Most HPDE, Time Trial, and other road course groups are requiring front and rear tow hooks for all cars, to speed up "extractions" when someone has an off track excursion, or has a breakdown. For most cars there are some simple "screw in" tow hook options, but many chassis do not have an easy to install tow hook from the factory. There are countless "bolt on" tow hooks for these cars, but many of those require permanent holes be cut into painted sections of the bodywork. Others require the removal and replacement of well engineered crash beam structures - often replaced with little tubing with a hook on there. Scary stuff.
For the road course groups that don't yet require tow hooks, when/if you have an off or some other breakdown that necessitates your car being "brought in on the hook", the wrecker driver will find a way to drag your car out of the swamp, onto the flat bed, or flat tow you on a strap into the pits. If whatever they hook onto damages your car's costly paint or bodywork, that's on you - nothing should slow down an event because you brought an under-prepared car.
We looked at the variety of options for front and rear tow hooks for the C5 Corvette chassis, scratched our heads, and came up with some new options. This entry is for our "bolt on" front tow hook for the 1997-2004 C5 Corvette.
This hook is made from plate steel, CNC plasma cut and bent on a fixture - all here at Vorshlag. We then add a powder coat finish in gloss red. If you want a set in another color, call us - we will make you a "raw steel" set you can have painted or coated in whatever color you want.
The front tow hook comes through an open section of the intake. There is minor trimming of the duct required, in a non-visible location. This tow hook can be removed easily without having to do any bodywork or repaint the bumper if you want to put the car "back to stock" later.
We've had some reports of difficult fitments on only 2004 C5 Z06 models as the lip on one of the frame brackets changed, but it's a straight fitment on the non-Z models and early Z06 models. The difficult 2004 Z06 models may require trimming a bent lip on a bracket that bolts to the frame.
Instructions
This C5 Corvette front tow hook requires removing the left wheelwell liner during the install, and removing the bolts from the left side of the radiator support. Then sliding the hook between the factory bolt hole on the left side and adding the additional bolts to secure it in place. Tighten everything up and reinstall the wheelwell liner.
You will need to cut a slot in the top of the duct for the hook to pass through. Again, this is made to fit all C5 Corvette models.
There is a "slit" that is needed in the plastic inside this recessed fog light opening that needs to be cut. On Z06 models there is mesh and on the other C5 is is black plastic. The image above shows the tow hook sliding right above the factory ducting. Some folks find this install easier with the front bumper cover taken off, others can do it with just the LF fender liner. The choice is your's.
The Vorshlag C5 front tow hook kit comes with all of the necessary installation hardware shown above.
The two lower mounting holes already have threads in the frame, but the two upper holes (OEM drilled) need nuts and washers on the back side - which we include.
