When the Chevrolet Corvette was introduced in 1953, the car was hailed as America's answer to British sports cars such as Jaguar and MG. Needless to say, the Corvette has come a long way since then.
Designed by legendary General Motors stylist Harley Earl, only 300 of the 1953 Corvette C-1 model were produced in GM's Flint, MI plant. Despite an anemic 150 horsepower 'Blue Flame' 235 cubic inch straight six-cylinder engine and a two-speed automatic transmission, the hand-crafted car quickly caught on and is today one of America's most collectible vehicles.
More than 250 of the original 1953 model are in existence and command upwards of one-half million dollars at auction depending on the vehicle's condition. That's pretty good money considering the car's original base price was $3,498.
According the Muscle Up Performance owner and former NASCAR driver Rich Bickle, little changed on the Corvette in terms of suspension and handling characteristics during the car's early years from 1953-1962.
"They called it a sports car, but it really was little more than 1950 Chevy frame that they stuck a Corvette body on," Bickle stated. "Back then, you could call something a sports car, but it was really about as far away from a sports car as you could get. It had old knuckle steering, the tie rods were about the size of your pinky finger and if you bumped anything, you were going to bend them. It was a great looking car, but it really had a very inadequate frame and chassis components."
History bears Bickle out.
Earl commissioned GM engineer Robert McLean to produce a concept vehicle that would eventually sell in the same price range as the Chevrolet sedans of the day. Using stock parts off the shelf - including a primitive independent suspension in the front and leaf 
springs in the rear - McLean was able to come up with the 108-inch wheelbase roadster debuting the concept at the 1953 New York Auto Show. The rest, as they say, was history, as the public embraced the concept car and it was rushed into production later in June of that year.
After slow sales in 1953 and 1954, the underperforming Corvette got a significant upgrade in 1955 when GM engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov put Chevy's now small block V-8 engine and three-speed manual transmission in the car. Now, the 265 cubic inch engine powered car produced 195 horsepower. Unfortunately, just 700 of the 1955 model Corvette were produced as dealers struggled to sell the underpowered 1953-54 models still on their car lots.
"The original cars were very underpowered and didn't drive very well," said Bickle. "The front suspension utilized coil springs, wishbones, and altered springs that enclosed one- inch diameter tubular shock absorbers. The car also had an anti-roll bar and four-leaf semi-elliptical springs in the rear. Along with skinny tires and drum brakes, the car really didn't drive anything like a sports car."
The 1956 Corvette is considered to be the breakthrough model for the car. A redesigned body and a 210 horsepower V-8 only engine sparked interest in the car. A year later, more performance was added thanks to Rochester fuel injection and a four-speed manual transmission.
Another body upgrade boosted the Corvette to 9,168 units in 1958 and GM turned out 9,670 versions of the car in 1959. Finally, the Corvette jumped over the 10,000 models produced in 1960.
By 1962 - the final year of the solid rear axle Corvette - the car was available with engine producing up to 400 horsepower. Unfortunately, the car was still riding on 1950's GM chassis technology and parts, something a "Sebring" performance package featuring 15x5.5 inch wheels, a posi-traction rear axle, sintered metallic brake linings and a heavy-duty suspension couldn't overcome.
"There are so many of these cars still around," said Bickle. "Unfortunately, they don't drive very well at all. That's why Muscle Up Performance decided to come up with a new, full frame bolt in chassis for the 1953-62 Corvette."
The Muscle Up Performance chassis brings the vintage Corvette into the 21st century performance arena. Race inspired, the 1953-62 Muscle Up Performance Corvette full frame replacement chassis is precision designed, fully jigged, mandrel bent, and welded to exacting specifications to insure the highest quality strength and product integrity.
"Our frames feature an A-Frame front suspension design that allows for coil over or air ride suspension and rack and pinion steering," stated Bickle. "That's a huge upgrade over the original, standard front suspension and provides a night and day performance difference."
The back half of the Muscle Up Performance full frame replacement Corvette chassis utilizes a classic Ford 9"-inch rear end configuration - again with coil over or air ride suspension capabilities. Because the chassis was specifically designed for the 1953-62 C1 Corvette, automatic and stick-shift transmission installations are easily accommodated as are both small and large block engines.
"Bottom line is it fits all early solid axle Corvettes," Bickle stated. "Because it's a bolt in full frame, anyone who is doing a restoration project on a first-generation Corvette can easily install the frame themselves. We've taken all the guess work out of the installation and the frame has taken all the bad driving characteristics out of the car. It's a great combination and an upgrade that more than pays for itself in a more enjoyable and safer driving experience."
Depending on options, a complete Muscle Up Performance full frame Corvette C1 replacement rolling chassis costs from $11,500 to $15,000.
To see a full gallery of images detailing the new Muscle Up Performance full frame Corvette replacement chassis, please click on the following link. Once there, just click on any picture to enlarge -
http://www.muscleupperformance.com/photog/thumbnails.php?album=6
For more information as to how to order a Corvette replacement chassis, or one of the many other full-frame replacement chassis for a wide variety of GM and Ford cars and trucks, please contact Muscle Up Performance at info@muscleupperformance.com or by calling 608-754-4545.