Swapping A C5 Z06 Chassis Under A C3 Corvette

Late-model C5 and C6 powertrains have been the subject of swaps for quite a few years now. This YouTuber named mcgyverdude, has taken things one step further. He’s swapping the entire rolling chassis from a C5 Z06 under his 1972 Corvette!

He has decided to document the entire process on his YouTube page, and with a name like mcguyverdude, you know there will be a heaping helping of problem-solving and ingenious ideas. In this video, he highlights some of the issues that quickly rise to the surface when taking on a task such as this.

All the things that make the c5 platform so great need to still fit in the body, which was designed three decades earlier. Items like the rack and pinion steering not only need to fit, but also keep the proper geometry once installed.

Chevrolet has played with the wheelbase of Corvettes ever since they started rolling off the assembly line. In this video, mcguyverdude highlights how different each of these cars’ chassis are from each other. That really causes a problem akin to squeezing 10-pounds of “stuff” into a five-pound bag. There’s a LOT of technology built into the C5’s chassis and it would be a shame to throw it all away, simply because it didn’t fit.

One of the biggest differences is in the rear section of the frame. The C3 was very wheel-limited due to the frame located immediately inside the tires. The C5’s track is wider, so all that extra room on the inside needs to move even further inward.

Much like TV’s Macgyver, the dude who amazed us in the eighties with his ability to rustle up a solution using no more than two nickels, a ball of twine and a rooster’s feather, mcguyverdude looks at how he might use the materials at hand to blend into the shark’s underbelly. It really is amazing how different the two cars are designed and with both chassis sitting next to each other, the differences become much more apparent.

Watch this video to get a taste of what lies ahead for this DIY daredevil. He’s got a few videos already posted on his YouTube channel that show what he started with and what he’s been doing on the project to date. Check out his page, and subscribe so you’ll keep up to date as mcguyverdude bridges the generation gap between this C3 and C5 Corvette.

About the author

Andy Bolig

Andy has been intrigued by mechanical things all of his life and enjoys tinkering with cars of all makes and ages. Finding value in style points, he can appreciate cars of all power and performance levels. Andy is an avid railfan and gets his “high” by flying radio-controlled model airplanes when time permits. He keeps his feet firmly grounded by working on his two street rods and his supercharged C4 Corvette. Whether planes, trains, motorcycles, or automobiles, Andy has immersed himself in a world driven by internal combustion.
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