The Jim Meyer Racing Products...
The Jim Meyer Racing Products '53-'62 Corvette direct-replacement chassis features the stock 102-inch wheelbase and a 1-inch narrower, 57-inch front track width (stock is 58 inches). The 2x4-inch box-tube mandrel-bent, jig-built chassis features engine/trans mounts, core-support, and body mounts, all in their stock locations. It is also optionally available with Air Ride Technologies ShockWave front-and-rear air-bag system.
A major trend for the last five years or so of transforming '53-'62 Corvettes into something fun and safe to drive with modern disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, and current suspension components is becoming an ever-increasing option for many Corvette owners. A lot of owners have now seen the light and are choosing to buy a 21st century chassis with more and more performance components for their favorite C1. One of the major problems today in modifying any original '53-'62 Corvette is the '49 Chevy front suspension bolted to the frame by GM. The '40s suspension just can't compete with today's highway performance level. It was adapted from regular passenger cars to what looked like a sports car. However, history shows, by 1954 they almost discontinued the Corvette due to lack of interest. At the time, the Corvette was just a competitive body-style look that was created to compete against the T-Bird to get a portion of the market, with a regular old passenger car suspension. Continuing to drive a Corvette that way today leaves a lot to be desired, especially in the steering and braking departments.
To find out just what kind of new suspension components are available and how they are constructed into this new platform, we recently checked out the oldest Corvette chassis manufacturer: Jim Meyer Racing Products in Lincoln City, Oregon. They've been building first-generation Corvette chassis for 10-plus years. The 12,500 square-foot facility on four acres is home for the "leaders of Bolt-In IFS Technology," as well as mandrel-bent chassis, rearend kits, and lots of other options.
Today you can bring any first-gen Corvette into the 21st century with a brand-new 2x4 box-tube chassis with just about any options available in the marketplace. It is compatible with any GM or aftermarket bodies requiring an original direct replacement chassis. If you ever wanted to build an early high-performance Corvette, the industry is ripe with all the aftermarket components with bodies from Corvette Central, I-did-it steering columns, Flaming River and Borgeson steering linkage parts, narrowed rearends, fuel-injected or carbureted crate engines, and loads of other accessories to build a custom or original replica the way you want it.
Standard equipment on the...
Standard equipment on the Jim Meyer spindles, with the IFS or chassis, is 1011/42-inch front GM disc brakes, while 11- or 12-inch GM disc brakes, Wilwood, or Baer "super stoppers" are optional equipment. The ball joints used to hold these '70-'81 Jim Meyer Camaro-style spindles were used by GM on just about everything they made from about 1974 to 1988. This makes for great interchangeability for larger GM brakes and spindles.
The lower tubular A-arms (1-inch...
The lower tubular A-arms (1-inch diameter by .156-inch wall D.O.M. tube) hold the QA1 adjustable aluminum coilover shocks at the bottom, while the upper coilover mount at the top between the upper A-arm (71/48-inch by .156-inch wall D.O.M. tube) features an adjustable upper coilover mount that offers about 3 inches of stance adjustment. No other manufacturer offers this kind of adjustable ride height front and rear.