[James OLC]

And so it continues…

After a pretty good One Lap of America this year Mary and I were faced with the reality that the OLC was getting a bit old in places and was starting to show some wear and tear from five years of gentle use. The engine and transmission were starting to show their age and if we were going to run the OLOA for a fifth time with the car - and if we hoped to once again improve our overall finish - some changes were once again in order. As we discussed our strategy for next year we accepted the fact that the engine needed to be rebuilt or replaced, we knew that the transmission needed a freshening, and we felt that the car itself needed some tweaks to get in to fighting shape for what will most likely be its last One Lap competition. So – after some furious phone calls and emails we formulated a plan and, at this point, we’re well on our way to working our way through it.

Here it is…

The Katech “Street Attack” LS7 has been sold and a new Katech LS7 will be taking its place. The new bullet makes a little bit more power and a little bit more torque and will be getting an updated intake, oiling system, and maybe a trick here or there.

The MEFI4B ECM is gone and will be replaced by a much more powerful and flexible Holley Dominator EFI. The Holley system has loads of options that the MEFI just couldn’t match and will a welcome addition to the OLC’s critical systems. Davis Technologies will be providing Traction Control technology that should help us in just about every event that we encounter in the OLOA.

The Tremec T-56 Magnum is off for a rebuild. We found some issues with the slave cylinder which lead us to examine the somewhat wobbly input shaft. This transmission is also a very early Magnum and will be updated to the CF synchros as part of the rebuild.

Centerforce will be rebuilding the DYAD Dual Disk Clutch as part of some routine freshening. This has been an awesome piece for us – outlasting and outgripping anything that we have tried before – and has proven to be perfect for our power levels and use.

The car is going on a diet… the OLC is – and always has been – a heavy car and if we’re going to get faster we need to shed some weight. Our goal is 250 pounds… which is a lot to hope for but I think that we can get close. Some will be easy, some will be painful, and some will be a challenge but at the end of the day I think that it will be worth it.

And the kicker…

The stock subframe is coming out and an Art Morrison Enterprises custom tweaked front subframe will be taking its place. The AME sub will be made even better thanks to some bits and pieces from LG Motorsports including billet drop spindles, monoball bearings, race hubs, and brake ducts.

This is a huge leap for us and will require a pretty daunting amount of work to get right. With that said, grab some popcorn and follow along as we work though what should be the second to last reinvention of the One Lap Camaro…