Introducing: Project 1/2-TRAK

[Damn True]

I've fabricated a solution to the above and hope to weld it in place on Sunday. Once complete, that will wrap up the chassis fabrication work that I will be doing myself (the cage will be done by a pro).

So...to the matter of protecting this hard fought tin work; Does one seam-seal before or after putting some primer on the bare metal?

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Originally Posted by Damn True

I've fabricated a solution to the above and hope to weld it in place on Sunday. Once complete, that will wrap up the chassis fabrication work that I will be doing myself (the cage will be done by a pro).

So...to the matter of protecting this hard fought tin work; Does one seam-seal before or after putting some primer on the bare metal?

Seam sealer is water based and its best to put on over etching primer. Can't wait to see the cage work.

[Damn True]

Originally Posted by Vince@MSperfab

Seam sealer is water based and its best to put on over etching primer. Can't wait to see the cage work.

Well, I'm hoping it goes straight to your shop for electrical & drivetrain after Alan is done with it.

Thanks.

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Originally Posted by Damn True

Well, I'm hoping it goes straight to your shop for electrical & drivetrain after Alan is done with it.

Thanks.

Yep, you are on the roster.

I'm hopin Blaine will be a few weeks.

Do you have an engine yet? I have a nice 394 stroker that needs a home.

[Leroy Rochester]

Nice to see someone else on here tearing up their grandmother's Camaro!

Definitely will enjoy following this one going forward. Good luck!

[Damn True]

Originally Posted by Vince@MSperfab

Yep, you are on the roster.

I'm hopin Blaine will be a few weeks.

Do you have an engine yet? I have a nice 394 stroker that needs a home.

Good. Fast. Cheap.

Alan only offers the first option. I'm in line after Rob Zeiger's Fox body. I've got a fair bit to accomplish before the end of May.

I've not. When last we spoke you were going to get me some dyno info for the 500 & 550 options.

[Damn True]

Oh, looks like I lost a few posts here in the great server meltdown of 2014. I'll have to add them back this weekend. Till then.....

Box-o-goodies arrived yesterday containing amongst other things this lovely hunk of metal:

[Flash68]

The new Aero I presume?

[Damn True]

Things were progressing nicely this afternoon then the last two (on the right) welds exploded like a couple of zits...



...outta gas. Damn.

[Damn True]

In this update I'm wrapping up (blessedly) the rear suspension install.

If you've not been following along, this is the Lateral Dynamics 3-Link System. Sadly, the company went out of business a few years ago so here's hoping nothing ever goes wrong with this damn thing or I'm hosed.

It's a really nicely designed system though. In use on James Shipka's "One Lap Camaro"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T8y_Q5RKcw

....and Yancy John's (former owner Steve Rupp) "Bad Penny" Camaro.


http://youtu.be/Ay2w0OGDRpQ?t=34s

Both tuned by David and Mary Pozzi and both work spectacularly well. There aren't many of these kits in existence, Mike Kelcy recently got his on the road and that is all the ones that belong to folks I know.

Matt Rogers did all the fabrication on these and I'll be damned if I've ever seen better fitment and welding. Broke my heart to cover it up in powder coating.



As you can see, I had the housing powder coated in a light gray to aid in spotting any leaks or cracks down the road. The 3rd member is a Strange (iron) 9" with 3.70 gears and a Detroit TrueTrac diff. Should be plenty stout.

The hardware in the system is all really top notch as well. I sure wish the manufacturer was still around, I'd love to have a list of the rod end sources and PN's for replacements if needed.



The install of this system was the most challenging part of the build thus far. I went into it with my eyes wide open on that and thanks in large part to Matt, David Pozzi and James Shipka I got through it. Here's hoping the performance potential of this system over some of the more "plug-n-play" bolt in kits makes it worth it.



As you can probably tell, the rear alignment is way off. Not worried about that right now. But I'll get it in the ballpark before it rolls out of the garage at the end of this month.





Next update with pics will cover the front suspension and shocks.....