I don't mean to capatalize on the misfortunes of others, but I really thought that there was a lesson to be learned from an event I recently read about.  It's a rather sad event involving a Lotus Elise, a lift and the ground.

Long story short, somehow the Elise slipped off of the lift while tires were being installed.  The exact events that lead to the car falling were unknown since the owner was absent at the time of the incident but I can pretty much take a guess at what happened.  Like our Corvettes, the Lotus Elise has a nearly smooth undercarriage.  As such, lift points are absolutely critical.  My best guess is that from the second that poor Elise hit the lift that it was doomed.  In fact, the second the lift touched the underside of the car, the damage started.  The mid-engined nature of the car is probably what ultimately lead to it slipping and falling.

Which brings me to an often overlooked topic when it comes to Corvettes:  how to properly set one up on a lift.  From personal experiance, it is a rather difficult task, even with a low profile lift.  Most shops don't have a low profile lift, nor do they have the lift point tools for your car.  That being said, go out and pick up a set of aluminum or "puck style" lift point pads and keep them around for when your Vette goes into the shop.  Another good idea is to make a set of low wooden ramps and throw them in the trunk when your Vette goes in for service.  Just a few 2x4's will do so that the lift arms will clear the body.  It will make it tons easier for the people working on your Vette and help them not to accidentally damage your car.  Another great tip is to make sure the shop cracks open the doors, hood and trunk when it goes up on the lift.  Although this is mostly a C4 practice, it is not a bad idea to do so on the C5 and C6 Corvettes as well.  It's not going to hurt anything and any shop that cares about its customers will humor your request.  They know that you're interested in making it as easy as possible for them to work on your car while you are protecting your investment.

I found a set of jack point "pucks" on eBay for a paltry sum of 20 dollars (shipping is extra of course) which seems like cheap insurance compaired to what the unfortunate Lotus Elise owner went through.  A home-made set of low profile ramps are super cheap and won't take much more than a half an hour to fabricate.  Your Corvette will thank you later, I promise.

In case you were wondering, the Lotus in the picture was indeed totalled.  Be safe out there.