Reinventing the OneLapCamaro...
 

As many already know, the OneLapCamaro has been at Best of Show for the last couple of months getting some “tweaks” prior to testing for next year’s Tire Rack One Lap of America. I had originally planned to keep this quiet until it was “done” but as the project has moved forward I’ve had a couple of people asking for details so I figured that since some pics are already out there anyways so… here it goes…

Long story short – our performance at this year’s One Lap of America was really encouraging (in the big scheme of things). We were competitive in our class and, with the exception of a couple of “melt downs” (not always in our control), we were not far off of a really promising finish in most individual events, as well as overall. I’m well aware of the limitations of the car (mostly related to the front end) and as Mary and I were driving away from South Bend we started to discuss how we could improve the car for 2013…

I knew that we needed more front tire and better overall geometry. We have been talking for 3 years about changing the sub-frame but for me that was too complex (read expensive and risky) a change on its own – it would have required new headers, steering, inners, mounts, and cutting off the old one – so that was “off limits” for now. I also didn’t want to risk “messing up” the car by doing anything that could not be undone or put back. So we formulated a plan…

The front tires and “geometry” could be achieved in one of two ways – subframe or sheetmetal – and since subframe was off the table the decision was to try sheetmetal and so my first call was to the guys who I would trust with any project incorporating tin and paint – Dick and Jon and the crew at Best of Show.
Another piece of the puzzle was weight and we identified some of the heavier pieces that could be replaced or switched out – like the rad support and AC components – to take some physical weight off the nose. Carbon was off the table for me (I haven’t had a lot of luck with it) so everything that we were doing would be mindful of excess weight.

The third leg was Aero… David, Carl and I did a fair bit of background work, testing, and experimentation and determined that there were some (predictable) aero shortcomings with the car (in general) that we hoped we could improve on. I made the decision to change the front end (a fair bit), alter the hood for better air flow and cooling, and add some downforce front and rear. There is more room for experimentation but that will be in the future and on the track.

Piece by piece the process has seemed fairly “minor” but taken overall I think they are fairly dramatic. And… to be completely honest… some of these changes won’t be for everybody. Function is trumping form in most cases and that leads to some… different… styling in places.

The process started, predictably, with disassembly (well to be honest the process started with aero testing, wool string, and video) at Best of Show. I made the decision to replace all of the front sheetmetal – packing and boxing all of the original pieces so that they can go back on to bring the car back to “original” some day.

Disassembly:
http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20083.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20085.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20086.jpg

Good luck with this James, I've been reading Car and Driver for 32 years now and being a Camaro junkie, I am routin for you guys big time!!! Mike

The first part of the project was the front end. The goal was to move the front tires out to balance the front and the rear track width and improve the inner clearance to the subframe – all while increasing the tire width to better balance the rear. As it sat the front track width as 2.5 inches narrower than the rear – most of that was related to the offset (about 1.5”) and the balance came from the difference in rim widths. We estimated that we needed to move outside of the tire out by 1.5 to 2.0 inches to match or slightly exceed the rear. This meant building new front fenders that would accommodate the space.

That’s not a revolutionary change with what’s been happening in our community for the past couple of years but we had a couple of specific constraints. I wasn’t going to do any bodywork behind the fenders so no reworking of the doors or quarters was in the card so the stretch on the fenders was going to have to be subtle and entirely done within the confines of the fender. Dick at BoS came up with a simple and efficient technique…

They started by separating the inner and outer structure of the fender:
http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20088.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20090.jpg

Then they went to work with the English Wheel
http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20091.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20093.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20098.jpg

I think that everyone was surprised at how effective this was – we were able to get all of the room that we had hoped for and a bit more.

Just the inner structure in place:
http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20099.jpg

And mocked up for the first time:
http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20104.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20106.jpg

pictures are a bit deceptive and it's hard to really see all of the change.
At this point the front end is approximately 0.5" wider than the rear (or 0.25" wider per side).

With the English Wheel we were able to get 2” more width without changing the height or shape of the wheelwell itself.

Measurements Before:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20063.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20068.jpg

Measurements After:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20108.jpg

James - that is bad ass. Bout time you posted this stuff up. :thumbsup:

That's a whole new approach to a fender stretch. :thumbsup:

I always wondered about front a rear track width/offset. Any further insight on what is ideal? What size tire are you aiming for?

Glad you started this thread James. Hope I wasn't too much of a PITA..:cheers:

How much room is that? As a test fit we tried putting the current rear wheel/tire (19x11 with a 325/30-19) on the front just to see. The backspacing wasn’t ideal but we had to start somewhere…

"Lot’s" of room:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20110.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20111.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20114.jpg

Not ideal but as I said – just a test. I wasn’t planning on the 325 tire up front and the backspacing is off by about 0.5” so our target tire should fit fine. HRE is just down the street and around the corner so they were going to stop by when we were ready to get specific.

And just for comparison - with a current 275/30-18 front

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20136.jpg

Thanks Mike - I'm hopeful that we can take a serious shot at a good overall finish next year although I think that competition in Vintage is going to be pretty stiff next year on it's own.

Thanks - it's coming and it was time.

Ron, I was surprised how well it worked - I really have to give the guys credit.

That's a difficult question to find an answer to. The best that I found was that it should be equal or even a hair wider on the front. Anecdotally look around at any modern car and I think that you'll see that they are pretty evenly balanced. My goal - which at this point is a done deal - is a 305/30-19 Michelin Super Sport - it's as wide as a 315/30-18 with a 12.3" sidewall and 12" tread width. These are the same size as I ran on the back for OUSCI last year and may be our choice for rears as well.

With the fenders well on their way we moved to the lower valence. I wanted something similar to the OLC2 concept to blunt the overall front end and improve the aero. Testing found a couple of dead spots in the old setup that I thought could be improved upon.

Our first shot started with modifications to the stock valence and fender extensions.

We started simple:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20119.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20122.jpg

Test fitting required use of the Track Rat's grill... well it didn't specifically require it but what the heck, it was there...

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20127.jpg

Subtle and maybe appropriate for a different setup but not quite what we were looking for...

So from there things got a bit more complicated…

It’s going to be a big change:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20140.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20141.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20142.jpg

I'm biased but I love it... it's about 0.5" lower than the old one (valence plus spoiler) and should be slippery...

God dangit I love that new front! Wow that is killer guys. :willy:

Thanks James. I'm gonna research Vettes, Vipers and Porsches and see what they do on this.

Indy Cars - a whole diff ball game - have more aero, downforce tech and are more narrow in the front.

Jame's, very cool.Kevin still's talk's about OLC camaro.Ever since he drove it he keep's saying he doesn't have enough power.!!!:thumbsup:

As lots of people have found before, it’s easy to design a hood on paper… but it’s really hard to find a design that works with the realities of accessory drives, air intakes, and actual aero influences. We spent a fair bit of time looking at how air moved over the hood and went through a lot of design iterations. Ultimately I turned to a design that Tyler had sketched up for 50/50 at one point; he was kind enough to allow me to try a rendition of it…

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20146.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20153.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20160.jpg

Which I think works just about perfectly:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20170.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20171.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20172.jpg

You can really get an idea how much wider the front end is compared to "stock" or the old one with the old splitter in place.

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20173.jpg

The air intake has to be relocated but it clears all of the accessories and provides significantly more airflow then the old ones. It's also directly feeding out of the radiator and should fit the bill perfectly. The flat hood's going to take some getting used to but I think it will fit the overall package.

I have to agree... I think that once's it's done it will do everything the we need it too and still stay recognizable as a first gen.

Clearly open wheels are different but if you look at sedans etc. you'll find that the balance is much closer.

Yeah... there is still a power deficit (especially by todays standards) - I think we're at least 150 HP shy of where we should be. It's on the list but probably not the budget for this year.

And here is where we take a big step…

Pics say more than words – love it or hate it, we’re trying it:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20157.jpg

Aeromotions S2 Active Downforce Rear Wing

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20158.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20159.jpg

It has a split element - each side can work ”independent” of the other

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20169.jpg

The wing works through a combination of a VSS tie-in along with a 3-axis G-meter. It senses speed and vehicle dynamics and adjusts itself to respond... providing a programmable combination of downforce and drag. Where downforce is desirable - i.e low speeds, cornering, and braking - the wing will provide a user programmed amount of downforce. It will even provide split downforce in the turns depending on the direction you are turning. On high speed straightaways where you don't need downforce it adjusts to minimize drag.

I knew going in that this would be a controversial element but as I said... function first. We're shooting for every last bit we can get and this is a serious tool to help with that.

We'll add a short Gurney Flap to the trailing edge of the trunklid once we're happy with everything back there...

The trunk got a bit of a tweak on the inside for support:

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20155.jpg

http://www.onelapcamaro.com/1967%20OLCR/shop%20156.jpg

The wing itself is very lightweight – it’s all race layup carbon fiber and on it’s own weighs around 12 pounds. It provides anywhere from 100 to 800 pounds of potential downforce depending on the AoA and speed.

We'll do more if it's needed but now the inner and outer trunk skins are working together and the taillight panel will take the brunt of the load. It will be easy enough to tie it in to the bumper mounts if need be...

That's about where we are now... there are probably some more pictures coming soon - the Autorad support is now in place - but we're in a bit of a holding pattern for a week or so waiting on parts.

I'll keep you posted...

No F ing Way................ That is so cool and over the top! Glad you beat everyone to it. I was thinking of a simple adjustable rear spoiler attached to a "parking brake" style lever that you could adjust on the fly.

But this is so much better.

:cheers:

Very cool stuff James. How are you going to decide which car to drive this one or OLC2 ??

The two cars will be really different - the '67 will always be mine and right now the '69 isn't - but the '69 will definitely be more track oriented. I may be wrong but I don't see the '69 as being something that I will just hop in and drive for fun. Once I get to work on the '69 myself maybe my feelings will change.

Regardless, the '67 will definitely be the 2013 car, we'll see where it goes from there...

Very cool James. Me Likey!

It looks great James, I got to see One Lap in July when I went to BOS for lunch. Awesome car!.

Updates look great.

With the 1/4" difference betwwen the front and the rear, canyou see a visual difference between the two if you are walking around the car? Or, is it sooooo close, nobody would know the difference unless you told them.

I think that depends on how well you know first gens... I think that most people on this site would be able to tell that something was wrong or different but I don't think that it will be really obvious. The overall shape of the front fenders is now very similar to the shape of the rears so that will probably be noticeable as much as the difference in the width.

One thing that I have noticed walking passed the car all the time is that perspective really changes the visual impact of the flares. from the back and rear 3/4 angle, the flares are noticeable only to a real Camaro diehard. As James said, the slope from the top body line out to the wheel opening now looks much closer to the shape of the quarter panels. The panels both angle out from the doors in roughly the same manner which also helps to make it look pretty natural. From the front, however, it is more noticeable simply because there isn't as much distance between the nose and the wheel opening to distract your eye from the increased width. Dang, I hope that makes some sense, but it probably won't unless you've been able to walk around the car.

Matt

I am not seeing the pictures? But is does sound good:thumbsup:

Looks like my host is having an IP issue on their end and they may be down overnight while it swaps over - hopefully everything is back in the morning...

I thought it was just me; first tried an hour or so ago, and no pics.

I'll check back later. :thumbsup:

ultimate teaser thread.... Canada 1 the rest of the anxious world 0 :D

edit, can see them now....i like where you are going with this.

That is a lot of down force. How about rigs that wrap down to the frame?

I can see the pics this AM and I am on a 3G mobile.

I think this may be the best front flare treatment I have ever seen. As for the valance it looks like you might be planning on a 69 style light by some sharpie marks? I think that would be a good idea. Anything to spot wayward raccoons!:D

The front, like the wing says "I'm a racecar!" And if any 1st gen has a right to wear them OLC does! It reminds me of Lightning McQueens' opening line in Cars I... am Speed. That's a total compliment in the sincerest sense case it doesn't come across that way.

Now, as for the wing.... when I first saw it the lifelong 1st gen fan in me went "awe... really?" but... as I said above OLC has earned that right, then when I read about the tech within the wing and it's capabilities I am thinkin' Hell Yeah!

Thanks for sharing James.
When ready for a small measure of support and taking orders for a new T-shirt design put us down for an XL and a S again!:thumbsup:

Thanks Robert! The sharpie circles were actually for brake ducts but I thought that the 3" openings were out of proportion on the front so we've moved them. We will (most likely) end up with some Speaker 4" driving LEDs in the lower valence which, in combination with the 7" LED headlights, should solve our night-time driving issues.

I'm hoping that all of these changes work the way we hope. If we were on the other coast I would have invested a half day at A2 to really get things pinned down but for reasons that I don't understand there is nowhere to get do so on the west coast. There are a couple more tweaks coming on the nose and then we'll have to test the old fashioned way - on the track.

InMotion is continuing to have issues this morning at a level is beyond my understanding - main servers, IPs, DNS transfers - but should be fixed shortly.

Is this you?

http://status.inmotionhosting.com/

Really cool changes James. I hope these work out well for you guys.

Yep... the DNS change to the new IP address hasn't propagated to this point... they are "working on it" but somehow I think that I'm pretty low on the totem pole.

James

Very impressive the direction you are taking this, and the effort put in. Very informative too.

I like the hood. I have the same vision for my hood one day. That is well executed. The new spoiler looks cool too. The new look of the car is going to be much more aggressive.

James, can you share more about the 7" LED Headlights and other lights you mentioned? Maybe a link?

Headlights are a particular concern of mine that I have not addressed yet. I had not seen an LED yet.

I take it this is it?

pdf fact sheet

Trucklite Article