CCA Corvette

 CCA Corvette - C7 Corvette Grand Sport

CCA Corvette - C7 Corvette Grand Sport

Hello Everyone, Welcome to the CCA Corvette project page

Here you will be able to follow the evolution of our C7 Corvette Grand Sport from the day we picked it up, right up to present day. We decided to make this a Street Car Project so it is more in line with typical aftermarket use, in other words, we are going to do what you might do to your street driven Corvette. In fact, this GS is going to be my personal car, live at my house and be my daily driver. Whenever possible, the work will be done in my garage, just like you would, with parts you can get here or other specialty retailers. We are also going to take you right along with us as this car travels around the country interacting with Corvette Enthusiasts from all over the USA.

So without further adieu...Meet "Clifford" (the Big Red Dog)

Clifford The Big Red Dog - CCA Corvette

We located this car with the help of our friends at RT42 Dodge in Turnersville New Jersey. It's a late build 2017 C7 Corvette Grand Sport, M7, 1LT, Torch Red Exterior /Greystone Interior. This car was traded in on a Hellcat by a local well known auto enthusiast (rich guy), whom I had the privileged of talking to and getting a complete run down of every single one of its 2,306 miles. Basically, the car was driven from Florida to New Jersey and spent one summer in a heated and cooled garage at this guy's beach house on the Jersey Coast. In other words, the car is completely stock. The car was equipped exactly as I would have ordered it, except for Stage 2 Aero, so I felt pretty lucky to find one that checked off so many of my must haves. It will make a fantastic platform for the CCA Corvette. 

Clifford comes home to VA

After driving the car for a few weeks, the very first thing I wanted to do was change out the rear wicker fins from Stage 1 to Stage 2. There were several reasons for wanting this conversion, but the first and most obvious is that it looks cool. Both from the side and the rear, Stage 2 rear wickers are more aggressive looking and seem to fit the cars lines more to my liking. The second reason is that I wanted to change the pitch point to a more rearward bias, which adding more rear down-force will do. Below you will find a picture showing Stage 1 and Stage 2 on the same spoiler during installation.

 C7 Corvette Grand Sport Stage 1 and Stage 2 aero wickers

Removal of the Stage 1 wickers and installation of the Stage 2 wickers is a simple and straight forward process that will take you under an hour. To complete the installation you will need a T20 TORX Screwdriver or Bit. There are 10 TORX screws (5 on each side) along the back edge of the spoiler. Using steady pressure, simply remove all 10 of the TORX screws. Be careful not to over torque the screws or you will spin out the splines and have to drill the screw out. Once the bolts are out, you can begin to remove the Stage 1 winglets. They are attached to the car with double sided tape. Towards either edge, begin separating the wicker from the spoiler. Slow steady pressure and fishing line will make this a fairly easy task. Once you have the two pieces separated, clean off any remaining double sided tape left on the spoiler. Clean and prep the area with denatured alcohol and then wipe down with clean water. To install the Stage 2 wickers, just reverse the process. Remove the double sided tape, position the wicker on the spoiler and re-install the screws.

Clifford C7 Corvette rear spoiler Stage 2 rear spoiler c7 corvette Grand Sport

Winglets installed on the CCA Corvette. For more information or to purchase a Set of Stage 2 Wickers for your Grand Sport or Z06, follow this link. C7 Corvette GM Stage 2 Winglets - Rear Wicker Bill

 

One of the first things we wanted to do is start to bring some of the exterior color (Torch Red) into the interior. The Interior of this Grand Sport came with grey stitching and while it matches the Greystone Interior, it kind of gets lost. So off to the craft store we went in search of red fabric pens. There were a lot of different shades of red, so we selected the brightest red they had. The fabric pens were cheap $2.49 each so we bought a few. 

The rest of this mod is pretty straight forward, start coloring the stitching! It is a fairly tedious task and has some awkward positions but other than that, it is a super easy mod. Follow the stitching and color as you go. Using a damp (not wet) cloth to wipe off any marker that may get on the leather before it dries. Below are some pictures of the completed job. 

C7 Corvette Stingray Red Stitching  C7 Corvette Red Stitching

C7 Corvette Grand Sport Red Stitching  C7 Corvette Z06 Red Stitching

Considering the cost and the dramatic impact that this simple modification, I can say dollar for dollar bang for your buck is right up there with the best of them. If you are looking for a fabric pen to do the stitching in your Corvette, search here - Fabric Pens for Dying the Stitching in your Corvette. 

 

Clifford was out and about last weekend, roaming the Hills of Northern Virginia. We came across the Bull Run Civil War Battlefield. Not to give a History lesson, but it's an interesting conflict that had implications long after the two battles - worth the trip if you are in the area. 

Clifford - C7 Corvette Grand Sport with Stonewall Jackson 

Clifford showing off with Stonewall Jackson. Stonewall Jackson earned his nickname at the First Battle of Bull Run in Manassas Virginia, July 21, 1661 

Clifford Goes Black Tie Formal with a Big Pfat Black Stripe

Got to love a Corvette with a big wide stripe. This Carbon Edition inspired stripe was hand laid by Jeremy at LA Tint on RT28. (he also tinted the windows) Jeremy is well know in these parts for his impeccable attention to detail and commitment to perfection. While this stripe was inspired by the Carbon Edition, it is not an exact replica. This stripe was entirely eyed and laid by hand. Sharp eyes will see that the taper on the roof is a little different as well as the rear sections. 

 

Shorter Strokes for FASTER Folks - Clifford gets a Short Shifter

C7 Corvette MGW Shifter

Considering that we have had MGW Short Throw Shifters in all of our other Corvettes, the smart money was on that being a repeat for the C7, and it did not take long. For those of you that still row gears, no doubt that you have already heard of MGW, but if you have never used one before, you are in for a real treat. The stroke is about 30 percent shorter and clicks into place like a rifle bolt. No more searching for 5th, 7th and Reverse, they are all right where you expect them to be. The centering action is spot on and the shift effort is not much more than stock. We went with the Flat Stick Shaft and a Custom EPCO Knob. We could not be happier with the outcome. It looks fantastic, feels great and functions even better. 

CCA Corvette - Clifford finds his Voice

A Corsa Xtreme Cat Back to be exact. Grand Sports are specific to their transmission type so we went with a Corsa 14766CBBLK with is the manual version with Black Tips.

C7 Corvette Corsa Xtreme 14766CBBLK

There are a lot of fantastic choices out there when it comes to aftermarket Corvette Exhaust Systems so it was not an easy choice. One of the biggest choices many C7 owners face is what to do about the factory installed NPP systems on may seventh generation Vettes. Some exhaust systems allow you to retain the NPP functions and some don't. While Clifford is equipped with NPP, we must admit that we used it for the first week or so and then pulled the fuse to keep the valves open all the time. That gave us some more choices for systems and we ultimately landed on the Corsa Xtremes. Maybe more accurate to say we landed back on Corsa, as the last several CCA Corvette company cars have had Corsa on them.

Clifford - CCA Corvette

We knew exactly what to expect with this exhaust and we could not be happier. Absolutely no drone and an aggressive tuned performance sound that only gets better the deeper you go into the gas pedal. The black tips are stunning and have to be seen to believe. Installation went flawlessly and each and every piece lined up perfectly. Safe to say, Clifford has found his BARK. 

Clifford Goes Under the Knife - C7 Corvette ACS Composite Rear Diffuser Fins

C7 Corvette ACS Rear Diffuser Fins

Never one to leave well enough alone, Clifford was back under the knife this weekend. This time we were installing C7 Corvette ACS Composite Rear Diffuser Fins. We chose the Quad Fins set up (you can get duel fins as well) finished in Carbon Flash Metallic Paint to match the lower valance. While this is a fairly simple modification to due and can be done at home, you do have to drill holes in your new Corvette. 12 of them to be exact. This is a fairly simple process and ACS provides a template that makes it easy to line everything up before you start drilling. We taped off the areas that we would be drilling into, so that we did not chip the paint in the process. The installation would be a breeze with a lift, but we did it right on the ground and did not lift the car at all. Once you get past drilling holes in your car, the rest is pretty simple. Align the provided template, mark/tape the holes and start drilling. Each Rear Diffuser Fin is clearly marked drivers side or passenger side, inside and outside making it pretty hard to mess up unless you are not paying attention. The passenger side went on very easy. Nothing different on the drivers side, except your space to work behind the lower valance is much less on this side. There are some electronics stashed up there and working with car on the ground is a blind install but is not to difficult. We have long been a fan of ACS Composite and these parts sure do not disappoint.  

Clifford Eats Meat

C7 Corvette Grand Sport Michelin AS3 Tires

 Well...we blew through the Cup 2 tires in about 10,000 miles...and frankly we are glad to see them gone. They stick GREAT, but the ride was terrible, they are unpredictable at the limits, pick up every screw and nail on the road, are loud as heck and if that is not enough, down right dangerous as temps below 45 degrees. Since Clifford is my daily driver and has been known to wonder off down the road quite a bit, I wanted a tire that retained the grip but was better in the cold and wet. Oh...and I wanted a ZP tire in case I was out in the middle of Nebraska somewhere. As you can tell, Grand Sport tires are huge. Believe it or not, those are stock sizes. The choices are rather limited up in this size range, but I decided on the Michelin AS3's. There was plenty of support for the tire on the Corvette Forum and many people have left glowing reviews all over the internet. The AS3's have been out for a few months so there was no problem ordering up a set of fronts and rears. They got here in about 2 days and off we went to a specialty installer. When we got there, they wanted no part of it and refused to even try to mount them. That set us back a few more days, but in the end, we found someone to do it and then RoadForce Balance them. IMHO these tires live up to all they hype. If you notice a loss of grip, you are a better driver than most, they are way more quiet (enough to make my wife notice), excellent in the rain and lower temperatures. One of the things I like the most about the tires is that they pick up and throw way less road debris, sand and gravel up against the side of the car. Overall I give the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3's an A+.

Breathe Deeply

C7 Corvette Afe Intake afe 54-74201 C7 corvette intake system

Must say I am impressed with the 51-74201 aFe Intake. Right out of the box you can tell that this is a quality piece. All the plastic Roto Molding is thick and very sturdy. You wont crack this intake tube or have it collapse over time, it is a solid unit. Maybe more impressive is the interior. All surfaces are polished smooth and have a glass like finish. There are no burrs or machining leftovers, just a smooth well designed finish, There is some actual science designed into the mouth of the filter, giving it a larger mouth, a better seal and some flow dynamics. I choose the Pro Dry S version, flow is about the same as the oiled unit, and both flow more air than the car can actually use. aFe claims some pretty good Horse Power and Torque numbers, but then again they all do. I never have installed an intake for horse power numbers because they are all pretty close to the average dyno error rate, so who knows if they are really there or not. What I can tell you is that the throttle response is much improved and I picked up 1 mile per gallon average on the HWY. Overall I would not hesitate to do it again. Throttle response is much better and the overall quality of the unit is much better than stock, oh yeah, and then there is that cool intake sound now...

 

Be sure to Check back in frequently to see the progress on the CCA Corvette and find out what Clifford has been up to.