of adjustability. |  To mate the stock column with...  To mate the stock column with the new splined rack-and-pinion steering system, the bottom of the column will need to be modified using a JMRP kit. Alternatively, the company offers a new Ididit column designed specifically for the '53-'62 Corvette. Note that the steering linkage has a support bearing on the top of the frame. Depending on which style headers you use, you may need a third U-joint. |