Brandon Hartwick's C5 Corvette isn't your average corvette, but you could tell that just looking at it. What makes it really unique though isn't what he bolted on the car that others did, he took matters into his own hands and made his C5 Corvette a unique and capable car.
Hartwick's story started when his Mazdaspeed 6 blew up. With it being his only car at the time and being in a bit of a pinch, he went out and bought a 2011 Honda Fit to get by. He drove it for a few years, but found himself missing having something fun drive. Hartwick originally had his heart set on a 70s Trans Am, but every one of them was disintegrating in a field and owned by some washed up dude that wanted 30K for their bucket of rust... Hartwick then had a a realization:
"I literally just woke up one morning and said to myself: I should just buy a Z06..."
So Hartwick went on the hunt and eventually bought a bone stock 2001 C5 Z06 from a retired police officer off of Facebook Marketplace.
The car stayed stock for about a year before Hartwick did a few minor mods such as a cam and other standard supporting mods.
Hartwick would continue to drive his car as a street car, but where the changes really started to come from was when Hartwick took his C5 to one of his first few track days. He had a blast, but he also broke his rear leaf spring broke in 2 places.
(insert track picture or coilover install picture)
This prompted him to purchase a set of Ride Tech coilovers and rear sway bar package. At that point... why not keep pushing it? So Hartwick decided change out the rear end gearing to 3.90 and installed an aluminum flywheel, pressure plate and driveshaft couplers at the same time to help the car rev more freely and last on track. Hartwick then added a more aggressive cam and headers about the same time.
(Insert another track picture)
Hartwick would continue to drive and track the car for the next two years, with the only notable modifications being he added a rear wing and front splitter to the car.
Turn For the Wild
Hartwick also took to designing all of the aero parts for his car himself. He started by 3D scanning various parts of the car and modeled everything in Fusion 360. The parts were then 3D printed and skinned in carbon fiber where necessary. Hartwick taught himself how to do carbon fiber for these projects by simply watching YouTube videos and trial & error.
One of Hartwick's biggest hurdles out on track have have been trying to keep the engine cool. Hartwick put in a significantly larger radiator along with DIY'd in a larger oil cooler made for the Corvette, but radiators alone weren't going to do the trick so Hartwick built custom ducting to go through the front bumper and seal over top of the radiator, an essential manuever since front splitters are known to seal off the OEM radiator intake on the C5 Corvette.
What's Hartwick Up to Now?
This days most of the events Hartwick does are evening track days at the Grand Bend Ontario racetrack, often attending the track nights with his dad who has a track prepped Mazdaspeed 3..Hartwick is still look for ways to run a piggyback to run the ITBs that got him into 3d printing to begin with, along with how to DIY in a differential cooler. Hartwick also really wants the OS Gikken LSD , but has some doubts about it ever coming back into stock and is likely going to DIY rebuild his diff himself.
Parts list:
- LG Motorsports G5X3 cam
- 44lb injectors
- Texas speed long tube headers
- Custom dual 3" catless exhaust
- Redux Racing ITB intake manifold
- Spec Stage 3+ clutch
- 3.90 rear end gears
- Billet aluminum pressure plate
- Aluminium flywheel
- Bronze rocker upgrade
- LS7 lifters
- Delrin motor & trans mounts
- Billet driveshaft couplers
- Improved racing oil pan baffles
- Melling high pressure oil pump
- 6qt Accusump with Manual valve
- C6 Z06 brake calipers front & rear
- DBA 2 piece rotors
- RideTech digressive coilovers
- RideTech rear sway bar
- SLR Speed angle kit
- Poly suspension bushings
- 9 lives racing rear wing
- 9 lives racing splitter
- Nankang CR-S tires
- Apex EC-7RS 18X11 & 18X12.5
- Corvette Creationz carbon hood & fenders
