69 Camaro Project - Dead Pool

[SSLance]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

I've been saying for a very long time - but nobody listens to me..... Have one of the top drivers run your car thru 3 times.... That time is what you strive for if you do absolutely NOTHING to the car.... just fix the driver. When you get near their time -- now you start to tweak the car with some pro input.

Obviously this is a big picture look/statement. But if the car doesn't change and a good driver rips off 5 or 6 seconds faster than you're running... then there is 5 or 6 seconds in your driving that needs "work" if you do nothing to the car. The car might be a total piece of crap -- doesn't matter -- driving IT properly for the way it's set up is worth 5 or 6 seconds.

Sage advice Greg... I'm doing just that this coming Saturday. I'll be a student at the SCCA Solo Starting Line school taught by Evolution Performance driving instructors. I can't wait to see what they can do in my car on the course...then see how much they can teach me about getting more out of it.

[Matt@BOS]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

The power steering issue I'd be looking at -- belt slippage.... or air entrapment...

I'm wondering if there is some air that just doesn't want to get out. Or, its possible that the pump isn't properly matched to the rack. The DSE racks like to see 1400psi pressures at (I believe) around 3.2 gallons per minute. Having the flow rating, but not the pressure might be responsible for the irregularity.

All in all, I think Ron should be pretty proud. Other than the steering issue, there weren't any other mechanical issues. It wasn't fun or easy to drive. It had understeer on corner entry, mid corner, on exit and in a straight line seriously, if you weren't conscious of unwinding the wheel, the car would plow through the straights with the wheel turned until a dab of brakes or a little too much throttle made it snap. Ron worked on driving around the cars weaknesses and did really well out there, especially for his first autocross!

[Ron in SoCal]

Originally Posted by GregWeld

#1 question.

Did you have fun? Who gives a sh!t about the rest of it. You learn - you try - sometimes you cry... at the end of the day if you can't remember what you did except that it was a blast... PERFECTION.

Originally Posted by Ron in SoCal

All in all a great day. Probably the second most fun thing you can do in your car!

I was lovin' it all day!

I couldn't agree more on your good drivers comment, Greg.

The Wegner accy drive has pretty good belt wrap. Could be slippage but I'm gonna check the rack, pump, remount the cooler and see where that puts me.

[Flash68]

Originally Posted by Matt.A

It wasn't fun or easy to drive. It had understeer on corner entry, mid corner, on exit and in a straight line seriously, if you weren't conscious of unwinding the wheel, the car would plow through the straights with the wheel turned until a dab of brakes or a little too much throttle made it snap.

Sounds like Ron built the perfect pro touring car based on proven recipes.

[FETorino]

Originally Posted by Flash68

Sounds like Ron built the perfect pro touring car based on proven recipes.

Yep 335/285 stagger hard at work. Form over function.

Originally Posted by Matt.A

All in all, I think Ron should be pretty proud. Other than the steering issue, there weren't any other mechanical issues. It wasn't fun or easy to drive. It had understeer on corner entry, mid corner, on exit and in a straight line seriously, if you weren't conscious of unwinding the wheel, the car would plow through the straights with the wheel turned until a dab of brakes or a little too much throttle made it snap. Ron worked on driving around the cars weaknesses and did really well out there, especially for his first autocross!

Sounds like Ron did just fine.

Fix the steering issue and get some seat time in the thing. Then new rear inner hoops and a 315 tire will fix you right up.

[GregWeld]

Matt -- You may be on to something there with the flow and pressure. I've seen plenty of guys running GM pumps with Ford racks and then complain that they're steering is too light... well DOH! A simple orifice change and it's bada bing bada boom!


Generally just raising the front off the ground - open the cap on the reservoir - and running the rack lock to lock a few times is adequate bleeding... but with extra lines -- and coolers... you'd have to look for a "high" loop where maybe the air is trapped IDK.


I have power steering on the Muttstang -- and Charley doesn't on his... he's always worn out at the end of the day and mentions "me" having PS and him not. I think there's larger issues at work but WTF we're friends and I just accept his whining for what it is. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[Track Junky]

Originally Posted by Ron in SoCal

So I was yapping with Matt on the phone Saturday night and he asked if I wanted to join him at Fontana for the Hotchkis NMCA AutoX. There's so much to do on the car before I start running on the track I turned him down and hung up a few minutes later.

I thought about that for about two minutes and dialed him back and said I'll seeya there! What could go wrong?

We met up at about 8:am and set up. The PS steering assist was still very erratic, along with being notchy and slow to respond so we jacked up the car, unbolted the cooler and pulled a bunch of parts out of the way to get it to lay sideways and zip tied it to the core support and sub. We then yanked out 5 degrees of steering stops and called it good.

Sidebar - Fontana was rocking today. Exotic cars in one section, sports cars running the big track, karts on another and drag racing plus our AutoX. Pure awesome. The NMCA racer crowd is loaded with very cool people and the Hotchkis hosts couldn't be more accommodating.

Anyway, we finished wrenching about the time the drivers meeting started. Then they launched the run groups. Matt was a co-driver for a few sessions in a different run group and we tried to tune as we went.



The course was pretty technical for the first 3/4 with a slalom and chicago box right before the finish line. I found the car to be very touchy on the throttle and real tight. I had spoken to Ron Sutton the night before and he gave me a few tips and a shock tuning guide. Then right after lunch Ron gave me a call for some refinement tips. Thanks Ron, you're the man!

As far as results, I learned a bunch today. First, AutoX is a tough sport, Second, I suck at it (four DNFs?). Third, Matt is very good! Matt's third run in both my and his car put him in third place for most if not the whole day (two diff classes). Matt sacrificed his track improvement runs to help with my car. If I didn't say it enough, thanks again Matt! Also, the car and driver have a long way to go but it'll get there. I ended up taking about four seconds off my time during the day and about two seconds behind Matt (35.8 vs, 37.6), which is a mile in AutoX. Oh, and I see the merits of a quicker rack and 15" steering wheel.



All in all a great day. Probably the second most fun thing you can do in your car!

Very cool Ron. Looks like you have graduated from the jack stand army. Welcome aboard.

Now get ready for the sleepless nights trying to figure out how to improve car and driver

[waynieZ]

That's awesome Ron! Glad to hear you had a good time.

[DaleTx]

Great to see you’re out there enjoying the car! The autocross video was good, but I’m looking forward to some high speed stuff to hear the 427 wound up

The car looks awesome.

[cterry69]

Hey Ron it was nice to meet you and figure out where I had seen your car before. lol.
Congrats on the cars maiden voyage at the track and your first time auto crossing. Once you get the car all dialed in, you will really enjoy auto crossing in it. Your car turned out great.