The Corvette first made its debut in 1953 when it was the first mass-produced car to feature an all-fiberglass body. The one-of-a-kind C1 Corvette factory paint colors are unique to this period and set these cars apart from anything that had ever been done before. The two-seater roadster was only available in polo white with […]
Category: C1 (1953-1962)
Discover Your Corvette’s Birthday
Have you ever wondered when your Corvette rolled off the assembly line? Our new tool can tell you with a great degree of accuracy.
Rear Axle/Rear End Ratio Information
Have you ever thought about how the correct rear axle ratio affects your Corvette’s performance? First, learn what ratio you have hidden away in the differential housing. Early Corvettes (1960-1970) may have many different ratios; later Corvettes had fewer choices, in an effort to boost fuel mileage, and by the mid-80s performance gear ratio options […]
LOF Glass Date Codes for 1953-1996 Corvettes
Originally hailing from Toledo, Ohio, the now-defunct Libbey-Owens-Ford Company produced OEM and replacement flat glass for the construction and automotive industries until 1986 when it sold to Pilkington in the UK. Among its products were windshields and windows for the C1 through C4 generation Corvettes. But how do you decipher the LOF glass codes?
Manufacturing A Corvette Cable Nut
Corvette Central manufactures many parts for Corvettes, including this cable nut for various control cables found on 58-62 Corvettes. Our three-step, in-house machining process is as follows:
Addendum: 1955-1966 Corvette Fuel Pump Rebuild
In a previous article, we covered how to restore your fuel pump. Those were the days! Disassemble the fuel pump, replace the check valves and diaphragm, and you were back in business. I have always felt fortunate that when I started out in this business, engines had carburetors and emission systems were in their infancy. […]
The Other Way Of Stopping Wilwood C1 Front Disc Brakes
The Other Way Of Stopping Wilwood C1 Front Disc Brakes By Jay Heath Wilwood front disc brakes help turn our fishtailing ’58 into a decelerating dynamo As recent auction results make clear, ’53-’62 Corvettes continue to rank among the most desirable U.S.-built vehicles in the collector-car marketplace. Credit the car’s historical significance and timeless good […]
C1 Corvette Windshield Post Problems and Fixes
Many of our 1956 to 1962 Corvette customers report a noticeable vibration or rocking at the base of their windshield. More frequently than not, the windshield mounting posts have snapped off. Over the years, many of these posts may have had questionable repair work, with shims, metal strips, and welding used to varying degrees of […]
Corvette Central Exhaust Systems Overview
Exhaust systems have improved immensely from the early years when we would replace the rear exhaust, mufflers, and tailpipes on dual exhaust vehicles almost yearly. Corvettes were no exception. The carbon steel exhaust tubing was quickly destroyed if driven infrequently with rich running engines. The rear of the exhaust system was most prone to damage […]
1955-1966 Corvette Fuel Pump Rebuild
[ view the Addendum here ] There was a time when a component would fail it would require repair or rebuild. But today we throw it into the appropriate recycle pile. Growing up in the 60s and 70s sometimes makes it difficult to trash anything; today it makes more fiscal sense to buy another one. […]