Introducing "TRACKDAY", 1968 Camaro
 

At 23 years old, I am no doubt, a young gun in the lateral-g community. I know some of you have been wrenching on cars for twice as long as I have been alive! So I know, I'm a boy in a man's hobby. But, I'm too busy working on my car to care! I'm cutting my teeth on my first teardown and buildup.

I've been postponing to introduce my project for a while now; I wanted to make sure I had the guts to take the plunge into the money-pit that is pro-touring. However, If you're looking for a high-dollar, frame-off restification, you've come to the wrong place. Besides not having the money, I really don't have the patience or the desire for a 100 point showtouring car. I'm a battle-scar, rock chip kinda guy, and I hope my car will reflect that. I think the name TRACKDAY suits it well, as I truly intend to rip this car up on the track.

As for the buildup, I hope I have the patience to take things slow and not take shortcuts. Yet, I also hope I have the self-control not to get caught up in the hype of having latest and greatest. I also have a "No Bling" rule (although I think I'll make an exception on those carbon fiber spoilers....mmm).

I'm currently installing the following:
Global West Solid body / subframe bushings
Full Global West Suspension, Hotchkis front swaybar.
ATS tall spindles.

Tyler at ATS has been great getting all this stuff to me

Up next:
C5 brake kit from kore3


Well, stay tuned as I slowly and steadily make this car worthy of its namesake:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...n/IMG_0810.jpg

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...IMG_0487-1.jpg

Thanks!
Steven

P.S. I've been taking plenty of hi-res pictures of my build, so if anyone ever needs any reference pictures, don't hesitate to ask me. Just don't ask me how to put a car together, I suck at it!

Good luck man, feels like I´m in the same position, even though I like a little show.....:unibrow:

Alex

Fantastic plate... :thumbsup:

I love the plate!

Something to consider: You need to be very careful how you use concrete blocks to support heavy objects such as vehicles. The block located at driver side rear is offering little strength in its current position. If you suddenly loaded that block it would crumble instantly. I like to stay away from using that type of block but if it is all you have do the following:
Make sure the block is laying flat (picture it the way it would be installed in an actual wall) take scrap 2x8 or 2x10 whatever you have and lay it on top. This will help distribute the load over the surface. Also make sure the bottom of the block is making contact along its entire face. No pressure points!

Sorry for the lengthy post, just want you to be safe! When I need to block up, I have a bunch of 6x6 leftover PT stock in various lengths. They will even hold up my 20+ thousand pound Mack! (with a piece of C channel across the top to distribute the weight)

Good luck with your project and make sure you get it done before you have kids!:yes:

Thanks Beegs for the heads-up. The cinderblock is actually only supporting the axle (there's no spring on the car). There's a jackstand right next to it that's holding up the car :)

Oh man, that hurt ... :lol:

Welcome Steven ! Lots of great guys and gals here that will be a great resource for your build. My first car in high school was a 69 Dart 340/4spd - spray can gray primer - NEVER painted it and drove it like I stole it every day. I understand where you're coming from (you youngster... :) )

Perfect name for your car ! Looking forward to your updates.

Jim (46 years old - old guy)

The reincarnation of camaroboy69!!! :lol: :thumbsup:

BTW sounds like a great plan, keep us updated

I wish I was 23............:(

John

awsome man, im 21 and also have a 68 camaro project. Keep us updated and show the "seasoned " guys around here what us younger guys can do!! :thumbsup:

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Not me brother, I was a frickin idiot when I was that age.
I don't think you really start living until you hit 40.


Rich

:thumbsup:

Alright I have updates!

I completely gutted the front and rear suspension and braking system. Replacing with stuff from Global West and Kore3. Pardon the overwhelming amount of dust and grime that these photos show. I don't have a garage, but I make due.

Here's a shot of everything removed.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0485.jpg

When I have time I will weigh these components for other's reference.

Parts have been trickeling in...here's a shot of the upper and lower control arms, front springs, rear Bilstein shocks, and (stock height) solid body mounts:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0709.jpg

Here's a shot of the rear-most body bushing being installed into the car. It really freaked me out when I was detaching the subframe from the body.


http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0723.jpg

And back together (Black widow got WD-40 to the face when I realized she was there):

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0726.jpg

More to come...

Thanks for the update! I remember the first time I installed my solid mounts...yeah it can be a little un-nerving at times!!

Good luck young friend!

I'm 25 and I've had my car since I was 20. I'd have done a lot more to it by now but I got married.

What can I say? She's perfect! :D

Awesome guys! Thanks for the support! Here's another update...

Tobin @ Kore3 has been awesome throughout this whole process. He informed me that the brake rotor hub requires that the axle flange be <=6". The flange of the original axles is much larger, requiring a turn-down or a replacment. I chose the latter, going with Superior Axles from Summit (SAG-EV10-1). The flange is 5.8" in diameter, so these axles work. They accept the standard 7/16" press in studs (included in box), as well as 1/2"-20 screw-studs (not included). I chose Moser 2" studs from Summit (MSR-8002). Here's a shot of the studs on the axle, along side the original axle.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3164.jpg

I have the pictures of the axle overhaul on a different computer, so I will post a complete write-up on that soon.

Here's a picture of the driver's side axle installed, with the caliper bracket from Kore3. This bracket may look atypical to those who have seen the C5 brackets... that's because this bracket also accepts the in-rotor parking brake setup. Notice how the Global West 5 leaf springs aren't even captured by the monoleaf spring perches and a 1/2" lowering block? That's why I am going to order the DSE multileaf conversion kit.


http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3170.jpg

Staggered Shocks: Notice the bracket is oriented at 9 o'clock. This is the correct position to avoid the shock on the driver's side, which goes behind the axle. On the passenger side of the vehicle, the bracket is also installed at 9 o'clock, to avoid the shock which goes in front of the axle. You must use 2 Left-Hand calipers with these staggered-shock cars so that the brakes can be bled properly.

I love tools. Installing the rear axles gave me an excuse to purchase a dial indicator. Here I am checking the runout

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3166.jpg

Results:
Driver's side: .003" total
Passenger side: .002" total

I'll do this once again with the rotors on the car...I will expect to see those runout numbers roughly multiplied by 2.

I am converting over to power steering with Unisteer's Gen II kit and the ATS/Lee 670 box. So I needed a solution for my pulley setup.

Here's my current setup, short water pump driving only the alternator
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0395.jpg

(BTW the Ron Davis Radiator you see is awesome)

What I needed was a alternator bracket that met several criteria:

1. Run everything from 1 belt
2. Keep the alternator on the driver side
3. NOT a header mount bracket, which I despise
4. Give enough room to allow clearance for the Gen II pump
5. Allow enough "bite" on the PS pump pulley

After much research, I was left with very few options. As I mentioned in my first post, I don't really go for the "bling parts." But I have to admit that I am pretty darn impressed with this alternator bracket I bought. It's a March product that I bought from Summit (MCH-20131). $160 dollars for a bracket isn't exactly my idea of a deal, but I really got what I paid for:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...IMG_3157_2.jpg

Note the longest bolt in the picture above, used to bolt the alternator up to the bracket. This is the 1/4" bolt that was included in the box, But it is is completely wrong...It should be 3/8" with an allen wrench head (Hex cap) just like every other bolt you see. I don't know how it got in there, but I had to run down to the hardware store to get the correct one.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...IMG_3158_2.jpg

Also, the shortest bolt you see wasn't correct for my application either! This is the bolt that is supposed to thread into the top hole of the alternator, holding the piece that the turnbuckle mounts to. The thread on the bolt is coarse, while the thread of the alternator is fine (or vice versa, I can't recall). I just simply reused the bolt I already had. These are the type of hangups that I have learned to accept very early in this project.

Here it is on the car:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...IMG_3161_2.jpg

As you can see, it makes use of the 3/8" drilled accesory holes in the Pro-Topline heads, and provides awesome adjustability with the turnbuckle. It took several hours to install this bracket because I wanted to be sure that the bolts wouldn't bottom out when threading into the aluminum head. I actually bought a bolt that was a smidge shorter and touched it with a grinder, just to be sure. You can see the replacements (in black) HCS that I used to properly install the bracket and alternator. Mismatched bolts build character!

Whether it meets criteria 4 & 5 remains to be seen...I sure hope so.

Quick Update:

I spent some time preparing my C5 brake kit from Kore3. Here's a mock-up shot of the caliper on the ATS tall spindle:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0163.jpg

I wanted the caliper abutment brackets to be a bit darker than stock, so I sprayed them with Dupont hi-temperature paint in matte black. The difference is subtle but it makes the red caliper "pop" quite a bit more. As shipped on left, painted on right:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0174.jpg

Just for kicks, here is a mock-up I did a while back showing the rear abutment bracket:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0184.jpg

Good to see a few young guys really stepping up on these car builds. Looks like you have a good start on a wicked Camaro. I will be watching this thread. Steve

Looking good :thumbsup:

Thanks for the ongoing support!

As promised earlier, here's my write-up of my axle replacement. For 99% of you, swapping axles is a "been there, done that" excercise; but I'm writing it up to share my experiences for those that don't know what's up (like me when I unbolted the diff cover). I didn't get pictures of every step because I didn't feel like washing my hands so often to touch the camera. Luckily, my dad was standing by once in a while to get some shots.

First thing, get a Chilton's nice and greasy:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0177.jpg

Next, grab a hold of the driveshaft and spin it until you see a bolt head such as this. This is the set pin which you will need to remove. Shown here:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0176.jpg

Just 1 more step before the axles can be removed. Now that the pin is out, there is a steel "dowel" directly in the center of the differential that keeps the axles separate. Rotate the axle to a convienent position and then simply reach in there and push it in either direction. No need to remove it entirely...just far enough so the axles can slide inboard. Here's a pic:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0185.jpg

After that, simply push the axles inboard to release the c-clips.

Ta-da!
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0183.jpg

Use a slide hammer (I rented from autozone) and the bearing puller attachment to get the seal and bearing out. Pay attention to which way the seal was facing, so that you install the new seal the same way (just in case).

It has been recommended to me over and over that you should always change out the bearings and seals whenever the axle is replaced. To install the new ones, you're going to have to get used to the painful feeling of beating on your car. My tension level skyrocketed during this part of the project, as I am a believer that a hammer is a substitution for using the correct tool. Anyways, I used a hammer and a socket to slowly tap around the outer race of the bearing until it "felt" seated against the lip of the axle housing. Then I did the same for the seal. I don't even like to talk about it that much, because the whole process just gave me the chills. "Just hammer until it feels right;" that's no way to build a car.

Anyways, it worked. NOTE: many have said that after you push the dowel out of position, don't rotate the assembly, as the differential components can fall out. If you need to change positions, push the pin back first.

To reinstall the axles, just do everything in reverse.

Update soon on the installation of the Gen 2 power steering pump from Unisteer.

Congrats on the work so far man. I like you am another young guy but I have yet to take the plunge into the pro-touring build and I've had my car for 11 years on 7/10. It has a fuel injected motor but I feel yours is MUCH further along than mine.

Congrats on the build and I will be following it. Glad to have another "young" enthusiast so we can try and help keep this hobby alive!

William

Thanks William, good to hear from someone else in our generation who has picked up the hobby as well. BSME from Cal in '05 here. Keep up the good work!

Steven

Unisteer Power Steering Install
 

This past weekend I finally finished the installation of the Unisteer Power Steering Pump from Summit (UIS-8060190). I actually believe my installation is the 1st of its kind...you'll see why if you follow along.

First, here is the picture of the pump and reservoir right out of the box (after I used the green side of a sponge to dull the pulley and bracket surfaces, haha):
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0219.jpg


Here is the backside. I have labeled the tapped holes of the pump to more easily explain my "custom" installation.
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0221.jpg
Note that the mounting bracket was originally bolted to in the lower position, while the turnbuckle was bolted in the upper position (turnbuckle more evident in 1st picture). This configuration DOES NOT FIT my setup due to the March alternator bracket interfering with the reservoir. When I realized this, I spent about 2 hours trying to figure out what to do. Then it dawned on me that I could move the pump bracket to the other positions on the pump.

"MID" doesn't work because the reservoir moves out too wide and interferes with the A-Arm bolt. However, Moving the bracket to UPPER fits the bill. Here is what I mean:
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0222.jpg

So this is the packaging result on the car:
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0225.jpg
I actually think this configuration looks better than the original intended configuration by Unisteer. The setup is more compact, and it it sits lower, which makes the pump pulley almost the same height as the crank pulley. This provides a better wrap angle around the pulley than if the bracket was attached to LOWER.

The problem was not solved yet though, as I still needed a way to hold the pump rigid. My solution was to run a turnbuckle on the backside of the pump, from LOWER all the way up to the bolt that runs between my alternator and the alternator bracket. Here is what I mean:
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3340.jpg

I used the existing turnbuckle eyelet ends that came with the pump. However, I ordered the center section from www.midwestcontrol.com It is a 9" long aluminum hex bar with the correct tapping 3/8-24 (PN AHT6-9.00) Here is the upper end of the turnbuckle on the backside of the alternator bracket:
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3342.jpg

That center section was a $5 part with $15 dollars shipping, haha. But when it is all said and done, I think my accessory drive system looks pretty awesome (note the turnbuckle behind the pump and alternator):
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3343.jpg

A better view of the setup, although the pic was taken before I installed the pump turnbuckle:
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_0230.jpg

Hope that gives you some insight into another drive solution for a short water pump setup!

Next update will either be brake system plumbing of my C5 kit, or installation of the ATS670 steering box that I just ordered from Prodigy Customs / GP Superstore.

Thanks for reminding me to update my info. I graduated BSME from Texas A&M in May and now working full time in Houston. Car should hopefully get some attention soon!

Keep us updated! And ETA on this project? What is your goal?

William

awesome project, love the detail and the amount of pictures along the way

Good idea
 

Great job, and an excellent idea! Its good to see the young men and women take an interest in G-machines,musclecars and hotrods. Theres probably still a few old timers that havent been in a 10-12 bolt rear end! The pictures are good and the explanation is clear and accurate.:bow: Kudos and if it helps even one person... good for you! You just helped someone out. Tony:thumbsup:

Nice thinking and problem solving. Keep it up.

Oh man, I don't know if my project will ever be "done"...but I can give you a pretty good idea from a copy/paste of the spreadsheet I have:

Phase 1 Items
Category
Suspension
Brakes
Steering
Wheels/Tires
Rear Axle


Phase 2 Items
Category
Seats
Transmission
EFI
Fuel System

Phase 3 Items
Category
Body/Paint
Roll Cage
Engine

Phase 1 is almost complete (August is my goal), and will finally be drivable after a year and a half in "hovercraft" mode.

Phase 2 will probably be drawn out throughout '09

Phase 3 is TBD :)

Sounds good. I wish I could set a project date/schedule for mine but nothing can be set in stone at the moment. I'm hoping by the first of the year I can put together a MS Project baseline for my car so I have a goal!

Keep us updated, i'm really enjoying the thread!

William

I have an update!

The first thing I did last night was finally bolt the rear axle to the Global West L2 rear springs. To do this properly on my monoleaf rear axle, I used the Detroit Speed monoleaf to multileaf conversion kit. Basically, it uses a pair of 1" square bar rectangles to act as spring perch extensions. Here is a picture:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3387.jpg

The conversion kit comes with 7/16" U bolts, but I had already bought 1/2" ones. I just simply drilled out aluminum blocks to accept the larger diameter. Speaking of the blocks, the 1" dimension of the blocks is a perfect fit. I put 45lbf*ft on the U bolts, and that just leaves the slightest clearance in the blocks: ie, all the compressive force is going into the springs. In the picture you can also see the Detroit Speed shock mount plates...

Plumbing a braking system is not fun...but I was able to finish it in a matter of 2 days. It's not pretty, but eventually I just sighed and said, "good enough." I just hope it doesn't leak...

Wilwood, Kore3, Inline Tube

Here are some pics, hopefully the installation doesn't come across as too hacky (although the hose clamps on the axle don't help.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3392.jpg
Don't worry, that tube doesn't drop in the way of the steering box shaft...it's just the angle of the picture.


http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3388.jpg

Yet another mockup of the rear caliper:
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3403.jpg

Next update looks like it will be the installation of my ATS 670 steering box and Detroit Speed steering linkage.

Thanks!
Steven

Latest update!

I had debated for a while whether to go with a nice set of slotted rotors (DBA 4000) for my C5 kit, or to run a set of inexpensive rotors. Some guys over at corvetteforum.com swear by high-end rotors...yet others insist that if you're running trackdays, the stock replacements can take the punishment. Well, I ended up going the cheaper route this time. I purchased Napa "Ultra Premium" rotors (86700, 86701, 86702, 86703). Here are a couple mock-up shots for the front and rear:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3452.jpg

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3461.jpg

The hats of the front rotors came painted...nice. But the rears werent. So I rattled on some high temperature paint. Here's my taping of the approximate swept portion; I'm trusting that the pads will take off any excess:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3423.jpg

Of course, it's not a car weekend without encountering some problems. I ran into an interference problem when I was mocking the passenger side rear rotor and the abutment bracket. the inboard face of the rotor scrubbed against the abutment bracket. Here's what I mean:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3443.jpg

After many measurements with the calipers left and right, I determined that the welded flange of my axle housing is inboard by 0.07" compared with the driver side (which was fine rotor/abutment wise). After 3 hours, I had whipped up a shim to go behind the rotor:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3441.jpg

continued...

I cut it from 16 ga. steel (0.0625"). I confirmed with a dial indicator on the rotor that runout is still ok. The result is this:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3448.jpg

After my mono/multileaf fisaso, I finally got my Bilstein shocks installed in the rear...sure was easy:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3434.jpg

On Sunday, my girlfriend came up for the weekend and wanted to help me work on it. I handed her the hotchkis front sway bar and said "go for it":

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3428.jpg

Haha, she's a good sport, and 2 hours later, we finally got the swaybar in...

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3430.jpg

Project Trackday is coming along nicely...tomorrow I am shipping my power steering pump back to Unisteer so they can upgrade me to a double-groove pulley. I ordered my wheels from Newstalgia...but I won't say what they are until I can post pics in 3-5 weeks. Phase 1 is almost complete!

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3458.jpg

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/b...o/IMG_3460.jpg

Thanks for tuning in,
Steven

get rid of that spacer behind the rotor its gonna cause run out and squeaky brakes, bring the caliper abutment to someone with a bridgeport mill ands have them mill .007 of the mounting pads. you always want your rotor against your hub or axle flange

Another thing for you to check out if you haven't already, I heard that like billet rally wheels are not supposed to work with C5 brake kits. Of course I don't know what wheels you ordered but if you haven't checked make sure the wheels you are getting fit with C5 brakes.

Tonny

Cheers, Jake! :captain:

I was hoping I would raise some eyebrows on this one, because I am not sure that shimming the rotor is acceptable practice. Although the runout I achieved seems ok, 0.004", there may be side effects that I'm not considering. Has anyone here had their abutment brackets milled?

Steven

Steven,

We've had several customers in the past who have milled either the brackets or the PABs in order to compensate for a housing not exactly to "spec". Since we're only talking .070", I wouldn't hesitate to do either, just depending on what I had access to with respect to tools and fixturing...the PABs are a little more difficult to set up on a mill than a flat plate is.

I know you purchased the DIHPB brackets so that you could add the parking brake in the future, but keep in mind that if/when you do that you may need to cut down the lip of the internal drum in order to maintain sufficient clearance between the drum and the parking brake backing plate. Technically there should be about .010" clearance...but I wouldn't count on it.

Tobin
KORE3