Lowered C5's - Your Thoughts

[vette747]

Lowered on stock bolt. I should have done that on day 1.

The front spoiler scrape at the same places it used to. It is made for that. This is why it has springs to allow it to move. I just continue to take driveway in an angle.

 

[Pac-man]

Had two C5's and lowered both of them. Scrapes the same as not lowered. That does'nt bother me anyway. Looks and handles much better.

 

[JoeMackin]

I would echo everyone else... take a good long look at where you would like to drive.

 

[6 Shooter]

I would echo everyone else... take a good long look at where you would like to drive.

I'm pretty sure Remo likes driving that dusty old silver thing on nasty gravel roads! :eek

 

[Pac-man]

You'll never have a problem with the lowered car. The only thing that may scrape occasionally is the spoiler and that thing scrapes anyway. I've hit potholes and not bottomed out. I've driven the car on some of the worst streets in New England. The only way you would have a problem with a lowered car is if you tried to roll over an object that was in the street, rock,brick,etc., and you came in contact with it. Obviously, it's tough to go up steep grade driveways but that is the same case with a non-lowered car.

 

[Tripleblack51]

I really like the look of lowered C5's. It reduces that gap between the top of the tires and the bottom of the fenders. It also puts the overall body closer to the ground and that too looks great. It does require the driver to be more attentive to objects in the street as well as steep driveways. But hey, life's full of compromises. So let's here from a few of you. Lowered - you like? You don't?

Remo:cool

Hi Remo,
Here's a picture of my lowered tripleblack.
It's lowered on stock bolts...3/4"_rear and 1/2" front.
I further accented the difference by going with bigger wheels...
18" front, 19" rear.
I love the look and I'm careful where I drive my car.
The only scraping that I've encountered is the air dam
and that's a non-issue. It's folds back.

For perspective, when my wife got her Z06 a couple of years ago, I wanted to lower the car. She said "no, please don't lower it". She was afraid of scraping and hurting the car.
I left the subject alone for a few months. Then one day,when I took it in for routine service, my friendly neighborhood C-5 mechanic lowered it for me.

I said nothing about it to my wife, and let three weeks go by.

Three weeks later on a Sunday evening when I had just finished polishing and detailing her "Z", I asked her, "honey, doesn't your car look beautiful all detailed out?

She looked up from her gardening and said, "yes, it looks very nice".

I said, "but really look at it, doesn't it look especially nice?

She now realized something was "up".
She stopped what she was doing, looked at her car and said,
"What did you do to it? Did you lower it?

I said well goooooolly willikers!
I shore did and you've been driving it like that for three weeks now!

She shook her head at me and returned to her gardening.

The following morning, she called me when she got to work and said
the car is too low, it scrapes!
I LMAO!!

The "Z" is still lowered. I think the C5s look sleeker, and ride better when lowered.

Just make sure that you wait a few weeks and get a full four wheel alignment.

Enjoy!!

Pedro

 

[MsSchroder]

I said well goooooolly willikers!
I shore did and you've been driving it like that for three weeks now!

otfl

 

[Pac-man]

Looks great Tripleblack51. I also have a triple black. People often ask me what I did to the car because they can't figure out why it looks so good. One guy even asked me if I chopped the roof? Bottom line is that the C5 looks better lowered. It's made to be lowered anyway, that's why you have the space on the stock bolts.

 

[Pac-man]

Bill T , why not?

 

[Tripleblack51]

Looks great Tripleblack51. I also have a triple black. People often ask me what I did to the car because they can't figure out why it looks so good. One guy even asked me if I chopped the roof? Bottom line is that the C5 looks better lowered. It's made to be lowered anyway, that's why you have the space on the stock bolts.

Thanks for the compliment Pac-man and congrats on your choice of color and model. Not just black...but tripleblack!!

Got any more pics of your car?

They do look sweet lowered.

Pedro

Think carefully, consider Speed-Timing-Clearance-Obstacles...
Heavens you have a beauty don't take away from it..........

Bill T...
Lowering your vette is a very personal choice, like wheels, color choice, wax, polish, auto/manual transmission, etc.
If you are not comfortable with it, then by all means don't lower it.

Many of us enjoy personalizing our cars.
Some of us go a little further than others or in different directions, but all with the same intention...to make it exactly the way we want it.
Some like it and leave it exactly the way it came from Bowling Green!

No right or wrong here...

I agree with you though, the vette is a beauty!

By the way, I see that you're new to the forum and corvette ownership.
Welcome and congrats!!

When I first bought it new in December of 2000, my tripleblack stayed stock for exactly five months..let's see if you can keep yours stock for that long!!

 

[Pac-man]

Bill T, the only thing he'll be taking away from it is the 4x4 look.

 

[Remo]

Think carefully, consider Speed-Timing-Clearance-Obstacles...
Heavens you have a beauty don't take away from it..........

Hey Bill,

I hear you - and I have considered the potential problems with road objects andd steep driveways. But it's only coming down about 3/4" and the only thing that becomes an issue is that darn spoiler under the front end. Except for the corner pieces - the center section will ratchet up and than drop back down.

Not sure where you live in MN - but the headquarters for my company is in Shoreview so I'm in and out of twin cities area frequently.

Thanks for the input,
Remo:cool

 

[01Vette]

I lowered mine a few weeks ago on stock bolts without cutting any bushings.I love the way it looks and it only scrapes places that it already did before i lowered it.As far as my car looking like primer i doubt it my car glows. Id buy a millenium yellow vette If i was a girl J/K lol.

 

[BLACK MOON]

I really want to lower my 03 but as it is the car bottoms out occasionally. Usually when agressively driving on hilly roads. I usually have to get the car airborne for it to occur.

Does anyone else have this problem?
Thanks

 

[vette747]

I usually have to get the car airborne for it to occur.

I did not know C5 could jump. I use my dirt bike for that. I should give it a try. Sounds interesting. This is really aggressive driving.

 

[BLACK MOON]

I did not know C5 could jump. I use my dirt bike for that. I should give it a try. Sounds interesting. This is really aggressive driving.

It's actually kind of scary. There are a few roads around that are so hilly that at 50mph and over the car leaves the road. It's the landing that hurts. Bottoms out what feels like all 4 wheels. Obviously I need a stiffer suspension or I need to slow down.:L

 

[Pac-man]

Right on 01Vette. Hey Blackmoon, that's some crazy stuff. Just lower it and stay away from the hills and dips. Happened to me once, on a dip in the road going around a curve at 100+ mph. The car bottomed out, then the road inclined and the car took air and jumped half a lane over. Scared the heck out of me.

 

[JoeMackin]

It's actually kind of scary. There are a few roads around that are so hilly that at 50mph and over the car leaves the road. It's the landing that hurts. Bottoms out what feels like all 4 wheels. Obviously I need a stiffer suspension or I need to slow down.:L

I dont think you need to slow down, in fact it would aprear you just did not install the correct landing gear, hence z51 package. Now on the more honest side I think I would probly need a proper cleaning and a pace maker if my baby bottomed out like that.

 

[dooscoop32]

TO LOWER OR NOT TO LOWER. THAT IS THE QUESTION.

Low is the only way to go. I don't understand why the factory put such a big gap between the top of the tires and the fender openings. If they hadn't, we wouldn't be having this discussion now.
I also realize that some of this decision is based on the roads each particular Corvette travels. But I travel mostly flat roads with gradual inclines.

----------------------------------------------------------------

CORVETTE OWNER SINCE 1971 AT AGE 18
Celebrating 35 years of Corvette ownership
**I'm definitely in this for the long haul!**

 

[Pac-man]

I believe the reason is that there is a bumper height regulation /manufacturing standard in inches that GM must adhere to. There are many manufacturing parameters that an automobile co. must go by, exhaust emisions, ride height, etc. I read about it but can't remember where. That's why the stock bolts have room to lower without any mods. I may be misinformed, but I did read about this.