Need forsight from the competitive guys...
 

Me and my dad are planning on building a road race/street car. I use the term street car loosely lol. Basically as long as its got lights and we can tag its a street car. We are planning on using a lot of parts we already have from our cars over the years including his 1969 camaro z28 restoration. I have a 350ci out of a 69 camaro rs/ss and an m21 4 speed ready for the next project. I also have a 700r4 and a 355ci tuned port motor out of a 92 z28 that I could use. I need some input from the guys who actually compete with their cars whether it be recreationally or sanctioned. The platform we have in mind is a 70-73 camaro or firebird. My questions start with which would be the better motor trans setup to go with? Will the 4 speed manual be sufficient with the right gearing or would it be worth the coin to find a 5 speed or a t56? Whats the prime things to start with on the suspension? Wed like to use a built chevy 10 bolt with around a 3.23-3.42 gearset. A 12 bolt might be a good idea? The car is going to get driven, and its going to get abused. There wont be alot going into it as far as paint or body work. It'll get all the bodywork straightened out and fitted. Then a coat of solid red paint. Any and all advice that can be given is appreciated. We never owned a racer before.

road race go with the 4 speed. i don't think i even had my vette in 5th gear on a road track. (4th in a C5 is 1:1 just like your 4 speed.) it also had a 3:42 gear in it.

an auto on a road track sucks and with that 700r4 your just asking for trouble at some point.

4 speed is a riot on 90% of the tracks in CA. I rarely use the 5th on my TKO.

No auto.

Thats pretty much what I was thinking but I just wanted to insight from someone with some experience. My dad was telling me the M21 (its a 1969 model as well) is pretty much bulletproof. I wish i could talk him out of the M22 he has in his 69 instead lol.

just a quick ? on the auto what if behind a 450 rwhp LS1 with 4L60e and yank 3400 stall and pro built transmission?

My daily driver is a LS1 4l60e. I trying to stay on the lower end of the spectrum moneywis eon the drivetrain for the 2nd gen because we want to be able to put money into the suspension/braking/safety side of the car. The plans for my DD are a mild built 383 LS and a XP racing stage 2 4l60E with a moser 12 bolt. Should still have good street manners and decent mileage but still run real good down the track. :thumbsup:

The 4 speed would work well for a RACE car. I like the overdrive for any street driving. One of my favorite things about my car is it's capabilities on the race track and it's awesome cruising characteristics. You could also do a TKO road race version that has the .82 5th.

Just to get the car moving we'll most likely use the M21. The cars street driving will be mostly cruising at 30-45 mph tops and some "spirited" activity. Then we may look into a TKO. Mostly Im needing input on what direction to head towards on the suspension. The only suspension work ive done was on my 2600 lbs fwd turbo protege. It wasnt hard to wrangle all 230whp. And it came with alot of nice upgrades, a real stiff chassis, and alot of years of road racing tech behind it from the factory (tokico/racing beat, theyve both been doing mazda racing since the late 60's).

On the cheap:

Your choice of hotckiss springs/shocks or QA1 coilovers. (the adjustability of ride height is key)
Hotchkiss sway bar in front,
guldstrand mod on subframe
adjustable uppers
Hotchkiss Rear leaf
Subframe connectors.

DO NOT skimp on the brakes as I tried to. The Wilwood Dynapros are insufficient for competitive track use as well. Sl6 at least, or a comparable baer system. I did 3 track days on OEM style drilled disks and cracked all the rotors and even the pads. They're all Chinese made. :(

The most important part of any competitive build is the brakes, fresh bushings, and some decent tires.

Worry about drivetrain later. I have a Muncie M22 with no VIN I've been considering selling, but its worth a lot to the resto guys I think.

Todd out of curiosity what sort of mpg are you getting highway?