We're all ardent Corvette aficionados, yet we look for ways to differentiate our ride from the next person's. While few would disagree that the current C5-whether in coupe, convertible, or Z06 hardtop form-is among the more handsome Corvettes to ever storm off the Bowling Green production line, there's always room for personalization, and that's where the aftermarket boldly steps up with a whole gamut of individual choices.
With this in mind, let's take a look at some new hardware from Classic Design Concepts, an established firm out of Walled Lake, Michigan, on Detroit's west side, one that may not be familiar in Corvette circles, but that has been designing and producing automotive restyling products of the highest quality for well over a decade. For your beloved C5, CDC comes at you from four different directions with some exterior, interior, underhood, and exhaust eye-candy guaranteed to garner favorable attention.
Outside, CDC's offerings include front and rear fascias (with associated hardware), and a carbon-fiber hood. Underhood, a full carbon-fiber dress-up kit can be had, while a cast-aluminum accelerator and dead pedals are available to finish off the interior. Lastly, a couple different Corsa stainless exhaust systems can be selected (the narrower exhaust opening in the CDC rear fascia won't work with the stock location of the factory exhaust tips).
The following is a look at these Classic Design goodies, and some of what's involved in installing them. Our subject vehicle is Todd Lamb's Z06. Though stock in appearance underhood, save for a previously installed carbon-fiber cold-air snorkel, it packs a Lingenfelter 427-inch stroker short-block. As with most aftermarket body components, CDC's are shipped unpainted, providing the best opportunity to have your favorite painter precisely finish them to match your car's exact hue. Though fitment of the body components is a relatively straightforward bolt-on process and can easily be accomplished by tool-friendly readers, the rest of you may opt to have your paint shop do the installation grunt work. As for the underhood and interior bits, even an automobile journalist could handle that assignment. Overall, we were duly impressed with the quality of all this CDC stuff, and think you will be too.