Ladies and gentlemen, we apologise for the wait and thank you for your patience.
We have recently finished and delivered our first restoration to our client. So the time has now come to let all you fine people here in GTPlanet see the end result of our inaugural project.
As this is the first one we've been discussing the best way to present these tunes, and given the amount of information we wanted to include was HUGE we are going to try this way and see how it goes.
Please feel free to give us any feedback or suggestions you may have. I'm sure
@TurnLeft (aka. Moose.) and myself (aka. Sleepy.) will be glad to read them.👍 Don't worry, we don't bite
We would both also like to take a moment to thank
@Ridox2JZGTE for all of the help and guidance he has given us with this project. From steering us in the right direction and helping us out with our research, to teaching us what most of what we found actually meant
.
So without further ado....
Chevrolet Corvette Convertible C1 '54
Photo by @Leoz96
Scenario by @TurnLeft
Anybody who's opened up a shop will always remember their first customer, especially if you have a sweet classy 61 year old 5'4" blond women walk in the door who leaves you a blank check to restore her car.
Sophia (last name omitted) has been recently widowed, her deceased spouse had bought a 1954 Chevrolet Corvette to restore it for her birthday, that being the year of her birth. She has decided to go on with the project in memory of her sweetheart.
TL: How do you see yourself driving this car?
Sophia: To tell you the truth Turn, I really don't like that color, I would like something classier, I do like being looked at and white is a bit out of fad, I don't know what color, why don't you surprise me.
TL: And how would you like it to handle on the road?
Sophia: Well I don't want it to feel like I am in a kitchen mixer and I certainly don't want it to feel like those sofa cars. I will be driving this everday on the country roads so it has to handle those kind of roads.
TL: So something sporty that can handle well but won't give you a back ache.
Sophia: Yes.
TL: Do you have any objection if we use other parts than the original?
Sophia: As long as it looks the same and performs like I want, I don't really care what you put in it, but it must be classy.
TL: Well I'm sure we will be able to make this project turn out to your dreams. If you are ready I have the contract here, we will need a deposit of ..(she hands me a signed check)
Sophia: Well you put the final payment on it and call me when it's ready, I do hope it will not be too long. (After taking the check her hand stays up, I figured it wasn't for a hand shake so I kissed it and watched her gracefully glide out the door.)
Chevrolet Corvette Convertible - A History.
The year was 1953. A year filled with many influential and historic events all across the globe.
Dwight D. Eisenhower succeeded Harry S. Truman, to become the 34th President of the United States. There was the death of Joseph Stalin and the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.
In the Arts, the first colour television sets went on sale, Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel, Casino Royale was published, Walt Disney released Peter Pan and Arthur Miller's Drama “The Crucible” opened on Broadway.
Also, the 25th Academy Awards Ceremony was held and for the first time, broadcast live.
Mankind celebrated the achievement of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay as they became the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
In the motoring world. Alberto Ascari of Ferrari completed back to back Formula 1 World Drivers Championships and become the first man ever to win multiple titles.
And on June 30th in Flint, Michigan U.S.A, A car was built and a legend was born as the Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company, built the first Corvette.
Overview
Manufacturer: Chevrolet Divisionof General Motors.
Production: 1953–1962
Model years: 1953–1962
Assembly: Flint Michigan United States (1953–early 1954)
St.Louis, Missouri United States (early 1954–1962)
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 102 in (2,591 mm)
Length: 177.2 in (4,501 mm) (MY1959)
Width: 72.8 in (1,849 mm)
Height: 52.4 in (1,331 mm)
Originally designed by Harley Earl, the first model, a convertible was built as a concept show car for the GM Motorama display at the 1953 New York Auto Show. The two-seater FR sports car generated enough interest that GM were inclined to make a production model. In 1953, 300 hand-built cars were released. All in Polo White with a Black soft-top. After planning 10,000 units a year GM managers almost shelved the programme in 1955 but the Corvette was saved by the production of a 265 cubic inch “Small Block” V8, ( Chevrolet's first V8 since 1919) with an output of 195 bhp and a 3-speed Manual Transmission coupled with a 3.55:1 rear axel ratio. Also by the influence of Belgian born American engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, who personally wrote to the Chief Engineer at Chevrolet after being so “Disappointed” at what lay beneath the “Visually Superb” body. He began working for Chevrolet on May 1st 1953 and became known later as the “Father of the Corvette”
1954 Chevrolet Corvette 235 Blue-Flame Powerglide
- Chevrolet Corvette 235 Blue-Flame Powerglide, model year 1954, version for North America U.S. (up to October)
- 2-door convertible body type
- RWD (rear-wheel drive), automatic 2-speed gearbox
- Petrol (gasoline) engine with displacement: 3859 cm3 / 235.5 cui, advertised power: 112 kW / 150 hp / 152 PS ( SAE ), Torque net: 302 Nm / 223 lb-ft
- Characteristic dimensions: outside length: 4249 mm / 167.3 in, wheelbase: 2591 mm / 102 in
- Reference weights: shipping weight 1227 kg / 2705 lbs estimated curb weight: 1290 kg / 2840 lbs
- How fast is this car ? Top speed: 164 km/h (102 mph) (theoretical);
- Accelerations: 0- 60 mph 11 s, 0- 100 km/h 11.5 s (declared by factory), 1/4 mile drag time (402 m) 18.1 s (a-c simulation)
In 1954 production was moved from a makeshift assembly line in an old truck plant in Flint, Michigan to St. Louis, Missouri and a larger factory, more suitable for mass production. Chevrolet produced 3640 Corvette Convertibles in 1954 and a third of them were unsold by the end of the year.
The chassis and suspension design from the 1949–1954 Chevrolet passenger vehicles was used and as mandated by GM Executive Robert F McLean, off the shelf mechanical components were also used to keep costs down. The passenger compartment and Drivetrain were moved rearwards to achieve a 53:47 Front/Rear Weight Distribution. The engine was the same 235 cubic inch in-line six “Blue Flame” that powered all other Chevrolet models, but with a higher-compression ratio, Three Carter side-draft carburettors, and a more aggressive cam were used to increase the output to 150 bhp. Because there was no manual transmission available to Chevrolet rated to handle 150 HP, a two-speed Powerglide automatic was used and the Corvette could achieve a 0-60 mph time of 11.5 seconds.
The body was engineered by Ellis James Premo and was made of Glass Reinforced Plastic (Fibreglass.) The windscreen had a 55 degree rake and was made of safety glass and the licence plate was set into the body and covered with a plastic window. In addition to Polo White (3,230) another three colours were added Pennant Blue (300), Sportsman Red (100) and Black (4) and the Soft Top was changed from Black to Beige.
What followed was 60 years of being recognised the world over. As one of the iconic car names in history. A history which now spans 7 generations and more than 1.5 million cars sold World-wide.
The Tune
Photo by @Leoz96
Specifications:
Performance Points: 414pp
Max. power: 230 bhp
Weight: 1283 kg
Weight Distribution: 53:47
Drivetrain: FR
Parts Fitted:
Body Paint: Black Cherry Metallic (Chevy Nova)
Wheels - Size up 2" - Boyd Coddington wheels, Legecy F-09
Wheel Paint: GT JAPANESE 002-C
Fully customizable Suspension
Fully Customizable Transmission
Fully Customizable Limited-Slip Differential
Engine Tuning Stage 2
Semi-Racing Exhaust
Sports Catalytic Converter
Weight Reduction Stage 2
Window Weight Reduction
Tyres: For road use - Comfort Medium. For sports performance - Comfort Soft.
Suspension settings:
Ride Height: 95/95
Spring Rate: 7.60/4.03
Dampers(Com): 5/4
Dampers(Ext): 5/6
Anti-Roll Bars: 5/4
Camber: 0.5/0.0
Toe Angle: 0.06/0.00
Brake Balance: 5/7 (For ABS=1, feel free to use higher values.)
Drivetrain:
Initial Torque: 40
Acceleration Sensitivity: 36
Braking Sensitivity: 5
Power:
Power Limiter: 98.7%
Body:
Aerodynamics: Stock
Ballast Amount: 155 kg
Ballast Position: 40
Transmission:
Set Final Gear@: Stock
Set top Speed @: 124 mph
Set Individual ratios to:
1: 3.280
2: 2.120
3: 1.570
4: 1.250
5: 1.000
Set final gear to: 3.360
Top Speed: 138 mph (Tested)
Due to the current Transmission bug, this method will no longer give you the correct results. Thanks to @danbojte and @ALB123 for providing an alternative method.
Set final gear to: 3.360
Set top Speed @: 130 or 137 mph
Set Individual ratios to:
1: 3.280
2: 2.120
3: 1.570
4: 1.250
5: 1.000
Below are PDF files with the work carried out and parts used on the car to achieve the values we have used in the tune. Please feel free to have a look through them and also check out the Parts and services post below for more information if you fancy.
Thank you for taking the time to visit us. We are glad to see you as always and welcome you back any time.
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