Upgrade Your Ride: Your Guide to a Custom C3 Corvette

There were over 540,000 C3 Corvettes manufactured between 1968 and 1982. Back in the day, Corvette owners loved to modify their car to have a custom C3 Corvette.

Today, many owners now work to restore their classic C3 to its original glory. This isn't your only option when it comes to modifying your car though. You could choose to upgrade your vehicle with all of the modern technologies available today.

Curious what you can do to your car? Keep reading for a complete list of mods.

Wheels

You have two options when it comes to putting custom wheels on your C3. Whichever option you choose, you will instantly change the entire look of your Corvette.

Your first option is to remain a Corvette and classic car purist. You will want to stick to the classic design of a more solid wheel. You also can't go wrong with chrome.

Your second option is to bring your classic car into more modern times with newer style wheels. They tend to have a spoke pattern and come in a variety of colors.

The drawback to choosing classic wheels is that your car will end up looking like all of the other classic cars with aftermarket chrome rims. There are only so many old-school styled wheels to choose from.

This isn't a problem with more modern styles as there are so many different choices out there. The drawback from modern wheels is that they tend to be bigger.

This will require you to modify the body of your car as the wheel wells were not designed for such large wheels and tires. Now you are cutting up your classic car.

Center Caps

When you go to buy your new wheels, think about adding some Corvette center caps. If you are restoring your Corvette, these are a must for replacing the worn, rusted, faded or lost center caps.

If you are buying new modern wheels, you may be able to retrofit Corvette-themed center caps to them. If this doesn't work, you could buy Corvette emblems and affix them to the center of your new wheels.

Now you have custom wheels that look like they were made specifically for your Corvette.

Exhaust

When it comes to your exhaust, you have a unique advantage that more modern Corvette owners don't have. You can upgrade your exhaust to have side pipes.

Doing this upgrade will seriously beef up the toughness of your C3. It helps create that aggressive stance in your classic sports car.

It also changes the sound of your Corvette. Don't we all love that rough classic car rumble that you feel all the way down to your bones?

Sure, looks and sounds are great, but what about performance? Well, side pipes help there too. By upgrading the pipes, you improve the airflow. That improved airflow will give you a small boost in horsepower.

Before you try to decide between all the different brands and models available, you should hop on YouTube. There you will be able to watch videos of other people who have installed the pipes. Find the set that has the sound that speaks to you.

Body Modifications

Back in the day when these cars were considered new, people loved to chop up the body and make their own custom modifications. Take a look at your C3 and see if any were done before you start thinking about doing any yourself.

If you find none, congrats! You have a clean car that is a blank canvas ready for you to decide what you want.

If you do find somebody modifications already on your car, you now have to decide if you like them or if you want to change them for something else.

Old School Mods

Back in the day, there were a few kits available to change the body of your Corvette. You could turn your car into the original mako shark concept car.

Other kits let owners change out the hood and bumpers to create a whole new look for their car. There was even a station wagon conversion kit.

The most popular modification though by far was the fender flares. These were wider fenders that allowed owners to install wider tires. This gave the car a better look and better traction.

New School Mods

When it comes to the mod options you have today, most of them are centered around restoring your Corvette to its original glory. This most often means putting the chrome bumpers back on your car.

You may even find the original concept car kit for sale. If you plan to get bigger wheels, you need to look into getting the wider fender flares. This will give you a cleaner look than hacking into your car's current body.

When it comes to buying new body panels for your Corvette, you will find that your main option is unpainted fiberglass. Keep this in mind if you plan to paint your car. You would be smart to wait and paint everything at once.

Fix Your Lettering

Let's face it; those little letters affixed to your car are just three-dimensional decals. With age and exposure to the sun and elements, the finish and adhesive give out.

Now you have some letters missing. Others that are still there look dingy or corroded. Give your Corvette a refresh by affixing all-new "CORVETTE" letters to the rear bumper.

Another perfect time to add new Corvette emblems is right after you've had your car repainted. Hopefully, you had it done correctly, and they removed all of the emblems on your Corvette. Buy new ones to put back on once the paint has cured.  

LED Lighting

We get it; collectors want to keep everything original. LED lights didn't exist back then, so why put them on the car today? Except that LED lights improve the look of your car's rear end.

Plus LED lights last significantly longer than halogen bulbs of yesteryear. They are also brighter and more effective at getting seen and lighting the road.

While you are upgrading your tail lights with LEDs, upgrade your headlights too. You could use LED lights here too, but HID bulbs are better.

With a little know-how, you can convert your original headlight housing to use HID bulbs. Just remember you will need to mount a ballast for your new bulbs to work correctly.

HID bulbs are also significantly brighter than halogen. Those cars you see with headlights that are super bright white or almost blue, those are HIDs.

Floor Mats and Carpet

The floor mats and carpet in cars take a beating. We get in and out, our shoes full of dirt, mud and whatever else we've walked through on our way to the car. Then your heel grinds into the driver's side mat as you rock your foot between the gas and brake.

Even if no one ever sat in the passenger side, the mat still aged. The sun has most likely faded the color.

You can buy a complete set of floor mats and carpet for your C3 Corvette. This will revive the life of the interior of your car.

Take a look at the interior of your car so you can match the new carpet with the rest of the interior. If you have a saddle seat and tan carpet, then choosing black mats will clash.

Suspension

How about an upgrade that improves the ride of your Corvette? Upgrade the suspension of your car and give yourself a smoother, more enjoyable ride.

When upgrading your suspension, think about how low to the ground you want your Corvette to sit. Going lower to the ground can make your car more aerodynamic and responsive. But going too low will make it challenging to drive your vehicle on city streets.

You also need to think about the wheels and tires you plan to put on your car. This will affect the responsiveness of your shocks. If you opt for larger wheels with smaller sidewalls on your tires, then your tires will absorb less of the road unevenness which puts more work on your shocks.

Time to Create Your Custom C3 Corvette

Before you start making any upgrades to your C3, you need to decide your approach and what kind of car you want to end up with. Do you want a custom C3 Corvette that looks fully restored? Or do you want a classic car that has been brought into modern times?

With either goal, you want to make thoughtful modifications that will enhance the overall beauty of this American tradition. Remember, sometimes it is the smaller touches that can make all of the difference.

Start upgrading your C3 Corvette by browsing our parts shop today.