Very cool Tony. I am very sikked for you. I have seen the work Pete and Brian have put into the car personally, as you know. Enjoy it brother!:thumbsup: :cheers: :cheers:

Thats great news Tony I'm happy for you.

I planned on getting down there this past week, but a couple of bridges on Interstate Route 93 had huge holes appearing in the roadway, and traffic that side of Boston (which I have to drive through) was impossible. It was even making the secondary roads almost unpassable with gridlock also.

Hopefully that stuff is all fixed this week so I can make it down there. Maybe even on Monday or Tuesday

Very cool....give us an update please!! :cheers:

Bump.....

......soon Dan! I am told real soon! :thumbsup:

:D :cheers: :woot:

:D :hail: :cheers:

you said that 2 months ago

Perfection takes time. :unibrow:

Yes it does! Remember, Pete isn't just a painter....he's an artist!

Today’s update - I have been talking with both Pete and the shipper and trying to nail down the ship date. Pete is right at the end of his work on Karma...but we all leave for SEMA in a couple weeks, so it looks like it won't be picked up before that. He is trying real hard to have it done before he leaves for Vegas so I can have it picked up the second week of November....or that's the current plan! Still a work in progress! Who knows, We just may be having Thanksgiving Day Dinner in my garage....anyone hungry?!! :cheers: :lateral:

Just checking in, I haven't read the entire thread but he's had the car for 2 years? What all is being done to it?!? I'm not sure I could survive 2 years without my car...

Maybe you should read the thread....

Maybe I didn't want to waste 126 pages. Cant someone give a few cliffs? I remember seeing the thread start a few years ago when it was sent there to have bad body work fixed, then saw it pop back up. Sorry I dont have a ton of free time to waste.

Thanks for the post though! It really helped...

William

Short Story:

Race Rodz failed....twice!

L-g.net comunity came to the rescue and was determined to get the build back on track! They raised enough money to get the car to Pete and quite a bit left over to get it back home...I will gladly pay the rest! :lateral:

Mario stepped up and donated a lot of money to cover the cost of materials needed to fix the car! :bow:

Pete (comp-spec) offered to 'fix' the car and 'make it right' if I could get it to him (3k miles away!)....how could I resist! Oh, and on his time and dime!! :hail:

Meanwhile I had been talking to Steve and Nick at Camaro Performers. They adopted the car as a 'tech car'! We mamed it Karma, they did a lead-in story and a years worth of tech articles on the car while Pete and crew @ Compition Specialties worked their majic!

Also, a lot of others joined the team and helped elevate the car to the next level....a real dream we are living! They are listed in my signature....thanks again!!

So far Pete has:
Stripped the car to bare metal, replaced all of the metal on the back of the car (thanks to Classic Industries & CP's!), did what it took to make the new front sheet metal 'fit', finished the 3-piece spoiler that Chris started, finalized the fitment of the custom front valance Mike at Muscle Rodz sent our way, chipped all the failed finish out of the trunk and prepped for new finish, repaired and painted the interior, installed the new Speed Tech frame including ATS spindles and Wilwood brakes, gaped the car and body worked it, primed and sanded countless times, painted the car (base and clear), Re-blocked the clear, laid out and painted the stripes, recleared everything, and reshot all the satin black parts of the car. And mounted up my new tires when no local shops would touch my Fikse wheels!

What he has left to do from what I understand:
Finish cut and buff, final assemble the car, spray the trunk, install the headliner and front and rear windows, detail everything, box up any parts that won't get bolted to the car at this point. And finally take some pics to share with us all!

I'm more than sure I have forgotten and/or never even new of many things that took place....but that's the compressed version of what has happend to our car in the last two years! :cheers:

Oh, and lets not forget the killer rendering Carter banged out in record time so we would have something to work off!!

It's been crazy fun and has allowed me to meet many great people and friends! From what I have heard the car is coming out better than steller and I can't wait to see it! You should know that I don't get emailed pic....I see then first and only here in this thread and on the pages of Camaro Performers! So as you can imagine....I'm dying to see even a front quarter shot! I've yet to see it with the stripes on it! Pete's holding out for that major SHOCK when I see it! Can't blame him really! :cheers:

So there's my long winded (I'm known for it!) version of what's happened and where we are at now! :hail: :lateral: :hail:

Awesome man. Thanks for the quick status update. Glad it's working out and I'm excited FOR you to get it back!

Sounds like it will be an amazing machine when finished up!

William

Thanks! :thumbsup:

Man, that's great news brother----patience is certainly something we get to learn when dealing with these cars isn't it? For all the crap you have been through, it's going to be such sweet payback (to steal Todd's title for a moment) when you are able to walk out in the garage and have it sitting there--let alone being able to work on it and then that first drive.

Will you be at Optima?

Doug

Yeah Doug it is going to be amazing! :yes:

Yep, we will be a Optima! :cheers:

Ten bucks says he sleeps in the garage the first two weeks it's home. :lol:

Curtis I wouldn't blame him one bit.

From someone who knows first hand... trust me... good things DO come to those who wait!!! :thumbsup:

I thought you were going to say small packages :rofl: :rofl:

LMAO :rofl:

Awesome to hear Tony!!
You must be chomping at the bit. Pete & his main man, Brian do great work and wants you to be blown away when you see the car and I know you will. Last I saw, which was a while ago, it looked KILLER!
If I ever get a pro-tour beast, Pete and Brian are doing my ride as well.
Karma will be home soon!! Take care man!:thumbsup: :cheers:

Thanks Tony! Yes I'm getting excited, can't wait to see it! I hear it's coming out real nice and can tell Pete's proud of the work they have done! Coming from that shop that means it's crazy nice! You will have to get over there soon, I'm sure they guys would love to see ya! :cheers:

Feel the love!! :cheers:

Is there a thread showing what lead up to all of this? I was looking through Tony's started threads, and all I can see is a thread where he received the car from the last guy and loved it :question:

Assembly tools at the ready!:thumbsup:

ooooo - bad ju ju don't bring it up :_paranoid :_paranoid :_paranoid

:lol: man and I thought the car was already done...

Tony,

I just went back and read most of this thread, absolutely awesome story. You have some great great friends around you. Pete has done a tremendous job with the car, its killer. I couldn't find what engine/trans and rear your going with. If you have a chance could you tell us what your plans are for the drivetrain, I thought I saw an intercooler up front in one of the pics.
Looking good!! It shouldn't be long now- Rich

Unless he has changed it, it was a Procharged LT-1 if memory serves correct.

Do you have your car? Is it in your garage?

Wheels should be shipping back in the next week or so after some backspacing adjustments!

That didn't answer the question... :rofl:

That would be no.....

Thanks Rich! Yep, I'm surrounded by good peeps!! Team Karma has a bunch of great people and friends on board....couldn't do it without them - that's for sure!!

Pete and crew have done an amazing job! They have taken a garage build and turned it into a very special and very NICE car!

The drive train is a ProCharged '96 LT1 that I sent to Mike Lewis to work his magic on! Among many things, he installed a billet splayed 4-bolt main kit, forged Scat crank and rods, custom blower pistons from Diamond, custom ground cam and valve train from Comp, all ARP fasteners, ect. Stainless Works 1-7/8" long tube headers and 3" exhaust. A modded Accel DFI intake Jody had done to work on a LT1. Holley C950 EFI. MSD ignition. P1SC ProCharger w/ intercooler. It should make a comfy 600+ hp/tq. Mike sent me back a nicely done short block w/ many boxes of new parts! Then Bob (96z28ss) helped me turn it into what you see in the pics! We have been waiting a long time to fire it up! :unibrow:

Trans is a rebuilt T56 from a '97 Camaro. The driveline is aluminum and the one Jody took out of Malitude when he rebuilt the car...Thanks again Jody! :cheers:

The rearend is one of Currie's aluminum housed 9" and has Dutchman 31 splined axles and 3.89 gears. Wilwood brakes front and rear.

That's about it! The problem with taking 9 years to build a car is that everything seems outdated now! But I think it's a cool package and will work well! One day WAY down the road I would like to swap out everything for a LS based motor....probably keep the SC though. That won't happen for a very long time if ever!

Thanks for asking, here's a few pics!! :cheers:


http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/e.../IMG_03901.jpghttp://i235.photobucket.com/albums/e.../DSCF19301.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/e.../IMG_03031.jpg

Nice! I don't think I've ever actually seen pictures of the infamous not-an-LS-engine that you've got. It looks pretty, and if it's happily churning out 600+ it should fly down the road.

Hope it makes its way back to your garage soon!

Matt

Thanks Matt! See ya real soon!! :cheers: