Most people think F-bodies look waaaay jacked up with the stock suspension. So, a lot of people lower them. But why? Some say handling, but most of the time looks play an important part.

However, ground clearance becomes an issue when lowering. Our cars have ~6 inches of clearance stock (thats what I've heard).

Soooo....here's my idea: Someone who has hands on auto body training could do this. Take ouf the rear quarter panel, and get a big sheet of steel, or aluminum, and bend and cut the metal out so it is exactly like the stock panel EXCEPT the wheel opening would be lower. When installed on the car, it will get rid of the big gap, and you can keep your stock ride height! I'm sure this would be expensive, however, and it would add weight to the car, being steel instead of the plastic stuff.

What do you think?

 

The quarter panel is made of some metal not sure what type but its not plastic. and that would cost WAY to much Im guessin for anyone to want to try. Quarter panel work is VERY tough, gotta cut it all off and weld it back on. Maybe if they just welded a piece of metal that was cut to the right shape and bondo'd it for smoothness but taking it off just wouldnt be worth it Plus once the panels off welding it back on looks pretty bad. I was hit and had to have it replaced and you can tell a big difference between factory and body

 

Perhaps the dumbest idea I have ever heard, nothing personal buddy, but don't quit your day job.

 

It was just an I D E A man. It's called being creative, sheesh!

And I don't have a job, still in high school!

 

I see what you are getting at, but anyone who lowers their car knows that they are sacrificing ground clearance when they lower it, and they do it anyways. Knowing this, your idea would be pointless because lowering springs cost ~$250, whereas you idea would cost like 5 times that. Interesting idea, but its pretty much pissing away $ IMO.

 

In my opinion, lowering only solves the problem if you also go with larger rims... what I mean is keep a 40-45 series tire and go 18 inches +

Then lower about 1 inch and you are good to go. The wheelwell gap isn't just on the top.. it is also on each side of the wheelwell. ONLY larger rims will solve the problem.

In my opinion... GM designers have been smoking crack... 16" rims on our cars are a JOKE, that's right... they may be great for 1/4 mile times, but they look like ***..plain and simple. I mean come ON... J-Bodies get 16" rims ! ! ! .. The C5's shoulda came with 19's on ALL 4 stock...camaros shoulda came with 18's on ALL 4 stock. GM was sinking their own ship... they had a gorgeous, fast car...they put ugly lil rims on it and they couldn't market it for ****..

Oh well...

 

you are outta your mind...the firebird V6 rims from 93-95 were simply awesome unfortunately i had to take them off and put them in the shed never to be seen again


yeah, the salad shooters, 93-94 V8 bird, and 93-95 V6 bird wheels are by far the ugliest wheels on any car ever

they make me

 

Has anyone put or considered putting on those "air shocks"? You can raise or lower your car in an instant, they're very similar to hydrolics???? That way you can get your ride to whatever height you want it instantly.

 

I agree with that one. I knew I had to give up ground clearance when I lowered my car, but it's really not as bad as you think. There aren't too many places that I can't go when my car was lowered, but you just have to drive more carefully over bumps or inclined driveways. But cost wise, I paid $145 for my springs which I'd glady pay again rather than doing that type of body work. It's a creative idea, but, IMO, not a cost effective one.

 

Yeah, the amount of money it would take to do something like I said would be expensive. The only way I could see it being cheaper would be if you knew how to do bodywork yourself, and could obtain a sheet of steel for a cheaper price (of course, that rules out about 95% of enthusiats)

Bending your own metal seems like an idea that would benifit someone who is a hardcore show guy, like CamaroCasanova, or that blue Camaro GM made for the Corvette show, with the rear wheel arches.

 

Well IMO I would never get a car with 18" rims. They're too much. A 17" rim is the largest I would ever put on a car. Which is why I changed my mind on getting ZO6 rims. I just dont want 18" rims. You lose too much performance on them. And they weigh more. I wish the vettes would go back to all the same size rims, like in 96 and lower. My dad's vette has 17s all around and IMO they look much better then two different sized rims. Too easy to tell the difference. Eh, whatever, this is just my opinion.

 

Sorry but all 16 inch rims look like *** on 4th gens. No offense... just my very strong opinion ever since I first saw a 4th gen.

Even 17 inch rims are a waste of time and $ if you are doing it to get rid of the wheel gap...because you are only gaining 1 inch TOTAL diameter... they won't get rid of the wheel gap at ALL.

I laugh at guys that go for the 17" rims in order to "not lose performance".. this is a joke, because if you want fast times at the track just get a set of drag radials on your ugly stock salad shooters, and get your lil time slip and go home happy...

And for street racers, there is a valid argument for keeping the smaller stock rims but I feel sorry for anyone that thinks they are gaining much at all in the real world by having the ugly stock rims on there... just get the wheels you KNOW look sweet, and do some go fast mods to make up for it... it's not like there are alot of cars out there that are gonna beat you anyways if you have a Z.

Only a few people on the board know what I am talking about.. so I'll leave it at that

 

hmm...i think you missed my obvious sarcasm there

the 93-95 wheels are awful, look at my webpage to see what i'm talking about, they are the non-5 star wheels that came on the car...they are nasty

 

ha ha... i read it again and now i'm laughin my *** off...

Man... I just get tired of people sometimes... acting all paranoid about cars beating their Z... so much so that they will uglify their car.. I mean there are very few cars on the same level as the Z (sometimes I wish there was more competition), and a car that beats my Z from a roll does NOT beat me because of my 18's...

The same type of people that stick with their stock rims are the people that only race when it's cold out, so they can brag about their 1/4 times... which mean absolutely NOTHING to me on the street...

 

Those were my stock wheels as well. I hated those things! Soooooo ugly and skinny, with 205/60R16 tires all around I call them "Flower Power" wheels, since they look sort of like a hippy design.

These wheels have been demoted to winter and snow duty now that I have my Borbets