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  Hot Rod Jim's Chassis Shop

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

If you want your TriFive to handle like a Corvette, then you need a Corvette Platform

        Hot Rod Jim has sold the design of the TriFive Frames to Nerd Rods. Please check out their site for more information about their chassis offerings. www.NerdRods.com. The Nerd Rods version even comes in a Weld it Yourself Kit.

Hot Rod Jim’s TriFive frame dose just that, giving you a more stable platform to start with. Our 4 rail design give amazing lateral support and with its mounts spread across both rails when tied into the TriFive’s floor supports it creates a grid pattern making this frame as strong as you can get without going to a full tube chassis and gutting the car. The Corvette suspension updates the sprung components giving a better geometry and newer technology to your already classic ride, preparing it to do battle with the 21 century roads and cars. See Our Frame Page for more on our bare frames.

Hot Rod Jim’s Tri Five C4 Rolling Chassis is the bare frame powder coated with a complete suspension only needing a few small touches to finish out and be ready to bolt your body and finish your build. Our Basic rolling chassis only needs brake lines and your TriFive of Choice.  This Chassis requires No modifications to your original body. The only modifications required are on Nomads and Station Wagons to their gas tank. We simply remove the stock rear floor board and gas tank and replace them with the tank and floorboard section from a Sedan or Hard Top. 

With the two types of Corvette Suspensions, the early 1984-88.5 and the 1988-96 Hot Rod Jim offers the choice of running gear as an option.  We traditionally use the early model corvette suspensions for our standard chassis. The early model works very well for a retro-mod that the owner wants to look as stock as possible. The suspensions is narrower and will only require a minor offset for the stock rims to clear as we’ll as slightly smaller disk brakes that only need 18 inch rims to clear the caliper. The later model suspensions have a wider suspension and lager brakes standard. The wider stance and larger brakes make for a better handling car but you are required to run a steep offset and need a minim of 17 inch rims to clear the suspension. We up grade all of our late model suspension to the 96 Grand Sport calipers that have the corvette logos.

Hot Rod Jim’s Standard Rolling Chassis Features

  1. Powder Coated Frame, Front Cradle and Transmission Crossmember
  2. Lowered 5 inches in the rear and 6 in the front.
  3. Over 100 pounds lighter than you stock chassis
  4. Limited Slip Differential with 3.09 gears
  5. All Aluminum Rebuilt C4 Corvette Suspensions
  6. All New Urethane Bushings installed
  7. New Rebuilt Rack and Pinion in 2.0 or 2.5 lock Ratios Your Choice
  8. New Tie Rod Ends
  9. New Rebuilt Brake Calipers
  10. New Brake Pads and Rotors
  11. New Universal Joints
  12. All Aluminum suspensions components are painted in a Urethane Silver 2 Stage Automotive Paint
  13. QA1 Single Adjustable Coil Over Shocks on all 4 wheels.
  14. Allows for 11.5 inches of tire on the rear and 10” on the front, with no body modifications.
  15. Your Choice of Motor and Transmission Mounts.

Chassis Pricing

BASIC
Complete Rolling Chassis w/ 1984-88.5 Suspension

Complete Rolling Chassis Listed Above
With Narrow Early Model Suspension and Small Brakes

GRAND SPORT
Complete Rolling Chassis w/ 1988.5-96 Suspension

Complete Rolling Chassis Listed Above
With Later Model Suspension and 96 Grand Sport, Corvette logo brakes



Upgrade Pricing

Want your car to stop like a Z06 Corvette or just need something to fill up the space with your 20 inch rims we have what you need. The 6 Piston / 4 Piston brake combos seen only on the C6 Z06 Corvette. This Upgrade up gives you the 14 inch front rotors with 6 piston Corvette Logo Calipers and the 13.4 inch rear rotors with 4 piston Corvette Logo Calipers, all pads and adaptors installed ready to run, and stop.
This modification is only for the early model suspensions due to E-brake limitations.

 
 
 
 
 
 

FAQ
Question: "I have a C4 Corvette Suspension. Can you put the Z06 Brake system on my car?"
Answer: Yes we can, BUT here are the specifics READ CARFULY.
We only use the early suspension (1984 to 1988.5) because of the rear E brake and the Rim requirement. The early C4 suspension is overall narrower than the later models and with calipers with pistons on both sides of the caliper you need indention room to clear the caliper. Most rims are not designed to clear these uniquely large calipers so most people wind up running a spacer or an adapter to clear the caliper. Secondly the early C4’s are also the only ones with a drum style E-brake like the C6 corvette.
Question: What dose it cost to put these brakes on my car?
Answer: $3,600.00 and you will need to ship us your rear knuckles we will need to modify them to accept the C6 calipers and modify the E-Brake.


Hot Rod Jim recommends AirRide Technologies Shockwaves with their Level Ride system for the best possible ride on your TriFive. AirRide’s system offers on the fly monitoring of your ride height and spring weight through their ride height leveling system. This system monitors the height of the suspension in relation to the car then adds or removes air from the bags to balance the vehicle from there. If you’re in a heavy braking situation the system will add air to the front bags to prevent nose diving, in a hard corner the system will add air to the outside bags to prevent body roll and if more weight is added to the car in the form of people or luggage the system will balance the vehicle so that under any load the cars suspensions will react to the needs of you and your car. AirRide’s Shock waves come with single adjustable dampeners to give even more control of your suspensions to tweak the ride to your taste.
The AirRide upgrade will work for either early or late suspension and is supplied with the bags installed. For more information please see air rides webpage, www.RideTech.com.


INCLUDES
-Air Ride Technology’s Shockwaves X 4 (Installed)
-Air Ride Technology’s Level Ride Handling System ARC4000L
-Level Ride Sensors Installed
Tank, Compressor, Computer, Air Values, Level Sensors and Wiring Not Installed

 
 
 
 
 
 


Do you want to run BIG horse power? 400+ fly wheel torque Hot Rod Jim suggests the Dana 44 differential with a stronger housing and an all new rear end with your choice of gears. We use the entirely new Newman Dana 44 that is even heavier duty that the original corvette rear ends.