This month we show you the Baer Brake rotor install that Project C5X received at the Mid America Motorworks Corvette Funfest. One of the cool facts about Baer is that the company has had the distinction of winning more Corvette Challenge races than any single car and driver in the two years of that racing series.

Steve Coffey's Lingenfelter-built Vettes-both the red Twin Turbo 427 (foreground) and the Wide Body (rear)-are the first of their kind. They were built at LPE's Decatur, Indiana, shop under John Lingenfelter's supervision.

Through the first six installments of our project series, we've covered project planning, chassis and suspension, engine, drivetrain, brakes, installing C5 seats in a midyear, engine electronics, exhaust, fuel systems, and the exterior features of the body. In this installment, we'll feature the engine-compartment modifications, and cold-air intake and cooling systems.

Oppose Federal "Cash for Clunkers" Program

It started with the C5, and it exploded with the introduction of the Z06. Today's track-day events are crowded with Corvettes. When I started running track events sometime in the last century, I was usually the only Corvette. Last month at Sebring, I looked down the tech line behind me and there must have been over a dozen Corvettes. Every last one of them was a stinking C5 or C6. One driver even complimented me for bringing a vintage Corvette out to the track. Hey, it's a C4, for god's sake.

How many times have you been tempted to buy that all-new Corvette, equipped with the latest go-fast hardware, as soon as you saw it? Well, you can count John Margiotti among them. Just six days after Corvettes of Dallas rolled out this '07, its first Signature Series car, John bought it. It now calls John's garage in Grand Prairie, Texas, home.

Through the first five installments of our Split Personality project series, we've covered project planning, chassis and suspension, engine, drivetrain and brakes, installing C5 seats in a midyear, engine electronics, and exhaust and fuel systems. In this installment, we'll cover the various features of the body and exterior components. In the next installment, we'll cover the engine compartment and cooling system, and in Part 8, the key interior features including the A/C installation. Over the course of this project series, we'll feature each one in enough detail to give you a good idea of what's involved and the sources we used. Since each project is unique, and you'll have your own ideas on the approach to take and components to use, we'll just describe the approach we've taken and what has worked for us. At the very least, we hope it will stimulate some ideas and hopefully save you time.

Rumor has it that Chevrolet lost money on every Corvette it made until 1963, but General Motors is pretty cagey about its finances so nothing is known for sure. Whatever the case, when the new 265 V-8 was fitted into the '55 models, the car began to be potentially competitive. However, it wasn't until 1957 that the Corvette became a force to be reckoned with on the track. I got a chance to take a ride in one of these cars recently, and was duly impressed.

All of us have been privy to or taken part in great car deals that never materialize for various reasons. This is one of the exceptions to the usual "I just missed the deal of a lifetime" story. We recently heard there was a '69 390hp big-block convertible located in central Florida for sale. The story was the '69 was in rough shape, but most of the original pieces were decent and intact. When you're dealing with chrome-bumper, big-block shark convertibles, the best policy is to move quickly. Any "deals" are always grabbed immediately. So called "deals" can put you in deep distress if you're not aware of all the problems that can arise and costs involved. So we warily headed over to look at the '69 with a few essentials, including a floor jack, flashlight, and plenty of pessimistic optimism.