Very well done article. And I'm not generally a fan of C&D.

And I actually think that Pro Touring statement is fairly accurate. Maybe not spot-on, but not far from a darn good assessment either generally. :)

Testing for Optima
 

I took the Camaro to Gingerman Saturday to check out my new engine calibration and ABS fixes.

Check out this Youtube video of a couple laps.



The car worked great. I shaved 2 seconds a lap off my old lap times when I was there last year. That was with 1 year old very used up tires on a 91 degree day! My best lap was a 1:40.47 when I could get a clean lap. You can see in turn 4 I'm doing 100 MPH at 1 G lateral. :thumbsup:

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/q...l/DSCN0196.jpg


http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/q...l/DSCN0197.jpg

The new rear axle ABS set up had zero issues. No ABS drop out, no brake knock back and no leaks. My new axle uses Corvette ZR-1 bearing set up to go on the end of a Currie Ford 9 inch housing. I was having issues with my old Ford Big Bearing set up dropping the ABS signal. This set is basically a full floater with Corvette ABS sensor. It also allows me to use the Corvette park brake and a GM axle seal. The whole thing is awesome!

With the ABS working reliably I was able to use the brakes hard enough I discolored the Brembo caliper slightly. The clear coat on a Brembo caliper will yellow once you get above a certain temperature. I'm putting on the Stoptech brakes today to see how they work. Having the ABS be rock solid makes driving the car so much fun. On the last session I backed off the manual proportioning valve to allow the ABS to handle the dynamic proportioning. My braking distances are coming down and the brake feel is great.

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/q...e/DSC_3871.jpg

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/q...e/DSC_3856.jpg

The new blower is giving me 2 psi more boost so we had to move the over boost calibrations up and verify the new calibration. The engine ran great with the highest stabilized water temp of 231 degrees. On a cooler day I will make even more power. At 230 we are just starting to pull spark. I know you GEN I SBC guys freak out at coolant temps above 200. The new engine will work fine up to 235 degrees. They are happier at 210 -220 but it is still OK. I pulled a spark plug tonight and they look great and the inside of the headers are a nice light tan. The engine calibration is dead on. Since I put my Thomson Auto engine in my car I have had very little issues. We have driven this deal hard and it keeps on pulling. I love the fact it idles at 650 and rips when you hit it.

http://i439.photobucket.com/albums/q...0904-21441.jpg

I used up the last of the old Goodyears, once they showed signs of the tread de-laminating we called it a day.

I think on fresh tires and a slightly cooler day we can go a little faster.

I'm almost ready to go back to the Optima Shoot Out after SEMA. The car is working great!

Stielow :lateral:

Great results Mark, from an already sensational outfit.

The Video was great, nice to see you handing out driving lessons to the others.

Greg

Very cool, Mark. :thumbsup: Thanks for the info.

John

can't wait for November. :thumbsup:

Awesome Mark, the speed those brakes take off so quickly is amazing and the car doesn't even seem to notice the transition.

We missed you at Putnam Park, you would have moved up past the top speed beyond Stacy's 129 mph by a lot from what I can tell in the video.
Late braking looks like so much more of an advantage I can't wait to be able to afford bigger brakes someday.

Thank again for the video

Thanks for the awesome video!
I must find the passenger seat at one of these events.:thumbsup:

Now that is ENGINEERING!


EEEEEEEEHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA


See ya @ SEMA:woot:

So cool that you came up w a floater design that uses SKF hubs and GM parts Mark. I like that alot...:thumbsup:

I'm pretty sure that was a brand new Shelby Mustang that he passed on the road course...that is awesome:lateral: