Beretta\Corvette

[Jason_GTZ]

Hello everyone.   Ok well here go's I want to start a swap 1991 Beretta GTZ on a 2002 Corvette Chassis. I read Norm's Whole post and after 23 or 24 pages see that he decided to scrap the whole thing and sell the corvette chassis so I decided I am going to do this swap if it kills me I have started taking measurements of both cars and talking to some guys at LS1Tech for info on the torque Tube \ shaft witch I will have to shorten by 3.5 inches to bring the rear wheels into the wheel wells.  and Roll the finders and quarter wheel wells out 1" to 1.5" to make it look right. then its just Fabrication to mount everything..  I will make this happen over the winter this year or the summer of next. I have already started shopping for chassis   405 Hp LS6 sounds good to me how about you guys?
Feel free to post any suggestions.  Thanks everyone.

Jason

[1988GTU]

This site could be helpful to you.
http://www.smithperformance.com/

What I would not do is NOT set the body on a frame and call it a day.  It'll look like trash and be labeled worse than a hack job.  If you tuck in the frame and make it actually look factory and you'll feel like you did it 'right'.  Remember, it suppose to look like a car when done, not a 4x4 truck.

[Jason_GTZ]

yeah I was thinking the same thing.  thanks for the link I will check it out.

[Jason_GTZ]

I was really thinking about just cutting out the whole floor and firewall that way I can get the body all the way down on the chassis. to the degree that I like put it on stands and start laying out the frame rails that will connect the chassis to the car then lay down all new sheet metal. for the floor and fire wall that way I will be able to retain the rear seats and some of the trunk.

[Z26-T]

Someone on the 60* forum swapped a Z34 body onto a WS6 Trans-Am... I'll keep looking for the thread. May be some help.

[Jason_GTZ]

thanks. I think that all is going to be good, I have to move the engine mounts forward on the front member. that is going to pull the engine mostly out from under the windshield plus it will keep me from having to shorten the torque tube.
the way I am planing this I am going to try to retain the back seats and most of the Beretta interior. with the exception of the dashboard. Mainly because of the gauges are not that great in the Beretta, I am also going to get rid of the mono leaf springs on the corvette chassis and go with a coil over setup so that i can bring the chassis down where it needs to be so the Beretta don't look like a truck. The more I think about this the more I want to get it done.  

[Asylum]

(1988GTU @ Jul. 13 2008,19:55)QUOTEThis site could be helpful to you.
http://www.smithperformance.com/

What I would not do is NOT set the body on a frame and call it a day.  It'll look like trash and be labeled worse than a hack job.  If you tuck in the frame and make it actually look factory and you'll feel like you did it 'right'.  Remember, it suppose to look like a car when done, not a 4x4 truck.
Get ahold of Fred Smith and if you're going to do it, do it right.

He has everything you need to use the Beretta chassis, make it safe. It'll also save you hours of making mistakes.

I have known him for 20 years, and he just re-did my Super Stock Barracuda's 4-Link.

Just my .02

[2nejunkie]

You could just go this route....




By the looks of the front end...
Its a GT with GTZ/Z26 grill!

[payback]

look closer the front end and body, was custom fabbed/filled etc for reduced drag among other things. but ur right 2ne for the time/$ etc id build a dragster instead, power2weight2resistance of the beretta is still among the top............20+yrs ltr. plus a mustangII suspension i hear fits nicely under the front end.


not tryin to rain on ur parade here j-gtz id like to see if this can come 2gether as much as i dont like vettes this is worth lookin into.

[Jason_GTZ]

I can't say that I don't like corvettes but.  But they handle well and the LSX engines are as good as they come.  so why not? Right.  I am still gathering information on the corvette chassis, and what I should or should not do to it to make it fit under the Beretta.  I have been in structural Welding since I was 18 years old.   I have had to design parts and make them work. I will look into the link that you sent me though, I'm not one that has to do everything my way or not at all so thanks for looking out..   (This Is Not Going To Be A Hack Job)   I'm not a half *** do it your selfer   (I'm also a ASE master certified technician).    

Jason~

[Jason_GTZ]

I'm also not going to build a drag car out of this.  It's  going to be a street driven car..

[TurboGTX]

The principle is the same though, building a drag car. Using the vett chassis and berretta body.  You still have to make a tube frame rail for the vett chassis to support the body and resist flex.

[Jason_GTZ]

Yeah but its going to look as thought it came from the factory that way..  I think it would be silly to drive around with a solid rear axle and full tube chassis and roll cage in a street car.  Trust me I know what I am talking about.  everything is coming together, I should be able to start it this winter. Reason for the wait is I have to get my T/A back on the road so I have something to drive while I'm working on this.

[Z26-T]

You sound like you have your stuff together. So I wish you the best of luck . Not many people start a project and see through with it, that's why people here, and on other forums "put you down". They just want to make sure you can handle the heat, because you will get much more frustrated with the car than you will with us, no matter how bad we upset you. If there is info that you cannot find on this site, also look at bstuff.com, 60degreev6.com. Between this site and the others, there is a weath of information for any questions.

[Norm 88GT]

My Beretta frame is still on location in Ohio.  Come and get it if you want it.